Notes from the Road

just back from the hotel california rehearsal
we were cramped up in a good sounding room
running the songs
nicky's here from florida
he's jet lagged
but wailing the don henley
and bobby sounds great singing the glenn fry
the eagles are the greatest american band

i've started running television ads on cp24
that's our hometown news station
the ads are flashes of brilliance
there's no way to communicate what CAL does in thirty seconds
so i just showed rob playing really beautifully
and slow
i did another one with rusty
it's cool
share your thoughts on them
they're on our facebook page
a ways down

the elton john shows are selling out
i was so hesitant about doing the greatest hit album
over goodbye yellow brick road
but i feel like it was the right decision
yellow brick road is waiting in cue - a dense double album
but right now
the greatest hits show is in full bloom
and it's fantastic
big band
tight band
all of us commenting how elton
has been one of the more disciplined albums to learn
it's not very often you get to hear 'someone saved my life tonight'
live
note for note
we use a real piano when we can
will bangs the hesitancy out of it

we're just about ready to announce next year's season
bat out of hell is going to be making the rounds
ccr
prince
nirvana
new albums for some rotations
it'll be on the web site soon
and of course they'll be lots of beatles floyd and zeppelin shows

we sold a ton of CAL hoodies
i saw a guy on the street wearing one
i was driving
i wanted to pull over and invite him to dinner
proceeds from all the merch
go to the canadian cancer society
american cousins - think of it as cross border shopping
thanks to all who bought one
we're doing a good thing
we're also setting up a volunteer booth at massey hall
for the canadian cancer society
if you have some spare time
volunteer to drive patients to and from their appointments
i do it once a week
it's very rewarding
no one wants to get on a bus after chemo
so drop by the booth and ask some questions

i've been listening to a lot of 50s rock
man
you can hear the sound of the room
it's toe tapping rock n roll
i think an elvis show is in the cards
it's never been done
it's always been impersonators
or campy stuff
i think a real effort to bring forth the mastery of his voice
would be a defining show
i think it would be a lot of fun
and that's the point

there's also talk of doing let it be
i love this album
it's got such a band vibe
along with the performance
i would love to do a rooftop re-enactment
invite a bunch of people
film it and have a laugh
it would create a huge buzz
the right roof top is key
do it the same day as the show
get arrested

we're loving california
and we're making more friends with every visit
we hear it all the time
people tell us how much the music means to them
there's a vibe in california
that is pure american
the final frontier
driving up the pacific coast is like being in a feature film
you need the right selection of songs
we're planning a series of tours through california this coming year
i can't wait

i regret not seeing the stones the last time they came through town
everyone was asking me 'are you going?'
i was being a fool
and didn't go
but if they come again
i'm going
front and centre
same with springsteen
and all the greats
i want to see as many shows as i can
this is my religion
being in a big room with people who all love the same music
that's the keys to the universe

craig martin
april 10, 2014
fresca and salt and vinegar chips

The Grammys

shari i actually enjoyed last night's grammys

every generation throws a hero up the pop chart

the daft punk song rocks
and their performance with chic and stevie wonder was groovin'
plus their helmets get everyone talking
they're probably our age and balding underneath

the metallica song - one - with the classical pianist was fantastic and forward thinking
you need chops to play metal
i've always thought the two genres melded
metallica has been working with classical orchestration for a couple decades now
last night they hit their stride

willie kris and merle sounded great
it was clear they just gave kris the guitar as a prop
i reviewed the performance and kris' fingers are lost
but who cares - i'd love to look that good at 70

my kids love macklemore
and all those people getting married with two beatles in the audience was touching
i'm happy their message of peace and love is still being told by young people

of course paul's song was a bit of a let down
we all wanted to hear something from the white album
but if you listened the song was pretty cool

ringo's performance of 'photograph' was amazing
that song is a song from my early teens that i've always felt bound to it
and it was nice to hear it played properly

the sets were the best i've ever seen at any awards show

it's amazing how many people our age were just ready to bash the show
and roll their eyes
and say 'that's not music'
learned behaviour
my dad used to call me in to see the stones!

craig martin
january 27, 2014
wine and cheese

Elton John

elton john was my best friend growing up
and he always brought along his best friend - bernie taupin
and the three of us would hold hands
and skip through fields together
'from the edge of the world
to your town'

my dad's favourite song was 'daniel'
i like having that union in my life

elton john's greatest hits was my first album
my first jump from 45s
i know this album

whenever we went on vacation
usually to visit family on long island
my dad would let me buy an album
one trip i bought goodbye yellow brick road
listening to that album was like getting a college degree
artwork
lyrics
fast songs
slow songs
story songs
'fantastic the feedback'
and elton's fingers wailing away at the piano
when you listen to love lies bleeding
you can hear elton pounding the piano
making it his bitch

here's a funny story
i'm a member of the rocket club
advance tickets etc.
my buddy and i go to see elton at the ACC
i wear my pink shirt
my dad looked great in a pink shirt
(my mum would laugh)
anyway
we're at the concert
and the band is cooking
after every song elton would stand at the edge of the stage
gracefully thank the audience
paying special attention to me
who was sitting in front of him 5 rows back
even my buddy said 'elton's digging you'
so i'm sizing the situation up
thinking
well….

at the end of the concert elton once again
bowed and sent love my way
i'm thinking he really understands me
and he loves my pink shirt
but of course - it's his husband's family who are sitting directly in front of me
that's who he was thanking
his family
not narcissistic gay ready me

the chording on the song 'goodbye yellow brick road' is genius
the voicing he put to bernie's words
that's as good as our era gets
elton stands alongside
mcCartney
page
waters
townsend
the british masters

i have a vision for our upcoming elton john greatest hits shows
that involves showcasing his piano playing and vocals
in an unusual way
whenever i talk to people about this vision
they express their concern
telling me that things aren't done like that
that tells me me
that i'm on the right track
beyond the yellow the brick road

craig
january 4, 2014
coffee and sweet chocolate biscuits

Giving

tis the season
here in the great white north

we've been working the band on the run album
it's nearing perfection
the band is firing on all cylinders

i've been trying to get a message across
but i get tongue tied when speaking about it before the shows
maybe this blog will find a way in

like so many people
my family has been affected by cancer
it's a big tarp of worry that hovers
but i found a way to let some light in
i volunteer

every monday i drive patients to and from their hospital appointments
it's very cause and effect
and well set up
through the cancer society
it's become an important part of my life

i went to a meeting
coffee and lunch
then started driving the following week

dispatch sends me an email
it has my pick ups
route
and times
it's all very zen

i can't imagine what it must be like to have chemo
or radiation
and then have to get on a bus
so driving is very important


everyone wants to talk about cancer
and when we do
we grab onto each other as if to share energy

there's a palpable energy in volunteering
you meet great people
funny people
from all over the world
i keep the laughs rolling
and i listen to everyone's stories

for 2 weeks in a row
i drove a young woman and her baby
they were from afghanistan
i told her i was traveling to florida that coming weekend
she was so interested
the next week she asked all about my trip
'what's america like?'
at that moment Q had hendrix's 'are you experienced' on
i turned up the radio
i said 'it's like this'
she smiled and nodded
she got it

some people get in the car
and their life story falls out of them
it's like a travel show

some people are sad

what's nice about it
is that the system is working
i see it first hand
we get bombarded with health care information
sometimes it's hard to find level ground

i'm proud to volunteer
and be part of something that's moving forward

there's never a rush driving
the last thing you want to do is get stressed
(this has been a major challenge for me)
instead chill
the hospitals understand the ebb and flow
and everyone is caring at every step in the trip
it's soul food

as i age i feel the compassionate part of my life kick in
nature moves us this way
if this blog finds you
and sparks
then look into volunteering
and feel good
but
if you don't have time
then don't feel guilty!
braxton keeps asking me about it
i tell him to wait
he's young with a new family and tons of gigs
your time will come!
leave it to us oldies for now

and don't forget
classic albums live tickets make a cool gift

craig
december 13, 2013
tea and cadbury christmas chocolates

Rock Bio Wrap Up

i've been bombarded with rock bios
people give them to me as presents
come the holidays i get a stack of rock reading
"craig's into music - we'll get him a rock bio!"
i read them all

and i've saved you some time
and made a little fill in the blanks / multiple choice page
so you can feel like you've read all the rock bios too!

I grew up in (England / The South). We were (poor/ middle class) but didn't really feel like much was missing from our life. We didn't have (indoor toilets / heat / television). When I heard (Chuck Berry / Little Richard) everything changed. I knew I had to become a musician. I met (skinny lead singer / scruffy guitar player) at a (train station / apple orchard) in (1958 / 1968). He was clutching a copy of (Catcher in the Rye / John Mayall's Bluesbreakers) I knew right then my future would be tied to his.

We began (writing songs / hanging out in music stores) and soon met up with (detached bass player / soon to be fired keyboard player) and we started rehearsing above a (fish and chips store / radio repair shop). Girls started hanging around and I ended up losing my virginity to (Sister Moonshine / a girl named Patti / Sweet Sweet Connie). It was at this time that (a friend of the band with a van / opportunistic weasel) began managing us and we cut our first record for (BBC / Columbia). I remember (skinny lead singer / scruffy guitar player) catching (a cold / the clap).

During our first tour of (America / Hamburg / Manchester) we discovered (insert addictive drug of choice). From there I (died / wrote some of the greatest music ever made). Because the money was rolling in, I never saw a need to quit. It wasn't until I (saw God at Woodstock / threw up on the front row / slept with a Tranny) that I realized I needed help. My manager flew me to Switzerland and I got clean.

Now I'm (67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 73, 74, 75) and I'm happy to discover that I have (children / a bank account / a 1959 Les Paul Gold Top) and that life is (almost over / sweet). Being clean (has ruined my music / forced me to sue my manager for my publishing) and more importantly enabled me to atone for all the bad times I may have inflicted on other people. The best way to say you're sorry is to (write a cheque / put their name in a song).

I'm looking forward to (lunch / a new hearing aid) and can't wait to (hit the road / duet with Elton). My new album is (largely forgettable / auto tuned) and hits (Starbucks / Starbucks / Starbucks) next week. I leave you now with these parting words - (you can get what you want providing you don't mind writing people out of song credits / have a good time all the time / in the end the love you take is partially owned by Michael Jackson's estate).

craig
october 13, 2013
tea and sympathy

Ramble On

i've been re-reading old rock mags from the 70s
and things have indeed changed
those scribes really used to ramble on
they'd go on at length about silly inane things
that had very little to do with the music

but i used to read every word
i connected to the journalist who had a peek beyond the velvet rope
i gobbled up all the info i could get
liner notes were like encyclopedias
i knew the studio
the session players
the producers
the funny messages
it seemed to matter back then

but now i need tiny blocks of text
i can't remember the last time i read an actual album review
and every time one of the oldies re-releases an album
i'm amazed at how much revisionist history is inserted

creem magazine was my go to mag
they had a journalist named lisa robinson
she went on the road with led zeppelin in 73
man
that kind of access would never be granted these days
lisa lived with the band
and wrote about it
it's an incredible read
and a clear indication of what life was like on the road
before press agents and handlers got hold of the bands

there's another interview with mick
also from 73
and they're asking him whether the upcoming tour
was going to be their last?
1973!
they're asking mick if he's too old for rock 'n' roll?
i couldn't imagine 40 years of the same questions
no wonder mick looks like he's always about to roll his eyes

there's another article from 75
that asks if 'we really need yet another book on the beatles?'
of course now you can buy books on the beatles at a gas station

today so called rock stars
are inserted into a level of micro management
that ensures a bland and boring legacy

i do a lot of interviews
at least 2 a week
our press machine rolls like side two of abbey road
i'm good at press
and i know how to get our message out
and our message is important
because i'm well aware that this is not our music
like i say - we're curators
we take care of classic rock the same way a museum takes care of king tut's estate

here's a series of questions i always get asked:
what will the classic albums of the future be?
as far as i can tell
there aren't going to be any
what's the last classic album?
U2s joshua tree and then a radioheads OK computer
where is rock going?
the way of jazz

that last answer opens up a can of worms
no one wants to hear that rock has had its day
but it has
there's cool bands that are carrying on the tradition
the crowes
the sheepdogs
the killers
but for the most part
rock is wounded
and being mangled
by people who repeatedly use the following words:
- demographic
- brand
- marketing
- social media
these people need to go on a road trip with led zeppelin
or at least spend a weekend with me and the CAL zep band

people always argue with me
they claim that justin timberlake has classic albums
or that katy perry is better than i think
now
i love pop
i've always loved a good song
but when it comes to a classic album
i challenge
i punch up the artists discography
and start by asking the arguer to name a couple albums
they can't
how about songs?
usually it's just one song named
this is not the criteria that justifies a classic album
also
a classic album - by definition - needs to endure

have a look at rolling stone or billboard charts from 2003
nothing survived
punch in 1993
nada
sure there were a couple alright albums
but for the most part - pass me a pillow
i give the nineties a solid 5 stars out of ten for music

the journalism from that time was equally as banal
naval gazing reflections from people with expensive hair cuts
contrived trumped cool
i remember feeling lost in the 90s
i was still listening to the beatles
the stones
floyd
and zep
everyone thought i was a hippie
but the cream rose to the top
and while bjork may be an important artist
her music has been swallowed up by the whirlpool of forgetfulness

i'm not sure what will survive
as i age i realize that i'm usually wrong about a great many things
but i've spent everyday of my life since i was 7
loving music
and i've dedicated my life to it
so i'm going to make a bold prediction:
rock 'n' roll is here to stay

craig martin
september 18, 2013
apple slices with honey

Summer 2013

it's a slow summer
the weather can't make up its mind
and the radio sounds wrinkled
my acoustic guitars have lost some of their siren
and sound more like wheat fields

we slow down in the summer
the theatres run shows from september to may
so it's nice to have some down time
of course there's a lot to do
but things can sit
and make shadows in the afternoon sun

as we age we return to the music of our youth
i've been tapping into my eldest son's music
he's on his own path
deep on the trail
he likes urban music
specifically from a certain apartment block in new york
he's into the truth
and is repelled by the hard sell
still i wonder if his music will survive
and if indeed he will return to this music when he's my age

i grew up on 70s pop
ho ho ho it's magic
i don't like spiders and snakes
hey kids rock 'n' roll
one hit wonders
i doubt if many of them actually toured
they got thrown onto the charts
somebody made some money
and then they disappeared
still - it's nice to hear them still in rotation on satellite radio

we've returned to earlier times sonically
again - it's all about the single
it was the same growing up as a teenager in the 70s
it really wasn't until the mid 70s when i started capturing time with entire albums
i was 15 in 76
more aware
and in need of something more than rhinestone cowboys and ballroom blitzes

my son and i were on a drive
and i had supertramp's crime of the century on
we listened to the entire album together
in silence
as we drove the corners of toronto
upon completion he commented that the album
did a good job of accompanying the landscape
cool

right now he's lost in northern ontario
on a 36 day canoe trip
no running water
no electricity
just nature and food drops
despite this
he went to great extremes to make sure he had his music with him
i picture him paddling and portaging
and grooving to some crazy truth telling shaman from inner nyc

celebrity is dead
who really gives a damn?
little kids?
people without friends?
you fly a flag
you'd better make it wave with something real and true
because we've met the new boss
and they're as boring as the old boss

i suspect my son will remember this time
as a time in his life when he became aware of the true meaning of bullshit
he's ahead of schedule
happy birthday lucas

craig martin
july 3, 2013
whiskey and planter's dry roasted peanuts