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Let The 2006 Tailgating Season Begin
I wrote an entry for last weekend. It included the Jamaican Independence Day live remote we did with Keith Rowe and Selector Jerry of the Saturday 2-6pm program at Z889 titled Sounds Of The Caribbean. Unfortunately, Blogger went down and it was lost forever. I take forever to post my blogs because I can’t spell at all and get very particular about what I want going up in it. I chalked it up as a loss and just moved on. Anyway, this week I had some days off and decided to prep myself for the Philadelphia Eagles first preseason game against the Cleveland Browns. I wanted to do some kind of special prep work food wise for this first game. But unfortunately, my brother Rob took the reigns and decided to bring dogs and burgers. Eh…it’s just preseason. Being prepped is a big issue. Usually, I like to get out to the stadium at least 3-4 hours before kickoff to get things rolling with drinking, grilling, and throwing the football around. I also like to have the tunes blasting with a select few CD’s of my liking. If it is a 1pm Sunday game, I like to get to the parking lot by 8am. I set the grill up, don’t fire it up right away, and begin to drink. By 9:30, and an empty stomach, I am buzzed. Now keep in mind, I don’t leave the radio show till about 2:30am Sunday morning. Then I get home usually somewhere around 3ish, prep and pack everything for the game. Tables, chairs, grill, propane, food, utensils, napkins, football, radio, walkman, CDs, Eagles clothes, oh and matches. Oh yeah and tickets. Almost forgot. So, the buzz usually begins around 9:30, by 10:30, the grill gets fired up. Whether I like it or not. I am usually pretty fired up by then. So the food festivities begin. I don’t want to eat too much because I want to be able to have a few more beers during the game. God only knows it could be a nightmare and I may need to drink double the amount if we are losing. This year’s tailgating will be a bit different due to the recent acquisition of a key player. My charbroil smoker. Oh, the possiblities. I don’t know where this tailgating fascination began. My mother says it’s my grandfather within me. He was a huge Philadelphia A’s fan, and used to bring jugs of wine to the game. It was something he lived for in the old days. He also was a big flirt and I believed that rubbed off as well. Thanks pop pop.
This Release Music Orchestra Is Good, But How About Some Yes!
The joke of the last 2 years is that I am an anti-Yes radio DJ. Actually, it’s very untrue. I love Yes. Or I should say, I really like them a lot. When the program started to take off into new realms in late 1995 early 1996, I decided to shy away from mainly featuring the top tier progressive rock bands. (Yes, Genesis, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull) It wasn’t because I didn’t like them, it was time to give new bands a shot because the scene has been and still is growing. Even when I wasn’t aware of it in the early 90’s. I know a lot of basic fundamentalist progressive rock fans shy away from my show because they want to hear Genesis, etc. Now wait a minute. I LOVE Genesis. But what about White Willow? Pure Reason Revolution? La Maschera Di Cera? These are new bands that are not just copies of the past, but bands that are making their mark in a new world of eclectic music. There are so many genres and subgenres in this scene it can make you go dizzy. But, the point is, progrock never died. It’s just that many of today’s listeners like to look back. It’s not a bad thing, but you are going to hear something that’s new that you may fall in love with. Maybe even open doors to new journies. That is why my emphasis is on new music. But many don’t want to take that step. They get scared. They don’t want anything to interfere with their enjoyment of Gentle Giant….or any other top tier band. I love those bands too. And I do in fact try to play them from time to time. But as I stated, the emphasis is clearly on the new music. So for you people that think I am a Yes hater, here is how the DJ in me looks at them with ratings at the end:

• Yes 1969 – Great debut, an album I would play on the show, obviously. Every Little Thing and Survival are my favorites. ***
• Time And A Word 1970 – Great Sophomore release. Including an orchestra as well. Definite radio show album. Sweet Dreams is great, but Astral Traveller is one of my favorite Yes songs of all time. ***1/2
• The Yes Album 1971 – Radio only slightly murdered this one. I can’t listen to songs like Yours Is No Disgrace anymore. Totally ruined. I’ve Seen All Good People? Oh god. If I hear it one more time I will set myself on fire. Perpetual Change and in the right mood, Starship Trooper still rocks. Other than that, I can’t listen to it and rarely play this album on the show. ***
• Fragile 1971/1972 – A monumental album in their catalog. Besides Roundabout and Long Distance Runaround being butchered on every jukebox and automated radio station, this may be the finest beginning to their dominance in the genre at this point. I still think South Side Of The Sky is great, We Have Heaven is still cool to listen too, but Heart Of The Sunrise still fires me up. Squire is immaculate. I haven’t played much off this album in quite a few years. ***1/2
• Close To The Edge 1972 – Well, well, well. This album still gets my attention as one of the greatest accomplishments Yes ever did. No weaknesses in any of the three songs. I still regard this as a radio classic in my genre, but yet, not my favorite. And You And I is still a moving piece that makes my hairs stand up. ****
• Yessongs 1973 – Yeah it’s ok. Not my favorite live album. But it’s ok. I haven’t played this in years. ***
• Tales From Topographic Oceans 1973 – I still find love for this album. Like CTTE, it’s not my favorite album, but it has its moments. A DJ’s dream: four 20 minute plus pieces. Yay! All jokes aside. I still think The Revealing Science Of God is a great track and loved it so much 15 years ago, I used it as part of my intro. As a matter of fact I still do, (the main chorus) only acoustically. I should play this one soon. ***
• Relayer 1974 – One of my favorite Yes albums in a dark kind of way. This album is very moody and depressing at times. Even the cover is great. But I regard this as a classic, and one of their best. Patrick Moraz was great on this album…timeless. Soundchaser is still the most intense playing I have ever heard out of the Yes camp. This is an album I love the older I get. ****
• Going For The One 1977 – My favorite album to ever be released by this band. Every song is perfect and production wise, is stellar. What a happy album. This is the album that got me into Yes when I was in high school. Awaken is still the most spiritual thing I have ever heard from this band. Hairs raised and eyes misty. *****
• Tormato 1978 – Ok ok ok, it was a sloppy album. But still, I think it was great. Squire had some great sounds coming out of the Bass. On The Silent Wings Of Freedom is great, Arriving UFO is pretty intense, and the track Future Times/Rejoice is still some great Yes. People either loved or hated this album. I give it a thumbs up, and is the second most played Yes album on the show. ****
• Drama 1980 – Totally underrated. The album showed how tight a power trio (white/howe/squire) could be. Then add the Buggles. Machine Messiah, Does It Really happen, and Tempus Fugit are my personal favorites. Why? I love Squire’s back up voice in the forefront. **** (Played this Saturday night)
• YesShows 1980 – Yeah whatever. Atlantic records panicking that Jon and Rick weren’t in the band anymore. Haven’t played it in 10 years. ***
• 90125 1983 – Look. I’m an 80’s child. I loved the album. My sister made me listen to it repeatedly when I was 11 while she was in love with Trevor Rabin. Great moments? Sure. Hearts…It Can Happen. But, I haven’t played anything of this in about 8 years. ***1/2
• 9012Live The Solos 1985 – zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz *
• Big Generator 1987 – I was into my teens when this came out and although in hindsight all the songs sound the same, I still like a lot of it. The videos were atrocious. But, it was the tail end of 80’s. And I have to say, it was my youth. Last time I played this was 1995. ***
• Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe 1989 -- Genius. That’s all I will say. Long time coming at that point. A favorite of my show in the beginning years. Levin should have had his name added. ****
• Union 1991 – This came out as I was graduating from high school. Lift Me Up was played at my graduation. I still get misty when I hear it. The album is the end of my youth. But the safe beginning of my young adulthood. This was also one of the last albums I bought before my love affair with Yes and just before I became a DJ in August of 1991. ****
• YesYears 1991 – This box set began my journey into Yes. Great companion to someone who never heard Yes before. *****
• Talk 1994 – This album is a personal all time favorite. Recording is dynamic as is the engineering…and the best of 90125 Yes. My brother even became a Yes fan with this album. No it’s not a heavy ‘prog’ album per say, but, it marked a great ending to the 80’s yes that I grew up with. I still smile at this disc, and bring it to the shore almost every year. ****1/2
• Keys To Ascension 1996 – Yay. At least that’s what I said at first. But I got bored with this one real fast. But still...it was nice to see this incarnation. ***
• Keys To Ascension II 1997 - Love this one. Mind Drive excited me. (old XYZ bits) Good one...I enjoyed this. ***1/2
• Open Your Eyes 1997 - hmmmmm **
• The Ladder 1999 - hmmmmmmmmmmmm **1/2
• Magnification 2001 - Ok. Anyway. This is a nice change. I actually enjoyed the orchestra on this album. Squire does some more singing too. I liked it. Thanks for coming back. ***

There you go. I hope that clears things up.

Sheriff rode 'em into town, Josie lookin' Sad
Back in early 1990, I was really getting into Ham radios, CB radios, and other forms of broadcasting equipment. I was doing my high school radio show called Power 69. It was a goof obviously. Crank calls, skits, pets as guests…absurd. But, it opened a lot of doors, and I opened many people up by interviewing them. When I learned how to make a transmitter, I upset a few people in my neighborhood, including authorities by broadcasting into people’s television and radio speakers. Ooops. I got a warning without my parents finding out surprisingly. (Thanks Jim) Anyway, I was exploring new music and I was handed a cassette by the then drummer of this band we were jamming with. The tape was of this band called Emerson, Lake and Palmer playing live in 1974. Now, I had heard of Emerson, Lake, and Powell. What was this band? Anyway, I had gotten the second cassette and heard this song called Karn Evil 9 while walking with my walkman. I did that a lot in those days. I was blown away. Powerful, larger than life keyboards, crazy drumming, and cool singing. I was in love. I became obsessed my senior year of high school doing a complete study of the band’s catalog. So now when I play the triple live album Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends Ladies And Gentleman, Emerson, Lake, And Palmer; It’s kind of special. Brings me back to easier times. Wait. Maybe not.
The One Word Of The Kolosky Fire Birds In Walter’s Steppings Tones
Tonight’s guest was author Walter Kolosky of the excellent new book Power, Passion, and Beauty. The Story Of The Legendary Mahavishnu Orchestra. Well I have to say this. Walter did one hell of a job on this book. Detailed chronologically, Walter didn’t miss a thing. There are even things he took out! The book he stated, would have had 600 pages if he didn’t. He was candid and passionate. I could tell that he really loved what he did. This book should be with you at all times when you put on anything Mahavishnu/McLaughlin related. Walter's website says it best:

Starting in 1971 and lasting in one form or another for five years, the Mahavishnu Orchestra exploded onto the popular music scene while simultaneously trashing all existing conventions, forging a new direction that is still controversial to this day. The loudest and fastest band in the entire world, the MO literally could “scare” people – yet also could create music of great beauty. Today, it's genre-busting music serves as a foundation for many musical movements.All five members of the original band, John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, Jan Hammer, Jerry Goodman and Rick Laird, cooperated with the author. In addition, almost 150 people, including some of the world’s greatest musicians and artists, provide comments exclusive to this book. Among those commenting for these pages are Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Jeff Beck, Sir George Martin, Jean-Luc Ponty, Peter Max, Joe Zawinul, Bill Frisell, Dennis Chambers, Bill Bruford, Peter Erskine, Jimmy Herring, Jonas Hellborg, Mark Egan, John Scofield, Steve Lukather, Lyle Mays, Steve Morse, Joey DeFrancesco, Narada Michael Walden and many, many more.Experience this remarkable story through those that lived it and are still living it. You will be captured by the Power, Passion and Beauty of it all.

I'd love to see his next book. Walter puts power, passion and beauty in this great document. A must have. Here's the website for more info.

Tonight's Program Ran 4 Hours and 3 Minutes