ReGift for Christmas 2009 - Christmas Covers 2008 (Re-Post)

Horrible photo, I know, but I wanted to show you what my neighbours house looks like. We have tour buses, cars, police cars, and pedestrians on our street just to see this Christmas display. They do it for charity, I think they are raising funds for Sick Kids Hospital. It is overpowering but not to bad, it's just that when you drive up to the house your blinded by the lights of the display and cars that are parked looking at the house.

Anyway, I wanted to regift from last year one of my favorite Christmas songs and covers of it.

Enjoy:

FairyTale of New York @ FairyTale of New York @ FairyTale of New York @ Fairytale of New York  FairyTale of New York @ FairyTale of New York

This year I have decided to be the evil dad who wraps the gifts so no one can figure out what they got.  Each one of the links above is a cover of Fairytale of New York, in my opinion one of the most powerful Christmas song to come out of the last thirty years.  It expressed the love/hate that we all have for this time of year.

Enjoy the season, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and whatever else you might be celebrating.

Give it all you got, or forget about it - Joe Strummer (1952-2002).

Damn, I say this every year. We are supposed to be happy and getting ready for the holidays, but December sucks.

Bhopal disaster, Montreal Massacre, the 2004 Tsunami, John Lennon's death and the death of Joe Strummer.  I know, I know, their deaths can't compare to these horrible tragedies, but they were turning points on how people looked at the world and defined were they stood at that time.

All I can say is I miss Joe's talent.

When you listen remember Joe.

The Clash - Hateful
Kid Dynamite - Hateful

The Clash - Career Opportunities (Live)
? - Career Opportunities

The Clash - London's Burning
Silverchair - London's Burning

The Clash - Spanish Bombs
We Have Ears - Spanish Bombs


Strummerville.com Winter Sessions - Free Download, Check the website

John Lennon

This is a day that sucks, 29 years ago .. John Lennon was shot and killed, a normal guy who got famous because he was a poet. A nutcase became jealous of him , a stalker who shot John for no better reason than he wanted to be more famous then his victim.

John Lennon was a poet, an artist, a catalyst for a generation/generations to question the ways and whys of how things are supposed to be done. He was no saint, he was a regular guy who was able to find words what we all felt.

It just sucks that he is no longer here.
Take a few minutes and remember the first time you heard a Lennon song.

Los Lonely Boys - Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign To Save Darfur Whatever Gets You Thru The Night

Television Personalities - Fashion Conscious: The Little Teddy Years Whatever Gets You Thru The Night

John Lennon and Elton John - Walls And Bridges (2005 Re-Master) Whatever Gets You Thru The Night [Live]

The Originals & The Covers

(9:03 am all broken links are fixed, sorry about that.)

I just finished watch The Ed Sullivan Show (the show - Ed Sullivan Rock 'n Roll Classics: the 60's) was on PBS, they are on their cash drive again. So of course they have programs I want to watch. Anyway they showed Tommy James and the Shondells doing Crimson & Clover and how the next day it hit #1 on the US music charts. This got me thinking of a bunch of different things. Programs like Sullivan's really did promote record sales, it was free publicity for the artist and the record company. The program would draw a large audience, especially if they promoted the hell out of it during the week, and the advertiser sponsoring the show would be happy with the reach of their adds. The audience would get their fix of the favorite rock acts. A nice complete circle where everyone gets what they want.

Do we have any variety shows like this now. In Canada we don't, I don't think the states does either. Not sure of the rest of the world. I know, I know ... Saturday Night Live, Letterman, Jimmy Fallon and the other late shows have bands on. But not like it was with Sullivan, Sonny and Cher or Donny and Marie. We sat around the TV as a family watching these shows and the music reached a larger audience, it wasn't narrow casted to a limited audience. I think the TV market has become to saturated with shows to have the kind of effect that Sullivan once had on the music industry. It's a shame.

Also while watching the show I got to thinking... Damn, Joan Jett covered most of these tunes. So for your listening pleasure, The Originals & The Covers.
Enjoy.

Tommy James and the Shondells - Crimson & Clover
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts - Crimson & Clover (live in NY 1982)

Sly & The Family Stone - Everyday People
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts - Everyday People

The origional is not from the Ed Sullivan show time period, I just like it a lot.
The Arrows - I Love Rock & Roll
Joan Jett - I Love Rock & Roll

Watch this in full screen mode .. worth it if you have a good moniter

Wolfmother - The Kool Haus - 11/11/09

Okay .. I went to see Wolfmother last night, awesome show. How awesome .. I am deaf right now. All I can hear is a buzzing in my ears, and I wore high end earplugs. Fuck it rocked. I was going to take the Canon DSLR, but chickened out and only had my cellphone.

Andrew Stockdale is a artist, I was never really into the whole guitar god thing of the 70's (Clapton is God, Hendrix is God, Page is God, that sort of thing. Personally I always thought they were wankers who wanted to show off what they could do with a guitar). But I can see why people said those things, Stockdale was awesome, loud, brash, hard hitting, and that was with his guitar (I couldn't make out a damn thing he said).

The music was incredible, they did a really good range of old songs off the first album (Wolfmother) and the new (Cosmic Egg). The new stuff came across as strong as the older music. Heavy hard hitting rock. I won't compare them Zeppelin or ZZ Top, I think Stockdale and Wolfmother are going to make a very strong spot for themselves in the history of music. They guys won't fade away.


The show lasted just over two hours, if it had gone any longer I don't think I would hear ever again. They closed the encore with Joker and the Thief , which really got the audience going out on a high note.

I have to say this for his new backing band, we are not missing out by losing the original members. Its a shame to see them go. But the bassist/keyboard player, Ian Peres, was awesome. I swear the guy head banged more then the people in the audience, but never missed a beat, and what he could do with the Moog, WOW!!!

Don't have much to say about the rhythm guitar, Aidan Nemeth, he did a solid job backing up Stockdale. No flash, but he didn't need to. His riffs were solid and kept pace with Stockdales improvisation. The only thing he needs to do is watch out, Ian almost took his face off twice with the neck of his bass.

The drummer, Dave Atkins, is in the line of Bonham and Moon. A "Banger", huge meaty drum sticks banging and crashing down onto the head and cymbals, creating a deep dark bass thrum in the concert hall.

If you have the time or the cash, I would go see Wolfmother, great concert.

Enjoy the following cuts, go out and buy "Wolfmother" and "Cosmic Egg" (I picked Comsic Egg up last night at the show, got the extra CD with 4 bonus tracks)

Enjoy the following

Wolfmother - Cosmic Egg (BBC Session Acoustic 10-20-09)

Wolfmother - Witchcraft (Live at Wireless 03-10-05)

Wolfmother - Joker and the Thief (Live in St. Petersburg Fl '06)

Wolfmother - Communication Breakdown [11.14.06 - uk rock and roll hall of fame ceremony]

Hey, I want to go the the 2010 Winter Olymipics .. vote for my photos!

Click on this link to Vote:

*** The Globe and Mail Journalism Dream Contest ***
:) Thanks

With a tough start to the season our girls midget B team has not given up and strives to win each game they have. Though success has just been out of their reach they do not give up.

Hey, just a quick hello .. not much going on other then I am not posting. Though my 80 gig IPod died a horrible death, had to start using my wifes 8gig Nano. With music size does matter!

I've entered a Globe & Mail contest to win a chance to be a photographer at the 2010 winter olyimpics in Vancouver. If you can take the time to vote I would appreciate it.

The following is the origional and four cover versions of the Kinks song Victoria, not a huge hit for any of the bands but a great song to dance or listen to. I've also decided to try and leave a bonus track of blues music that I do love to listen to.

Enjoy!

The Kinks - Victoria
The Fall - Victoria
Sonic Youth - Victoria
Cracker - Victoria
The Kooks - Victoria

Bonus:
Big Bill Broonzy Swing Low Sweet Chariot

Milkweed in the fall

Milkweed in the fall, originally uploaded by Andrew Crump.

Closing the cottage, getting the docks ready for winter

Closing the cottage, getting the docks ready for winter, originally uploaded by Andrew Crump.

Hey welcome to mid month October, the air is colder, the leaves are changing colour, the Maple Leafs still suck .. So whats new.. nothing. No time to post, no time to research.

History behind "It Ain't Easy", I'd always thought it was a old blues song, who knew.

Enjoy.....
David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust - It Ain't Easy
Dave Edmunds - Rockpile - It Ain't Easy
Long John Baldry - It Ain't Easy - It Ain't Easy
The Ranconteurs - Zane Lowe BBC Sessions 2006 - It Ain't Easy (Live BBC)

It Ain't Easy Lyrics - Ron Davies
When you climb to the top of the mountain
Look out over the sea
Think about the places perhaps, where a young man could be
Then you jump back down to the rooftops
Look out over the townT
hink about all of the strange things circulating round
It ain't easy, it ain't easy
It ain't easy to get to heaven when you're going down
Well all the people have got their problems
That ain't nothing new
With the help of the good Lord
We can all pull on throughWe can all pull on through
Get there in the end
Sometimes it'll take you right up and sometimes down again
It ain't easy, it ain't easy
It ain't easy to get to heaven when you're going down
Satisfaction, satisfaction
Keep me satisfied
I've got the love of a Hoochie Koochie woman
She calling from inside
She's a-calling from inside
Trying to get to you
All the woman really wants you can give her something too
It ain't easy, it ain't easy
It ain't easy to get to heaven when you're going down
It ain't easy, it ain't easy
It ain't easy to get to heaven when you're going down

I haven't posted very much over the last few months so here's a gift, southern ontario punk rock from the late 1970's.

These bands all formed in '75/'76, the colonies/the poor northern cousins answer to DIY bands coming out the US and the UK. It seems that there was a seed in music in that time period that germinated at the same time in western speaking countries. Why?, (in Canada it was CANCON) who knows but the late 1970's was a very rich time for music and the creative spirit. Enjoy.

The Viletones - Screamin Fist.mp3

Forgotten Rebels - Surfing on Heroin.mp3

Diodes - Tired of Waking up Tired.mp3

The Demics - New York City.mp3

Teenage Head - Picture My Face.mp3

There is a heck of a lot more great bands from this time, all you have to do is dig for them.

I know I haven't posted any music for a while .. sorry about that, but been busy .. I got this email a short while ago. You may want to log in a listen.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


Last minute update... Bebel Gilberto, Brazilian singer-songwriter and daughter of the great songwriter Joao Gilberto, and Tom Moon, author of "1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die" are joining WNYC's Soundcheck at the Greene Space for a discussion on the shrinking generation gap between parents and their children and the musical inheritances that are taking place.

Then... Rosanne Cash will perform songs from her new album The List. This takes place at 2 pm EDT Wednesday, September 23rd (yes, TOMORROW!). Here's the link you should post for the live videocast of the entire show:
http://www.thegreenespace.org/thegreenespace/

Thanks,
brittany lambertus publicist rock paper scissors, inc.
http://www.rockpaperscissors.biz/... music of global significance...


This email was sent by: rock paper scissors, inc. 511 W. 4th St., Suite 2 Bloomington, IN, 47404, USA

I have been working on this blog for like a year and I have only 48 posts, that sucks. But in all reality I have been downloading and listening to some great music. I enjoy posting music, and finding covers of songs that I like, and sometimes I might come up with something interesting to say about music. Cool. That's why I am doing this. Or at least I think that is why I am doing this.

Anyway here is something I'm going to try and work on for the next while. I put before you this hypothesis ....

Modern Popular Music (from Rock'n Roll, R&B, Pop, Metal, Death Metal, Rap, Hip Hop, Funk etc) Would Not Exist Without American Race Radio.

How is that for a statement. Do you think I can prove it? Well I am going to try, because I do believe that it is a fact. Now onto research, I will post my findings over the next while.

I received two emails today that made me feel kind of good, I have been asked to review some new music. I've received a few in the past but have never done anything about it. I know, I know, every music blog receives these emails. Some Record company PR guy grabs as many emails as he can, then mass mails requests for reviews. but I think I will give it a try. Let me know what you think when I'm done.

I seem to have a following of people coming by, not for my post, but to find out what other music bloggers I link to are doing. Kind of funny isn't.

Enjoy the covers!

Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Down By The River Live at River Bend Music Center, Cincinnati Ohio, Hordefest mp3
Buddy Miles - Down By The River
Low - Down By The River
Indigo Girls - Down By The River

Umbrella Islands, open water Georgian Bay, Ontario.

I'm back, but no music to post, I can't get on the computer to upload anything new. The kids have been hogging the computer since we got back. Can you believe two weeks without a computer. Sweet.

Covers Collection of Summer

Well this is just horrible, I have only been posting once or twice a month. Not very blogger of me is it. I'll use the excuse that I have been working very hard trying to make my sales quota and getting my bonuses.

(I really am just a lazy bugger and have been downloading audio books (mp3) like crazy. I do have a moral dilemma about this, I am only downloading copies of books that I already own {I read a book 5 or 6 times before I can say I am happy with it, its like watching a movie over and over again because you really enjoy it.} The dilemma is that I have already paid for the book, I can go to a library and borrow these audio books anytime I want, but should I be downloading them as the company that owns the rights to the audio book are not being paid and therefore the Writer who wrote the book is not getting their royalty cut. Moral dilemma)

Anyway, my Eldest (He is 17 years old and really likes Children of Bodom, and is really impressed that they are going to release a covers cd), he and I had a really interesting conversation the other day about how in the beginning of the record industry that records were sold and recorded mostly on a regional basis. A record company would pay for the rights to a popular song (look up Tin Pan Alley for the US and I'm not sure what the UK/Australian/European comparisons would be, I am so Americanized in my history of popular culture, even though I am Canadian.) and then hire a regional artists to sing and play on the recording. The song may have been made popular on a national radio show (look up the history of radio) , or a piece that had been in the market place for a number of years and a arranger coming up with a new take on it.

Anyways, you could end of having multiple versions of the same song being played all over the continent and what would happen was that one version would embed it self in popular culture. There were definite examples of this in what was called Race Music and Popular Music in the states. Anyone know what it was like in other parts of the world?

You can see this happening again with musicians, take a look at the track list from that Children of Bodom album, or go and do a search of cover blogs. I think its interesting that Paul McCartney has to pay Michael Jackson (now his estate) every time he wants to play a Beatles song that is in that library of music that the estate owns, it must really burn a hole in his guts. What will happen in 30 years when some band wants to do covers of the Black Eyed Peas, Backstreet Boys or Jonas Brothers .. who owns the rights to their music?

Enjoy your summer, if your having one! It's been cloudy and cold here. Enjoy the covers.

Eddie Cochran -> Summertime Blues
Bobby Fuller -> Summertime Blues
Blue Cheer -> Summertime Blues
The Who -> Summertime Blues
T-Rex -> SummerTime Blues
Levon Helm -> Summertime Blues
Joan Jett -> SummerTime Blues
Rush -> Summertime Blues
The Ordinary Boys -> Summertime Blues
Guitar Wolf -> SummerTime Blues (thanks Nazz Nomad)

Happy Canada Day

A wide and varied collection of Canadian artists for you on Canada Day 2009, One Hundred and Forty Two years old... Happy Birthday Canada.

Viletones - I hate You-Without You
The Real McKenzies - Ceilidh
Cancer Bats - Sorceress
Die Mannequin - Do It Or Die
Gordon Lightfoot - Sundown
Neil Young - Tonights the Night
The Diodes - Tired of Waking Up Tired
Forgotten Rebels - Homosexual Murder
The Demics - New York City
Avril Lavigne - Imagine
Arcade Fire - Rebellion (Lies)
Steppenwolf - Sookie Sookie
Rush - The Spirit Of Radio
OLP - Naveed
Teenage Head - Top Down
Sum 41 - Fat Lip
Payolas - China Boys
Trooper - Raise a Little Hell
Martha & the Muffins - Echo Beach
Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah
Jeff Healey Band - All Along The Watchtower(live)
The Guess Who - American Woman
Pursuit of Happiness - Cigarette Dangles
Great Big Sea - Mari-Mac
Tragically Hip - New Orleans Is Sinking
Spirit Of the West - Home for a Rest
Doug & the Slugs - Making it Work
Barenaked Ladies - If I Had $1000000



Enjoy! Raise a cool one to Canada.

Cats Songs

Canned Heat - Catfish Blues.mp3
Tom Waits - Tommy the Cat.mp3
Stray Cats - Stray Cat Strut.mp3
Lovin' Spoonful - Nashville Cats.mp3
Johnny Cash - 10 Mean Eyed Cat.mp3
The Cure - TheLovecats(live).mp3
Elton John - Honky Cat.mp3
Goldfinger - Fuck You and Your Cat.mp3
The Cramps - Faster Pussycat.mp3
Bad Manners - El Pussycat.mp3
The Grateful Dead - China Cat Sunflower (live '72).mp3
Squeeze - Cool For Cats.mp3
Ted Nugent - 1-12 Cat Scratch Fever.mp3
David Bowie - Cat People (Putting Out Fire).mp3
Jethro Tull - Cat's Squirrel.mp3
Lightn' Hopkins - Black Cat.mp3
Rufus "Hound Dog" Thomas Jr. - Bear Cat.mp3

Johnny Winter - Stray Cat Blues.mp3
Soundgarden - Stray Cat Blues.mp3
Rolling Stones - Stray Cat Blues.mp3

Hope you enjoy "Cat Songs", been a while since I posted so I thought it was time. Stop by and say hello, and for those of you who come by to go to other sites glad to see you. Though I would like to know who you are .. say a quick hello and let me know where your from.

Have fun

Schoolhouse Rock => Three is a Magic Number
Jeff Buckley => Three is a Magic Number
Wilco => Three is a Magic Number
Blind Melon => Three is a Magic Number

This is for the kind words I recieved from "Any Major Dude With Half A Heart"

Looking across the Bay. Damn, I want to head north and open the cottage. Have to wait another four weeks.

The first time I heard this song it had to be in about 1977. Punk opened the light, that music was more then just something to listen to, but I had always been attracted to the English blues rock guitar, Hendrix, Clapton and Beck, not the stuff they did in the 70's, that was boring old shit, ego masturbation is the best way I can describe it, but the music they created in the 60's when they were young and trying to prove themselves. I wanted to know where these guys came from and how their styles developed. I watched every rock documentary that came on TV. I read every book that I could (that's not saying very many, as I come from a town with one public library). I don't know if I wanted this information to have standing in the yard in between classes while we grabbed a smoke or was it for myself because the sound talked to me.

Anyway, I found a album in the record store .. 5 Live Yardbirds with Eric Clapton. I've since discovered that it was a bootleg of the "5 Live Yardbirds" live album. But this song was on it. "Smokestack Lightning". Wow! This led me to Howlin' Wolf, who lead me to Muddy Waters, and so on.

Take a listen:

Howlin' Wolf => Smokestack Lightin'
The Yardbirds => Smokestack Lightin'
The Grateful Dead => Smokestack Lightin'
Soundgarden => Smokestack Lightin'


Enjoy the spring.

Soon

HAPPY EASTER


Spike Jones - Ya Wanna Buy A Bunny

I grew up in a house of music. This is the 60's, so you have to realise the my parents were born into the depression and grew up during war. Dad loves big band and jazz music. Mom is a range of jazz to Johnny Cash and Tom Jones. The first album covers I remember seeing were a bunch by Benny Goodman and Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass "Whipped Cream and Other Delights" as a kid I always thought this was really cool.

But the first music I remember, for some reason was Johnny Cash. We used to sing "Ring of Fire" as a joke to bug Dad. He hates Johnny and country music. This wide range of musical taste has affected how I listen to music. Trying to teach the same to my Eldest, but god he is turning into a metal head.

Enjoy the following.

Johnny Cash - The Legend of Johnny Cash -Ring Of Fire(.mp3)
Sleepy La Beef Ring of Fire(.mp3)
Joaquin Phoenix - Walk The Line Soundtrack -Ring of Fire (.mp3)
Bishop Allen - Live the Velvet Lounge - Ring of Fire (Live)(.mp3)
Bob Dylan - Ring Of Fire(.mp3)
Ray Charles - Ring of Fire(.mp3)
Johnny Cash and the Carter Family (Live) Ring Of Fire(.mp3)
Jailbait - Ring Of Fire(.mp3)
Anita Carter - (Loves) Ring of Fire(.mp3)
Elvis Costello - Ring of Fire (Johnny Cash cover)(.mp3)
Blondie - Eat to the Beat CD - Ring Of Fire [Live](.mp3)
Social Distortion - Greatest Hits - Ring Of Fire(.mp3)
Wall of Voodoo -Ring Of Fire(.mp3)
Moby - Ring Of Fire(.mp3)
Dick Dale and his Deltones - Ring Of Fire(.mp3)
My Morning Jacket - Live at Lee's Palace -ring-of-fire-cash.mp3(.mp3)

BE BACK SOON

Here it is the middle of February, the snow is almost gone (damn, it's snowing again today), and I want to go away somewhere but I can't.

I'm now another year older, not wiser.

We have a new car (just today - a new Mazda 6), the old crown vic is dead (a write off in a low speed collision, the guy even admitted to hitting me so the insurance covered everything)

I really don't feel like writing anything else today so here is one of my favorite songs covered by a bunch of bands. Enjoy and go and buy if you like them.

Mott the Hoople - All The Young Dudes {Buy}

Billy Bragg - All The Young Dudes {Buy}

F.U.'s - All The Young Dudes {Buy}

David Bowie - All The Young Dudes {Buy}

The Skids - All The Young Dudes {Buy}

Damn its snowing again .. I just want spring.

The Doors - Wintertime Love - Waiting for the Sun {Buy}
Frank Sinatra - Spring is Here (I wish!!){Buy}

Book Reviews

Book reviews, who wants to read some wankers book review. Well maybe you do!

I read a hell of a lot. My idea of retirement is sitting on the dock reading books all day long. So anyways I get a lot of books from family and friends. This Christmas it was Chapters gift card, with which I went and bought "Iggy Pop: Open Up And Bleed" by Paul Trynka and then a co-worker gave me Anthony Kiedis "Scar Tissure".

I started reading "Open Up And Bleed" on the Monday after Christmas, and I admit looking at Iggy/Jim Osterberg's early life was pretty boring. The time with the Stooges and the breakup of the band were just not interesting, it was like the author was retelling snippets of information that he had been given without really tying them together. It was a hard read, I spent more time putting this book down then reading it. In fact I read Naomi Novik's latest book "Victory of Eagles" and "Scar Tissue" before I came back to Iggy.

Once I finished those books I picked it up again it became fascinating, the whole Bowie friendship, the time in Berlin, recreating himself from a drugged out has been to a driven, creative artist. Getting dry or at least keeping himself straight when he needed to. Iggy toured more often than I can list, he toured with his worst albums and his best. He toured to make money, he toured to create a fan base for his music which was light years ahead of anyone else. References to early New York and London punk bands, "Search and Destroy" being a staple of auditions. The Pistols covering "No Fun". Iggy/Jim helped revolutionize modern music.

I ended up not being able to put this book down and was engrossed with the two people that inhabited the body Jim Osterberg / Iggy Pop. Jim seems to be a controlled intelligent man with insights into multiple worlds. Where as Iggy is this self destructive monster, that takes over the body when and where it wants to. Dragging Jim into uncontrolled acts of destruction on himself and everyone around him. The most telling quote in the whole book is from page 303

"In June 1996 Guren (Bob Guren) flew over to London for the much-feted show that saw Iggy share bill with the newly reunited Sex Pistols, whose rise Gruen had documented twenty years before. Gruen and Jim had exchanged a few words that afternoon, and a couple of minutes before Jim was due to go onstage, Gruen saw him walk over to a quiet corner. The photographer was about to go up and offer some encouragement when Art Collins (IggyJim's Manager) motioned him aside and warned him "I wouldn't do that now." As Gruen looked on, he saw Jim immersed in some kind of deep-breathing exercise, "and then, suddenly, it was like watching the Hulk, when some normal person, the secret identity, turns into this incredible creature." Gruen watched wave after wave of an almost inhuman energy surge through him: "You could see him become larger and more powerful; Jim had become Iggy and taken on all this mass, this power. And you just knew it was time to stay out of the way and not get anywhere near where he'd be"

The question that the book leaves me with is Iggy just a character that Jim plays and has conned people with for over 40 years or is Jim living with two personalities. I don't think I want to even guess. I just love his music.

I can say take the time to read "Iggy Pop: Open Up And Bleed", you might find it dry to begin, but it's worth it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now for " Scar Tissue",
I know this book has been around for a while. Main reason why I haven't picked it up was I had heard it was mostly about who Anthony fucked this day and how much drugs he had done. I wasn't to disappointed, that is what almost all of it was, until you start realising there is a deeper theme running through the Biography. Even though you get some great sex stories, a real look at a hard partying band on tour, Anthony always comes back to the base line of every mistake he made was his own and his responsibility (and I mean he made some massive mistakes, destroying relationships, his body, irresponsible actions that harmfully affected others not just himself). He comes off being really not a very nice guy. His treatment of John Frusciante, though it may not seem harsh to many, it can be destructive to a fragile ego.

If you gloss over the sex (you may not want to, some of it is pretty good) Anthony goes on to explain his background, how he became who he is, how he and Flea came together to form the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the breakups, the deaths, the joy of making music and the tragedy of a man being sucked down into addiction.

The whole book seems to be part of his recovery from addiction and how he treated the people around him. At the end you discover a almost normal healthy person who sets up the chairs for his AA meetings, helps others who are trying to recover and is living each day to its fullest.
A telling quote is when he is talking about composing the lyrics to "Give it Away" on page 273.

Anthony is visiting his friend Nina Hagen and mentioned that he liked a certain exotic jacket in her closet. " Take it. You can have it." she said. "Whoa, I can't take this. This is the nicest jacket you have in there." I said. "That's why I gave it to you," She explained. "It's always important to give things away; it creates good energy. If you have a closet full of clothes, and you try to keep them
all, your life will get very small. But if you have a full closet and someone sees something they like, if you give it to them, the world is a better place"

Anthony goes on to describe how the band brings the music together with the interaction between the band jamming and his reactions to the music being created. In fact you get a very close look at the creative process with Chili Peppers, the music being created and then lyrics being added. It was quite interesting, but seems to be close to chaos, though the results seem to justify the means.

If you haven't read "Scar Tissue" yet, I think you might enjoy it, but hey what do I know.

I do know that if you like Fantasy and Historical Fiction you will love Naomi Novik's Temeraire series. Go out and pick up this series now!

Here are a couple of my favourite tunes by each artist. Go out and buy the CD's, purchase the MP3, or even better try to find the vinyl.

Enjoy

Iggy Pop - I am a Passenger - Lust For Life - buy
Iggy Pop - I'm Bored - New Values - buy
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Give It Away - Blood Sugar Sex Magik - buy
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Knock Me Down - Mothers Milk - buy

Here I am sitting at work, not really knowing what to post about, but knowing I need to put up the first post of a new year. Even though I really want to be standing on that beach again, feet in the warm Caribbean water, just coming back from a great time snorkeling at the reef. ( I need a holiday!)

It's supposedly "Inter"national Delucker Week. So leave a comment if you like the music, pictures or links.

Here is my first music post of the year, three hits on Mannish Boy, two borrowed and one mine.

Muddy Waters - Mannish Boy
Jimi Hendrix - Mannish Boy
The Rolling Stones - Mannish Boy
(both of the above were borrowed from Rollo & Grady's Sunday Blues, which they seem to have stopped unfortunately)

If you like the music go and Buy it at iTunes.com (but wait till April) or at your local record store for the vinyl or CD.

Enjoy.