What does it take to be a CAL musician? I can only offer my opinion based on my experiences and learning from others (including asking other band mates.)
Like most professional violinists, I was trained to be a symphonic musician in the classical styles. This means that I was expected to take complex music, analyze it from start to finish (including chord changes and progressions and how the melodies and harmonies fit together), practice playing it on my own, and then finally rehearse it with the full ensemble before a performance. As a solo musician, I still had to do all these things to ensure that the essence of the piece is captured in a solo performance, not just the written solo parts. Listening to recordings of the same piece by a variety of artists was crucial in developing my own style for the way of performing that piece.
But this is where the freedom ends. You still have to learn all the notes exactly as printed on the page. When in a symphony orchestra, you have to learn the conductor’s style for the way HE wants us to perform that piece as a cohesive group. Much of the music we are taught and perform is from DWEMs (dead, white, European males), and we cannot simply ask them, “Is this the style you intended?” Therefore, it is up to the conductor to interpret that for us, and it is our job to create it as best as possible. If a player’s style conflicts with the conductor’s style, then that player is usually not rehired for future work. Sometimes, the conductor fires them on the spot (I’ve seen this happen several times.)
With CAL, this same discipline applies. Only stricter. There are no scores and parts written for us that we can simply purchase or rent (like symphonic music.) We have to create those charts OURSELVES. Our styles or interpretations of the music are irrelevant. We are completely dependent on recreating the original recordings of the albums. We do not have the freedom to improvise based on some possible chord progressions. We have to virtually dissect the album, note for note, cut for cut, by listening repeatedly, and determining which parts of that album for which each one of us is responsible. It’s like musical dictation at the most advanced levels. But how do you know what parts are yours? Ahhhh, that’s where the discussion arises. Are you covering the tambourine and the vocals in this song? Am I singing the high or middle note? Who is on the lead vocal for this one? This is where the style of the players/singers must be matched to the song. This is why there is a large pool of musicians in CAL; the performers must match the original as closely as possible.
Some of the CAL musicians scrawl notes or just words with chord letters on a piece of plain paper; some use no charts at all as they have their parts fully memorized for that album. Some don’t even know how to read musical notation, but that does not mean that they are any less caliber of a musician. They still have trained themselves to listen for every nuance, every twang, every breath and know how to place them accordingly. Some of us have written out the musical notation for our instruments, mainly to make it easier for ourselves on the gig so that we don’t leave anything out. Craig has even paid for some charts to be transcribed so that he can hire local musicians to “fill in” and save some travel expenses by not using all traveling musicians. This is good for business, but challenging for consistency. In one city, the trumpet player may play well reading the chart, but doesn’t know when to help fill in with handclaps or sing with group vocals. In another city, it takes two keyboardists to do the job of the one they have in another. How do they know how to split their parts when they live in different countries?
These considerations and decisions are the responsibility of the leader and contractor. You hire someone based on their abilities and recommendations; you continue to hire someone based on their performance and interaction with the band. When there are no charts and very little directions, you have to rely on your band mates to communicate with you. But, you still have to be prepared to play parts you might not have practiced. You just don’t exactly know until you get to the rehearsal, if there is one. Oftentimes, the bandleader will want to do different songs than originally planned for the second set. This is where you need to know the entire catalogue from that band, and be prepared to play it with a moment’s notice. Keyboardists have the most challenging time with this as they have to program or re-program on the fly during the show. On many occasions, I have been asked to help on keys, percussion, vocals, and even the congas and glockenspiel. I was hired as a violinist for that show, but I was prepared for these last-minute additions, as I knew the other parts needed to be covered. On one show, we learned during sound check that the guest choir was not prepared for their parts. They were expecting the leader to send them a chart to learn, they would learn it in school (traditionally this is how they prepare), and then come to sound check. They were never sent a chart; only told to sing the choir parts on this certain song. I saw the immediate need, and knew that the show would fail if I didn’t do something. I was able to use my many years of vocal training in opera, church and gospel choirs to quickly transcribe a chart for their director, work with the group during my dinner break, and successfully re-create the sound needed for that show. The audience was none the wiser, but the band knew. I later sent a formal transcription to Craig for use in future shows so that it would not happen again. It’s this type of teamwork that makes a successful show. If you cannot learn other parts on a moment’s notice, or if you are flustered easily by the quick changes, then you don’t belong in CAL.
As Craig has stated many times, this music cannot just be read and played once. It has to be in your DNA. You have to grow up listening to it, over and over, wearing out the grooves on the record, stretching the tape from listening so many times, even wearing the paint off the “back” button for repeating it so often. This is where the only classically trained musician usually fails to meet the expectations of CAL. The CAL musician has to know the music inside and out, and LOVE IT. If we don’t love it, it shows in our performances, and the fans can read that. The fans are here for the love of the music, and it is our job and responsibility to give them exactly what they want while leaving them wanting more.
Michelle Jones, Vinylinist
CAL musician since 2005
Sunday, 20 January 2013
Friday, 18 January 2013
Guest Blogger: Marty Morin!
These days I spend a lot of time listening to and working on music that was created in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s by giants of the music industry. Bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Dylan, Hendrix, The Band, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, AC/DC…the list goes on and on. To me, to my generation and even to generations after me this music became iconic. It fueled a social movement in the ‘60s and eventually created an industry. These were artists and musicians who wrote their own music, played their own instruments, had control over how their music sounded and even how they looked. It was a Renaissance period in popular music. The advent of new technology in those days allowed this new music to be heard around the world for the first time. It exploded! It was huge and the numbers were staggering.
However just before these bands broke new ground there was a period between the rockers of the late ‘50s and the British Invasion of the mid ‘60s when popular music was an entirely different animal. This was the era when music producers and A & R men from record companies decided who recorded what songs and how they were to sound. This was music by committee. Pop stars were created from scratch, sometimes found working in diners or on the street. Phil Spector on the west coast, Mitch Miller in New York, Barry Gordy with Motown in Detroit, Ahmet Ertegan pretty well everywhere and Jerry Wexler in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. These music producers, among others, would find singers, find songwriters, find studios, find musicians, find arrangers and create these stars. Bobby Rydell, Bobby Vinton, Bobby Vee, Bobby Darin, Bobby Goldsboro, Annette Funicello, Frankie Avalon, Connie Francis, Pat Boone, Paul Anka, Patty Page, Jan & Dean…there were dozens of these artists on top of the charts. They sang songs about love, songs about breakups, songs about getting back together, songs about cheating and being cheated on and, for some odd reason, there were a lot of novelty songs like The Bird Song, Flying Purple People Eater and They’re Coming To Take Me Away, Ha, Ha. It was a weird time for music. Most of it was overproduced and very hollow. The rock & roll edginess of Elvis, Little Richard and The Killer Jerry Lee had given way to a sickly sweet, manufactured sound that was safe, straight and predictable. When the British Invasion got under way with The Beatles it was a breath of fresh air.
I see a lot of parallels to that time in the music industry today. As I listen and work on these classic songs I can’t help but wonder if there is anything out there today that will have a lasting effect on people the way these songs have. Will they stand the test of time? Will there be another Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Rolling Stones’ Exile On Main Street or Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon? These days it seems the chart positions and attention goes to artists like Justin Bieber, Niki Minage, Taylor Swift, the boy band One Direction, Shakira… These artists are packaged in much the same way as the overnight sensations of the early ‘60s were. To me, it has that same hollowness. This, again, is music by committee. Producers and record company suits once again rule the roost. It’s not healthy. Music should be played and performed by musicians. Today producers such as Kanye West, Dr. Dre, The Bomb Squad and Timbaland krank out, in my opinion, faceless hits filled with their own trademark sounds. Most of the music is created without the singer or writer even being present. An artist I know from Toronto got a deal with a producer in Miami. She sent her basement demos to him and six months later he sent her back a complete album he produced. Songs were rearranged, titles changed, strings and horns added, sometimes the tempo and feel of the songs were altered drastically. The only input she had was overdubbing the vocals after it was all done. Are there too many fingers in the pie? Have we lost the singer/songwriter/producer? Has the music ventured too far from the writer’s intentions?
Today’s music scene is very much like the way it was just before the music took over back in the ‘60s. The airwaves are saturated with manufactured artists singing simplistic lyrics. Who or what will save us from this banal soundscape? Has the internet cancelled the “next big thing!”? Is there an amazing talent just around the corner that will change the course of music the way Sinatra, Elvis, The Beatles, The Stones, Hendrix and Dylan did? For the sake of music let’s hope so.
However just before these bands broke new ground there was a period between the rockers of the late ‘50s and the British Invasion of the mid ‘60s when popular music was an entirely different animal. This was the era when music producers and A & R men from record companies decided who recorded what songs and how they were to sound. This was music by committee. Pop stars were created from scratch, sometimes found working in diners or on the street. Phil Spector on the west coast, Mitch Miller in New York, Barry Gordy with Motown in Detroit, Ahmet Ertegan pretty well everywhere and Jerry Wexler in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. These music producers, among others, would find singers, find songwriters, find studios, find musicians, find arrangers and create these stars. Bobby Rydell, Bobby Vinton, Bobby Vee, Bobby Darin, Bobby Goldsboro, Annette Funicello, Frankie Avalon, Connie Francis, Pat Boone, Paul Anka, Patty Page, Jan & Dean…there were dozens of these artists on top of the charts. They sang songs about love, songs about breakups, songs about getting back together, songs about cheating and being cheated on and, for some odd reason, there were a lot of novelty songs like The Bird Song, Flying Purple People Eater and They’re Coming To Take Me Away, Ha, Ha. It was a weird time for music. Most of it was overproduced and very hollow. The rock & roll edginess of Elvis, Little Richard and The Killer Jerry Lee had given way to a sickly sweet, manufactured sound that was safe, straight and predictable. When the British Invasion got under way with The Beatles it was a breath of fresh air.
I see a lot of parallels to that time in the music industry today. As I listen and work on these classic songs I can’t help but wonder if there is anything out there today that will have a lasting effect on people the way these songs have. Will they stand the test of time? Will there be another Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Rolling Stones’ Exile On Main Street or Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon? These days it seems the chart positions and attention goes to artists like Justin Bieber, Niki Minage, Taylor Swift, the boy band One Direction, Shakira… These artists are packaged in much the same way as the overnight sensations of the early ‘60s were. To me, it has that same hollowness. This, again, is music by committee. Producers and record company suits once again rule the roost. It’s not healthy. Music should be played and performed by musicians. Today producers such as Kanye West, Dr. Dre, The Bomb Squad and Timbaland krank out, in my opinion, faceless hits filled with their own trademark sounds. Most of the music is created without the singer or writer even being present. An artist I know from Toronto got a deal with a producer in Miami. She sent her basement demos to him and six months later he sent her back a complete album he produced. Songs were rearranged, titles changed, strings and horns added, sometimes the tempo and feel of the songs were altered drastically. The only input she had was overdubbing the vocals after it was all done. Are there too many fingers in the pie? Have we lost the singer/songwriter/producer? Has the music ventured too far from the writer’s intentions?
Today’s music scene is very much like the way it was just before the music took over back in the ‘60s. The airwaves are saturated with manufactured artists singing simplistic lyrics. Who or what will save us from this banal soundscape? Has the internet cancelled the “next big thing!”? Is there an amazing talent just around the corner that will change the course of music the way Sinatra, Elvis, The Beatles, The Stones, Hendrix and Dylan did? For the sake of music let’s hope so.
Thursday, 27 December 2012
The CAL Curse!
the curse
the CAL curse
i used to think it was about us all getting divorced
because
if you crunch the numbers
you'll find that there's 15 of us who went through divorces during the onset of CAL
that's a huge percentage
i really thought CAL was responsible
i thought that the cosmos had decided
that the price for musical genius
depended on marriages ending
dark
but i have this kind of egocentric personality
that makes me think that CAL has longer tentacles
than it really does
i realize that i can be idiotic at times
(just read on and you'll find the above statement true)
no
the CAL curse has to do with note for note
because if it ain't note for note
i freak out a bit
and everything sounds like a big mistake
i remember when we were rehearsing the let it be show
we were doing across the universe
and it wasn't sounding right
everyone was coy
but i kept being demanding and overbearing
because it wasn't sounding right
then mark said that the key of the song was off
that the song was not quite d flat
and not quite d
we had being playing it ind
playing it in d flat would have meant a new grouping of guitars
all tuned down to d flat
a big chore
but i insisted
and d flat it was
and the song came alive
and alex turned to me and said all the difference
last night
i watched led zeppelin receive their kennedy honors awards
led zeppelin sold more records than anyone else
they're the top of the rock
men on the mountain
so there i am
tuned in
all excited
they look great
and happy
but the CAL curse kicked in immediately
jack black's indoctrination was wrong on several fronts
zep were never heavy metal
they were never satanists
and they never sang directly of vikings
the curse!
it's like being a fact checker on CNN after the debates
you just want to grab the speaker and smack some sense into them
i liked jack black in school of rock
but there's nothing else about his career that works
and he does not have the zen of zep depth
needed to stand on such a coveted stage and speak at length
next up was the music
i prayed that the foo fighters would sit this one out
but no
there they were
overplaying
distorted guitars
bashing instead of sounding the drums
and the singer - who was their drummer - was atonal scared and bland
it was acne
next up
kid rock
i like kid rock
i'd like to see him in concert
i always try to get my daughters to sing the sheryl crow part in that song they did together
but he had no business singing plant
and his band had no business playing zep
it sounded like a chicken coop being built
it was like watching old family inherited decorations falling from the tree
and smashing onto the floor
it took me a couple of vodka and tonics
to set me on my feet again
then the antichrist
lenny kravitz
i know that a lot of people like lenny
but he's a gap ad
style but no substance
he's not rock n roll
he's product placement
and he has no business singing led zeppelin
i can't even remember the song he was singing
it was torture
he should stick to shelling out for pizza hut
or whoever else he's networking for
probably some cologne that reeks of mediocrity
(his guitar player with the big hair was stellar and lives in my neighbourhood in toronto - so he gets a pass!)
the curse
i have the curse!
finally
heart
the saving graceful sisters
they have zep in their dna
and while they steered away from the note for note river
they reworked the song to flow with ease and depth
however
if you go to see the mona lisa?
would you be disappointed to only find half her face on display
if you look up the CN tower
would you be disappointed to see a partition that blocks the view
of the pod thing at the top?
if you watch goodfellas
would you be disappointed if they cut out the pasta sauce scene? - the 'i amuse you' scene? - the layla dead guy montage? - the dinner at joe pesci's mom's house with a dead guy in the trunk?
you'd be freaking if any of these elements were removed from great works of art
then why in the name of the hammered gods
did heart let them chop a solid 5 minutes out of stairway?
you'd think that the sisters had some clout
it's the kennedy center
a hallowed hall where greatness is meant to prance about in
not be neutered by hipsters in suits with stop watches and demographic charts
i lost it
led zeppelin - edited for television
it's like losing your taste buds
heart performed stairway
the greatest song ever written
they had choirs and strings and orchestras and the vibe
and the lads were smiling and feeling it
sitting cozy in their chairs with their medals on
a historic moment for rock
but a live on air circumcision is too tough for this cursed man to watch
from the get go they cut out half of the recorder intro
i revolted
the curse!
the curse won't let me work past sub par performances
the curse won't let me veer from note for note
the curse won't let me appreciate new arrangements of classic songs
(again - could you imagine citizen kane with a happy ending?)
i'm not alone on this
during the CAL christmas party
i watched des and mark play a perfect note for note rendition
of blue eyes crying in the rain
it was 4:20 am
there was a cab waiting out front
but nothing would deter them from perfection
they'd never played it - nor talked about it prior
but they understood the need and reverence for note for note
could you imagine rob phillips showing up at a jam
and just riffing along to some floyd for fun
it would never happen
you'd get the arched eyebrow of death
he'd bend a gilmour into your forehead before you could say
"let's freestyle comfortably numb"
we're all cursed
there's no point in fighting it
life outside of CAL is a series of mistakes for us
craig
december 27, 2012
tea and mum's homemade shortbread
the CAL curse
i used to think it was about us all getting divorced
because
if you crunch the numbers
you'll find that there's 15 of us who went through divorces during the onset of CAL
that's a huge percentage
i really thought CAL was responsible
i thought that the cosmos had decided
that the price for musical genius
depended on marriages ending
dark
but i have this kind of egocentric personality
that makes me think that CAL has longer tentacles
than it really does
i realize that i can be idiotic at times
(just read on and you'll find the above statement true)
no
the CAL curse has to do with note for note
because if it ain't note for note
i freak out a bit
and everything sounds like a big mistake
i remember when we were rehearsing the let it be show
we were doing across the universe
and it wasn't sounding right
everyone was coy
but i kept being demanding and overbearing
because it wasn't sounding right
then mark said that the key of the song was off
that the song was not quite d flat
and not quite d
we had being playing it ind
playing it in d flat would have meant a new grouping of guitars
all tuned down to d flat
a big chore
but i insisted
and d flat it was
and the song came alive
and alex turned to me and said all the difference
last night
i watched led zeppelin receive their kennedy honors awards
led zeppelin sold more records than anyone else
they're the top of the rock
men on the mountain
so there i am
tuned in
all excited
they look great
and happy
but the CAL curse kicked in immediately
jack black's indoctrination was wrong on several fronts
zep were never heavy metal
they were never satanists
and they never sang directly of vikings
the curse!
it's like being a fact checker on CNN after the debates
you just want to grab the speaker and smack some sense into them
i liked jack black in school of rock
but there's nothing else about his career that works
and he does not have the zen of zep depth
needed to stand on such a coveted stage and speak at length
next up was the music
i prayed that the foo fighters would sit this one out
but no
there they were
overplaying
distorted guitars
bashing instead of sounding the drums
and the singer - who was their drummer - was atonal scared and bland
it was acne
next up
kid rock
i like kid rock
i'd like to see him in concert
i always try to get my daughters to sing the sheryl crow part in that song they did together
but he had no business singing plant
and his band had no business playing zep
it sounded like a chicken coop being built
it was like watching old family inherited decorations falling from the tree
and smashing onto the floor
it took me a couple of vodka and tonics
to set me on my feet again
then the antichrist
lenny kravitz
i know that a lot of people like lenny
but he's a gap ad
style but no substance
he's not rock n roll
he's product placement
and he has no business singing led zeppelin
i can't even remember the song he was singing
it was torture
he should stick to shelling out for pizza hut
or whoever else he's networking for
probably some cologne that reeks of mediocrity
(his guitar player with the big hair was stellar and lives in my neighbourhood in toronto - so he gets a pass!)
the curse
i have the curse!
finally
heart
the saving graceful sisters
they have zep in their dna
and while they steered away from the note for note river
they reworked the song to flow with ease and depth
however
if you go to see the mona lisa?
would you be disappointed to only find half her face on display
if you look up the CN tower
would you be disappointed to see a partition that blocks the view
of the pod thing at the top?
if you watch goodfellas
would you be disappointed if they cut out the pasta sauce scene? - the 'i amuse you' scene? - the layla dead guy montage? - the dinner at joe pesci's mom's house with a dead guy in the trunk?
you'd be freaking if any of these elements were removed from great works of art
then why in the name of the hammered gods
did heart let them chop a solid 5 minutes out of stairway?
you'd think that the sisters had some clout
it's the kennedy center
a hallowed hall where greatness is meant to prance about in
not be neutered by hipsters in suits with stop watches and demographic charts
i lost it
led zeppelin - edited for television
it's like losing your taste buds
heart performed stairway
the greatest song ever written
they had choirs and strings and orchestras and the vibe
and the lads were smiling and feeling it
sitting cozy in their chairs with their medals on
a historic moment for rock
but a live on air circumcision is too tough for this cursed man to watch
from the get go they cut out half of the recorder intro
i revolted
the curse!
the curse won't let me work past sub par performances
the curse won't let me veer from note for note
the curse won't let me appreciate new arrangements of classic songs
(again - could you imagine citizen kane with a happy ending?)
i'm not alone on this
during the CAL christmas party
i watched des and mark play a perfect note for note rendition
of blue eyes crying in the rain
it was 4:20 am
there was a cab waiting out front
but nothing would deter them from perfection
they'd never played it - nor talked about it prior
but they understood the need and reverence for note for note
could you imagine rob phillips showing up at a jam
and just riffing along to some floyd for fun
it would never happen
you'd get the arched eyebrow of death
he'd bend a gilmour into your forehead before you could say
"let's freestyle comfortably numb"
we're all cursed
there's no point in fighting it
life outside of CAL is a series of mistakes for us
craig
december 27, 2012
tea and mum's homemade shortbread
Sunday, 9 December 2012
5 Crazy Rock Films from the 70s That You've Probably Never Seen But Are Still Pretty Good
I've been researching rock movies
i've seen some really silly ones
and some very cool ones
i'm not talking concert films
i'm talking dramas
i've chosen 5 flicks that you might want to have a peek at
these are less than obvious choices
and in no order
remember that i love the doors movie
and purple rain
and hard days night
and help
and the wall
but these are films you've probably skipped over
and stand up as okay little time wasters
i've coupled each movie with a recommended beverage
snack wise you can't ever go wrong with potato chips
phantom of the paradise
a mad crazy fun film
lots of silly characters
and lots of cool songs
music was mostly written by paul williams
this move has the best screen credits ever made
and one of the greatest / most ridiculous rock stars ever created for film: beef
this is a 70s movie
so don't expect anything slick
you need to suspend belief and soak in some technicolor
will hare always plays songs from this movie during sound checks!
in winnepeg they have a phantom of the paradise festival
that rivals the cult status of the equally great rocky horror
without all the gheyness
recommended drink: brown cows!
stardust
david essex takes you on a rock star's journey
from clubs to castles
again - an early 70s movie
so don't expect anything neutered
it comes across as more david bowie than robert plant
there's some great scenes with the late great larry hagman
this movie is dark and sad most of the time
more real than one would expect
it stands the test of time
if you really get into it
it's important to note that stardust is part two
(part one is called that'll be the day
and features ringo starr playing alongside essex)
i used to regard this film as an instructional video
but i was so much older then
i'm younger than that now
recommended drink: tea
a star is born
kris kristofferson and barbara streisand
perhaps the worst pairing in cinema
but somehow it works
the music is a bit lame
but the story is sound
there's a couple great moments that make it
worth weeding through the cheese for
kris is killer
and kool
still - i can't rem
just for the record - i'm not ghey for liking this movie
that said
i'm changing my mind - this movie is pretty bad
best to skip it
recommended drink: beer in a bar
the songwriter
willie nelson and kris kristofferson
love this movie
love it
rip torn plays the best character
if you've ever toured then there's parts of this movie that ring true
and freak you out a bit
more country than rock
but that don't matter none
'cause ol' willie knows how to pen a song or two
it's a behind the scenes look at the inner dealings of songwriting in the 70s
this movie makes me want to drive over to des' at 3 in the morning
and write songs and drink whiskey
fun!
recommended drink: jack daniels
the rose
heavy film
another 70s movie
the most cinematically put together of the 5 films mentioned here
bette midler is tragically great
the saddest of tales
the saddest of songs
i was surprised the the title song is only heard over the closing credits
it's a tough movie to find - i think there might be some licensing issues
but it's worth the effort
i loved this movie because the band is really playing
and bette is really singing
leslea could play this role
recommended drink: fresca or shasta cola
craig
december 10, 2012
hagaan das (caramel cone explosion)
i've seen some really silly ones
and some very cool ones
i'm not talking concert films
i'm talking dramas
i've chosen 5 flicks that you might want to have a peek at
these are less than obvious choices
and in no order
remember that i love the doors movie
and purple rain
and hard days night
and help
and the wall
but these are films you've probably skipped over
and stand up as okay little time wasters
i've coupled each movie with a recommended beverage
snack wise you can't ever go wrong with potato chips
phantom of the paradise
a mad crazy fun film
lots of silly characters
and lots of cool songs
music was mostly written by paul williams
this move has the best screen credits ever made
and one of the greatest / most ridiculous rock stars ever created for film: beef
this is a 70s movie
so don't expect anything slick
you need to suspend belief and soak in some technicolor
will hare always plays songs from this movie during sound checks!
in winnepeg they have a phantom of the paradise festival
that rivals the cult status of the equally great rocky horror
without all the gheyness
recommended drink: brown cows!
stardust
david essex takes you on a rock star's journey
from clubs to castles
again - an early 70s movie
so don't expect anything neutered
it comes across as more david bowie than robert plant
there's some great scenes with the late great larry hagman
this movie is dark and sad most of the time
more real than one would expect
it stands the test of time
if you really get into it
it's important to note that stardust is part two
(part one is called that'll be the day
and features ringo starr playing alongside essex)
i used to regard this film as an instructional video
but i was so much older then
i'm younger than that now
recommended drink: tea
a star is born
kris kristofferson and barbara streisand
perhaps the worst pairing in cinema
but somehow it works
the music is a bit lame
but the story is sound
there's a couple great moments that make it
worth weeding through the cheese for
kris is killer
and kool
still - i can't rem
just for the record - i'm not ghey for liking this movie
that said
i'm changing my mind - this movie is pretty bad
best to skip it
recommended drink: beer in a bar
the songwriter
willie nelson and kris kristofferson
love this movie
love it
rip torn plays the best character
if you've ever toured then there's parts of this movie that ring true
and freak you out a bit
more country than rock
but that don't matter none
'cause ol' willie knows how to pen a song or two
it's a behind the scenes look at the inner dealings of songwriting in the 70s
this movie makes me want to drive over to des' at 3 in the morning
and write songs and drink whiskey
fun!
recommended drink: jack daniels
the rose
heavy film
another 70s movie
the most cinematically put together of the 5 films mentioned here
bette midler is tragically great
the saddest of tales
the saddest of songs
i was surprised the the title song is only heard over the closing credits
it's a tough movie to find - i think there might be some licensing issues
but it's worth the effort
i loved this movie because the band is really playing
and bette is really singing
leslea could play this role
recommended drink: fresca or shasta cola
craig
december 10, 2012
hagaan das (caramel cone explosion)
Friday, 16 November 2012
East
we drove into sydney with streaks of sun straining through the grey clouds
i created a playlist
and was pleased when the music
and everything outside of the windshield
connected
and the moment became beautiful
i spent the day walking around sydney
people say hello to each other on the streets here
and this simple pleasantry was warming
and deepened my appreciation of this canadian finger
johnnie b rules the roost out here
i stopped by the local radio station
to introduce myself and thank them for all the love
i offered up an interview to stimulate some last minute ticket sales
only to be told that johnnie b had already done an interview
earlier that morning
hilarious
on our way out of sydney
the dj thanked 'johnnie b and the boys'
we're no longer known as CAL out here
we're 'johnnie b and the boys'
i'm okay with that
we took the ferry into prince edward island
like my father
i do not have sea legs
i spent a lot of the voyage on the deck
taking in the sea air
gripping the rail
and embracing the term maritime
the show last night was one of those defining shows in a man's career
i was pleased with my performance
it's hard to sing the stones without moving a bit
you got to move a bit to get the right feel
i get lost in the music
it's hard not to
i don't know if anyone in the audience caught it
but last night you were among friends
old friends
lots of smiles exchanged on stage
james gray got applause just for the beautiful intro to 'she's a rainbow'
braxton blows like a man on a mountain
troy and i have been playing together since 1992
i feel confident when he drums
and our friendship comes through his sticks
looking back and seeing alex singing
beaming beauty
and effortless grace
that's a sweet moment
she's classically trained
she's a first call cellist
and here she is with us bums
singing exactly like a young keith richards
fun
and pup
and des
and b
the four of us have been playing together since the 1940s
telling glances
the years speaking in silence
and deep and profound absolute love of the stones binding us
like blood brothers
this is a distinct part of canada
i'm proud to be able to come here
and share this important music
with important people
the level headed love of life here is infectious
i feel like we're all in it together
and that playing classic rock is a battle cry that unites us as a nation
and makes us feel like we're all in the same band
that band would be 'johnnie b and the boys'
craig
november 16, 2012
evian and a fisherman's friend
i created a playlist
and was pleased when the music
and everything outside of the windshield
connected
and the moment became beautiful
i spent the day walking around sydney
people say hello to each other on the streets here
and this simple pleasantry was warming
and deepened my appreciation of this canadian finger
johnnie b rules the roost out here
i stopped by the local radio station
to introduce myself and thank them for all the love
i offered up an interview to stimulate some last minute ticket sales
only to be told that johnnie b had already done an interview
earlier that morning
hilarious
on our way out of sydney
the dj thanked 'johnnie b and the boys'
we're no longer known as CAL out here
we're 'johnnie b and the boys'
i'm okay with that
we took the ferry into prince edward island
like my father
i do not have sea legs
i spent a lot of the voyage on the deck
taking in the sea air
gripping the rail
and embracing the term maritime
the show last night was one of those defining shows in a man's career
i was pleased with my performance
it's hard to sing the stones without moving a bit
you got to move a bit to get the right feel
i get lost in the music
it's hard not to
i don't know if anyone in the audience caught it
but last night you were among friends
old friends
lots of smiles exchanged on stage
james gray got applause just for the beautiful intro to 'she's a rainbow'
braxton blows like a man on a mountain
troy and i have been playing together since 1992
i feel confident when he drums
and our friendship comes through his sticks
looking back and seeing alex singing
beaming beauty
and effortless grace
that's a sweet moment
she's classically trained
she's a first call cellist
and here she is with us bums
singing exactly like a young keith richards
fun
and pup
and des
and b
the four of us have been playing together since the 1940s
telling glances
the years speaking in silence
and deep and profound absolute love of the stones binding us
like blood brothers
this is a distinct part of canada
i'm proud to be able to come here
and share this important music
with important people
the level headed love of life here is infectious
i feel like we're all in it together
and that playing classic rock is a battle cry that unites us as a nation
and makes us feel like we're all in the same band
that band would be 'johnnie b and the boys'
craig
november 16, 2012
evian and a fisherman's friend
Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Classic Rock is the New Classical
i've got dazed and confused wailing through my speakers
vinyl
there is no difference in depth and meaning
between this song
and beethoven's fifth symphony
in fact it blows the fifth symphony back to the eighth position
classic rock is the new classical music
it's enduring
and selling
and more important
than any other music ever made
if keith moon ever met mozart
they'd get drunk
and then moonie would blow the frilly cuffs off mozart
with drum fills
bruce springsteen is a better poet that keats yeats or frost
david gilmore has a truer connection to the planets that holst
robert plant could've taken pavarotti in an arm wrestle
orchestras are losing funding
seats in symphony halls are not filling
styx outsells bach
they did an extensive study
they went to great lengths to find out who's listening to
and buying
traditional classical music
here's the answer:
janice snotwoggle (eels lane, wales)
lord leonard lickmore (earls court, london)
peter pzykaticunvyye (reykjavik, iceland)
michael white (toronto, ontario)
tippy titwiggle (perth, australia)
norman noseworthy (bismark, north dakota)
that's it!
6 people!
everyone else is listening to classic rock!
wow!
i keep trying to listen to jazz
but i never really listen
my attention derelict disorder kicks in
and i start day-dreaming about the next ac/dc CAL show
i listen to country music
but i never really listen
i find myself wandering into the tool shed to sharpen my axe
i listen to the music my kids are listening to
but i never really listen
instead i end up grounding them
and forcing them to listen to me lecture on the merits of the beatles
and how they saved the world
i listen to old music that old people like
but i never really listen
instead i get alarmed that it makes parts of my body shrivel
parts that i don't want to shrivel
classic rock is the new classical music
i know there's some purists out there
who would love to argue the point
they'd pull out charts
and cite historical references
and whatnot
but i don't give a damn
because that's rock 'n' roll
craig martin
october 31, 2012
bourbon
vinyl
there is no difference in depth and meaning
between this song
and beethoven's fifth symphony
in fact it blows the fifth symphony back to the eighth position
classic rock is the new classical music
it's enduring
and selling
and more important
than any other music ever made
if keith moon ever met mozart
they'd get drunk
and then moonie would blow the frilly cuffs off mozart
with drum fills
bruce springsteen is a better poet that keats yeats or frost
david gilmore has a truer connection to the planets that holst
robert plant could've taken pavarotti in an arm wrestle
orchestras are losing funding
seats in symphony halls are not filling
styx outsells bach
they did an extensive study
they went to great lengths to find out who's listening to
and buying
traditional classical music
here's the answer:
janice snotwoggle (eels lane, wales)
lord leonard lickmore (earls court, london)
peter pzykaticunvyye (reykjavik, iceland)
michael white (toronto, ontario)
tippy titwiggle (perth, australia)
norman noseworthy (bismark, north dakota)
that's it!
6 people!
everyone else is listening to classic rock!
wow!
i keep trying to listen to jazz
but i never really listen
my attention derelict disorder kicks in
and i start day-dreaming about the next ac/dc CAL show
i listen to country music
but i never really listen
i find myself wandering into the tool shed to sharpen my axe
i listen to the music my kids are listening to
but i never really listen
instead i end up grounding them
and forcing them to listen to me lecture on the merits of the beatles
and how they saved the world
i listen to old music that old people like
but i never really listen
instead i get alarmed that it makes parts of my body shrivel
parts that i don't want to shrivel
classic rock is the new classical music
i know there's some purists out there
who would love to argue the point
they'd pull out charts
and cite historical references
and whatnot
but i don't give a damn
because that's rock 'n' roll
craig martin
october 31, 2012
bourbon
Friday, 26 October 2012
There's Something Happening Here
q107 just played bon jovi
followed by joni mitchell
cool
the queen band is tearing up ontario
the guitar army is charging forth fearlessly
and all the singers are becoming peacocks (sorry phil)
the landscape within performing arts centres is changing
a different view is needed
people are voting with their dollars
and they want classic rock
cool
that's good for the series
the stones band is starting to rub up against each other
being on the road together throughout the east coast is going to be telling
we've chosen a big group of songs for our outro set
with four shows under our belt
pulling into toronto
and performing exile at massey hall
is going to be heavy
having two new stops
one in north carolina
and one in florida
is amazing
the audience loved the show
of course it was the CAL beatles band
and they're surgical with their commitment to the music
lots of chat about south florida
and our lack of presence there
it's hard to just show up and play
so many things have to fall into place
i did connect with someone
a heavy music fan
with some experience in the business
we might do something together
it will be an event
lots of stuff going on with the alumni
everyone is keeping busy
within and outside of CAL
i love all the bands that have been formed
because of musicians connecting within CAL
we've also been responsible for a couple marriages
and some kids!
fun
leaves are falling all around
i'm in rake mode
i take the radio outside
and amass a pile of leaves
i find it soothing
all the while
i'm surprised at how much information
i'm getting from the radio
i was on the satellite kick for a while
but listening to DJs is the best
do they even get called DJs anymore?
i'm going to ask the gang at Q
maybe they could bring the term back
we're working with a lovely new singer
jenn kee
i get so many requests for auditions from musicians
it's humbling
i check everyone out
and always reply
jenn grabbed me right away
masters in music
loves classic rock
beautiful and easy going
fitting nicely into the alumni fold
to all the parents out there
who are deeply distressed about the music their kids are listening to
don't worry
one day you'll turn a corner
and they'll have some zep on
i've been researching charts
concentrating on the 70s
i know every song
some of them really don't stand the test of time
and there's a lot of fluff
but one day i put on houses of the holy
and it all changed
side note about the the charts
it's amazing how much stuff doesn't make it over the pond
to britain
they don't know a lot of our music
and we don't know a lot of theirs
except for classic rock
an exciting season leading up to the holidays
a bit of a scattered blog today
it has something to do with leaves
craig
october 26, 1976
tang and wagon wheels
followed by joni mitchell
cool
the queen band is tearing up ontario
the guitar army is charging forth fearlessly
and all the singers are becoming peacocks (sorry phil)
the landscape within performing arts centres is changing
a different view is needed
people are voting with their dollars
and they want classic rock
cool
that's good for the series
the stones band is starting to rub up against each other
being on the road together throughout the east coast is going to be telling
we've chosen a big group of songs for our outro set
with four shows under our belt
pulling into toronto
and performing exile at massey hall
is going to be heavy
having two new stops
one in north carolina
and one in florida
is amazing
the audience loved the show
of course it was the CAL beatles band
and they're surgical with their commitment to the music
lots of chat about south florida
and our lack of presence there
it's hard to just show up and play
so many things have to fall into place
i did connect with someone
a heavy music fan
with some experience in the business
we might do something together
it will be an event
lots of stuff going on with the alumni
everyone is keeping busy
within and outside of CAL
i love all the bands that have been formed
because of musicians connecting within CAL
we've also been responsible for a couple marriages
and some kids!
fun
leaves are falling all around
i'm in rake mode
i take the radio outside
and amass a pile of leaves
i find it soothing
all the while
i'm surprised at how much information
i'm getting from the radio
i was on the satellite kick for a while
but listening to DJs is the best
do they even get called DJs anymore?
i'm going to ask the gang at Q
maybe they could bring the term back
we're working with a lovely new singer
jenn kee
i get so many requests for auditions from musicians
it's humbling
i check everyone out
and always reply
jenn grabbed me right away
masters in music
loves classic rock
beautiful and easy going
fitting nicely into the alumni fold
to all the parents out there
who are deeply distressed about the music their kids are listening to
don't worry
one day you'll turn a corner
and they'll have some zep on
i've been researching charts
concentrating on the 70s
i know every song
some of them really don't stand the test of time
and there's a lot of fluff
but one day i put on houses of the holy
and it all changed
side note about the the charts
it's amazing how much stuff doesn't make it over the pond
to britain
they don't know a lot of our music
and we don't know a lot of theirs
except for classic rock
an exciting season leading up to the holidays
a bit of a scattered blog today
it has something to do with leaves
craig
october 26, 1976
tang and wagon wheels
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