Music Bender

YESSSS!!! It’s about time …

On the fortieth anniversary of the original peace and love gathering on Yasgur’s Farm, we’re gettin’ the full set of the performances that made a generation!

All … six CDs full of them!

The 77-song package will recreate the festival’s 33 sets chronologically.  For anyone who was there (or knew about this from some serious study of the festival), you’ll also get the famous “brown acid” warnings as well as the confrontation between activist Abbie Hoffman and The Who’s Pete Townsend!

HERE’S WHAT WE’RE GETTING, PEOPLE:

WOODSTOCK - 40 YEARS ON: BACK TO YASGUR’S FARM

Disc 1

1. “Handsome Johnny” - Richie Havens
2. “Freedom (Motherless Child)” - Richie Havens
3. “Choppity Choppity” - John Morris
4. “Look Out” - Sweetwater
5. “Two Worlds” - Sweetwater
6. “Jennifer” - Bert Sommer
7. “And When It’s Over” - Bert Sommer
8. “Smile” - Bert Sommer
9. “There Goes Marilyn!” - John Morris
10. “Hang On To A Dream” - Tim Hardin
11. “Simple Song Of Freedom” - Tim Hardin
12. “Flat Blue Acid” - John Morris
13. “Raga Puriya-Dhanashri/Gat In Sawarital” - Ravi Shankar
14. “Momma Momma” - Melanie
15. “Beautiful People” - Melanie
16. “Birthday Of The Sun” - Melanie
17. “Coming Into Los Angeles” - Arlo Guthrie
18. “Wheel Of Fortune” - Arlo Guthrie
19. “Every Hand In The Land” - Arlo Guthrie
20. “All You Funny People” - John Morris

Disc 2

1. “Joe Hill” - Joan Baez
2. “Sweet Sir Galahad” - Joan Baez
3. “Hickory Wind” - Joan Baez
4. “Drug Store Truck Drivin’ Man” - Joan Baez w/Jeffrey Shurtleff
5. “Bring Scully His Asthma Pills” - John Morris
6. “Insulin” & Quill Intro - John Morris
7. “They Live The Life” - Quill
8. “That’s How I Eat” - Quill
9. “I Understand Your Wife Is Having A Baby” - Chip Monck
10. “Donovan’s Reef” - Country Joe McDonald
11. “The ‘Fish’ Cheer”/”I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die Rag” - Country Joe
McDonald
12. “Persuasion” - Santana
13. “Soul Sacrifice” - Santana
14. “How Have You Been” - John B. Sebastian
15. “Rainbows All Over Your Blues” - John B. Sebastian
16. “I Had A Dream” - John B. Sebastian
17. “The Letter” - Incredible String Band
18. “When You Find Out Who You Are” - Incredible String Band
19. “She Is Lost” - Chip Monck

Disc 3

1. “We’re In Pretty Good Shape” - Chip Monck
2. “Going Up The Country” - Canned Heat
3. “Woodstock Boogie” - Canned Heat
4. “The Brown Acid Is Not Specifically Too Good” - Chip Monck
5. “Blood Of The Sun” - Mountain
6. “Theme For An Imaginary Western” - Mountain
7. “For Yasgur’s Farm” - Mountain
8. “For Those Of You Who Have Partaken Of The Green Acid” - Chip Monck
9. “Green Acid Advice” - Jerry Garcia & Country Joe McDonald
10. “Dark Star” - Grateful Dead
11. “Green River” - Creedence Clearwater Revival
12. “Bad Moon Rising” - Creedence Clearwater Revival
13. “I Put A Spell On You” - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Disc 4

1. “Work Me, Lord” - Janis Joplin
2. “Ball And Chain” - Janis Joplin
3. Medley: “Dance To The Music”/”Music Lover”/”I Want To Take You
Higher” - Sly & The Family Stone
4. “The Politics Of The Situation” - Abbie Hoffman
5. “Amazing Journey” - The Who
6. “Pinball Wizard” - The Who
7. Abbie Hoffman vs. Pete Townshend
8. “We’re Not Gonna Take It” - The Who
9. “The Other Side Of This Life” - Jefferson Airplane
10. “Somebody To Love” - Jefferson Airplane
11. “Won’t You Try”/ “Saturday Afternoon” - Jefferson Airplane
12. “We Got A Whole Lot Of Orange” - Grace Slick
13. “Volunteers” - Jefferson Airplane
14. “Breakfast In Bed For 400,000″ - Wavy Gravy
15. “It Just Keeps Goin’” - John Morris
16. Max Yasgur Speaks

Disc 5

1. “Feelin’ Alright” - Joe Cocker
2. “Let’s Go Get Stoned” - Joe Cocker
3. “With A Little Help From My Friends” - Joe Cocker
4. The Rainstorm
5. “Rock & Soul Music” - Country Joe & The Fish
6. “Love” - Country Joe & The Fish
7. “Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine” - Country Joe & The Fish
8. “Summer Dresses” - Country Joe & The Fish
9. “Silver and Gold” - Country Joe & The Fish
10. “Rock & Soul Music” (Reprise) - Country Joe & The Fish
11. “Leland Mississippi Blues” - Johnny Winter
12. “Mean Town Blues” - Johnny Winter
13. “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” - Blood Sweat & Tears

Disc 6

1. “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” - Crosby Stills & Nash
2. “Guinnevere” - Crosby Stills & Nash
3. “Marrakesh Express” - Crosby Stills & Nash
4. “4 + 20″ - Crosby Stills & Nash
5. “Sea Of Madness” - Crosby Stills Nash & Young
6. “Wooden Ships” - Crosby Stills Nash & Young
7. “No Amount Of Loving” -The Butterfield Blues Band
8. “Love March” - The Butterfield Blues Band
9. “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” - The Butterfield Blues Band
10. “Get A Job” - Sha Na Na
11. “At The Hop” - Sha Na Na
12. “Get A Job” (Reprise) - Sha Na Na
13. “The Star Spangled Banner” - Jimi Hendrix
“Purple Haze” - Jimi Hendrix
“Woodstock Improvisation” - Jimi Hendrix
14. “Woodstock Farewell” - Chip Monck

Need I say more??

‘WOODSTOCK - 40 YEARS ON: BACK TO YASGUR’S FARM’ will be released on August 17th through Rhino Records.

IT’S MORE THAN JUST A SONG TITLE

Actually, rehab is definitely serious business! As with many of us, I have friends who’ve been addicted to various substances (and mores) and have needed help in breaking them! And many colleges throughout the nation (including one from my hometown, University of North Carolina, Charlotte campus, have joined in the effort to help (in larger cities, of course, the need is more prevalent).

And there’s one center that’s known for not only its varying forms of treatment, but its amazing success rate! More importantly, though, is that it treats not just the body, but the mind and spirit of the patient (and there are few who actually care enough to go that far!).
But it doesn’t stop there:
They also have a tremendous alumni program — realizing that “followup” is just as important as the initial treatment!
If you wanna learn more about this place where alternative medicine meets drug rehab , just click on the link you just passed …
then, spread the word! They’re there to help you — totally!

A lot has been written about the 1960’s hit folk-rock band, The Byrds. Led by Jim (later, Roger, when he was told that a first name starting with the letter “R” was “blessed”) McGuinn, they became as iconic as Simon and Garfunkel and were admired by Bob Dylan.

But, by 1970, the band, who hit #1 five years earlier with “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Turn! Turn! Turn!” had become seasoned veterans of internal battles that resulted in a lot of personnel changes: Gene Clark quit the group in 1966, and David Crosby and Michael Clarke were fired in 1967; then Gene rejoined the band but quit again three weeks later. At that point, The Byrds were a duo consisting of McGuinn and Chris Hillman.

Two new members (Kevin Kelley and Gram Parsons) joined up in 1968 to fill out the band, but Parsons resigned from the band less than five months later. He was replaced with Clarence White, while Kelley stayed for awhile — but he was eventually fired in favor of Gene Parsons.
The new line-up lasted only a month before Chris Hillman (the last original member other than McGuinn) left as well.

Hillman’s replacement, John York, stayed with the band for the most part of 1969 before he was given his walking papers. (By now, do ya get the feelin’ that Jim wasn’t the easiest leader to get along with??)

When guitarist Skip Battin rounded out the “new” Byrds in late ‘69, McGuinn believed he had finally gotten a solid lineup for his band. (incidentally, this version of the band lasted two and half years, longer than any other) And they decided to find a name for their first album together that reflected the new and revitalized Byrds. Though they came up with titles like “Phoenix” and “the first Byrds album”, their double-album only bore the odd title of (Untitled) when it hit the shelves.

Why? Actually, it was just an accident.

As (now) Roger McGuinn explained in an ad for the album, “Somebody from Columbia called up our manager and asked him what [the title] was. He told them it was ‘as yet untitled,’ so they went ahead and printed that.”
But the band’s producer/manager, Terry Melcher, claimed that he’d written ‘Untitled’ on the official label copy sheet sent to the record company because the group hadn’t settled on a name for the album yet — and, before anyone realized what was happening, the albums had been pressed as (Untitled).

Here in 2009, rock fans hold the band in reverence … not due to the (Untitled) debacle or the many changes in lineup but because of their overall contributions:
They were the first mainstream U.S. rock band to successfully fuserock and folk music.
McGuinn did more to popularize the 12-string Rickenbacker than anyone other than John Lennon.
They even backed The Monkees on their country-rock hit, What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round? (though the “PreFab Four” played their own instruments on it as well!)

Of the originals: today, Roger is still performing in oldies-reunion and folk shows around the country. Gene Clark passed away of a heart attack, and Michael Clarke died of complications from cirrhosis. Chris Hillman has semi-retired from performing — but David Crosby??

Look for the reunion tour of Crosby, Stills and Nash coming up soon … along with a brand-new album!!

Hey … y’all still with me out there?!?! Good! Now, how about givin’ me a hand in openin’ this vault again, huh?? Got some more rockin’ trivia for ya:

• ABBEY ROAD is known as the last music ever recorded by The Beatles, at least as a foursome. But what you didn’t know is that the last trax of side 2 were laid to reflect their final bow, as such. After Carry That Weight (a reference to the fact that all four would be stereotyped as a Beatle for years to come), they kick in with some serious garage-style rock in a guitar-driven tuned called Love You. That was to “go out with a bang,” as they came into the rock world. Following that, the harmonic The End were their parting words … ending in a beautiful crescendo. And that was it for any more new stuff from The Beatles. They were done. Now, if you’ll notice, the rest between that and the last track was a split-second longer than normal; that signified the transition — and then, with one electric chord cementing that, it breaks into Paul’s solo ditty, Her Majesty. That was John, George and Ringo’s way of saying, “Okay … if HE wants to keep going, it’s just HIS now.” It was cut short because … well, that’s all the time they had on the LP.
• THIS DIAMOND RING, the first hit by Gary Lewis and The Playboys, actually had none of the group playing on it! And Gary’s vocals were heavily backed by the overdubs of Ron Hicklin (incidentally, Al Kooper — who went on to form Blood, Sweat and Tears — wrote the song … and wasn’t happy with the way the Playboys’ version sounded).
• TORN BETWEEN TWO LOVERS, by Mary McGregor, was actually recorded in an empty bathroom, because McGregor liked the natural echo!
• A reader once sent me a RelicMail asking what the most expensive record would be. Well, it belongs to Paul McCartney and is worth around $180,000! The song is That’ll Be The Day and was recorded in 1958 by a group called The Quarrymen, with Paul, John, George, Colin Hanton and John Duff Lowe.
• Tommy James’ hit, MONY, MONY, was actually named so thanks to the blinking initials on the Mutual of New York Insurance building! (Oh … the cover for Tommy James and the Shondells’ album, It’s Only Love, was the first pro photo shoot for Paul McCartney’s wife, Linda Eastman).
• If you have an old 45 of The Beatles’ TICKET TO RIDE, check under the title and see if it has the fine print that says “From the United Artists Release Eight Arms To Hold You”. That was the original title of the movie Help!

REACH FOR THE CEILING!

As springtime progresses and the oh-so-hot summertime approaches, we all start lookin’ to stay cool, right?  Now, many of us have ceiling fans in our houses or apartments that not only help provide the relief we’re lookin’ for but also look great in our living rooms, bedrooms, etc.
Sometimes, though, the ones that come with our residence doesn’t exactly fit our decor or blend in with the ambience we want.
Now, we can go shopping for new ones, but, more often than not, we’re faced with limited selections, higher prices, salesmen that are hard to find and lonnng lines at the checkout.
Hey … why not take a better route and click the link I’m about to share with you?  Not only will you find the greatest selection of ceiling fans anywhere, but at prices anyone can afford!  Not only that, but you’ll also have free shipping on certain orders over $75.00, no sales tax if you live outside New York, and fast delivery! And ordering is a snap … and guaranteed secure!
So why wait?  To find the best in ceiling fans online, just click that link … and get ready to enjoy a comfortable summer!

And, with that, I think it’s time to end this edition. Until next time, remember: Keep your eyes on the skies, your feet on the ground, your heart with the music … and I’ll see ya on the flip side.

I JUST FED MY BLOG THIS MORNIN’, A-AN’ … IT … (geewhiz!)… SEEMED HEALTHY ….

Actually, I couldn’t get my blog up and runnin’ for awhile, but I took it to the vet (veteran blog-fixer) who told me it had too much exposure to the secret ingredient in Mozilla, which caused its internal organ (ization) to shut down temporarily. Finally, after a shot of IE8, it’s back to normal!

Since I’d just finished a decent fish dinner at the local Captain D’s, I can truthfully say, COD BLESS THAT VET!

Now … where were we (or were we goin’ anywhere with this?)? OH, yeah …

Gettin’ the gears greased to shift this rascal into overdrive within the next couple/three clicks. That’s right … we’re gonna rollback Prices (as well as the rest of the Animals), turn back the Clarks (Dave’s group), and wish upon a Starr (on fresh Lennon, no less … not to mention those other two guys) when we thunder through the creatively fab years from mid-’50’s to mid-70’s.
(Hey … while we got the music on the burner, why not turn it up a bit, right??)

In the meantime, I’ve got a BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIG quiz for ya.  Let’s see how ya do on this, rockaholics:

Think ya know your rock stars? Oooookay … try this real names quiz:  All are singers, and many are from the 60s (a few are from another space and time).  What are/were their stage names?

1. James Marcus Smith:
2. Concetta Maria Franconero:
3. Virginia Patterson Hensley:
4. Robert Smith:
5. Steveland Judkins:
6. Muriel Deason:
7. Harold Jenkins:
8. Randy Traywick:
9. Sophia Kalish:
10. Annie Mae Bullock:
11. Harold Ragsdale:
12. La Donna Andrea Gaines:
13. Gregory Lenoir:
14. Patricia Andrzejewski:
15. Salvatore Phillip Bono: (ouch! Did I give that one away!)
16. Ernest Evans:
17. Cherilyn Sarkasian:
18. William Board:
19. Frank LoVecchio:
20. Sidney Liebowitz:
21. Brenda Mae Tarpley:
22. Norma Egstrom:
23. Albert George Cernick:
24. Prince Rogers Nelson: (whoops! Another one …)
25. John Henry Ramistella:
26. Martin David Robinson:
27. Alan Caldwell:
28. George Spruce:
29. Edward Taylor:
30. Albert Wycherley:
31. Frederick Fowell:
32. Anthony Bookbinder:
33. Elaine Bookbinder:
34. Lionel Walmsley:
35. Donald Maughn
36. Reginald Dwight: (WHO??)
37. Christopher Hamill:
38. Rita Crudgington:
39. Peter Baker:
40. Leonard Borizoff:
41. Francois Silly:
42. Jape Perry Richardson:
43. Douglas Trendle:
44. John Symon Asher:
45. Don Van Vliet:
46. Lugee Sacco:
47. Philippe Pages:
48. Trevor Stanford:
49. Declan McManus:
50. Vito Rocco Farinola:
51. Charles Wilbury:
52. George O’Dowd:
53. Pauline Matthews:
54. Mary Frances Pennick:
55. Doris Kappelhof:
56. Howard Andrew:
57. Frank Abelson:
58. McKinley Morganfield:

WHEW! Let’s take a break … ahem … and once you’ve figured out who’s who, just leave a message at the beep (or on the “comment” page). Ummmm … what if I said, “please”? Hey … if ya don’t get ‘em all, don’t worry; I’ll tell ya who they were (and give ya some other quiz results) in a week or so (gotta give ya time to answer, don’t I? Geez …). So make some noize, rockers!

And remember, while you’re doing it, keep your eyes to the skies, your feet on the ground, your heart with the music … and I’ll see ya on the flip side!

Got RelicMail from a reader in Toronto who wantsta know what TV programs are the equivalent of rock music.
Dude, I don’t wanna open a canadaworms here, but this que is gonna have more answers than Yesterday has covers! See, each one of us has our faves … but the Relic’s gonna clue ya in to the famous Rockaholic (TV) Diet: (btw, I weigh-in at a svelte 160, so it’s bound to work! )

Whose Line Is It, Anyway? has gotta top the list in comedy! The improv impishness of Drew Carey, Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie, Wayne Brady and guest comedians is total TV rock at its finest! You’ve got the liveliness, the spontaneity, a sometimes-irreverent attitude, creativity and delivery that every rocker knows is a “must-have”. Gotta see it on ABC Family channel (on varying weeknights, 10 PM EST). Or you can check it out on DVD at yer local vid store.

Craig Ferguson of the Late Show with … is definitely a shoo-in for most rockin’ talker! This dude is already one of us, ’cause he was drummer for Bastards from Hell (not to be confused with the former administration).

He’s witty, boyishly charming, animated and, just as the guys in Whose Line?, can be a bit irreverent. Now, he also has a lively way of Q&Aing his guests … and brings in some really decent acts from all genres to perform! Definitely a watcher, he’s on right after Letterman, for you insomniacs …

House has gotta top the charts as the coolest drama, thanx to the acting chops of star Hugh Laurie. I’ve been a fan of this dude since his old Fry and Laurie in Jolly Olde, but he’s been on-screen on both sides of the drink on many occasions! Again, we press the irreverent button, couplin’ it with wit, sarcasm … and a fickle finger to the hierarchy!
Outside his House, Laurie also is an excellent jazz pianist, runnin’ with his group, Band from TV (which, btw, had the top-selling album on Amazon recently.  It’s called Hoggin’ All The Covers, and is fantabulous!). Oh … didja know that, when he auditioned for House, he actually apologized for the way he looked? He thought it was for a bit part!
The show’s on Tuesday nights, 9 PM EST, on FOX.

Scrubs. Think Monkees, but without the music vids (well, sometimes …) and laughtrack, and you’ve got the concept. Now, they do hit on some “serious” for a few frames, but, even with that, it’s the liveliest, funniest and hippest hospital on the tube! (Oh … izzit just me, or does Zach Braff look like Ray Romano’s younger brother? And Sarah Chalke’s done an excellent job of de-Becky-fying herself from Roseanne!)

QUIZTIME!! (in other words, back to the ROCK!!) Back in 1968, Tommy James and the Shondells hit platinum with the powerhouse beat of Mony, Mony (covered, years later, by Billy Idol). Without lookin’ at yer notes (er, a website), class, can ya tell me where that name came from?
HEYYYY … a TWOoo-fer!! Where did the group, Steely Dan, get its name (hint: It ain’t ’cause they were from Indiana’s steel territory of Gary, either!)? And, for extra credit: Walter Becker and Donald Fagen were in an earlier band whose drummer became a successful comic. Who was he? (hint: He’s him, and you’re not!)

Well, that’s it for this go-’round, rockaholics! Until next time, remember:
Keep your eyes on the skies, your feet on the ground, your heart with the music … and I’ll see ya on the flip side ..

Man, I am totally B-Side myself about my mates,  The Fore’s explosion onto i-net and terra radio.  Seems like everybody wants their new CD and …
(ummm … waitaminnit. B-side myself?? That’d mean there’d be two of me. WHOA! Scary thought, America! Ummm … let’s move on)

But talkin’ about “B” sides brings back mems of some of rock’s coolest sounds, unplayed because so many jocks were too lazy to flip the vinyl over and give a listen!  It’s sad (snif!) that these poor, underfed li’l orphans went unnoticed, scratchin’ at the back door, shiverin’ from the drenchin’ rain that was rock (WOW! I could be a writer someday!!).

These cats missed songs like Ben Franklin’s Almanac, which was the flip side of the Cryan Shames’ awesome cover of Sugar and Spice. It had a heavy beat for the time, and the lyrics, while simple (”Inside out, how I feel, far and near, can’t be real”), would stick in your mind for centuries.
Another group had a one-hit charter with a song that was written to motivate its members. “We Ain’t Got Nothin’ Yet” by the Blues Magoos was backed with “Gotta Get Away”, which was a musical strike for personal freedom.

Natch, we had some novelty flippers as well. Consider Napoleon XIV’s They’re Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaaa! – played backward on side 2. Now, remember when the buzz was that reverse-playing hid messages from Satan? (Hell … my ex never even made a record!) Wonder what Jerry Samuels (aka XIV) had to say on his “B” side?

A few extraquickers and mentions: One of the best harmonicas in an early rocker belonged to Ol’ Sol, the flip side of the DC5’s Everybody Knows.
But if you just friggin’ wanna feel totally good, ya just gotta flip Let It Be over and get into You Know My Name, Look Up The Number (GOD, I love WordPress’s italic button!).

And the B-side of Help! — a down-and-dirty rocker called I’m Down, was actually cleaned up before bein’ released here in the states.  In Jolly Olde, Paul was told “keep your hands to yourself.” Here, he’s hadta keep his “hearts” to himself.
Weird censorship back then, huh?
Hey, listen … what were some of your favorite “B” sides? Lemme know, and I’ll list ‘em on a future post, okay?

Now …(as I’ve been known to thrown these in every once-in-awhile), it’s QUIZTIME: The music of Credence Clearwater Revival has a staying power better than a fresh application of Crazy Glue on onionskin paper!  Of their hits, Lookin’ Out My Back Door had a guitar solo influenced by a national anthem.  (Incidentally, Fogerty built the song’s tune around it.) Which country’s was it?

Well, that’s it from this side of the trax. But stay tuned … there’s gonna be more in about 24!  So, until then, remember to

keep your eyes on the skies, your feet on the ground, your heart with the music … and I’ll see ya on the  the flip side!

One of the Relic’s closest compadres was the late, great TV teen-show legend, Lloyd Thaxton. Annnnnd one of my all-time fave groups was Jim (now Roger), Mike, Gene, Chris and David — collectively known as The Byrds.

Okay … so what do these two have in common?  Now, remember: those dudes loved to play it loud and live.  And Lloyd had a teen show that was (if y’all recall …) in a slightly-bigger-than-a-breadbox studio, so … Wait a minnit.  Here’s how the Man himself told me about it, in his own write. It’s wild:

“As you know, most artists did lip-syncs to their songs on the show. It was easier than carrying loads of equipment around with them from show to show.
However, the Byrds didn’t know how to lip-sync and wanted to do their song live.  Now, doing a song “live” on the show was difficult. Our show was live itself and being as we only had one stage (dance floor), we had limited time to set up a full band with all of their electronics. Actually we had to do it all during a two minute commercial break.

Now live, set-up means (1) Clearing the stage of all the teen participants. (2) placement of the act on platforms (3) setting up the HUGE speakers (4) Doing a sound check for the audio person in the TV booth. During the two-minute break everything was going well until I noticed that all the group’s amps were turned full UP.
The Byrds looked like reasonable people so I told them it would be better if they turned the volume down. I said that this was not a auditorium but a small TV studio and their amps at full volume would overload our system, blow out the kid’s ears and either knock us off the air or, in the least, make them sound over modulated and, to put it more simply, “AWFUL.”

After a few, “But Man, we gotta have loud man,” and “We won’t be able to hear it Man,” I did convince them that it would be to their best interests to ‘TURN THE F——- VOLUME DOWN!!!!’ Sheepishly they complied. By that time the two minutes were up, we were back on the air and everyone was ready. I picked up my mike and said, “And here they are … THE BYRDS!”

At that point each musician turned to their amps and cranked them up full volume and away they went. I looked up at the engineer in the booth and saw his hair standing straight up. The show was live and I’ve always wondered how it sounded. You (speakin’ of yours truly) wrote, ‘It was when I decided to make music on my own … man,’ So I guess it turned out pretty darn good after all.”

Groovy, huh?  Lloyd, crew and kids survived … and the sound came through the tubes like a dream!

Okay …  here comes a question I wantcha to answer: Which major rock star had a song he originally called Jesus Saves? First one who gets it’ll be mentioned in an upcoming post. If no one gets it, I’ll give ya the answer in about a week (c’monnnnnn … you c’n do it!)

Well, that’s it for this go-’round. Til 24 hours from now, remember to keep your eyes on the skies, your feet on the ground, your heart with the music … and I’ll see ya on the flip side!

Fans of The Grateful Dead (right … the Deadheads) will wanna get their hands on thisguitar (it’s up for auction right now!).

Y’see, the surviving members of the band – now known simply as The Dead and recently reunited – have signed the guitar to benefit HeadCount, an org that encourages young people to vote.

Established in 2004 by a group of artists, industry professionals and fans, the organization has registered over 200,000 new voters. Over 12,000 of these signed up at Dave Matthews Band concerts a little more than four years ago.

It has street teams (regular, everyday folk who wanna get the word out in almost 50 cities, and a number of well-known artists are involved with HeadCount, including Pearl Jam, Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Nine Inch Nails, My Morning Jacket, Maroon 5, Wilco, Death Cab for Cutie, The Indigo Girls, Gov’t Mule and the Disco Biscuits.

Joining The Dead – Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Warren Haynes, and Mickey Hart – in signing the guitar are Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, President Barack Obama’s transition team Co-Chair (and former White House Chief of Staff) John Podesta, and FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adlestein.

Could you dig rockin’ with this thing? Well, the auction runs until February 11 and you can find out more about it here.

HERE’S THE DEAD DOING TIME IN THE GROOVE:

Okay … that’s all for now, but … stay tuned, ’cause there’s more to come in 24 or less!
See ya on the flip side …

Okay … what’s up with the new dude who’s taken over this sacred site?
Well, it’s like this: I’ve been a rock raver, researcher and writer since … since … well, for a lonnnnng time (hmph … ain’t gonna get my age outta me …), and the site was available.
Sooooo, ya put 1 + 1 together, whaddya got?? Uh-huh …
But, now, you’re gonna get more insider info, updates, interviews and vids for yer money (eh? Oh … right … it’s free. Heh-heh …). So, with that in mind, let’s make happen:

Now, while I’m not gonna officially debut this rascal until 12 January, lemme give ya a taste of the new stuff (careful … don’t “chug” it! It has kinduva kick to it …):
Now, one thing ya gotta know is that, while I’m at the mercy of the Mersey Beat, I’m also one devoted Metallicat! And if ya haven’t caught Hetfield and Co.’s new CD, Death Magnetic, you’re missin’ one of the greatest CD’s ever to appear on terra firma in 2008! Not only is it hard-rockin’ metal at its best (and nobody … but nobody … can growl like James! Only one who could’ve matched him was the late Mike Smith), but it’s got some dynamite tracks that’ll have you playin’ that CD again and again ’til it’s warped!
Oh … by the way: DIDJA HEAR where Lars (Ulrich. The drummer! Are you really a rock fan??) has offered to put his sticks to use with Deep Purple MIV? They’ve got everybody in the band but Ian (yep … even Richie Blackmore has agreed), but he’s still doin’ the new version of DP. So, since they’re in need of a new skin-pounder, along comes Lars offerin’ his services for a one-shot deal, if nothing else. Stay tuned for more on this story …

LED ZEP TO TOUR … AND DISC!
Yep … the Band that Made Rock Famous (post-Beatles, pre-Fore) is gettin’ it back together to tour and record once again …
ummm … without Robert Plant!
Seems the legendary frontman for Led Zeppelin thinks he’s too “old” to rock now, so he’ll be sittin’ out the lineup this time! That means Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and (in honour of his dad, original LZ’er, Bonzo) Jason Bonham are lookin’ for a replacement for Plant!
More news? Gotcha: They might not even call themselves “Led Zeppelin” anymore (SACRILEGE!!!!!) and go with a new moniker instead.
Whatever the case, watch this space for more on the LZ race back to the stage (and, undoubtedly, charts) …

And there ya have it: Guess I sorta/kinda debuted it anyway, huh? Well, there’s gonna be more in 24, so stay tuned, okay?
And I’ll see ya on the flip side!