Phil Lesh

Phil Lesh audio book "Searching For The Sound: My Life With The Grateful Dead"

Written by Joe Viglione

Monday, 26 October 2009 07:25

Phil Lesh audio book "Searching For The Sound: My Life With The Grateful Dead" Direct link here: http://tinyurl.com/searchingforthesound Produced and Directed by Elisa Shokoff who has developed similar projects for Quincy Jones, Bob Dylan, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek Voyager, this audio book Phil Lesh discusses "the path of least resistance" that the band chose, as he puts it, reading about the dilemmas with Jerry Garcia, the death of Bill Graham and other highs and lows of his journey with one of the most legendary bands in the history of rock music. The member of the pioneering group reads his biographical material with no emotion, as if a computer was reinterpreting his thoughts. Abridged for audio by Jan Werner (who has worked on Aryn Kyle's "The God Of Animals"), recorded at The Plant Studios in Sausalito, CA engineered by Grateful Dead engineer Robert Gatley. Editing and post production by Steven Strassmann. There is a bonus live recording of "Box of Rain" performed on March 19, 1990 at the Hartford Civic Center, Hartford Connecticut (Track #15 on the fifth disc of this 5 CD set). It's a nicely packaged documentary in a sturdy black sleeve booklet from Books on Compact Disc, Simon & Schuster Audio. "Box Of Rain" is light and happening, and it is a shame that Lesh didn't put lots and lots of public domain music from Archive.org underneath his speaking. There are certainly enough compositions covered by the band whose copyrights have expired while the music is available for download on the internet. A little creativity would've made the reading far more exciting. The emotionless speaking of the words on the page is a stark contrast to the fun live track which helps conclude the package. Ice Nine publishing gave permission for these titles "Unbroken Chain", "Mountains Of The Moon", "A Touch Of Grey", "The Stranger", "Two Souls In Communion" and "Box Of Rain" while Peer International did the same for the Noah Lewis composition "Viola Lee Blues." Official Press Release The bass player for the greatest improvisational band in American history tells the full, true story of his life, Jerry Garcia, and the Grateful Dead. Phil Lesh first met Jerry Garcia in 1959 in the clubs of Palo Alto, California. At Garcia's suggestion, Lesh learned to play the electric bass and joined him in a new group that blended R & B, country, and rock 'n' roll with an experimental fervor never before heard. In time for the Grateful Dead's fortieth anniversary, Phil Lesh offers the first behind-the-scenes history of the Dead. Lesh chronicles how the Dead's signature sound emerged, flowed, and swelled to reach millions of devoted fans, from their first gigs at Frenchy's Bikini-A-Go-Go for an audience of three, to the legendary Acid Tests, to packed stadiums around the world. In San Francisco during the Summer of Love, at Woodstock, Altamont, and the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Grateful Dead have been at the center of some of rock's defining moments. Phil Lesh recounts what it's been like to live at the heart of this whirlwind— impressing Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie, sharing the stage with Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, and the Rolling Stones. Lesh describes what it was like to storm heaven night after night—and the price he and others have paid. Bad management, drug addictions, depression, and insecurities persistently plagued the band members and would culminate with the most tragic blow of all — the death of Jerry Garcia. Searching for the Sound is a ruthlessly honest look inside one of the greatest American bands. It includes a bonus live recording of Box of Rain performed on March 19, 1990 at the Hartford Civic Center, Hartford Connecticut. Other audio cds abridged by Jan Werner Aryn Kyle's "The God Of Animals" Robert Gatley Credits Searching For The Sound - soundbites on AMG

Last Updated on Tuesday, 27 October 2009 02:04

Ben Orr & The Cars

Ben Orr of THE CARS and THE GRESSHOPPERS: A Tribute and some reminiscing

Written by Joe Viglione

Saturday, 24 October 2009 21:21

R.I.P. Ben Orr Benjamin Orzechowski (September 8, 1947 – October 3, 2000) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Orr This article was written on or about October 26, 2000. The first night The Cars performed at The Rat there were a handful of Boston musicians - Jon Macey of Fox Pass, Scott Baerenwald of Reddy Teddy (later The Modern Lovers and Robin Lane), a groupie immortalized in the Aerosmith song "Back In The Saddle" who was the then-girlfriend of David Robinson - ex Modern Lovers drummer and now drummer for “the new” Captain Swing We had heard Captain Swing on a radio show on WTBS (now WMBR) and taped the songs. This was a fun night; I remember the band playing “Gimme A Little Sign”, the Brenton Wood song, and “Don’t Worry Baby”, the Beach Boys tune. We were Cars fans from the start, they had something special. The last time I saw Ben was at The Paradise in March of 1999 when he performed with Brad Delp of the band Boston in a double bill. On the couch were Greg Hawkes, David Robinson and Ben Orr for the first time in years. Someone told me to videotape it, as I was allowed to video the concert, but the moment was special - and why throw a camera in their faces? It was great to see the guys two decades later. When I found out that Ben had passed away, it was the second time a tragedy came via the internet. The first being the passing of legendary producer Nik Venet, which absolutely stunned me. These people have done more than contribute to music, they are warm human beings who I personally have fond memories of, so one can only imagine the loss when the kind thoughts that follow someone’s death are sincere... and the loss of Nik and Ben Orr are major losses. Then to get the E-mail that Gerard Spring, publicist for Johnny Barnes and Ben Orr died a week after Ben, indeed sad and tragic. So when we play Ben’s music does he hear us? I don’t know. But I DO know that he knew while he was alive that he was loved for his music. When he saw us show up at show after show it meant something to him. It meant something to us. These are not just good memories, they are GREAT memories of a GREAT performer - and talking about him is important. It is about keeping the flame alive. It would be easy to go over the videos - we taped four - and there is a show from Illinois which I have on tape too - and talk about the show... I remember the VH1 show in Cleveland Circle where Ken Shelton the WBOS/WBCN jock was there, the band had no keyboard player, so Rich from the Fools and John Kalishes really made it “Led Zeppelin Meets The Cars” which was John Kalishes’ flavor, for sure. A truly interesting performance with Rich playing the keyboard lines. Fun shows. The Beach Club in Salisbury Beach, Government Center, The Paradise, and the tons of Cars shows we saw, from their opening for Brian Ferry and J Geils at the Cape Cod Coliseum, to the headlining gig in Providence when Willie Alexander opened (I took a photo of Ric OCasek backstage that night that is around here somewhere...) - have that on audio tape somewhere around here too. The night in Lynn with Don the soundman playing us all the Cars demos, the night in the suburbs taping the Cars in a gig outside of the Boston scene - Jon Macey talking about how Captain Swing would open for Fox Pass and how he pushed them in a stylistic direction with clothing and ideas that helped mold THE CARS Ben Orr is still alive in the thoughts of his fans, and with the great body of music he created. The Cars Digital Fanzine keeps that music alive... these are just some scattered thoughts, twenty-three days after his passing. – Joe Viglione Originally published in Frozen Fire magazine - thanks to Christopher, the editor, for preserving the text. Related story: R.I.P. John Kalishes

Last Updated on Monday, 26 October 2009 20:37

Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol - cover of Gemmzine Hard Copy Vol. 1, #1????

Written by Gemmzine Editorial Board and Writers

Tuesday, 20 October 2009 15:46

Papa Media http://www.gemm.com/item/ANDY--WARHOL--MUSEUM/ANDY--WARHOL--POP--BOX%3A--FAME-c-THE--FACTORY-c-AND--THE--FATHER--OF--AMERICAN--POP--ART/GML978367679/ http://www.gemm.com/c/search.pl?field=GEMM+SEARCH&wild=andy+warhol&Go!.x=0&Go!.y=0&Go!=Search&picklang=%2Fc%2Fsearch.pl%3Flang%3DEN%26clickflag%3D1%26 http://www.gemm.com/item/ANDY--WARHOL--FOUNDATION--FOR--THE--VISUAL--ARTS/ANDY--WARHOL%3A--MEN/GML978367871/ http://www.gemm.com/item/ANDY--WARHOL--MUSEUM-c-THE--ANDY--WARHOL--FOUNDATION--FOR--THE--VISUAL--ARTS/ANDY--WARHOL--MEN%3A--30--POSTCARDS/GML242047544/ http://www.gemm.com/item/CARTER--RATCLIFF/ANDY--WARHOL/GML978484121/

Last Updated on Tuesday, 20 October 2009 15:47

Lisa Ralphs on John Kalishes

R.I.P. John Kalishes - Mirage CD

Written by Lisa Ralphs

Monday, 19 October 2009 19:48

IN MEMORY OF JOHN by Lisa Ralphs Guitarist John Kalishes passed away on January 9, 2004. It was a shock to those of us who found life at The Rathskellar in Kenmore Square such an important part of our reality. Many of the 70s scenesters got to meet John when he was a member of SUSAN, the band which featured the Leland brothers' rhythm section flanked by guitarists John Kalishes and Tom Dickie. When the band signed to RCA they didn't bring John with them - and that was a mistake. His crushing leads were an essential part of their sound, as evidenced by his presence on the LIVE AT THE RAT album. None of the power found on "Ride Away", one of their two tracks on that live double lp, is found on their "Falling In Love Again" 1979 release. Without the band "Susan" John Kalishes continued his efforts, jamming with the legendary U.F.O., making tapes with Riser and Foreign Legion, eventually joining the late Ben Orr of The Cars for a phenomenal stretch of gigs, a few preserved on videotape. Full House Recording issued a Riser CD "Resurrection" in 2000 and local singer/songwriter Paul Hultman interviewed John for a cable television program while at the record release party for "Resurrection". Sandy Higgins, moderator of Charlie Farren's Yahoogroup, had these memories of John: "I only had the pleasure of meeting John Kalishes once or twice. I never really got to know him all that well. However, my neighbor across the street from me, Tommy Fey, knew him very well & played in several bands with him over the years. Tommy came across the street several years ago to ask me if I wouldn't mind letting John use my 100W Marshall head to take on tour with the Ben Orr Band overseas. I told him I had no problem with that. John seemed very trustworthy, and I wasn't using it at the time...so, why not? When John came back to the states, so did my Marshall - in perfect condition. Only thing was, he had to cut the power cord due to the different plugs over in Japan - but he did splice & tape it back together!" One of John's great strengths along with songwriting and furious guitar leads was record production. He captured the essence of the garage musician's triumph in something called "I'm Still Standing". Charlie Farren sings the lead vocal on this track co-written with his friend Adrian Medeiros. Adrian and John also worked with Boston guitarist Barry Goudreau and Cars members Greg Hawkes and Ben Orr on a fantastic song called "Send Me". His brother Vin Kalishes sent an official message from the family: "John Kalishes, one of the moving forces of the Boston Rock & Roll scene since the late '60s, died unexpectedly on January 9, 2004 following a brief illness. Born in 1950 in Dorchester, a neighborhood of the city of Boston, John began studying the guitar while in third grade, immediately showing his great potential. At age 15 Kalishes formed his first band, the Rhymney Blues, which played "the high school dance scene." John Kalishes was a graduate of Catholic Memorial High School and The University Of Massachusetts at Boston. In the 1970s and 1980s Kalishes worked as the booking agent for "The Rat" in Kenmore Square and "The Bellboy" in Scituate Harbor in addition to writing music, engineering and performing. His bands included "Susan" then "Foreign Legion" and in later years, "Riser". Over the years he recorded with some of the best known artists in rock & roll music, on occasion using the alias of "Mississippi Blind Driveway." (John may have worked with Toy Caldwell as well as a member or two of "The Band" - Lisa). In recent years John was affiliated with the late Ben Orr of The Cars, Ben and John co-writing a number of songs. While touring as ORR, playing coast to coast, John was Orr's guitar player and band-leader. In 2002 and 2003 John worked on his solo album, Mirage, after building his own state of the art facility, "Black Hole Studios." Mirage was released two months before his passing. His wife, Judith Wilson, passed away a few years after John's passing. In an unplanned career move John began co-composing and producing television and movie soundtracks with his dear friend Jon Butcher. John is survived by his brother Vincent J. Kalishes III, and his nephew Vincent J. Kalishes IV. John requested that he be remembered by making a donation in his name to his nephew's school "The Perkins School for The Blind" located at 175 North Beacon St., Watertown, MA 02172. Live at the Rat, produced by John Kalishes In 2001 the legendary building that housed Boston's infamous Rat was demolished, but this recording (catalog #528, same as the address for the establishment on Commonwealth Avenue in the heart of Boston) remains as evidence of what transpired in that "cellar full of noise." Read more here: Susan was the hard rock band that got the gigs at the Rat in Boston in the '70s. Their thunderous sound was created in no small part by John Kalishes, who could have passed as Leslie West's little brother. Kalishes would join the late Ben Orr to create a Led Zeppelin-meets-the Cars group toward the end of the '90s. It is that powerful sound that is missing from Falling in Love Again. The original Susan was documented on the Live at the Rat album and those two tracks give a hint of their significance. By the time they landed a management contract with Tommy Mottola, Ricky Byrd had replaced Kalishes and despite Byrd's enormous talent -- he would eventually join Joan Jett & The Blackhearts -- the change came too quickly. Read more here: Tom Dickie reinvented his formula after the failure of Susan on RCA. He brought half of Boston's underground band Fox Pass on board -- guitarist Mike Roy and singer/songwriter/poet Jon Macey (formerly Jon Hall, who changed his name to Macey to avoid confusion with John Hall, leader of the group Orleans). "Downtown Talk" kicks off the Competition LP and remains the best song by this pop band. Resplendent with drug references, "Downtown Talk" has a hard-hitting riff and catchy melody. Read more here: With a crisper sound than its predecessor, the Competition LP, Ed Sprigg's production of The Eleventh Hour helps the revamped Tom Dickie & the Desires, but not enough. Singer/songwriters Tom Dickie and Jon Macey as well as guitarist Mike Roy are all playing synthesizers, replacing Gary Corbett from the first album. Mickey Currey has departed, and Chuck Sabo handles the drums and percussion on this disc. Read more here: Related article: Ben Orr

Last Updated on Sunday, 25 October 2009 23:08

Joe Viglione on Rita Coolidge: An Appreciation

Rita Coolidge, an Appreciation

Written by Joe Viglione

Monday, 19 October 2009 15:22

It is amazing given the exposure Rita Coolidge obtained through the Mad Dogs & Englishmen soundtrack that her second album for A & M is such a cult item. Covers of songs by Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Graham Nash, and participation by names like Al Kooper, Glyn Johns, Bruce Botnick, and Marc Benno should have made this record her breakthrough. Instead, it took quite a few more discs before she would hit the Top 40 on her own with her eighth solo album, Anytime, Anywhere. Asylum Choir member Marc Benno's "Family Full of Soul" opens the album with wonderful bluesy pop resplendent in guitars, vibes, and Coolidge's distinctive voice. Read more here: With Steve Cropper recording Mitch Ryder and Yvonne Elliman, the great Booker T. Jones and A&M exec David Anderle counter with a shimmering production for Rita Coolidge, emerging from her underground status with Mad Dogs & Englishmen to unleash her fifth Top 40 hit here: Peter Allen and Carole Bayer Sager's "I'd Rather Leave While I'm in Love." With an array of fine players, the Delta Lady weaves an album that is up there with Dusty in Memphis, though it never got the similar acclaim, with the stigma of adult contemporary pop not giving this wonderful effort the hip luster it deserves. A breathy and seductive cover of "One Fine Day" is another gem; it was being released by Jimmy and Kristy McNichol and Jane Oliver as well, with songwriter Carole King winning the race in 1980, going Top 15 with the 1963 Chiffons hit she composed. Read more here: More reviews on Ask.com:

Last Updated on Wednesday, 21 October 2009 19:36

Dickie Peterson & Blue Cheer

Dickie Peterson: An Appreciation of Blue Cheer

Written by Joe Viglione

Sunday, 18 October 2009 21:00

Blue Cheer's Dickie Peterson Rip Bassist/Vocalist Dead at 63 Direct link to this article here: http://tinyurl.com/bluecheerappreciation Had "Summertime Blues" not gone Top 15 in the spring of 1968, Blue Cheer might not have had the opportunity to unleash their expression over numerous albums through multiple personnel changes. Vincebus Eruptum sports a serious silver/off-purple cover wrapped around the punk-metal fury. Leigh Stephens is nowhere near Hendrix, Beck, Clapton, or Jimmy Page, the skill of a Yardbird is replaced by a thud of bass/drums/low-end guitar. Vocalist Dickie Peterson takes almost six minutes on Mose Allison's "Parchment Farm" to talk about shooting his arm, shooting his wife, picking cotton, and having sex. Definitely more risqué than Grand Funk Railroad's "T.N.U.C."...read more here: Joe Viglione will be writing an Appreciation of Blue Cheer...the group posted many of my AMG reviews on their website. Just saw them play in Allston, Massachusetts on April 8, 2007 with Tennie Komar...time flies by so quickly, it's been two and a half years since the gig...seems like yesterday. The title is a bit misleading for, although this is certainly "new" Blue Cheer, it is hardly an "improvement." It is important as a document of a band with some influence and certain cult status. Now that the Velvet Underground have achieved true cult superstardom, it is bands like Blue Cheer that continue to get rediscovered by devotees of '60s music. Here, bassist Dick Peterson and drummer Paul Whalley present two distinctly different Blue Cheers. Read more here: Blue Cheer, the fourth album, is the perpetual group in transition once again rolling with the punches. A vast improvement over New! Improved! Blue Cheer, the sound here is more contained, consistent, and identifiable. Rather than cover Eddie Cochran, as they did with their hit "Summertime Blues" off Vincebus Eruptum, the outside material is tellingly by Delaney Bramlett and MacDavis, a wonderfully laid-back "Hello L.A., Bye-Bye Birmingham." By this time they were sounding more like the Band than the first disc's monstrous musical onslaught, which resembled a naïve Cream or precursor to Grand Funk. Read more here: The Original Human Being opens with the driving "Good Times Are So Hard to Find," a West Coast version of the Spencer Davis Group's "I'm a Man" that generously lifts from that classic Jimmy Miller/Steve Winwood/Spencer Davis composition. Founding member Dickie Petersen is augmented by horns, of all things, on the blues-pop "Love of a Woman." Blue Cheer sounding like Traffic and Tower of Power in two fell swoops is not what the menacing cover photo would indicate. Indeed, you can't tell a book by its cover. Logically, Blue Cheer should have taught Black Sabbath a thing or two, but the band heads more in the direction of Ozzie's Magic Lantern with its singsong hit "Shame Shame" than the grunge of guitarist Tony Iommi. Titles like "Preacher" and "Black Sun" may be better suited for Sabbath, but for fans of this ultra-cult band from the '60s, The Original Human Being is a vast improvement over the band's third outing, New! Improved! Blue Cheer. Read more here: "Hiway Man," which opens the sixth album by Blue Cheer, is a far cry from their version of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues," which launched this group to worldwide fame. And though they were the original group to put their amps on "11," Oh! Pleasant Hope is a musical album. This first track, resplendent in heavy vocal reverb, sounds like Waylon Jennings fronting Quicksilver Messenger Service. OPH quickly changes pace with "Believer"'s interesting riff and the experimental production by Blue Cheer and Eric Albronda. Albronda assisted on the production of the self-titled fourth album, Blue Cheer, and co-produced BC#5 - The Original Human Being. It is the production that is a significant ingredient that makes this project by a legendary cult band so appealing. Read more here:

Last Updated on Wednesday, 21 October 2009 01:04

Harvey Wharfield on Jim Morrison

The Jim Morrison Scream by Harvey Wharfield

Written by Harvey Wharfield

Monday, 12 October 2009 17:08

Editors Note: I used to produce Harvey Wharfield's "Boston Music Showcase" program on 93.7 WCGY 1991-1993. Here's a 1980s tape Harv asked me for as I keep all (or the majority of...) his archives enjoy Direct link here: http://tinyurl.com/jimmorrisonscream Re: The Daily Swarm - Jim Morrison Ghost Photo Unexplainable and & Not a According to Researchers ... HarveyW26 wrote: I have a live recording that happened during an interview back in the 80s that's pretty weird. I was interviewing the former head of Elekltra Records during one of those Doors retrospectives that Westwood One or some other producer was running on some Classic Rock stations around the country at the time. During a lull in the audio during the interview and just before a commercial break something happened. None of us heard it at the time, but I was going back to edit it down for replay and heard something very strange. I played it for some other staff members and they agreed it was quite bizarre, but didn't know what it was. Some of us think it may have been from the other side. The original tape is somewhere with another individual, so it could be analyzed in its original state...However, we took it and put it on a compilation CD thinking it would be good to get it digitally preserved. And it sounds almost exactly as it happened that afternoon. I now have to search through my CDs to find it as I haven't heard it in years. Hopefully I'll be able to find it or contact the person who has the master of the CD and get a copy and listen to it again. But, let me tell you...audio anomaly or not...it does sound like someone (or something) not on this plane trying to, pardon the reference, "break on through" from wherever it was. If you'd like to listen to it, when I find it, feel free to email me at mentor2 at gmail dot com ...I can't guarantee that I'll find it in a timely manner, but the story above has given me new incentive to find it. Harvey Wharfield / Boston... Link to comment: http://disq.us/1avj6 http://www.thedailyswarm.com/headlines/jim-morrison-ghost-photo-unexplainable-and-not-fake-according-researchers/#comment-19900921 Read Gemmzine's article on THE DOORS/LIVE AT BOSTON ARENA: http://tinyurl.com/doorsbostonarena

Last Updated on Monday, 12 October 2009 17:13