Guest Blogger: Angelo Noto Campanella

Photographer, Writer, and now I'm Blogging? or Ramblings of an Old kid.




First of all I'd just like to say how honored and priveleged I feel to have been asked to be a guest blogger for Classic Albums Live.
Just like ya here on some radio stations "The hits just keep on comin"

I thank the music gods for Cal.  Little did I realize how my life was gonna change after going to see my first classic albums live show at Zooz/Safari Niagara.  After some exhaustive research, going through hundreds of photographs, I found out that my very first cal show was the Bob Marley "Legend" album  September 3rd 2004.  I was immediately hooked and had to see more.  From 2005 to 2009 I went to every single show at ZooZ and also shows at the Phoenix and other venues across Ontario.

The very first album I ever bought, with money I got for my birthday at 8yrs old, was the Beatles "Rubber Soul" album.  When I turned 9yrs old I got a paper route and did some grass cutting and bought myself a transistor radio, which I immediately duct taped to the handle bars of my CCM mustang bicycle.  The late 60's and all of the 70's was a magical time for music, it seemed like there was a new sound coming out every other month.  When I first heard Pink Floyd live in '75 do DSOTM @ Ivor Wynn stadium, my mind was just blown.  I initially thought it was '74 but Rob Philips immediately corrected my error in time and then stated "well I guess it's like Woodstock, if you remember it, you weren't there.  LOL".  Thanx Rob.  I went to many concerts then and saw all the great rock bands of the day, I even had a ticket to see Led Zeppelin but the show was cancelled due to some car accident Robert Plant got into.  Don Mclean did a song called "Bye Bye Miss American Pie", in it he mentions the day the music died, which for him was when Buddy Holly, Ritchie Vallens and the Big Bopper died in that plane crash, for me the music died when John Bonham choked on his own vomit and Led Zeppelin disbanded.  After that I kinda lost interest in music.  I still liked music but I didn't really pay that much attention.  I went to a few concerts here and there; I got to see Robert Plant at Maple Leaf Gardens with Phil Collins on drums which was pretty cool.

Classic albums live got me interested in music again.  I was always shooting photographs, so I started shooting cal.  I soon discovered that music photography was an art form I should study.  I learned that you can't dance and shoot at the same time, and shooting with film was costing me a fortune, so I finally went to a cheap digital camera.  I then learned that dancing and shooting with a cheap digital camera wasn't good either, it takes me a while to learn lessons.  So I ended up with a lot of blurry pic's and video clips, but occasionally got a good shot or two.  Luckily, depending on how ya look at it, I'm sometimes clumsy and ended up breaking the digital camera's.  They aren't very shock resistant and, it turns out electronics and water don't mix, but every time I would break a camera I would end up buying a better one.

The first time I heard cal do DSOTM and Great Gig came on....my eyes just filled with tears.  I'm not exactly sure why and I've decided not to even try to figure it out, I'll just say there's more joy than sadness in those tears.  I don't know who did the vocals for that show, but it doesn't even matter because every vocalist I've heard do Great Gig brings their own intensity to the piece.  I think of all the Cal shows I've attended most often, I'd say I've seen the DSOTM show the most times.  I'm proud of that....here's a great story...Was at the Sanderson Centre in Brantford a few years ago to see one of the Floyd shows and during the intermission I run into Leslea Keurvorst and she's limping, so I ask "whats wrong?"  Turns out, she stepped on a nail recently and it got infected and it was very sore but, as they say "The show must go on".  The cal crew come back on stage after intermission for the outro set, and the 2nd song in, Leslea steps up to the mic to do "Great Gig".....it was the most stupendous rendition of that song by Leslea I've ever heard, here's the link to the vid I did, but of course it's blurry due to cheapness of the camera and I had to dodge heads in the theater which makes it shakey too...hahahaha, but you'll get the idea.  http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=219061668110212&set=vb.100000191409058&type=3&theater

Some of my most favorite Cal shows were what I like to call the "one-off's".   That's an album that only gets performed very few times, and sometimes only ONCE!....that one was pretty special for two reasons 1. because it was done at the Phoenix.  and 2. because it was only done once that I know of, that was "The Yes Album" and "close to the edge" album, back to back....WOW!...."note fer note, cut fer cut"...the second was the Deep Purple "Machine Head" album....Too Much!....and thirdly, Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" album with a Ronnie James Dio tribute for the outro, what a moment that was. Here's a snipit of it...   http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=141836555832724&set=vb.100000191409058&type=3&theater.

I have seen almost every album in the classic albums live repetoir and some of those albums 4, 5, 6 and even 10 times or more and simply for the reason that I love classic rock and have never been dissapointed with a recital yet.  When world class musicians come together like in cal, how can it go wrong.

Oh yeah, almost fergot to mention a really special show held at the Phoenix in Toronto some years ago...special guest Mary Clayton who actually did the back-up vocals on the Rolling Stones tune "gimme shelter"....what a musical treat that was....Thanx Craig

Ok, almost done this blog.


From the first sentence of this blog..."Little did I realize how my life was gonna change after going to see my first classic albums live show"....it's funny how one thing leads to another....an on-line magazine publisher see's my photo's and asks to publish them...same on-line magazine then see's some of my cal musical shots and asks...do ya wanna interview some local bands and do a write up and send a photograph?....I say sure but I'm not a writer.... and as you can see, I'm not....so now I write for 3 or 4 publications and am going through a renaissance of sorts...and to think it all started after my first cal show....Happy 10th Anniversary Classic Albums Live, looking forward to the next 10yrs.




Jack Daniels

Laughing my Ass off...oh right, LMAO

Going through Cal Photographs

Arrows

there's these moments
when you connect with something
it can be beautiful or sad
it rocks your soul
and you know you'll carry that moment with you through life

these moments for me are attached to music
i can never remember what i eat at weddings
or what was said at funerals
but i always remember the music

i'm not religious
it never found me
i was raised without it
but i like being around people who are
it's like hedging your bets
my partner is jewish
and i like taking part in all of the ceremonies her family has
and of course christmas is fun
especially with all the kids

but other than that
i don't connect
not from any lack of trying
i read a lot
i'm reading i ching right now

once i was on a flight to nyc
the woman beside me was crying
she had prayer beads in her fingers
she told me she was going to see her sister who was very sick
and she was praying hard
i helped her get a cab once we landed
and she said she'd say a prayer for me
i thought that it would be nice to have someone care that much about you
i'd want someone like that in my corner if things turn south

i connect to music
i still believe that rock n roll can change the world
i attach meaning to lyrics and carry those lyrics with me for life
i share music with as many people as i can reach
i help musicians as best as i can
i see music bettering people
i find a lot of parallels in this mind set with religion

tomorrow morning two crews are setting out on the road
20 musicians will perform queen and abbey road
in opposite ends of north america
they're like arrows
full of music and joy
sure of their mark
missionaries
so people get ready
you don't need no ticket
just sit down and take one in the heart
they'll make you feel good
and hopeful
and loving
the arrows
you can say a prayer for them
or just wish that that they get fired back safely
happily
you can scream hallelujah
or clap your hands
we can all care together
there's something happening here

craig martin
march 5, 2013
milk and honey

An Overheard Conversation from a Scarborough High School Parking Lot in 1973.

An Overheard Conversation from a Scarborough High School Parking Lot in 1973.

LONG HAIRED GUY 1: Dude! Have you heard the new Floyd? Dark Side of the Moon?

LONG HAIRED GUY 2: I know! It's far out!

LHG1: I was so totally psyched. Last night, I lit up and hit the headphones. When those clocks kicked in I thought my head was going to explode.

LHG2: Dude, it's a total freak out.

LHG1: And the cash register!

LHG2: Freaky-deaky, man. That's Floyd saying that they hate money and they hate corporate success.

LHG1: Right on, brother. Gimme Five! Floyd don't care about making money. After this album I heard they're calling it quits.

LHG2: Here's the skinny, my man, Floyd have been around since 65. Those dudes are getting old and no one lasts more than 8 years in the music business.

LONG HARD GUY 3: Hey is that the new Floyd?

LHG1: Totally.

LHG3: What did you think of all those voices?

LHG2: What voices?

LHG3: The  voices!

LHG1: Dude those voices freaked me out. I was tripping.

LHG2: What voices?

LHG3: There's no way anyone could ever pull it off live.

LHG2: What voices, man? I'm scared of the voices?

LHG3: I mean, could you imagine if a band pulled the entire album off live, note for note? Impossible.

LHG1: I have an idea…

LHG2: What voices?

Craig Martin
Founder
Classic Albums Live

Breakfast in America

in 1980
i was selling records
tons of them
i worked for the hudson bay company
scarborough town centre

selling records for the bay
was the greatest straight job anyone could have asked for
i'd spin albums all day
on sunday's they'd ask me to play easy listening
i'd put on side 3 of the wall

there was always a ton of cash in the register
everyone bought records
there were daily shipments
and we sold tons of really strange stuff
like hagood hard
the knack
nana mouskouri

but the album i remember selling more than any other album
was breakfast in america
man
in our little corner of the world
we must have sold 5000 copies out of that one store
and this was going on everywhere in the world

i saw supertramp in concert
at the canadian national exhibition
and the show was exact
shivers
the contrast of roger and rick
two gentlemen
both young
and at the top of their game
both of them composing absolute works of genius
and bringing them to the band
to learn and interpret
what an experience
supertramp are like nasa
they're rocket scientists with notes

we recently had a fun connection with roger hodgson
a cat from roger's camp
got in touch
and told us that roger had been checking us out
and would we be open to working together?
i said we would very open to working with roger
just tell us what to do

but it didn't happen
roger tours all the time
he works hard
i just don't think that time allowed for it
but i remain hopeful
i don't push
we're at his beck and call
it would be an honour

still
i'd have to insist on note for note
perhaps over the years
roger has gotten used to playing a certain phrase in logical song
ever so slightly different
we'd have to correct him
the nerve!
could you imagine?
i have this same scenario played out with paul mcCartney and roger waters
clearly i have issues

breakfast in america is a perfect album
perhaps the greatest slice of pop pie since the beatles disbanded
the british classical element
zep had it
the beatles had it
floyd
certainly the who
and supertramp had it too
masters all

we begin to perform breakfast in america this month
so wonderful
a miracle
it was beautiful
magical

craig
february 10, 2013
tea and cookies

Sgt. Pepper at Roy Thomson Hall

Sgt. Pepper is such a common part of our lives. It's like ketchup. It keeps showing up. For the past 46 years we've had Pepper journeying alongside us as we trip through life. And lucky for us The Beatles put Diamonds in our sky.

There's been a ton of writing and critical praise already heaped upon the album that it's close to impossible for a piece of art to stand up to such lauding. But Pepper does in fact stand up. And I'll go as far to say that it's the most important piece of art ever created. So much so that it makes the Mona Lisa frown. And unlike monumental feats of architecture, you don't have to travel to the other side of the world to experience it. More people have listened to Sgt. Pepper than watched Citizen Kane. Combine and add up all the Bach, Brahms and Beethoven record sales and you'll find that they don't come close to selling as many albums as Pepper.

Sgt. Pepper is the first classical rock album. All the albums that Classic Albums Live performs are classical albums, but Pepper is the flagship. I can hear all the stuffy, traditional classical lovers snorting their grunts of disapproval. But who cares? A Day in their Life is different from mine. They can go fly a Kite. This is classical music, baby. It's enduring with Telecasters and Ludwigs sounding the battle cry.

When Classic Albums Live first salted ourselves with Pepper, I remember us being intimidated. Here was a bunch of shaggy musicians tackling the most important piece of music ever made. And being led by a guy from Scarborough. But we buggered on a found the heart of the album. The George Harrison track - 'Within Without You' - proved not only be the most challenging but the most rewarding. Whenever we play the song live you can hear an audible gasp from people in the audience. Growing up, this was the track that we used to get up off the couch and lift the needle on, but now it's the most compelling track and demands attention. Funny that.

The first time we performed this album, I remember there being a palpable buzz in the air. No one had ever performed the entire album prior to us, let alone boast the 'note for note' claim. The show was magical. A historical night. The next morning I remember Leaving Home for the corner market. I picked up the Toronto Star and there was our review. They called our show "Joyful" and "Thrilling".  To this day those are my two favourite adjectives.

It's an honour to be on stage at Roy Thomson Hall with this incredible piece of music. We know how to perform this album. We've been doing it for 10 years and living with it our entire lives. And we keep Getting Better. All the Time.

Guest Blogger: Vanessa Jurek!

thanks to v for a great article

America's 40th anniversary tour at Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts January 26, 2013

Now in their 43rd year of performing America took to the stage of Oakville last night with their sold out show.
This was their second show at the Centre with their lst appearance happening on Jan. 31 2008
The theatre appreciates feedback from their patrons and I had been so in awe of their previous performance that I
had requested a return booking which took place to my delight last night.
Founded by Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell with their third bandmate Dan Peek who the music world lost in 2011 and had left the band in 1977
after an amicable split.
The bandmates were barely out of their teens when success started to happen for them. In 1972 America won a Grammy for Best New Artist
Performing 100 shows a year has kept America in fine tune and practically note for note showcasing their musical talents not only with
their  many hits in the 70's which you could not help but hear on Top 40 stations everywhere.
their presence on the music scene came to prominence when Sir George Martin was appointed their producer-arranger from 1974-1979.With this Beatle connection I
truly believe it made me more of an America fan than ever ...and Sir George still keeps in touch with the band and was in attendance when the band received their star on the
Hollywood walk of fame in 2012.
This tour included songs from their current release Back Pages which is an album of covers...songs that America "wished that they had written" as well as a 40th anniversary release
of their greatest hits.
America is a band that is so much more than their string of hits in the '70's.Their music contains a fusion of folk rock pop with a combination of styles from soul-baring ballads to up tempo
rockers which thrill their fans and has endured throughout the years. They do not disappoint in performance ...and they have a philosophy that is similar to Classic Albums Live..
"it's all about the music"... if you have the opportunity to catch their tour in a city near you it will be a night to remember.
The theatre is a warm intimate almost "living room" setting for the band and it holds a sentimental attachment for me as well. This is the venue where I attending my first ever Classic Albums Live
show in 2005. I would recommend that History...America's Greatest Hits would be a suggestion for a future show at my favorite venue.
America has seen many changes in the music industry throughout the years yet continues to entertain and inspire musiclovers everywhere. To see them interact with their legion of fans
is proof of that. America is the real deal  Long may they showcase their high quality musical standards as they continue to tour the world in 2013 and beyond.


The current band lineup includes the following

Gerry Beckley on Accoustic Guitar keys and vocals
Dewey Bunnell on Accoustic Guitar and vocals
Michael Woods on Fender Strat
Rich Campbell on Bass (America alumni for 35 years)
Willie Leacox on Drums


Set List

You can do magic
Don't cross the river
Daisy Jane
Riverside
Three roses
Ventura Highway
I need you
Tin Man
Woodstock (Joni Mitchell cover)
Cornwall blank
Hollywood
From a moving train
Lonely People
Til I hear it from you (gin blossoms cover)
The Border
Woman tonight
only in your heart
California Dreamin' (Mama & Papas cover)
Sandman
Sister Golden hair

Encore

A Horse with no name

Guest Blogger: Alex McMaster!

Ten Years Gone
I've covered a lot of ground with CAL over the past decade.
It's not the way I used to tour, gone for 4 or 5 weeks at a time, sleeping on floors or all crammed into one cheap motel room; these days the trips don't last as long (and I rarely have to share a room, let alone a bed), but they all add up to a lot of miles travelled together.

I like being on the road. Life is simpler. You don't have to worry about much beyond getting where you're going, and playing the show once you get there. My only potential cause for concern is when I have to work with a new violinist, or adjust to a different cello. (I won't fly with mine anymore, not since Air Canada broke its neck). But those are small things, and usually work out just fine.
There is comfort to be found in the boredom of hours spent in the van, or waiting in an airport lounge. In the unshakeable faith that at some point, the following things are bound to happen:
Marty will mention that band he was in called Wireless.
Mark will beat me at Scrabble, and I will recall with fondness the days Before Mark, when I always won.
Rob will share a bor.. riveting Pink Floyd-related anecdote.
Craig will give me his crossword to finish, and then need a new activity.
Will will pun.
Brax will pollute the environment with a foul-smelling meat product.
David will watch old black and white films on his ipad, and ask Mark if he thinks 9/11 was a conspiracy.
Nicky will say F a lot, because he doesn't swear anymore, then tell cute stories about his kids.
Troy will make fun of my  moves.
Des will drink tea, and read a book about Terribly Important Ideas.
Boge will chuff-chuff, and never forget to pack the wine.
Someone will ask "where's Doug?"
Johnny B will keep us alive.

Monty Python will be recited with British accents that we'll forget to switch off in the outside world.
We will spend hours in silence, and laugh at the same stupid jokes til it hurts.
We will take the stage together to perform great music.

If this is how it were to end -  right here, right now, like this - I'd have no complaints.


Alex McMaster
CAL Musician, String Arranger and Road Wife since 2003