Johnnie Johnson ‘Johnnie B. Bad’
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#798 in the Series) is Johnnie Johnson, Johnnie B. Bad On New Year’s Eve 1953, history was made when Check Berry walked on stage for the first time with the Sir John Trio creating an embryonic musical moment pairing up Johnnie Johnson, the Grand Poobah of the Piano, with arguably the greatest guitar player of all time, creating a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup worthy blending of scorching three chord guitar rock with boogie woogie piano blues. Using the same “If Lee Harvey Oswald was never born would John F. Kennedy still be alive?” progression of thought, it would be relatively safe, albeit futile, to assume that had Chuck Berry not walked on...
The Rolling Stones Bring a Bigger Bang to Tinsel Town
39 Years. That’s a long long while since a “Long Long While” played second fiddle to the “A” side of the UK single, “Paint It Black” … then the current chart topper by Rock’s Bad Boys back in Summer ‘66. And yep! I waited 39 years and a long long while to see the return of “therollingstones*” to ….. The Hollywood Bowl. From teenager to fifty-something, I am wai-ting … ting … I am wai-ting … ting … oh yeah oh yeah! On 25th July 1966, Buffalo Springfield opened for therollingstones* … but I was no longer a 17 year old kid and now had a lifetime of concert memories embedded in this old grey-matter & matted brain....
Keith Richards “Talk is Cheap”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#659 in the Series) is Keith Richards, Talk is Cheap. I think I listen to this album more than any Stones album. Great songs, great arrangements, great musicians, great performances. But talk is indeed cheap. So give a listen to “Struggle,” ” Take It So Hard,” “You Don’t Move Me” and “I Could Have Stood You Up.” The latter definitely channels one of Keith’s favorites, Chuck Berry. One of the more interesting cuts on the album is “Make No Mistake.” Here Keith has written a song that Al Green would be proud of. It’s a nice departure with some great duet vocals by Sarah Dash. Word has it that this 1988 recording was during a period...
Jagger and Richards Friends Once Again. Looks Like a 2013 Tour with the Strong Possibility of a Bill Wyman, Mick Taylor Inclusion.
Things are looking good, very good thank you for a Rolling Stones 50th anniversary tour. However, it would most likely be held 51 years after their birth. The news doesn’t stop there however as there is talk that ex-band mates, bassist Bill Wyman and guitarist Mick Taylor may also be part of the happening in some formation. The main obstacle to overcome, that being Mick Jagger and Keith Richards getting along has indeed been rectified. Just last night after a long get together in New York City, this was said by Mr. Mick: “Looking back at any career you are bound to recall both the highs and the lows.”In the 1980s, for instance, Keith and I were not...
The Rolling Stones to Reunite with Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor? Well, Kind of … Maybe.
The Rolling Stones to reunite with Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor? Well, Kind of. maybe. Our friends at Spinner.com recently interviewed Keith Richards. He shared with them some thought on an upcoming jam session and also the possibility of a 50th anniversary tour. The band is re-releasing a their Some Girls album this week (Nov 21st) As a promotion, Keith, and Charlie Ronnie will be jamming and have invited Bill and Mick to join them. We’re not sure if Mick will be there. We hope. Here’s the interview Keith did with Spinner.com When do you start those jam sessions with Ronnie and Charlie? The idea is to go in December. I said, “Jesus Christ, we haven’t played together...
The New Barbarians “Buried Alive: Live in Maryland”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#414 in the Series and #38 in the Live Saturday Night Series) is The New Barbarians, Buried Alive: Live in Maryland The Band The New Barbarians was formed in 1979 as a means to promote Ron Wood’s most recent album Gimme Some Neck. The album was a minor success peaking at number 45 on the billboard charts and was the first to feature Wood’s own artwork on the album cover including a self-portrait. The band and the subsequent eighteen gig U.S. tour may have gone largely unnoticed were it not for the exceptional musicians that accompanied Wood on the tour. The stellar line-up included Ron Wood and Keith Richards on guitar, Stanley Clarke...
The Rolling Stones “Sticky Fingers”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#397 in the Series) is The Rolling Stones, Sticky Fingers Before I go into a quick recap on The Rolling Stones, Sticky Fingers, let me take a moment to once again discuss what Whale Wednesdays are all about. As you most likely know, we here at Cool Album of the Day like to showcase many albums from different genres. Since most of you are real audiophiles, most of the time you’ll be seeing titles that you know, but not always. I’m sure most of you specialize in one area or another. Hopefully you’re seeing some names that you may not be familiar with at all, or most likely, you’ll see names that you’ve...
Keith Richards Confirms New “X-Pensive Winos” Album in the Works
We’re you hoping for a new Rolling Stones album this year, or early next? Well, that’s not going to happen according to Keith Richards. However, there is some very good news as Keith confirmed on the Jimmy Fallon show that he does plan a new X-Pensive Winos album. This would be their third following 1988′s Talk is Cheap and 1992′s Main Offender. When asked about him trying to get the Stones together, he told Fallon “I’m trying to nail them down but I don’t want to crucify them, if you know what I mean.” Actually Keith, I don’t know what that means, but I get the idea. He did say that he and Winos’ drummer Steve Jordan have already been...
Steve Earle and the Dukes “Shut Up and Die Like an Aviator”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#297 in the Series, and #21 in the Live, Saturday Night Series) is Steve Earle and the Dukes, Shut Up and Die Like an Aviator. Steve Earle kicked off his career with two “4-Star”- country-rock, Americana, singer-songwriter styled albums. Then he decided to change his band and resurfaced with a bit of a harder sound. That sound was evident on Copperhead Road and also on The Hard Way. This live album was released from recordings of that tour. I loved those first two albums and was quite glad that a good chunk of them are represented here. We needed some good live versions of “Guitar Town, Someday, Good Ol’ Boy (Gettin’ Tough), I Ain’t...
Merle Haggard "I Am What I Am"
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#154 in the Series) is Merle Haggard, I Am What I Am. I was REAL late coming to the Merle Haggard appreciation society. I’ve loved traditional country for many years. But for some reason Merle slid though the cracks for me. That changed due to his classic song, “Sing Me Back Home.” About five years ago I started noticing all these artist I really respected had covered it. The Grateful Dead, Flying Burrito Brothers, Heartfield, Gram Parsons and Keith Richards together, The Everly Brothers, etc etc. I had to look in on it. Then I started checking out all these old albums and wow. I sure missed quite a bit. Instead of featuring...
