Milwaukee Brewers win NLCS series

I'm not a big fan of watching baseball, yet hearing about the Brewers have been a treat this year. I just learned that the Brewers just beat out the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2 in the series winning the National League Championship Series. They'll go on to challenge the St.Louis Cardinals to determine whom would play in the World Series.

Packers Week #4

The Denver Broncos got spanked by the Green Bay Packers 49-23 at Lambeau Field this afternoon.

Here are my thoughts of the game...

The Packers pretty much dominated the game.

Besides one tipped pass that got intercepted, Aaron Rodgers was picture perfect today.

Over 400 yards in passing, four thrown TD passes and 2 ran in... Aaron Rodgers was on fire!

If the Broncos had played against someone else, I think they could have won. They are not to shabby of a team...

Broncos QB, Kyle Orten got picked off twice.

The Packers are now 4-0. Along with the surprising Detroit Lions, they remain undefeated....

More on the game here

2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees

Just the other day the Rock and Roll of Hall of Fame announced their nominees for their 2012 class. Not a bad selection, but it can be better.....

The nominees are..

Beastie Boys-No, I don't think so...if there were a Hip Hop Hall of Fame elsewhere, by all means go for it...

The Cure-Not a fan of these guys, I guess I can see the gothic new wave influences. It it really enough for these guys the make it in?

Donovan-I recently picked an album, Barajabal, from him and I thought it was pretty good. I can see the folkish influences.

Eric B.and Rakim- Never heard of them.

Guns n' Roses-Most definitely! Appetite for Destruction is a classic... Guns n' Roses brought back the raunchy bad boy image of Aerosmith and the Rolling Stones and blended it with heavy metal with a middle finger to the world.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts- Hmmmm. I think the Runaways would be a better idea for R&RHoF.

Heart-Definitely! Forging the way for women in hard rock without sounding like crap.

Freddy King-Any blues great guitar player has my nod for the Hall of Fame.

Laura Nyro-Heard of her by name only, so therefore, I don't have an opinion on her.

Red Hot Chili Peppers-OK...I'm not a big fan of these guys either. I'll admit they are a bit different than many bands out there. Something tells me they'll make it in weather they deserve if or not.

Rufus and Chaka Khan-Is there a Disco Hall of Fame anywhere?

The Small Faces/Faces-Personally I think A Nod is Good as a Wink to a Blind Horse is a classic album. The Faces are largely responsible for bringing straight forward raunchy bar blues rock to the table.

The Spinners-Motown sound from the 60's and 70's. Very respectable...

Donna Summer-Now where was the Disco Hall of Fame?

War-OK, "Low Rider" was a hit for them and Eric Burden from the Animals was their singer. Do they have what it takes to make it in?

My picks would be Guns n'Roses, Heart, Donovan, Freddie King, The Small Faces/Faces

Packers Week #3

My beloved Green Bay Packers won against conference rivals 27-17 at Soldier Field today.

Here are my thoughts of the game.

1) The Packers seemed to dominate the the first quarter by holding them down to one first down.

2) The Bears started to come alive in the second quarter.

3) There a lot of dropped passes from the Chicago receivers.

4) By the forth quarter things were getting ugly, turnovers by both teams. Chicago looked as if were ready to catch up.

5) The Packers are 3-0 now.

More on the game here.

How Does the Cheese Eat a Bear?

How does the cheese eat a Bear? Yep, you read the title right. This is an actual conversation by my Chicago Bear loving girlfriend and me.

HER: Babe, I know that you are a Packer fan and all, but I want to know a cheese can eat a bear.
ME: Well, do you know what packers are? They work in meat..(I was trying to explain the history of the Packer name when she interrupted me)
HER: I know all that! If a bear can eat cheese, what I want to know is if CHEESE can eat bear.
ME: Yes...
HER: OK, how?
ME: Simple-Voodoo magic.
HER: Voodoo?
ME: Yeah-some guy with a wand in one hand and a chicken in the other hand ZAPS a gourd of cheese. This gourd of cheese grows bigger and bigger-chases down the bear like a PAC-man and CHOMPS down on the bear and eats him. And that Sweetie, is how the cheese ate the bear!
HER: So who's the guy with the magic wand?
ME: Harry Potter.
HER: That explains everything...

REM 'Calls It a Day"

Alternative rockers from Athens, Georgia, REM has decided to call it quits according to a statement released by the band's website. This is the statement....

"To our Fans and Friends: As R.E.M., and as lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band. We walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished. To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening." R.E.M.

In a statement by bassist Mike Mills: "We have always been a band in the truest sense of the word. Brothers who truly love and respect each other. We feel kind of like pioneers in this -- there's no disharmony here, no falling-outs, no lawyers squaring off. We've made this decision together, amicably and with each other's best interests at heart."

My hat's off the band and I wish them luck in whatever they do....

Packers Week #2

The Packers won 30-23 over the Carolina Panthers at the Back of America Stadium in Charlotte bringing the Pack 2-0

Here are my thoughts of the game...

The Packers were non existent in the first quarter with only one possession.

Carolina actually looked good in the first half.

The Packers roared back to life in the second half dominating the Panthers.

Panthers rookie quarterback Cam Newton certainly has potential to a great quarterback.

Carolina turned the ball over four times during the game.

More on the game here.

The Sky is Crying

There are many music lovers out there at that would claim Jimi Hendrix as THE guitar god. That may be case, yet blues legend Stevie Ray Vaughan sits on his right hand as a faithful disciple of Hendrix. Hendrix may have opened the door for generations of guitar players exploring the boundaries of the instrument, yet Stevie Ray sent it the the limitless heights of the stratosphere.

Note for note, each sound Stevie Ray creates on his beat up Stratocaster is worth it weight in gold. Always playing with unbridled passion and emotion, Stevie Ray somehow reaches into the heart and soul of the listener-whether it is playing at blinding speed or the slow down steady blues. Not bad at all from guy who sneaked into his older brother's room just to self teach himself on the guitar.

On the 1991 release of The Sky is Crying illustrates all that and more. The posthumously assembled ten-track outtakes collection actually proves to be one of Stevie Ray's most consistent albums, rivaling to 1989's In Step as the best. Compiled by his older brother, Jimmie Vaughan (of the Fabulous Thunderbirds), these songs were recorded in sessions spanning from 1984's Couldn't Stand the Weather to his last album, In Step and were left off of the albums for whatever reason (or, in the case of Soul to Soul's "Empty Arms," a different version was used).

What makes the record work is its eclectic diversity --Vaughan plays the slide guitar on "Boot Hill" while "Life by the Drop" was done on the acoustic. He smokes on the slow blues of "May I Have a Talk With You" and the title track just as much as on the up-tempo Lonnie Mack cover, "Wham" Holy Cow! Talk about blistering guitar work there! Then he shows the jazzy side of his playing on and Kenny Burrell's "Chitlins Con Carne. The buzz on the amp on Hendrix's "Little Wing" intro slowly crawls in a wailing guitar solo that is literally mind blowing!

But it's not just musical diversity that makes the record work, it's also Vaughan's emotional range. From the morbidly dark "Boot Hill" to the lilting "Little Wing" to the exuberant tributes to his influences -- Lonnie Mack on "Wham" and Albert King on "The Sky Is Crying". Stevie Ray makes the material resonate, and in light of his death, "The Sky Is Crying" and the touching survivor-story ballad "Life by the Drop" are two of the most moving moments in Stevie Ray Vaughan's oeuvre.

Never Forget....

I was at work when this all happened.....

Somebody at work had called in sick, so had to work on another press than I normally do. The day itself seemed to peaceful and calm. Nothing would prepare me for what was to come.

I was in the scheduling office picking up paperwork shortly after the first plane hit. The radio in the office been blaring news. My first impression was an aircraft controller had somehow had messed up and directed the plane at lower altitude causing the crash. Never in my mind was this an attack of terrorism until I was getting ready to walk out of the office when the second plane hit.

I remember the feeling of dread afterwards. News and rumors spread like wildfire across the plant. We had limited access to the outside world. By lunchtime television sets were set up in the conference room across the hall from the break room. These were the first images of terror at the World Trade Center I saw. I was horrified...

I remember the fear growing inside of me as the day went on. Little did I know what was really going outside the concrete walls of the building I was working in. Was a there a full scale war going on? Will I be gunned down as I walk out of the building? Maybe my imagination was running wild with me...

It wasn't until I got home I that realized the full scale of what happened. The repeated images on the TV told me everything. By then, the Pentagon had been hit. Flight 93 had crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. The towers had collapsed-killing thousands of civilians, firefighters and police alike. I was mortified...

Packers Week #1

My beloved team-the defending Super Bowl champs Green Bay Packers defeated the New Orleans Saints in this explosive season opener 42-34 at Lambeau Field. What a game! The Pack looked to have the game wrapped up in the first quarter before the Saints came alive with Drew Brees' quickfire passes.

Here are my thoughts of the game:

1) The Packers are clearly still a HOT team! Aaron Rodgers passes are like lightning!

2) Make no doubt, New Orleans is a GREAT team. The do have a lot of weapons in their arsenal.

3) Packer seemed to have a running game going (finally) with two good running backs at their disposal.

4) Special teams on both sides of the field have stepped up. Their were two kick off returns in the game.

5) Neither quarterbacks made an interception.

All in all it was an awesome game, a great way to start the season!

More on the game here.

Didn't Go...

Last night, I was supposed to go see the Doobie Brothers at the Walworth County Fair in Elkhorn. Well, didn't go. My girlfriend and I were called away to Shawano Saturday afternoon to witness the birth of her first grandchild. We didn't get home until Sunday evening about 45 minutes prior to the show. With the weather being drizzling, cold and icky and the possibility of getting caught in the traffic situations dealing with Pearl Jam's show at nearby Alpine Valley were deciding factors in not going. Would of been nice though. The Doobie Brothers latest album, World Gone Crazy is their best piece of work since their 70's heyday of Takin' it to the Streets and Minute by Minute. Their recent setlists included classic tunes like "Black Water", "China Groove", "Listen to the Music" and "Rockin' Down the Highway" as well tunes from their recent album.

I've must of been in a dark closet during the last couple of months. About four days ago, I just learned that one of my favorite bands, Pearl Jam was kicking off a leg of their PJ20 Tour at nearby Alpine Valley last night and the night before. This is one band I've always wanted to see live! Their energetic shows and ever changing setlists are the some the reasons I want to go. To make these shows more for worth craving for were the appearances of Chris Cornell from Soundgarden, Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age along with members of Mudhoney and the Strokes. Just to hear Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder jam together doing Temple of the Dog classics would definitely have been a treat! Top top it all...$50 lawn seats!

Was it worth it not going? Yes! My girlfriend's first grandchild was born 1:35 Sunday morning. A girl. 7 pounds 4 ounces. A real cutie pie....

Hair of the Dog

Nazareth. Yes, Nazareth. Remember that long forgotten name that was buried under the weight of the popular 70's riff crunching powerhouse bands like Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith and Black Sabbath? I do. It seems like a vague memory for some. It's kind of easy to see why...These Scottish rockers never stood out above the crowd, instead they blended into the rock and roll scenery like a chameleon on a branch. It wasn't just they sucked. They might not have quite the talent like Zeppelin, nor the flamboyancy like Queen and Aerosmith, yet they certainly had some moments of glory. Among them was their sixth studio effort, Hair of the Dog, released in 1975.

Hair of the Dog was the first album I ever picked from Nazareth. As a young teenager, I got excited of hearing the boisterous title track, marveling at the uncensored chorus of "Now you're messing with a son of a bitch, Now you're messing with a son of a bitch" over the loud relentless guitars combined with a smoking bass solo on the radio. Then there was the beautiful Everly Brothers cover of "Love Hurts". Singer Dan McCafferty's trance like singing of this wholesome ballad was repeatedly requested on the radio by love struck girls requesting it for their boyfriends to the point that I wanted to beat my head against the wall like a schizophrenic having delusions. Nevertheless, it is a great tune taken in moderation.

The rest of the album should not be ignored, for it divides its time between similarly pulverizing hard rock fare and some intriguing experiments with the group's sound. Notable tracks include "Miss Misery," a bad romance lament driven by a doomy riff worthy of Black Sabbath and my personal favorite, "Changin' Times", a throbbing hard rock tune driven by a hypnotic, circular-sounding guitar riff ending with a monstrous solo by Manny Charlton. A big big highlight is "Please Don't Judas Me," an epic tune about paranoia that trades heavy metal riffs for a spooky, synthesizer-dominated atmosphere that is further enhanced by some light, Pink Floyd -styled slide guitar work.

Some may argue to what is the best Nazareth album. Razamanaz, Expect No Mercy and No Mean City are all fine albums, but Hair of the Dog remains the most popular. It has sold two million copies worldwide. To top it all, it is a necessity for Nazareth fans and anyone who loves 1970s hard rock.

Hurricane Irene

Over the weekend Hurricane Irene sliced up the Atlantic coast from North Carolina to New England leaving a death toll now at 37 and a trail of destruction in its wake. As of this point, millions are still without power and the rebuilding begins.

Once a storm to be feared to a degree catastrophic proportions, Irene roared out of the Bahamas a Category 3 hurricane packing winds of over 110 MPH. Residents of the Atlantic coast had every right to be afraid, especially to those whom live in New York City and other large metropolitan areas. In which, of New York haven't had a major hurricane in God knows how long.

A Katrina like catastrophe, Irene wasn't, reduced to a Category 1 be the time it made landfall on the Outer Banks in North Carolina. By the time made it's third American landfall at Coney Island, New York, Irene was downgraded to a tropical storm. A huge sigh of relief and good news for most everybody. Still, it was a storm to be reckoned with-left a huge mess for everyone to clean up.

Enough with the news...I'm sure everyone heard all the details about Irene. Storms always captivated my interest, especially hurricanes and tornadoes. It's a wonder that Mother Nature, who's beauty and splendor can be so destructive and terrifying....Now, I wonder how Seano from the Circle of Fits is doing. He's from Philadelphia...

What to Write About?

I know that I haven't posting much on here lately and some of you may have been wondering what happened. I'm fine. I've been busy with work and so has my girlfriend. Time seems to be a luxury these days. I try to prioritize my time off from work and other important errands by spending it with my girlfriend and kids. Some days are not so easy....

There are times like this I'll got a moment to myself to write a blog. So here I am, filled with ideas to what to write about, yet I'm drawing a blank.... Typing away here very slowly, one finger at a time (I'm no speed demon on the keyboard, that's for sure) thinking I've got recent albums from the Doobie Brothers, Yes and Lynyrd Skynyrd that I could do reviews on. Not to mention stacks of burned CD's that been piling up my desk here, I could easily do. I could scan some old photos of vacation trips I took as a kid and write about it. Some old pet photos too, why not? Of course, I could do something personal, yet I've been leery about doing that lately.

It's summer though and I love the sunshine. I do want to enjoy it while I can. Read a book outside with my tunes and then cook on the grill. Take a walk through the woods with my lady and my dog. Can't really do that in the winter...

Not to worry, I'm still around, reading your blogs and commenting on them. Wouldn't miss them for the world....

We are Stardust, We are Golden

In 1969, a monumental music festival changed our world. More than half a million people came together - united in a message of peace, openness and cultural expression – and demonstrated how a generation could be heard. Today, Woodstock lives on. Gathered on Max Yasgur's farm in Bethel, New York, they came from all over....changing forever the face of rock and roll-encrypting our minds with images of love and peace....

Woodstock originally was designed as a profit-making venture. It famously became a "free concert" only after it became obvious that the event was drawing hundreds of thousands more people than the organizers had prepared for. Tickets for the event cost $18 in advance and $24 at the gate for all three days. But a late change in venue did not give the festival organizers enough time to prepare. Organizers felt they had two choices. One option was to improve the fencing and security which might have resulted in violence; the other involved putting all their resources into completing the stage, which would cause promoters to take a financial hit. The crowd, which was arriving in greater numbers and earlier than anticipated, made the decision for them. The fence was cut the night before the concert.

During the sometimes rainy weekend, thirty-two acts performed outdoors. Among them were sensational bands like Santana, the Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin, the Who, Jefferson Airplane, Ten Years After, the Band, CSN&Y and Jimi Hendrix. I know, that's a lot of acts!

The influx of attendees to the rural concert site in Bethel created a massive traffic jam. To add to the problems and difficulty in dealing with the large crowds, recent rains had caused muddy roads and fields. The facilities were not equipped to provide sanitation or first aid for the number of people attending; hundreds of thousands found themselves in a struggle against bad weather, food shortages, and poor sanitation.

The festival was remarkably peaceful given the number of people and the conditions involved, the audience, in tune with the idealistic hopes of the 1960s, Woodstock satisfied most attendees. There was a sense of social harmony, which, with the quality of music, and the overwhelming mass of people, many sporting Bohemian dress, behavior, and attitudes helped to make it one of the enduring events of the century.

It is widely regarded as one of the most pivotal moments in rock and roll's music history...I have often wondered what it would be like to have experienced this.



25 years later gave birth to a new generation to the those attended the first. Organizers had come with plans for a second Woodstock to commemorate the anniversary of the original. Of course by then, the times had changed and the music had evolved. Skepticism arose as plans unraveled. Would the memory of the original be tarnished?

Woodstock '94 was settled in a large field in Saugarties, NY, about ten miles away from the original site and it was originally proposed as the location for the 1969 concert for permission to use the property was not granted. Tickets were sold for $135 to try to limit attendance to 250,000 people. Kind of steep price, yet considering the Eagles were charging the same amount for their shows, to see 67 acts in three days seemed fair. An eight foot high fence was erected around the venue to thwart gate crashers.

Instead of driving cross country and paying the big bucks to see this historical event, it was decided that staying at home and spending $50 to watch it on pay per view was a better idea. After all, it was my Woodstock...and I got a free T-shirt out of the deal. So I took the liberty of video and audio taping the ENTIRE concert...

67 acts and a wide diverse amount music covering two stages was presented to the hordes of music fans that came in from all points of the globe. Some new acts as well as the older ones. Among them were Collective Soul, Blues Traveler, Blind Melon, Nine Inch Nails, Metallica, Aerosmith, Allman Brothers Band, Green Day, Bob Dylan, Traffic, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Peter Gabriel. Returning from 1969 were Santana, Joe Cocker, Country Joe, CSN and the Band. There was no way I could miss this...

As I was watching this spectacle, I couldn't help to notice how surreal and crazy it was. It was a combination of generations-young and old-in the crowds and in the mosh pits. Body surfing, beach balls and naked people. An experience that felt a reminiscent to the original Woodstock with a modern twist. Rains came down during Saturday afternoon turning the place into "Mudstock". Out came the "Mudpeople" turning hills into mudslides-all caked with mud. By the time Aerosmith hit the stage late Saturday night with a mind blowing show, the crowd had swelled to an approximate 450,000 people. The gates had been taken down, lest people getting injured breaking in. At that point it became a free concert....

By the time I shut down my VCR and stereo, moments after the Sunday night Peter Gabriel finished his set, I was exhausted. Yet I smiled when I went to bed knowing a peaceful show worthy of the Woodstock name would bring up memories of a lifetime for me....




Five years later, as promoters wanted, came another Woodstock. Given the circumstances of the previous peaceful Woodstocks back in '69 and '94, it didn't seem to be a bad idea at first. A Woodstock every five years? The first one was a sacrilege while the second one was a peaceful commemorative, the third one was overkill.

Organizers picked the abandoned Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, NY, which was about 200 miles away from the original site, to solve the problems dealing with the mud that plagued the previous shows. Tickets were sold for $150 a piece, which were considered expensive that time period standards. Prior to the concert, the promoters of the event were determined to avoid the gate-crashing that had occurred at previous festivals, and had characterized the site as "defensible", describing the 12-foot plywood and steel fence intended to keep out those without tickets. About 500 New York State Troopers were hired for security. Woodstock 99 was conceived and executed as a commercial venture with dozens of corporate sponsors, and included the presence of vendor "malls" and modern acoutrements such as ATM's and e-mail stations.

Over 100 acts came to this event! Among them were Insane Clown Pose, Buckcherry, Korn, Bush, Kid Rock, Counting Crows, Dave Matthews Band, Limp Bizkit, Rage Against the Machine, Muse, Godsmack, Jewel, Willie Nelson, Creed and Megadeth, Returning from '94 were Collective Soul, Metallica and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. No one from the '69 show made an appearance...

Sounds if the promoters finally got it all together....WRONG! Very wrong...

But what went wrong? Crass commercialism for starters. Participants who had not brought sufficient food or water to the show had to either buy from onsite vendors, whose merchandise was expensive: a single-serving pizza sold for $12, bottles of water and soda went for five bucks a pop. The oppressive heat —which reached above 100 F-baking concert goers on the asphalt certainly didn't help matters. One by one, the testosterone driven metal bands pushed the crowds into a frenzy. Some crowd violence and looting was reported during the Saturday night performance by Limp Bizkit, including a rendition of the song "Break Stuff". Violence escalated the next night during the final hours of the concert as the Red Hot Chili Peppers performed. During the band's set, the crowd began to light candles, some also using them to start bonfires. The hundreds of empty plastic water bottles that littered the lawn/dance area were used as fuel for the fire. Many large bonfires were burning high before the band left the stage for the last time. Participants danced in circles around the fires. Looking for more fuel, some tore off panels of plywood from the supposedly inviolable security perimeter fence. ATMs were tipped over and broken into, trailers full of merchandise and equipment were forced open and burglarized, and abandoned vendor booths were turned over, and set afire.

Police investigated four alleged instances of rape that occurred during the concert. Eyewitnesses reported a body-surfing woman being pulled down into the crowd and gang-raped in the moshpit during Limp Bizkit's set. Seven arrests were made on the final night of the concert and, afterward, police reviewed video footage, hoping to identify and hold accountable rapists and looters who, amid the chaos, had not been arrested. Approximately 12 trailers, a small bus and a number of booths and portable toilets were burned in the fray. Six people were injured.

I was so glad that I turned down the $50 per per view for this show. The only act that I was even interested in at the time was Metallica. It deeply saddened me, to know that the great sacrilege of Woodstock was tarnished by a bunch of assholes....

Vicious Cycle

I know that I haven't done an album review in awhile and it's long overdue that I do one. Anyways, it doesn't mean that I haven't been listening to music lately, in fact I have. Too much of it... My girlfriend and I have been plundering and pillaging the local libraries for CD's to burn. One of these we got is Lynyrd Skynyrd's tenth studio album, Vicious Cycle.

I've always been a huge fan of Southern rock, it almost seems to run in my blood even though I never been south of the Mason/Dixie line. Somehow I can relate to whiskey swigging, hell raising lifestyle even though I'm a family man with a remote in hand. Mostly I think it is my love for the blues.

On Vicious Cycle, Lynyrd Skynyd delivers that same whiskey drinking and hell raising fun that I like. There are some killer bone crunching guitars, tickling piano and insightful lyrics, a perfect combination for a Skynyrd classic. But first, a little history lesson....

Since Lynyrd Skynyrd's reunion in 1987, the band has going through a perpetual lineup change. Gary Rossington, the only original guitarist left from the days of "Freebird" and "Sweet Home Alabama" leads the pack the triple guitar assault with a resounding force. The addition of ace guitar players Hughie Thomasson from the Outlaws and Ricky Metlocke from Blackfoot make this a spicy Cajan combination to behold. Ronnie Van Zant's younger brother, Johnny, who's insightful and colorful lyrics paints a vivid picture of the rebel raising south-in the all American way as seen tunes like "Red, White and Blue" and "That's How I Like It"

But what's missing here? It's hard not to compare this album (and others) to the classics of the pre-plane crash Skynyrd. This is really no challenge here. Though they try....Johnny tries his damnedest to follow the footsteps of his older brother, lacks the emotion and depth. Billy Powell's legendary spidery piano work, slowly is being overcome with an organ. Ean Evans, whom takes over the bass, clearly isn't the same caliber as the late Leon Wilkeson (he passed away during the sessions). Micheal Cartellone, the drummer from the Damn Yankees, does his best to fill in for the departed Artimus Pyle.

What's with Kid Rock doing with a remake of "Gimme Back My Bullets" ? THAT I cringed over hearing...

Maybe I'm wrong to compare oranges from peaches. This is a good album, no doubt. Second Helping and their debut are classics that stand the test time. If this were a brand new band, I may have another viewpoint. In the meantime, I'll tip my beer in favor of the band trying to keep the spirit of Ronnie Van Zant and Lynyrd Skynyrd alive....

Cookin'on the Grill!

O yeah, it's that time of the year again! One of my favorite summer activities, cooking on the grill. Weather it's chicken, burgers, steak, ribs, brats or hot dogs. "You kill it, I grill it" is my motto when I have the tongs in one hand and a beer in other.

This year I downsized my big assed gas grill in favor of a small charcoal grill that I had stashed for years. I know that gas grills faster to cook on and cheaper in the long run, I prefer the taste of the charcoal flavoring over the propane taste. On top of that, it gives me an opportunity to pull out my boom box to listen to some killer CD's and ENJOY a couple of cold brews while the flames are roasting the meat.

One of my favorite recipes is honey and spice chicken wings. It's rather easy to cook...

Ingredients:

1/2 c Heinz 57 sauce
1/4 c honey
2 lbs chicken wings

What I do is boil the chicken till fully cooked. While that is going, I'll combine the Heinz 57 sauce and the honey in a large freezer bag. Once the chicken is done, I'll put the chicken of the freezer bag with the sauce to marinate overnight. Sounds easy, eh? What's your favorite grilling recipe?

Some Crappy Albums

It's not too often I give out reviews for the disastrous albums out there. Being open minded, I tend to like a lot of the stuff out there and even tolerate some (except for rap and disco, which I think are dredge of the earth) Every now and then I come across a shitty album in my collection that I wished I never heard. Here are a few...(in random order)

Diamanda Galas with John Paul Jones The Sporting Life-1994 Being a die hard Zeppelin fan, I find it hard not to pass up anything Zep related, this one however, is one of that I should have. Galas pitifully hisses, whines, chants, howls and screams like Yoko Ono in heat. Can not comprehend a word to what she is allegedly singing. What amazes me the most here is that John Paul Jones, whom has a good ear for talent, is even working with her.

Impellitteri Stand in Line-1988 On the back cover of the album was inscribed with the words of guitarist Chris Impellitteri, "I promise that my guitar solos will only get faster". Ok, I'll bite. Like a fish caught on a hook reeled into a frying pan-not good. Impellitteri's guitar playing is as fast as a Porsche stuck in the mud. Tires spinning, but going nowhere. Like Yngwie Malsteam, he's all technique with no soul nor emotion. Even with ex-Rainbow singer Graham Bonnet on hand for the vocals couldn't save this album.

Kingdom Come In Your Face-1989 Or should I say Kingdom Clone? The success of Whitesnake's 1987 self titled release brought out an avalanche of Zeppelin sound alike bands hoping for their 15 minutes of fame. We had Bonham, Great White and others, each trying to reduplicate the sound of Zeppelin, but just couldn't "get it right". It takes more than amps cranked up to 11 and a Plant sound alike to recreate the Zep sound. This one however, takes the cake. Nothing exciting nor memorable here, just a listless rehash of another Zep clone.

Emerson Lake & Palmer Love Beach-1978 A record that ELP released only because they owed it to their original label. Love Beach isn't simply bad, it's downright stale and pathetic. It's about creative as washing dishes. I bought this at a rummage sale for 50 cents, I'm still waiting for a refund....

Foreigner Agent Provocateur-1984 With each album coming out from Foreigner, they seemed to grow lamer and lamer, trying cash in on the ballads. Yeah, "I Want to Know What Love Is" became a HUGE hit for the band, yet it bored me after awhile. The rockin' moments became fewer and further between. "That Was Yesterday" was the best track of the album, the rest is filler.

Just a few for now. More bashes to come soon as I dig through my collection. So what's your worst album?

JTI Summer Gathering of 2011

For the third year in the row, the wonderful group of friends known as the JT Irregulars got together for our annual summer gathering. A great time was held by all...

A good turnout with great people. Seated under a canopy at a local restaurant by the waters of Root River, OrbsCorbs, kkdither, lizardmom, SER, Tender Heart Bear, froglover, fungi and his wife, newcomer jedwis and myself was there. Not to forget Hale-Bopp from Tuscon, Arizona and Why Not? and her family from all away from Sweden came to join the festivities.

What a great we had! Talked for hours and had a few drinks. Hale-Bopp entertained with his stories from his travels. OrbsCorbs provided his detailed exploits from city hall. Tender Heart shared her stories from her childhood in Chicago. fungi explained the ramifications of the concealed carry law that goes into effect on November 1st. Why Not? brought her two adorable little girls. Me? Being a quiet one enjoyed hearing all of these stories.

Honestly, this is how it really went :P

Irregular we may seem, I'm looking forward to our next get together. These guys are like family to me....

Saturday Night Videos

Experimentation is a part of rock and roll. The need to experiment, to create and the stretch the boundaries is essential. The overgrowing technology has certainly helped to the cause, without it rock and roll wouldn't be the same as it is today....

Inspired by the Beatles' 1965 release, Rubber Soul, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys wanted to create the "greatest record ever". The result was Pet Sounds (1966), where Wilson's growing mastery of studio recording and his increasingly sophisticated songs and complex arrangements would reach a creative peak. Influenced by psychedelic drugs, Brian Wilson turned his attention inward and probe his deep-seated self-doubts and emotional longings. The album's meticulously layered harmonies and inventive instrumentation set a new standard for pop and rock music. Wilson was a pioneer of the 'studio as instrument' concept, exploiting novel combinations of sounds that sprang from the use of multiple electric instruments and voices in an ensemble and combining them with echo and reverberation. He often doubled bass, guitar and keyboard parts, blending them with reverberation and adding other unusual instruments. It remains one of the most evocative releases of the decade.



Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the most important rock and roll album ever made, an unsurpassed adventure in concept, sound, songwriting, cover art and studio technology by the one of greatest rock & roll groups of all time. This album is also rock's ultimate declaration of change. For the Beatles, it was a decisive goodbye to matching suits, world tours and assembly-line record-making. Producer George Martin's innovative and lavish production included the orchestra usage and hired musicians ordered by the band. Genres such as music hall, jazz, rock and roll, western classical, and traditional Indian music are covered. Several then-new production effects feature extensively on the recordings. The use of multi-tracking , a new idea back then, is prevalent throughout the album...



Beginning with the sound of a heartbeat, Pink Floyd "Breathes" air into their 1973 release of the legendary The Dark Side of the Moon. Recorded in the famous Abbey Roads Studios between May 1972 and January 1973, the band were assigned staff engineer Alan Parsons (you know who he is) to oversee the recording of the Dark Side of the Moon. The recording sessions made use of some of the most advanced studio techniques of the time; the studio was capable of 16 track mixes, which offered a greater degree of flexibility than the eight- or four-track mixes they had previously used, although the band often used so many tracks that to make more space available second-generation copies were made. The sound effects on "Money" were created by splicing together Waters' recordings of clinking coins, tearing paper, a ringing cash register, and a clicking adding machine, which were used to create a 7-beats effects loop. An that's the tip of the iceberg...