Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Bob Egan

One of my favourite Canadian musicians isn't Canadian at all. I met Bob Egan when he was a member of Wilco during the Being There years. He lives in Kitchener now and plays with Blue Rodeo. Here is the beginning of Bob's bio:

It officially started backstage at the Irving Plaza in New York City when Johnny Cash shook my hand and asked if I was the new steel guitar player in Wilco. "Well, I'm not sure Mr. Cash. I've never played full-time in a band and I have this business back in Chicago. I mean they asked me to join but that's a pretty big step, it is a tough business."

He nodded and looked me in the eye, "It can be a hard road but if your heart's in it, it can be a good life."

An hour later as I watched Johnny from side stage I had tears in my eyes from the power of his music. Jeff Tweedy turned to me and said "Are you gonna join this fuckin' band now?"

A month later I sold my business and got on a tour bus for a 2-year ride. That was a decade ago.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Led Zeppelin Kasmir London 02 Arena

Led Zeppelin at London's O2 Arena

The hoi paloi were out that night. For the record, I am not a part of the hoi paloi. A colleague of mine watched the concert from the Ertegun box and had this story to tell me.

Mick jagger and his girlfriend were also in the ox that night. Like most of the crown, jagger spent a majority of the concert on his feet dancing the night away. Near the end of the concert, Jagger's assistant suggested that he should leave early to miss the crowds coming out of the arena. he agreed and said his good-byes to everyone he knew in the box. he gathered his coat and headed out the door.

But before the door closed Zeppelin went into "Kashmir" and the door burst open again. Jagger ran back in, threw down his jacket and reclaimed his position in the box to dance to one more tune. I understand it was a terrific night for everyone.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

From Magnificent to Maligned to Nostolgia

My buddy got the recently released Brit Box set from Rhino which, all at once, aged him. "How did the music of my youth suddenly become nostalgia," he asked. he then went on to point out that of the three discs one was jammed full of hits, one had some hits and the third was all filler. Of course filler is only one opinion. When Rhino works on these boxes they are trying to piece together a quintessential snapshot of an era. one man's filler is another man's goldmine.

One could argue (and win the argument) that any three set box intended to encapsulate an era would do the same. My era would be mid-seventies hard rock. But after some Ted Nugent, Aerosmith, Kiss, Queen and Thin Lizzy, what's next? I love Judas Priest but someone else might want to hear Black Oak Arkansas. As a fan of seventies rock I had to endure the years that everyone laughed in my face and called it the lost decade of rock and roll. I stayed true to my record collection and a few years ago the seventies finally started to get the recognition it truly deserved.

The same can be said of the new wave which seemed so saccharine and plastic not too many years ago has suddenly come back into vogue and sacchariney and plastically.

The nineties are due for a comeback too. For as popular as Nirvana remains, the countless soundalikes are sure to be recognized as the collective saviours of rock and roll and herald the decade as a sort of renaissance.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Norman Mailer

I lived in Brooklyn Heights years ago. Norman Mailer lived there too and I would often see him out for a walk on Clark St., shopping at Barnes and Noble or leaning over the railing on the Promandae looking at Manhatten (pre 9/11).

I didn't read much mailer, but what I did (Executioner's Song, The Fight) blew my mind. I loved listening to him talk in interviews and always appreciated that he had built a tough guy persona for himself.

One of the romantic notions I always talked about while living in new york City was the fact that I was walking the same streets, past the same brownstones as some of the most important writers in history. Norman mailer could be the last literary hero of our times with no one really waiting in the wings.

All those time I saw him I never spoke to Norman Mailer.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

www.slacker.com

This is not a commercial, just an unsolicited recommendation. I was reading Rolling stone the other day and came across an add for http://www.slacker.com/, a website that allows you to build your own customized radio station. I've been listening to it for close to a week now and am thrilled with the service.

You can choose from a number of pre-programmed "stations" or you can choose your favourite band and the site will create a playlist featuring your favourite band and other bands either similar to in genre, influenced by or who were influences. I know that there have been other similar services but my experience is that you have to sign up and then the service times out it's free play. This seems to be unlimited. There are other options including record reviews, t-shirts and a portable player.

I spent the the first few days listening to my Yardbirds channel and am now listening to my Aerosmith channel. Ted Nugent's "Free For All" came on and sent me on an Internet search for that wholly excellent, long lost and under appreciated album.

Enjoy.

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Chris Stills - when good artists go missing

A long long time ago when I started working in the music business, a friend of mine said that her distrust of major labels came from the fact that she felt that we only made hits out of the records we liked. I assured her that that wasn't true. If it was that easy, it would be in our best interest to make EVERY record a hit!

I'm sitting at my desk listening to 100 Year Thing, the debut album from Chris Stills, the son of Stephen Stills. This record is completely awesome. There is so much of it that reminds you of classic CSNY in the vocals and melodies but, although the songs are mainly based on acoustic guitar, this record totally rocks! I am loathe to choose highlights since every single song is worthy of the highest praise. I wish I was hyping you on a record that was coming out in January 2008 but, unfortunately, this is a record that was released in January 1998 and disappeared almost as quickly as it hit the record shelves.

It's ten years later and I still can't tell you what happened. The music truly is spectacular but there was no radio that would play it at the time. His story was great (son of Stills and French singer Veronique Sanson) but no media was really interested in covering it. We saw him play once and he was terrific but there was no tour.

There are so many factors that contribute to the current state of the music business and no one is counting the mystery of the disappearance of artists like Chris as one of those factors. By the way his second album came out in 2005. I never heard it but I will say this, if you go to his myspace site, the music you hear there can't touch what I'm listening to on 100 Year Thing.

Monday, November 5, 2007

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

I went to Best Buy last week and bought the new DVD Runnin Down The Drain. The package starts with a most excellent 4 hour documentary on the band by director Peter Bogdonovich. Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to the film. It seems that Tom Petty had a camera on him from the time he was three. There's great 8mm footage of Mudcrutch playing early versions of future hits like "Breakdown." earlier this summer I put the first Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers in my car's CD player. It's incredible how many of those songs have become staples and even more incredible how contemporary the album still sounds. It's a testament to the timelessness of Petty's songwriting.

I remember that day (though I don't remember exactly) when me and my friends were hanging out over at our friend Misty's house. Each of us always prided ourselves on introducing each other to new music. That day, Misty pulled out the first Tom Petty album. It was in the midst of the whole punk revolution and the picture of Tom in a leather jacket led one to believe that this was going to be a Johnny Thunders type record. The song Misty played us as an introduction was "American Girl." To steal a phrase, I was gob-smacked! I could believe how cool he sounded and I loved the speed of the track. I must have made her play the song four times before letting her play us anything else off the record. Afterwards I headed over to Sam The Record Man to buy the album for myself.

From that moment on I was a Tom Petty devotee. I would buy all of his records the day they hit the stores. The first time I say them play was at the Palladium in New York City where I was going to university. It must have been around the time of Damn the Torpedoes. The Joe Perry Project opened the show. To the best of my recollection, it was one of the finest live rock shows I had seen in my life up until that point. Petty was in great voice and the band was as tight as any I had ever seen.

What I didn't know that night (and couldn't have possibly known at the time) was that this would be one of the few times I'd get to see Tom Petty live. I don't remember if he played NYC again during my time there (1979 - 1984). He probably did but I didn't get to go to many shows after 1982. After I moved back to Toronto Petty concerts were fewer and farther between. The next time I saw him was 2000 or 2001 around the time of "Last Dance For Mary Jane" when he played the Molson Amphitheatre. Again he delivered one of the great performances. Earlier this year I took Melanie to see the band play at the Molson Amphitheatre. Going in to the show she thought she didn't know that many Tom Petty songs. Coming out she was a fan, realizing that she knew many more of his songs than she thought.

When people talk about the great rock and roll bands of the U.S., Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers are almost an after thought which is weird considering they're still making music and selling out stadiums thirty years later. If you sit down with Runnin Down The Drain though, the argument is over. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers belong right beside The Doors, The Beach Boys, The Byrds, the Band and any other great "The" band that you could possibly think of.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Steve Stevens

As I drove into work this morning I heard Billy Idol's "Eyes Without A Face" and I thought of Steve Stevens.

I had the unique opportunity to work for Billy Idol's manager during the time he recorded Rebel Yell. During that time I was privy to the creative process enjoying the creation of most of the album's songs as they came to life. As a matter of course I had regular conversations with his guitarist Steve Stevens.

At the time, Steve was gaining a reputation as one of the finest guitarist working in rock music. I can attest to the fact that he took his craft extremely seriously. he was living at his parents house at the time and whenever I would call him to dish out the latest information I would invariably catch him in the middle of practising or fiddling with his effects rack to make sure that he could create sounds that no one else could copy (see machine gun sound in the solo on "Rebel Yell").

I spent allot of time in the studio while the album was being recorded. One of the most memorable days came during the recording of Steve's solo for "Crank Call." Steve was alone in the studio with his guitar and the rest of us were sitting in the control room. Producer Keith Forsey cued up the song to where the solo was to begin and, when Steve said he was ready, pushed record. Steve Stevens then laid down, in one take, what is, to this day, the greatest guitar solo I have ever heard in person! I wish I could describe what was going through my mind at the time. In one burst he through out an improvised assault that was stunning, melodic, virtuosic, fast and precise. As a guitarist all I could think was that this was something I would never even have imagined aspiring to.

When Steve was finished, Keith pressed stop and the room fell silent. I couldn't wait to hear what everyone had to say. At that moment Billy got up from his seat and leaned into the control room microphone and pressed the talk back button.

"Hey Steve," he said. "That was great. Now, could you play the same thing but with allot fewer notes?"

I was stunned. Could what I had just heard be true. He wanted that solo trashed? After a few minutes to pull himself together, Steve gave Billy exactly what he wanted and then said he wanted to go out for some fresh air. He asked me to join him for some pizza. When we got out onto 8th Street the sun hit us like a flood light. We headed over to Ray's for a couple of extra cheesy slices. Neither of us could believe that his original take wasn't going to be the solo heard on the album. At least, I assured him, he could play the solo live whenever he wanted to. He was too low though. he said that the solo had been divine inspiration and he didn't know if he could remember what he had played. Indeed, in the ensuing months, when the Rebel yell tour began to roll out across America, Steve played the solo for "Crank Call" note for note with what had been committed to the final version of the album.

Monday, October 22, 2007

Eric Clapton

I've been reading Eric Clapton's newly released autobiography. When everyone talks about bands from the sixties they take sides - Beatles or Stone. I take neither. My favourite was always the Yardbirds. What's really cool about the book for me is reading the relatively humble beginnings of the band and the English music scene on a whole.

When we started bands (in the mid-seventies) we had to plug all of the guitars and the vocal mic into one amp. Clapton and his cronies started out the same way. he learned to play guitar by painstakingly listening to his favourite records and copying them note for note, practising until he got it a close to perfect as possible. That's the way we learned to play guitar too. I would play along to KISS, Aerosmith and Ted Nugent until I could hit every note and then would practise throughout the night with headphones on so that my parents wouldn't know that I was still awake.

The Yardbirds gave birth to Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Why did they make it and not us? TALENT!

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Radiohead

(It's been forever since I updated this post and I've probably lost most if not both of its regular readers. With this I hope to return to writing a regular post and regain my loyal readership)

Out of the blue, it was announced this week that Radiohead will be letting fans choose the price they want to pay for their new album. If you want the album for free, it's free. If you think it's worth 20 bucks then pay 20 bucks. The industry has been talking about this like it's the start of a revolution.

Former Warner recording artist Jane Siberry has been using this model for years. Her music has been sold exclusively on her website for years. She has a suggested price for people to pay but welcomes whatever they are willing to pony up. Peculiarly, she says that most people are willing to pay more than the suggest price.

A revolution has begun. Just a lot sooner than you think.

Friday, July 27, 2007

More Born Ready

So I joined the band and withing a couple of weeks we were in the studio cutting a six-song demo. It was my first time in a recording studio and the experience was more than just a bit intimidating. All of my limitations as a musician were captured on tape. Luckily, what I heard as ham-fisted guitar playing, the rest of the band heard as solid rhythm guitar.

When the school year ended we all pitched in a rented a loft in Hell's Kitchen. The space wasn't much more than a big rehearsal room with space divided up for individual sleeping quarters, a common area and a kitchen. I am convinced that if we had never moved into that loft, Born Ready would have been huge!

The plan for Born Ready was simple - record an album, have a hit single, dominate the world. Here's what really happened:

Born Ready played exactly three gigs. Our first "show" was in the rehearsal space where I had auditioned for the band. Our manager worked for Atlantic Records and the label was having a party in the rehearsal space. We turned out to be the entertainment. Actually I think the party revellers were much more entertaining than we were. The second show took place in a field. I can't remember why we were there but we had been asked to come out to play a huge field party in upstate New York. there were a thousand people on hand and we were the only band. We played all of our songs while the crowd restlessly called for The Doors and The Stones. We had never practised other material as a band but we culled together enough songs that we all knew to make it work. Thank god that our lead singer Nat had the charisma to distract anyone from our obvious flubs. Our final gig was at a New York club called Trampps. The NY scene at the time was New Wave pop and we were a straight ahead rock band. I know that our friends liked us that night...I can't say the same for the rest of the audience.

In between these gigs Born Ready continued to practise in our loft. But put five guys with five personalities in one living space and you get a reality show. That's exactly what happened. We argued about rent, food, rehearsal times, the band name and girlfriends. the last two owed more to Nat than anything else. He had started dating our manager, Ginnie, and their relationship got in the way of the band's name change. You see, we found out that there was already a band called Born ready and we were going to have to change our name. When Nat and Ginnie came in one day with the suggestion of Natty and The Squirrels, all hell broke loose.

A verbal match turned into a shoving match between Nat and the bass player, Steve - both of whom had had more than their share of the beer that had been stocked in the fridge. Steve was a smoker who would never respect anyone else's request to keep his habit out of the loft. During one particularly animated moment in the argument, Steve flicked a lit cigarette at Nat. The butt slid down behind the pillows of a couch, quickly melted a hole and started smouldering. A fire quickly erupted and Joe, our lead guitarist jumped for a pot in the kitchen which he filled with water and threw on the couch. The fire was doused but the loft was now filled with smoke. I quietly went to my room and packed up my belongings. Within an hour I had crashed on a friends floor. Born ready never played a note again.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Born Ready

I took my guitar with me to New York.

I moved there in September of '79 to go to NYU. I lived in the dorm in Greenwich Village. We were surrounded by art. I played my guitar on the front steps of the dorm. When I was brave enough, I took my electric out to Washington Square Park and plugged it into a Mouse amp and played Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Kiss and Adam & The Ant songs.

One afternoon in the Spring of '80 I was walking through the lobby of the dorm when I was approached by a guy who asked if I had been playing in the park the previous day.

"Yes," I answered with caution.

"We've got a band that's looking for a rhythm guitarist," he said and then invited me to an audition the next day. Intrigued by the suggestion, I accepted and took down the address to their rehearsal space.

When I showed up they were auditioning some guy that looked like a Deadhead. He played a hollow body electric and didn't fit in with the other guys at all. The song they played was sort of lame. Kind of a half-assed attempt to meld pop and rock. My enthusiasm began to wane.

When they bid the first guitarist a fond adieu, they asked me to hold on while they warm up. It seems the other guy showed up a little early and they hadn't had a chance to stretch out first. I sat back and watched while the REAL band showed themselves. I was stunned. The song they started playing was remarkable. It had a great riff and a memorably chorus. By the time they hit the bridge, I had my guitar out and began mimicking the chord changes. On top of that, Nat, the singer had tons of charisma and Jagger lips to boot.

They played one more smoking rocker and then called me up to plug in. Joe, the lead guitarist was about to teach me the chord changes for the song the original auditioner had played. I stopped him and said that i didn't like that song very much but would love to play the first song they had played on their own. The guys all looked at each other and shrugged and said "Okay." before Joe could show me the changes I shooed him off saying that I had it down already.

The band started playing the tune and I joined in immediately. I watched the bass player to make sure that I had the chord changes right. I got through the song the first time kind of tentatively and we all agreed to play it again. The second time through we flew. It was great. We were all so excited. At the end we looked at each other and laughed. Nat took off his hoody and had an Ace Frehley t-shirt on underneath. I knew I was in the right place.

We jammed for several more hours Joe teaching me some of their songs and then playing Kiss, Aerosmith and Rolling Stone songs. We were a band. They told me that the band was called Born Ready and they already had a record deal waiting in the wings. They were being courted by Carriere Records, a French subsidiary of Atlantic Records. Now that the line-up was complete, the band needed to head into the studio to record an honest to goodness demo.

More on Born Ready to come....

Thursday, May 3, 2007

The Rolling Stone Interview

Rolling Stone magazine is 40 years old and is celebrating this week with interviews with a number of luminaries. I would like to take the liberty here to publish my own interview here.

RS: What do you remember about 1967?

ME: My clearest memory is of Expo '67 in Montreal. We didn't go but it was Canada's Centennial Year and I remember the commemorative money. I still have a couple of 1967 dollar bills and dimes.

RS: Did the music of the 60's have a effect on you?

ME: Oh sure. I can still picture my older brother and sister dancing around the living room the first time The Beatles played on the Ed Sullivan Show. A few years later, I became a big fan of The Monkees. I didn't listen to a lot of rock and roll back then but I was aware of it and my brother brought Rolling Stone into the house.

RS: Are there any early covers that stick in your head?

ME: You know it's hard to separate reality from historical perspective. So many of the famous covers like Lennon in the army helmet, Joplin, Hendrix and that Meryl Streep shot have become so familiar but I can't remember if they were actually in the house. But I do remember the newsprint and folded format of the magazine. I was one of those people that thought the magazine was named after the band.

RS: When did Rolling Stone start to matter to you?

ME: In got into rock and roll in the mid-seventies and started reading all of the popular magazines of the time including Hit Parader, Creem, Circus and Rock Scene. I always felt that Rolling Stone had the most insightful articles and I poured over every word in every article about music. I learned so much more about the history of music that way.

By the late seventies I had started reading more of the political commentary and formed my opinions from the views of Hunter S Thompson and P.J. O'Rourke. It doesn't mean I always agreed with them but they did get me thinking.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

My Best KISS Story

When I worked for Aucoin Management, one of my regular responsibilities was to file or pick up financials in the company's warehouse in a non-descript building on the West side of Manhattan. The warehouse was also used for storage for the equipment of all of Aucoin's bands. Among the boxes of documents and cases of guitars were back lit logos that hung above the drummer of any one of a number of bands that Bill Aucoin had managed over the years (including my very fave - Starz). The way it worked was I'd show up, sign in and get handed a box of keys that opened the various locks to each of Aucoin's rented rooms. When I was done, I handed back the box and signed out.

Although Aucoin no longer worked with KISS, the band still used the very same warehouse to store there instruments and costumes from over the years. As it happens, the keys to the KISS room were still in the Aucoin box. I avoided going in there for months but one day, curiosity got the better of me. I pulled the one key I had never touched before out of the box. I slipped it into the lock and turned it over. The locked snapped open and I opened the door.

This was a dream come true. Do you remember the seventies? back then we all had giant posters on our walls of our favourite bands. Spread out in front of me were all of the bits of stage gear and guitars that were featured in the KISS posters adorning my walls. There were boots and capes and boas and guitars and a mirror. A mirror! In a warehouse! This was a sign.

I first moved to my left to slip on those famous Demon boots from the cover of Destroyer. I zipped them up and found myself floating a good six inches off the floor. Next, I grabbed Ace's cape used on the Dynasty tour and flung that over my back. Do you remember those pictures inside of KISS Alive of Paul Stanley with feather armbands? Well I slipped one on each arm and then reached for a shattered mirrored Gibson marauder guitar which I slung over my neck. I lurched over to the mirror and caught my first glimpse. No matter how hard you might be laughing right now, I was laughing twice as hard. I don't know if it looked ridiculous or if I was just giddy but I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. I began to play "Rock N Roll All Nite" and then moved into "Black Diamond" and "Strutter."

I wore the get up for 15 minutes and then thought I should get it off before security walked in and kicked me out of the building for good. After I locked the door, I got the paper work I had originally come there for. I kept the story a secret for about 5 years which seemed like a lifetime. Now everyone know.

This is a true story.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Lynyrd Skynyrd

When I was about 14, my first job was selling t-shirts at the Canadian National Exhibition during their annual late August run. Back then customers got to choose the t-shirt and the decal that goes on it along with what ever message they wanted pressed on the back. I'd slide the shirt onto a rubber pad, centre the decal and then lock the iron press in place. Voila! A brand new customized t-shirt.

Most of what we sold that summer were Black Sabbath and Alice Cooper T's. But a few times a week I'd get a request for that one weird logo with the skulls and guns for a band called Lynyrd Skynyrd. I had no idea who the band was and I certainly couldn't pronounce the name. The summer ended and I got paid which was all I cared about (though it was much less than I thought I would get).

A couple of years later I started working for CPI handing out their Cheap Thrills magazine at concerts. The big perk was getting into concerts for free! One night the Doobie Brothers headlined Maple Leaf Gardens and Lynyrd Skynyrd opened the show. By the time the final notes of the triple guitar solo at the end of "Free Bird" melded with the din of the audience, I was already out of the arena and on my way to sam the Record man to by the band's latest record, One More From The Road. I hopped on the subway and headed home. I never saw the Doobies that night.

Once I got the record home I put it on the stereo and immediately became a huge fan. I got out my guitar and started to learn "Saturday Night Special," "Gimme Three Steps," "Sweet Home Alabama" and, of course, "Free Bird." I became one of those people that tried to spread the gospel. The next summer, on the eve of the release of Street Survivors, I headed to Rich Stadium where the original line-up performed on one of those giant bills (Ted Nugent, Blue Oyster Cult, Starz, Aerosmith).

I made sure I bought Street Survivors the day it came out. When tickets went on sale for the band's first Maple Leaf Gardens headlining show, I made sure I had tickets in hand. And then came the painful news of the crash that killed Ronnie Van Zandt, Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines. Just like that, Lynyrd Skynyrd was through.

In the ensuing years I bought or paid attention to whatever music came from each of the surviving members. Some of it was good and some of it wasn't so good. None of it captured the original magic of Lynyrd Skynyrd.

In the late 80's the band reformed and started touring but I was looking for the real thing and didn't pay too much attention. That was until the early 90's when Warner became affiliated with the band through Capricorn Records. They came to Toronto to play the Kingswood Music Theatre and I finally had a chance to tell the band my story. At the end of the story they invited me to watch the show from the side of the stage which is, to this day, one of the great highlights of my rock 'n' roll life. To be standing next to Gary Rossington's amp during "Free Bird" is priceless.

Friday, April 13, 2007

The El Mocambo

There was a period of time in the mid-seventies when my friends and I would go see bands at the El Mocambo on a pretty regular basis. We'd always show up early enough to get ourselves great seats right up front. Although I didn't drink, I felt an obligation to order a beer so that the wait staff wouldn't bug me. I nursed those babies all night long.

I didn't see the Stones there but my friends did. Then there was the night that Cheap Trick played Toronto for the first time and Rick Neilsen stuck his guitar through the roof and left it hanging there. CHUM FM used to tape tons of shows in those days. If you can get your hands on the bootleg, it was a pretty amazing show. The band played three sets a night for two night and the way I remember it, "Hello There" was the only song they performed more than once.

I'm remembering the night The Runaways played two sets. Cherie Curry wasn't in the band anymore. Joan Jett sang lead. In between shows they took off for the CBC to appear on the Peter Gzowski show.

There's an infamous story about Elvis Costello's first Toronto show. The line-up went down the block and yet he was able to walk by the crowds and into the club without anyone noticing.

Judas Priest played the club with a full arsenal of amps set up against the back wall. How we never lost our hearing that night is a minor miracle.

My personal favourite was Starz. Everyone has a guilty pleasure to differentiate themselves from their friends. Mine was Starz. The band was in Toronto to record their fourth album (Coliseum Rock) and ended up heading over to the El Mo for their first and only Toronto shows. The night was bliss...for me.

The El Mocambo is booking bands again and the place still has a vibe though it probably will never regain the aura it once had.

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

There ain't no army helicopter that can stop rock and roll!

We've been busy with the Juno Awards for the past couple of weeks we has kept me from logging on. I think that this year marked my 23rd consecutive Juno Awards. Here are some memories:

Gordon Lightfoot nervously pacing around waiting to be inducted by Bob Dylan into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. A cigarette was dangling from his mouth with ashes dripping onto his red velvet jacket.

I was in the meeting where they announced that they had secured Milli Vanilli as a performer. I've always been a bit of a s--t disturber and wasn't shy to raise my voice in protest. Apparently I was the only person in the room that had heard the rumours that Milli Vanilli didn't really sing on their album. They ended up performing.

One of the proudest moments of my career was when my endless faxes of Maestro Fresh West landed him a performance slot on the show making him the first hip hop artist to be seen on the Junos.

Getting to talk with Joe Perry backstage in Vancouver. Everyone was preening all over Steven Tyler (remember when he said "A Lie Us" instead of Alias?) so I got quality time with Uncle Joe.

Standing at the side of the stage at the Hummingbird Centre and congratulating a very young Alanis on her best New Artist Juno.

Oh and there was that great one with Sebastian Bach! The show had just ended and we were leaving the theatre. Sebastian walked in front of our Prime Minister at the time, Kim Campbell, who made some comment about using army helicopters to get him out of her way. Bach turned to her and said "There ain't no army helicopter that can stop rock and roll!" Classic.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Crash & Burn

Oh the mid 70's and the birth of punk. I remember it well.

It started inauspiciously. A short article in Circus Magazine heralded the impending release of the debut album by The Ramones. They said it only cost the band a few thousand dollars to make, contain a shitload of songs but clocked in at under 30 minutes and was filled with unrelenting, guitar-driven rock and roll. I bought in and bought the album the day it came out. The disappointment is still fresh in my mind. As much as I liked "Beat On The Brat" and "Judy Is A Punk Rocker," I still needed guitar solos. I thought it sucked.

Six months later I knew much more about the Punk movement and had read about The Ramones' influential shows at The Roundhouse in London. I gained an appreciation for what was going on and when my sister announced her own impending trip to England, I handed her a list of singles that I wanted her to bring back. She returned from the UK with an amended stack. The Sex Pistols singles were banned from sale and weren't available but the guy behind the counter recommended this new group, The Clash, and sold her their first single, "1977." I was not disappointed.

By the following Halloween we had heard the debut from The Damned but were particularly anxious for the release of Never Mind The Bollocks. I bought the import (with it's florescent pink cover) and ended up spinning it over and over again at my sister's Halloween party. The natives were restless and it was the perfect tonic for the evening.

The punk scene in Toronto was flourishing now. The Diodes opened their own club called Crash and Burn that was in the basement of my dad's sock factory. The Viletones tried to be this city's Sex Pistols with Steven Leckie doing his best Sid Vicious impersonation. But, try as he might, he just came across as a big poseur. The Poles were our Siouxsie and the Banshees and Teenage Head did their best Damned impersonation thanks to Frankie Venom.

Bowie played piano in the shadows while Iggy owned the stage at The Field House at Seneca College. Blondie opened the show. But the last great punk show in Toronto had to be the night The Ramones played the New Yorker on the Rocket To Russia tour. The Deadboys opened the show and Stiv Bators threw up his beer mid-set. We Gabba Gabba Hey'd the night away.

It started with The Ramones and it ended with The Ramones. Don't let anyone tell you any different.

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Wilco - Sky Blue Sky

The advance of the new Wilco album showed up yesterday afternoon. It's FUCKING BRILLIANT! I can't wait to read how critics describe it. It is FUCKING UNBELIEVABLE! I will not taint your impressions with my own comparisons but I will say that rock and roll is alive and well and living in Jeff Tweedy's soul!

Stay tuned for more information...

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

The Night I Sang with Brian Wilson

A number of years ago I was down in LA with MuchMusic working on a number of interviews. One day we spent a couple of hours at Madonna's house on Los Feliz tapping her MMVA acceptance speech and then we drove over to Brian Wilson's house to tape an interview about his album Imagination. This isn't a story about that trip.

This story took place a couple of years ago at Massey Hall. Brian Wilson came to Toronto to perform Smile. The atmosphere among Toronto's music intelligentsia was electric. This was the night they had waited most of their lives for. A few months earlier, I sat in Paul Quarrington's home playing him an advance copy of the album. It was slightly surreal given that he was preparing for an interview with the inspiration for Whale Music.

Back to Massey Hall. Brian had agreed to do a few interviews before soundcheck. Among them was 30 minutes spent with Peter Mansbridge taping an interview in the balcony of the hall. If you ever have the chance try to catch Mansbridge One On One with Brian Wilson. It's fascinating.

After all of the interviews were done he headed down to the stage for soundcheck. Rather than running through one of the songs on Smile though, Brian decided to teach the band a new song he had written that morning. The band members gathered around him at the keyboard at the front of the stage and watched his hands as he banged out the chords. They then went off to each of their own instruments and Brian walked from one musician to another describing exactly what he wanted them to play. Over the course of the next 30 minutes the song unfolded itself from Brian Wilson's brain right there on the Massey Hall stage. He had hoped to perform the new composition that night but as suddenly as the music started, union regulations called for a dark stage.

90 minutes later I found myself sitting in Brian's dressing room. There were a bunch of posters I needed him to sign but he was busy working on harmonies for the new song with his assistant. His assistant sang the lead and Brian played piano and worked out the complimentary vocal parts. Between run throughs we chatted about the song and its themes (love, peace, understanding) and then, suddenly, Brian asked me to sing the lead. I was a little shocked. No, change that, I was terrified. He insisted. I protested that I couldn't sing. He assured me that everyone could sing. Reason got the better of me. This would be a great story...The day I sang with Brian Wilson!

They handed me the lyric sheet and Brian counted me in. I missed the cue and we had to start over again. I gave it my best shot. I sang with as much heart as I could muster and then it was over. I waited for the verdict. Brian looked to his assistant and said "He could be a back-up singer." And that was that. I was relegated to the back of the stage by Brian Wilson.

Later that night Brina and his band put on a show that will be talked about for years. Every recognizable face in the Toronto music industry was there. When it ended the ovation was deafening. We went down to the Century Lounge for the meet & greet after the show. Brian sat behind a table, smiled for photos, signed autographs and accepted the universal praise.

I never look at the picture they took of Brian and I together. It just wouldn't do justice to that night I sang with Brian Wilson.

Monday, February 19, 2007

Rick Rubin

Rick Rubin was featured in Time Magazine last week. He produced a bunch of huge records this past year. He ended up winning producer of the Year at the Grammys. Rick Rubin is the producer that is at the top of everyone’s wish list. Here is my Rick Rubin story.

I moved to New York City in 1979 to go to NYU. I lived in the Weinstein dorm on University Place. A year or two later, Rick moved in to start his scholastic career. During my years at NYU I gained a bit of notoriety as the nob who insisted on playing his guitar on the front steps of the dorm. I was mocked mercilessly, especially by Mr. Rick (Menello) the grad student who worked the front desk and lorded over us with his encyclopedic knowledge of film history.

The music scene in New York at the time was a mish mash of many things. There was No Wave and Power Pop and a burgeoning hard core punk scene. I was already recruited to play guitar in Even Worse (with Thurston Moore on rhythm guitar) when Rick came up to me and asked if I would play with his band too. Rick’s band was Hose. I always remembered them as sort of a Flipper tribute band. I didn’t join Hose but there was that memorable night in Garden City New Jersey when Even Worse and Hose opened for Millions of Dead Cops. We got a speeding ticket on the way to the gig. The sprinkler system went off during Hose’s set.

The legend of the Beastie Boys in the dorm were true too. Their first demo tapes were recorded in the dorm by David Hoffert, son of Paul Hoffert of Lighthouse fame. Rick’s dorm room was a mess with music all over the place. For the record, AC/DC was huge for us back then. I don’t know if Rick ever did go to class.

Jump ahead a few years and Rick has started Def Jam with Russell Simmons. The Beastie’s breakthrough, “Fight For Your Right To Party,” was an NYU special with a whole bunch of characters from the dorm showing up including a cameo from the aforementioned Mr. Rick (he plays the landlord towards the end of the video) who directed the video (as well as “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” and the infinitely cool “Goin Back To Cali”).

I next ran in to Rick years later after he had started American Recordings which were then distributed by Warner. We spent some time catching up at one of Warner’s national sales conventions. He was pretty proud that he had kept on some of his friends from our university days.

The last time I spoke to Rick was about eight years ago. I was in LA on a business trip and stopped up at American for a meeting with their international department. I wanted to say “hi” to Rick but he wasn’t in so I left a message with my hotel information. At three in the morning the phone rang in my room. I picked it up and heard Rick on the other end of the line. He said that he was in New York shopping for antiques. It was six am in New York! We talked about work. We talked about family. We talked about music.

Rick’s a good guy. It’s a blast to see him do well. Kind of makes you proud.

Friday, February 16, 2007

Preview Neil Young Live at Massey Hall

We just got in this link to preview the DVD of Neil Young Live at Massey Hall. the CD / DVD comes out on March 13 and is a recording of Neil's Toronto show on January 19, 1971. A lot of the songs he performed on the show were to end up on harvest which was released a year later.

Take a look and enjoy.
http://streamos.wbr.com/wmedia/wbr/neilyoung/massey_hall_promo.wvx

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

You can't keep a good man down

And there's no better man than Billy Talent's drummer, Aaron Solowoniuk. A year ago, Aaron posted an announcement on BT's website that he had been living with MS for a number of years. Anthony Reinhart of the Globe and Mail has written a great piece in today's paper highlighting a sponsorship program Aaron and the band are starting.

Please take some time to read this inspiring story here: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070214.DRUMMER14/TPStory/?query=aaron+solowoniuk

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Prince, as guitar God!

The water cooler talk following the Super Bowl was that Prince's performance was the best thing about the show. he stuck to the hits and might even have made yourself relevant again. One thing’s for certain, if you didn’t know it before, you now know that he is one of the most under-rated guitarists of all time.

In the early 80’s, while going to NYU I tripped over prince while on a walk through Washington Square Park. One afternoon I watched while a roller skater danced to the song “Controversy” over and over again. The sound was so fresh to me. Like nothing I had ever heard before growing up in North Toronto. Coincidentally a few hours later I was in my friend Lori’s dorm room and saw that she had a Controversy poster on the wall. She played the album for me in its entirety and I was hooked.

Through most of the 80’s I was a Prince devotee. His song writing was always special and seemed spontaneous. His concerts were always part carnival (remember him coming out on top of the convertible on the LoveSexy Tour) and part revival (any time he played “Purple Rain”). The movie Purple Rain was a compelling peek at what his life might have sort of been like before hitting it big while the relative flop of Under A Cherry Moon still provided a number of comic gems (“It’s a recow stow!” “Versace or Basuchi, I just don’t know what to wear!”).

By the early 90’s though, his music seemed to become more self-conscious. I’m sure that he was still pushing himself artistically but it wasn’t connecting anymore. I came to work at Warner in 1992 and was thrilled to be working Prince records, but after Gold the whole thing seemed to flicker out.

Through it all though there was one thing you could never come away without be in total all. The guy could play a mother fu—er of a guitar. His slight demeanor and outlandish style had him pegged by macho f—ks as a f-g. But what he really was exhibiting was the strutting cock style that James Brown had delivered in the 60’s. If these morons had closed their eyes and just listened to him play, they would have rushed to the alter. Now, after his performance at the Super Bowl, they know what they’ve missed.

A couple of years ago, when George Harrison was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Prince joined Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty and George’s son on stage for a beautiful rendition of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Watch and listen to an incredible blues guitarist that you probably never know existed.

http://www.warnerreprise.com/asx/tompetty_ghigentlyweeps_300-v.asx

Thursday, February 8, 2007

AC/DC in the Power Age



I grew up at the north end of Toronto. When I was teen and into rock and roll I would head downtown every Saturday afternoon to check out the new records that had been releasedthat week. I climbed aboard the #53 bus to Finch station and then rode the subway down to Dundas where I'd climb up to the street and head over to Sam the Record Man, A&A's and Jean Machine before walking uptown to stop in at Record on Wheels, the Record peddler and Round Records (?).

One day I walked into the jean machine record section and heard a crunching guitar that became one of many pivotal moments for me. The beat was relentless and the guitar was manic. The voice coming thorough the speakers was the most wonderful sound of fingernails on a chalkboard. I checked the "now playing" stand behind the cashier and immediately went to the racks to retrieve my own copy of AC/DC's Powerage.

As a fledgling young guitar god oh how I worshipped at the alter of Angus Young. Oh those fingers fleet of foot and riffs hard as...well, rock! I was a KISS fan but thought this was more sophisticated. I was an Aerosmith fan and thought that this was easier. AC/DC was about fun. AC/DC was about power. Hell, they even put that in the title.

I bought TNT. I bought Dirty Deeds. I played everything he best I could spending hours repeatingthe riffs on my own Mann electric guitar. And then they came to Toronto. AC/DC headlined at Massey Hall. Bon Scott was still alive then. It was AMAZING!




I took my camera to the show and got some great shots. Someone threw a beachball up on stage with a sign attached that said "We've got the biggest balls of them all." I was pushed up against the stage and lost myself in the electricity coming out of the Marshall stacks. Angus came stomping his duck-walk across the stage and almost crushed my camera. Good times!



I saw AC/DC with Bon Scott one more time, opening for Aerosmith at Buffalo's Memorial Auditorium. Like everyone else, I've seen the band a number of times since with Brian Johnson.





What inspired this posting though was the Juno award nominations announced yesterday. It reminded me of the last time the Junos were held in Toronto. They took place at the Skydome. warner held it's afterparty in the Founder's Lounge at the Skydome. It happened that Angus, Malcolm and Phil Rudd were in town to promote the band's latest release, Stiff Upper Lip. They came to our party and were hounded for hours by industry fans who elbowed each other to have their picture taken with our rock heroes. To their credit, the guys were phenomenally patient.





We had a cover band playing our party and around 1:00am the guys were coerced into taking the stage. Angus sang and played his heart out. Malcom and Phil held down a solid rhythm along with the cover band's bassist playing an upright acoustic. Angus sounded just like Brian or was it Bon? Who cares. It was aural bliss. Everyone rocked to "Back In Black," "Highway to Hell" and "Stiff Upper Lip."



If you live for rock and roll you live for bands like AC/DC!

Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Billy Talent at the ACC!




You can just imagine the pride that fills your heart when you've worked with a band from their can't fill a club days to headlining a sold out hometown show at the big hockey arena. Last Friday Billy Talent headlined at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. It wasn't just one date of an insanely successful Canadian tour - it was their homecoming.

Around 6:00pm that night, Ben and I were backstage walking past the stage entrance. We stopped for a moment and watched the crew make a few last minute lighting adjustments before the doors opened to the fans. Ben looked over and said in hushed awe, "This is what it's all about, isn't it?"

This picture taken by Dustin Rabin says it all. (www.dustinrabin.com)






Thursday, February 1, 2007

On Gene Simmons and commerce

The first time I met KISS was in the fall of 1981. I was at NYU and my roomate had a friend that worked in their management office. One day he got a call to say that the band was taping a promotional video for a new single and we were invited to come down to be a part of the audience. Remember, this is before MTV.

As a longtime member of the KISS army, I was raring' to go. As I've learned since, video shoots involve hours of waiting around with nothing to do. Didn't matter. This was KISS! We were herded into a soundstage that had the band's latest tour set up on it. The anticipation was intense. And then, there they were! In the flesh! But, oh my god!!!

I already knew that Peter Criss was gone and Eric Carr was now the drummer. That wasn't the problem. The problem was Ace had a weird page boy type haircut. Paul's hair was way shorter and he had a purple head band on. And Gene's hair was all matted down and in a pony tail. They looked like a new wave / hard rock disaster. But it was still KISS and I was finally going to meet them.

But wait, first they had to run through the song a few times. the clip was for the track "I" from what I would soon learn was the most horrible Music From The Elder. Paul spent the first 30 minutes teaching Ace the chords since, it seems, he was involved in recording the song. once the taping began you couldn't help but through the devil horns in the air. This was KISS and you want to make a good first impression.

During one of the breaks I mustered up the courage to go over and introduce myself to Gene. He was pleasant - in an arrogant kind of way. When I asked what was left for the band to conquer, he said they were putting together a tour of Russia. When I asked if they were concerned about the audience understanding them he said he didn't care just as long as they dished out the rubles. And then he pretended to flip out some bills "twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two..."

I've got even better KISS stories than that...

Thursday, January 25, 2007

The Record That Changed My Life

It's a huge question. It's a lot different than what's the first record you heard or what's the first record you bought. I've been thinking about it since the day I started writing this here blog. Here is my answer:

Aerosmith - Rocks.

In the Spring of 1976 everything changed. I don't how or why but that Spring I connected with rock and roll. I started reading Circus Magazine and can still see in my mind's eye that gaudy colored photo of Steven Tyler screaming off the front cover. I had never heard of Aerosmith but thoroughly enjoyed reading the piece and looking at the pictures. The band looked dangerous in the way that I'm sure the Stones looked dangerous in the 60's.

I think it was June (at least I remember it as June). I had to buy a birthday present for Ed Harris. I bought him Rocks. I don't know why. he never said he was an Aerosmith fan. I had read a good review of the record and I guess I liked the cover. I bought alot of albums back then because of the cover.

The album sat in my house for a couple of days before I pulled it out to wrap it. But then came that insane moment when I decided to slide my thumbnail down the plastic and slip the album out for a quick listen. I hadn't though through what I would say about handing him an opened package.

It didn't take long. I think that Steve Tyler screams "I'M BACK" about 20 seconds into "Back In the Saddle." That was it. For the next 43 minutes I was locked in. Every song was a revelation. The record had balls and yet, at the same time, it had a glossy sophistication. After the first time though I went back to the beginning and played it again and again. I probably listened to the whole album four times in a row - front to back - not skipping any songs.

That June day, Aerosmith became mine. I went out and bought their first three albums and immediately started trying to learn the songs on guitar. In college I would play along to the first four albums from start to finish not skipping a single song.

Aerosmith lost me on the Pump tour. they play way too many "girly" songs now. But I can still listen to anything up to and including Double Live Bootleg to give me that same kick in the ass I got in June 1976.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Guitarist at Work

I got my first guitar when I was 10 but never played it. When I was 16 I resolved to learn how to play and borrowed my brothers Ovation and then got a Mann electric guitar for myself (a story related a few postings back). Once I was hooked I became a devotee to the instrument (although I am not the Steve Waxman that wrote the most excellent book Instruments of Desire about the very subject).

In my Rock and Roll life I have had some pretty amazing experiences with some noted guitarists. They are as follows:

1976
Jeff Beck played at Maple Leaf Gardens in support of his live album with Jan Hammer. After the show, my friends and I chased his limo over to the original Four Seasons Hotel (around the corner from MLG) and I got him to autograph my concert ticket.

1982
I played in a hardcore punk band called Even Worse. the other guitar player in the band was Thurston Moore. This was around the time he and Kim started Sonic Youth. I went to see Sonic Youth play at the Mudd Club one night. After seeing Thurston jam screwdrivers between the strings of his guitar it became obvious to me why I had to help him tune his guitar after every song at our rehearsals.

1983
While working with Aucoin Management during the Billy Idol Rebel yell period, I got to play bass with Billy and the band while they auditioned drummers. I learned more during that three hour period playing beside Steve Stevens than I had learned before or since.

1984
Before leaving New York I got to spend quality time with Ace Frehley who was a frequent visitor to the Aucoin offices.

1995
I took MuchMusic and MusiquePlus to Los Angeles for a series of interviews over three days. One of those interviews was with Van Halen. MuchMusic wanted to shoot an opening throw to the interview with Eddie playing guitar. He agreed but excused himself while he warmed up. Warmed up?! It was me and Eddie Van Halen alone together in the 5150 studios while he blasted "Eruption" full blast through his amp. (I haven't washed my jeans since).

1998 (part one)
Eric Clapton came to town to talk about Pilgrim. I waited for him to come down to the room for his first interview. At the appointed time he came ambling around the corner, dressed not unlike a well kept janitor. Completely unassuming. The guy was a complete gentleman.

1998 (part two)
Later that same year, Page and plant came to Toronto for a concert at the Molson Amphitheatre. After the show we went backstage to say "hi." Page still had resin on his black t-shirt from the bow he used during "dazed and Confused." Cool!

2003
We had dinner with Robert Randolph the first time he came to town. It's always a treat to meet a revolutionary guitarist. Have you ever heard Robert? If not, check out www.robertrandolph.net

Friday, January 19, 2007

The Return of Wilco

At his solo concert in Nashville a couple of nights ago, Jeff Tweedy announced that the new Wilco album will be called Sky Blue Sky and will come out on May 15. Check out the full story here: http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003534789

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Muhammad Ali Turns 65 Today

Whenever I'm asked to name my heroes two names always immediately come to mind - Charlie Chaplin and Muhammad Ali. I never met Charlie Chaplin.

I remember as a kid there was always a big fuss about Muhammad Ali. America was in the heat of the war in Vietnam and Ali refused to fight. he had been stripped of his title and was a lightening rod of controversy. In our house he was lauded. My father had a long history of opposing war so we were completely sympathetic to his point of view.

I think that I was seven when Ali had his title taken away from him. Although I knew who he was it was because of watching Wide World of Sports. Howard Cosell was his champion and they gave Ali lots of air time.

I remember when Ali came back and fought Jerry Quarry. Not his toughest opponent but he was back and the world would never be the same again. I was ten now and sports had taken over my life. I remember staying up late the night that he fought Joe Frazier for the first time. The fight was televised so I had to get round by round updates off the radio. I listened intently to CHUM's news updates for how the fight was going. In the end they announced that Joe Frazier had won in 15 rounds. I was devastated. It's the first time I remember feeling that way about a sporting event.

Who will ever forget the Rumble in the Jungle when he regained the heavyweight championship by beating George Foreman or the Thrilla in Manila when he and Joe Frazier went toe-to-toe in one of the greatest fights in history? To my mind the only black mark on his career was losing to Leon Spinks in '78. It should never have happened but Ali was over confident and Spinks was well prepared. I think one of the Rocky movies was inspired by the fight.

In the winter of 1983 I was winding down my time in New York City. I had graduated from NYU and had worked for Aucoin Management and Chrysalis Records and I had decided to return to Toronto to see what i could make of myself back home. One day, during the last couple of weeks living i there, I was walking up Madison Avenue at 53rd on my way back to the Chrysalis offices. As I crossed the street heading north I looked up and saw Muhammad Ali standing at the corner waiting for the light to change. My heart jumped into my throat. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Surprisingly, no one was talking to him or asking for an autograph. Mustering as much confidence as I could, I walked up to Ali and extended my hand and said "Champ, you're the greatest."

Now I don't know where the word "maw" comes from but it's one of those non-sense words that just seem to make sense. In this case "maw" definitely means "giant fleshy hand."

Ali's "maw" enveloped my puny hand. Despite it's size I was struck by how soft and gentle (without being limp) his grip was. "Thank you. Thank you very much," he said in a gruff whisper (he hadn't been diagnosed with Parkinson's yet). And with that he went on his merry way and I stood there starring after the greatest boxer and one of the greatest human beings in history.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Still More Neil Young

Brad Wheeler has written a great piece in today's Globe and Mail about the upcoming Neil Young - Live at Massey Hall CD. Read it here: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070116.wxyoung16/BNStory/Entertainment/home

The album is tentatively scheduled for release on March 13, 2007.

Monday, January 15, 2007

Billy Idol's Hair Melts!

The weather outside is crap. it's the first miserable day of the winter season. It took me two hours to get into the office this morning. It's just the kind of day I've been waiting for to tell my favourite Billy Idol story.

I worked for Aucoin Management during those heady days that Billy was recording Rebel Yell. One night, while still recording the album Billy came up to the office (we were in Olympic towers now) for a meeting. The New York weather was awful. I think we were on the 33rd floor (to the best of my recollection) and we watched the city grind to a halt as the snow dumped on the city. At the end of the day a couple of us decided to head downtown for dinner with Billy at Aye Caramba's on Broadway south of 8th St.

Since the roads were so horrible, we decided to take the subway rather than hail a cab. "Dancing With Myself" was just becoming a hit around that time so, though Billy looked different than most, he could still ride the subway without getting hassled.

When we got out of the station at 8th and Broadway we braced ourselves against the wind that was now blowing the snow sideways. Billy didn't have a proper winter coat. Instead, he draped a long black cloak around himself and leaned his shoulder into the wind. The image he struck was hilarious, not unlike Spock in some long forgotten episode of Star Trek.

When we got to Aye Caramba we were ushered to a table in the middle of crowed restaurant. Once we were all settled and had our drinks ordered we noticed that Billy's spiked hair had frozen solid during the walk. Each of us took turns patting the top with the frozen spikes leaving impressions in our palms.

We lingered for a couple of hours hoping the weather would abate (which it eventually did). During that time we watched as Billy's hair thawed and then wilted off to the left. It was hilarious. Even he had a good sense of humour about it.

At 10:30 we paid the bill and headed to the door. Billy excused himself to run downstairs to the washroom. A few minutes later he returned with a slightly mortified look on his face. Apparently a couple of people in the restaurant had recognized him and followed him into the washroom. When he turned around from the urinal he saw a young man and woman starring at him as he zipped up his pants. For what it's worth, this was the kind of attention he had hoped to gain for himself.

We walked with Billy back to his apartment in Sheridan Square. He invited us up for tea, which we accepted. We sat around talking about the songs he had written for the new album and then he told us the inspiration for the song "Crank Call." It turned out that there were a couple of girls that were always hanging around a phone booth outside his apartment and they were always starring at his window. He took us over to the window to show us the phone booth. When he pulled back the black curtain we were shocked to see that the two girls were indeed standing there starring at the window. Even in this weather.

There are allot of good Billy Idol stories from those days and I'll eventually get through most of them - but this was my favourite.

Friday, January 12, 2007

First Time (part four)

Okay, I didn't mean to get stuck at 1976 but the year was a turning point for me. I was always musical. My mom likes to tell people that I didn't need toys when I was kid that I enjoyed making music with pots and pans. On one hand that was true. On the other hand i stole money from her purse to buy myself Major Matt Mason stuff :)

I may have had to steal money to buy myself toys but I was spoiled when it came to musical instruments. Before I was Bar Mitzvahed I had learned to play piano, had a guitar (that I hadn't learned to play), a mandolin that I could plunk out tunes on, a recorder and a banjo (loved Flatts and Scruggs).

In 1976 I finally became a rock music fan. One night while listening to Cat Stevens I was inspired to finally try to learn how to play guitar. I had been reading through my brother's Tea For the Tillerman music book while listening to the album and the chords seemed doable. I went into the den when my brother and his girlfriend were engaged in something they probably would have preferred I hadn't seen. I excused myself as I took his Ovation guitar and closed the door behind me. In the living room I opened up his Simon and Garfunkle songbook and began learning some chords. The first song I ever played on guitar might have been recognized as "The Sounds of Silence" by some kind bystander.

My enthusiasm grew as I became more proficient moving from C to D to A to E. Over the next few weeks I began practising more than watching TV (a miracle at the time). And then I pronounced to my parents that I was ready for an electric guitar. How could they refuse me? I was such a sweet mensch.

My first electric was a gold Mann Les Paul imitation. It was immediately apparent that playing electric guitar was going to be easier than acoustic. I could move between chords easier and bend the strings without hurting my fingers.

I had only been playing guitar for four weeks when I auditioned for and got into my first band. They were called Flox. I believe that means flame in Greek. It was a rush to play with other people and crank up the volume. Although I could play 5 chords I was clearly in over my head. Everyone else in the band had been playing way longer. I remember them teaching me the opening to "Pinball Wizard" and thinking that the whole world had opened up to me.

Flox never played a gig but we did practice with some girls from the school watching us which was WICKED!

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

First Time (part three)

In the Spring of 1976 most of the kids at my high school were jazzed about the KISS show coming to Maple Leaf Gardens. I still wasn't into Rock yet so the band really wasn't on my radar. The gig was part of the tail end of the KISS Alive tour though the band had finished recording Destroyer.

The day after the concert it seemed like everyone at school were talking about the show. On the PA they opened the morning announcements by playing "Shout It Out Loud." The song's catchy chorus struck a chord and I soon became a fan (and once I discovered Aerosmith Rocks a few months later I was living rock and roll for good).

Over the next few months I read every article I could about KISS. Not a month went by that I didn't buy Circus, Hit Parader, Creem and Rock Scene. I began buying all of the KISS albums. I covered my walls with giant KISS posters. I joined the KISS Army.

Later that summer KISS came back to Toronto to headline an outdoor show with Artful Dodger and Blue Oyster Cult. I had my ticket in my hand and I wasn't going to let it go. I showed up early and endured the heat, the smell and the opening acts (I didn't learn to appreciate BOC until a year later).

The lights went down well after the sun and that pronouncement that had been burned into my head filled the PA. "You wanted the best and you got the best. The greatest band in the world KISS."

The cheers rose into the Toronto night sky and 10,000 bodies crushed themselves towards the stage. The opening staccato of "Detroit Rock City" blasted at us followed moments later by the first of 100 bomb blasts. The lights flashed on and there they were - Gene, Paul and Ace - perched atop a ruined cityscape moving in unison to the song that had become my anthem that summer.

What happened next surprised me. I started to laugh. I mean really laugh. Out loud. If it hadn't have been for the thousands of people standing around me, I think I would have fallen over. I think it was the shock of actually seeing the guys move that got to me. I guess with the make-up and everything I kinda got used to them being cartoon figures and never really thought of them as moving beings.

The night was terrific. The show fantastic. I remained giddy right to the end. I saw KISS another 12 - 14 times in those years and never failed to be entertained. After seeing a crappy show where they introduced Eric Carr at the Palladium in New York in 1980, I stayed away until the Psycho Circus Tour. By then, the excitement returned and a good time was had by all.

Tuesday, January 9, 2007

First Time (part two)

In the Spring of 1972 everyone was talking about the upcoming Rolling Stones Tour. My brother, 8 years older than me, had tickets for their Toronto show at Maple Leaf Gardens. He bought me a ticket though I never said I wanted to go (I wasn't a rock music fan when I was a kid). When the day of the show came, he and I had an argument because I said I didn't want to go. He tried laying a guilt trip on me about the price of the tickets (I think they were $5 each) but I wouldn't budge. That was until my dad said that he'd go with him. Gad! How embarrassing for my brother. I had to save him from the humility he'd obviously feel walking into the arena with his father. "Okay," I said finally. "I'll go." At least Stevie Wonder was opening the show and I already loved him.

The way I remember it, Stevie almost walked off the front of the stage as he wandered from instrument to instrument during one song. I think I remember Mick riding an inflatable penis and rose pedals falling down from the rafters during "Angie." I definitely remember the hash on a pin being passed from person to person in the row in front of us and the goat skin wine flask I handed to whomever was sitting to my left. After the show, as we crossed Carleton St. on the way to the subway I noticed that my hearing was shot. I thought that I had gone deaf from attending just one concert.

That was my first concert.

Monday, January 8, 2007

First Time (part one)

I took my stepson to his first raptors game yesterday. he got to play pretty much everything they had in the fan inactive concourse before heading inside where we each got Andrea Bargnarni action figures. We sat at one end of the arena, 15 rows up from the floor so we got thunder sticks to use to try and distract the Washington Wizards from hitting freethrows. At half-time I bought him a two month early birthday present - a red and white Spalding raptor basketball. After the game he got to go on the floor and shoot a basket (he missed - but just barely). All that AND the raptors won! WooHoo!!! He's 8. I still have my ticket stub from the first NBA game I ever went to - Utah playing LA in playoff game - the players looked like running trees! I was 29.

Friday, January 5, 2007

More Neil Young

I found a couple of original reviews of the 1971 Neil Young concert at Massey Hall:

"Records haven't shown musical power and presence displayed by Neil Young"
"What makes the new disc Goldrush such a disappointment is the predominance of his inaccurate and watery singing." - Toronto Star

"His songwriting isn't his strongest talent. (His lovely clean voice is).";
"...his songs suggest a need for more seasoning...and more work."; and
"...he's bound to stick around for a long time..." - Globe & Mail

Wednesday, January 3, 2007

Exciting new Neil Young news

With the New Year came the delivery of an unmastered, unsequenced advance copy of the next release from the Neil Young Archive series. Live at Massey Hall is an incredibly well-recorded document of Neil's show at the venerable Toronto venue on January 19, 1971. What makes this album an important historical document is that it features many of the songs that would end up on Harvest a year later.

The show features Neil solo (accompanying himself on guitar and piano) during the After the Goldrush tour. Neil's between song banter also give this record historical perspective as he talks about being asked to tape Johnny Cash's TV show and working with Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor (both of whom would later turn up on Harvest).

The album is scheduled for release in March. I'll post more information as it becomes available.

Tuesday, January 2, 2007

Day One

It's the first workday of a New Year. Everything feels like a fresh start which is why, at this time of year, I always seem to reflect on how I got into this kookie business.

In 1982 I had graduated from NYU wanting to be a screenwriter. I figured that my most reasonable route would begin as an advertising copywriter, move on to TV and then to the movies. Without a real clue in my head and a bogus resume in my hand I trudged up Madison Avenue in hopes of kick-starting my career.

After dropping off a few resumes I stopped in at the offices of Aucoin Management. Aucoin's office were built off the fat of the land that was KISS in the 1970's. Their sprawling space used to encompass two floors of a Madison Avenue office tower but they were no less impressive now that they were merely one entire floor of the building! My friend Milhan Gorkey was the receptionist their so I stopped in to say "hi."

Aucoin no longer managed KISS at this point. It was the middle of the music industry's first real recession and Aucoin's other big client, Billy Idol, hadn't yet hit the charts. During the course of our conversation, Milhan mentioned that 15 employees had been let go the previous day, including the office boy and things were piling up. I offered that I'd work there for free if i could use the office for my writing. Before long I was was in the Stephanie Robertson's office. Stephanie used to be a production manager for Aucoin but was now the office manager. We talked for half an hour and agreed that I'd come in three days a week in exchange for being able to use their offices for return phone calls and general writing.

I had never considered that a backroom existed in the music industry. I always thought that a band writes some songs, records them, gets them on the radio, goes on tour, sells t-shirts, scores groupies and then break-up. Although this all turned out to be true, it seems that it took a lot more people than I thought to make all of that happen.

After my first day in the office I was hooked and ended up coming in five days a week. My pay consisted of subway reimbursements which I pocketed in lieu of running across town to pick up and deliver packages. After three months Aucoin started paying me. Actually they shared me with Chrysalis Records who had just moved to New York (into the old Aucoin offices which we moved down to his apartment in the Olympic Towers).

During my time at Aucoin I met the members of KISS, watched Billy Idol record Rebel Yell, was there when Huey Lewis delivered Sports and Toni Basil "Mickey." Before I returned to Toronto I even met Muhammad Ali. Good times!

Monday, January 1, 2007

Dogtown and Z-Boys

One night, a couple of months ago, I was madly clicking the converter looking for something that wasn't a repeat of a desgin or renovation show and I ended up on OLN which was running the documentary Dogtown & Z-Boys. I was immediately mesmerized. Watching footage of these guys surfing the pavement of Southern California playgrounds was spellbinding.

In the mid-sixties my friends and I used to ride skateboards. These were wooden planks with metal roller skate wheels on them. We couldn't do too much except for flying down hills trying not to get ourselves killed. I quit riding around 1970 when we moved to a new neighbourhood. In the mid-seventies I remembered hearing about some crazy kids that had started riding their skateboards in swimming pools and saw some skateboard competitions on ABC's Wide World of Sports. I never really thought too much about it.

I the 80's I noticed a proliferation of skateparks and was aware that some skilled kids were flying through the air but it was a concept foreign to me and my metal wheeled days. Tony Hawk became a phenomenon and I started snowboarding (nothing aerial though). I have my own skateboard again but I stay strictly grounded.

Watching Dogtown & Z-Boys was an education in the re-birth of skateboarding. It was a revelation to see the footage of the surfers that these guys were emulating on the asphalt. A few weeks later the doc was on CBC Newsworld and I watched it again. I was totally hooked and spent the next couple of weeks researching the likes of Tony Alva, Jay Adams and Stacy Peralta. If you visit www.angelfire.com you can reach some of the articles originally published at the time. These articles, written under various pseudonyms by Craig Stecyk, contributed, in large part to the legend of these guys.

For Christmas, my fiance bought me the DVD for Dogtown & Z-Boys as well as a book written by Stecyk with photographs by Glenn Friedman. The fascination continues. These skaters, writers and photographers were creating a new art form in our lifetime and these are the documents of that creation.