Van Halen

Let's begin to comment and discuss the band from the 1980's
going back to high school and that is Van Halen.
There are two incarnations that have been successful one is from the
David Lee Roth era and the other is the Sammy Hagar era (aka Van Hagar)
Led by the Van halen bros. the Dutch born drummer Alex Van Halen and of course the greatest guitarist in rock history since Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, who is ranked
as the #2 guitarist in rock history based on his skills.

There is also the vocal harmonies of bassist Michael Anthony and thundering
bass lines that provide the rhythm section with Alex Van Halen's powerful drums.
Eddie's finbger tapping technique on the fretboard has been innovative thiugh the
technque was originally pioneered by the likes of Canned Heat's Harvey Mandel,
Chicago's Terry Kath and Genesis' Steve Hackett, his fretboard finger tapping
technique proed to be more effective and more in the classical trained style since
he also was a classically trained pianist himself.

Let'also not forget the showmanship and baritone voice of David Lee Roth, the group's founding vocalist. This line-up produced platinum selling records and singles
and was even an opening act for pioneering heavy rock supergroup Black Sabbath in 1978. During that tour the young band outperfirmed the veteran group who were at the end of their creative edge.Eddie Van Halen's early influences were Eric Clapton during his days with John Mayall's Bluesbreaker and Cream.

Eddie's guitar playing has been influential since Hendrix and he came up with these amazing solos and plays extremely fast like a firecracker. Songs like "Running SWith the Devil", "Ain't Talk Bout Love", "Hot for teacher" ,"Ice Cream Man", "little guitars" and of course the guitar instrumental "Eruption", has been the main crowd pleasing songs on radio and on tour.Eddie's instrumental "Eruption" has been a classical influenced sound with an electirc vibe to it and its like hearing Bach's organ composition.That line-up also produced their only #1 hit single "Jump" which also has Eddie plays keyboards and proved to be a smash. The "1984" album and tour proved to be the beginning of the end of the original line-up.

After the tumultous departure from Roth and the Van Halen group in April 1985, they
hired a better singer who is a veteran singer and a great guitarist name Sammy Hagar.
Yes the Sammy Hagar of "I Can't Drive 55" fame and has been rock's premier heavy rock singer since Robert Plant and Paul Rodgers and scored with hits of #1 albums and tours and singles with "Why Can't This Be Love" "Dreams", "Summer Nights", and "Right Now" to name a few. Their music with Hagar was rocking but it had a commercial appeal and I dig both the Roth and Hagar. They both made gtreat contributions to that legacy.

Sammy's voice was powerful and had brought something to Van Halen's music.
1996 Van Halen split from Sammy Hagar and this story has become abit of drama queen
story. My only problem is Ed's drinking problems it has affacted the band and
his playing that during the 2004 reunion tour with Hagar , he was behaving erratically and even smashed his guitar to bits on stage and was being an asshole onstage. In 2007 Van Halen both incarnations were inducted to the Rock n' Roll Hall Of Fame.As you know that ex Extreme singer Gary Cherone became the frontman and their last album was a commercial flop and they parted ways with Cehrone. What acomplete disaster.

Now Ed is now clean and sober reunited with old frontman David Lee Roth and produced a great 2007-08 reunion tour. I saw their reunion show at MSG in November 2007 and I had a blast seeing something from the past it wa like going back to HS all over again. Van Halen kicjed ass onstage and represented great good time music without all the messages going down.

Van Halen doing "Running with the Devil" 1978" with Diamond Dave

Van Halen performing "Unchained" during the band's 2007 reunion tour with Roth, man can Eddie can really blow

Check out Eddie doing "Eruption" in 1983

an Halen doing "Right Now" with Sammy Hagar 1995 tour, this son was used in political campaigns believe it or not

Topic Arnold The Perverator

Ok let's talk about the perverator Arnold Schwarzenegger
coming down from his native Austria with his deep German accent.
A former bodybulding champion turned hot shot movie star turned
politician turned civilian splits from his wife Maria after it was
discovered that he had fathered an illegitimate child from one of
his maid 10 years back. Talk about career suicide, he has shot himself in the foot.


Can't he keep his big stroodle zippered up?
I was a big fan of his movies like "Terminator" sequels and "Twins" and other
films like "Last Action Hero". I never thought he would get into the political
season by running and winning the Governorship in California trying to pattern himself . Shame on you Arnold what were you thinking to think using tax payers
dollars for child support of his child. That is unethical and Immoral.Not only did
he hurt himself and his wife but he also hurt his children and one of them is that young man with the other woman.

His star in the Walk Of Fame should be called the Hollywood Walk Of Shame.
I have lost resoect for this man.He likes to see himself like his hero Ronald Reagan
and preaches family values and married one of the kennedy girls who was an NBC
anchorwoman turned first lady of california.He also hurt the people in Calfornia with tax payer money for his child support.

What a hypocrite and a phony he trun out. Now I don[;t have a political agenda since
I am cynical of two party system. When it comes to the family he has put shame in his
actions and I hope that the misses makes him pay for the hurt he has done for his children and the people in California whom they had voted.

So what else is new for the womanator? Only time will tell.anyway I am oer this dude.

Rush

Here is my blog concerning the Canadian prog rock trio Rush
This is a band that has an avant grade sound mixed with hard rock.
I guess you can say if you put Cream, Led Zeppelin mixed with
Pink Floyd and Genesis you have Rush.

Geddy Lee has this high pitched voice and of course his thundering bass lines
that reminds me of The late Who bassist John Entwistle, whose bass techique has been
phenomenla that is why I called him the best bass guitarist since the man I mentioned.Of course there is Alex Lifeson, a fine guitar riff master who developed textures that is very prog rock stylings of Steve Hackett of Genesis along with the blues influenced guitar stylings of Eric Clapton and uses alot of reverb in his guitar stylings that are unqiue that is what P
ink Floyd's David gilmour is known for hisblues laden tone, and let's not forget the drum god since the late john Bonham and Cream's Ginger Baker, what a powerhouse drummer and a fine lyricist.


Songs like "Closer To The Heart" "2112", "Tom Sawyer", "Limelight', "Subdivision",
"New World Man", were staples in classic rock staples in radio.The band was so tight
and the chemistry of Lifeson, Lee and Peart is tremendously strong just like Claspton, Baker and Bruce were with Cream. Neil Peart is an incredible scholar when it came to the words that he connected well with the fans including myself like "Subdivision". "Moving Pictures" and "2112" were the greatest records that they have ever made. Concert tours have been phenomenal including their stage effects that
is reminiscent to Pink Floyd's stage effects.

Lifeson's guitar riffs like "Tom Sawyer" was the bomb and he was a monster with rhythm and solos.This is another band who should be in the rock n' roll hall of fame
what is up with that damned committee.If they don't get their long overdue induction
then the rock n' roll hall of fame should be called the ROCK N' ROLL HALL OF SHAME.

Rush doing "Spirit of Radio"

Rush doing "2112" from their 1976 performance

"Tom Sawyer , with a Sotuh Park intro, man Alex Lifeson is the bomb with his guitar playing and so is Neil Peart

Journey/Steve Perry

Hello folks
here is my comment and history about rock's greatest mysteries
and that is the band Journey. People remember the voice Steve Perry,
the band's most reclusive lead singer. Journey was aunqiue band that had
a bluest keyboard influence with the stinging guitar edge of group founder
Neal Schon.
The band was formed in 1973 by keyboardist Gregg Rolie and guitar prodigy
Neal Schon and had so many line-up changes in the 35 year career. They
started out as a jam band from San Francisco but in 1977 it all change when
their manager Herbie Herbert discovered a young man with a powerful tenor voice
and his name was Steve Perry.
The band scored hits like "Lights", "Anytime", "Open Arms", "Don't Stop Believin'"
"Separate Ways", "Only The Young", "After The Fall", the list goes on an on.

They use to be the biggest selling rock band of the late 1970's and early 1980's.
They were different kind of rock they were like the AOR type. They mixed hard rock with power ballads. Gregg Rolie , the group's founding member and keysman quits the
band and being replaced by Jonathan Cain who would write songs with Steve and Neal.
Neal Schon was one soulful player very fluid with clean notes and it reminded me
of what Clapton did or Terry Kath did.Jonathan Cain brought something fresh and new to the band's musical direction with the keyboard sound and followed by bassist Ross Valory and drummer Steve Smith a great rhythm section.
Steve Perry had been the dominant voice of the band and its spokesperson and he was also the most dissitent member of the band and had been the reluctant rock star.
But his vocals has been always identifiable to the journey sound and many singers were influenced by his crisp high tenor sound.
The band split -up in 1986 after Steve decided to not do any tours since he was
exhausted from the trappings of fame and fortune which made him very uncomfortable.
The band regrouped in 1996 only to be setback by Steve's injury from hiking as they were planning a comeback tour but it was not meant to be. Steve was gone for good and the band were tired of waiting for Steve and decided to get Steve Augeri for two records but later Neal Schon would find this guy from the Phillipines name Arnel Pineda on youtube. You notice how the power of the internet works in mysterious ways?
Arnel is a pretty good impersonation of the legendary voice of Journey but to many fans there will only be one Steve Perry.The old glory days of what it once was is now a thing of the past. and the new journey is a mere tribute band that is paying homage to their mercurila frontman who remains a recluse for the past 13 years.
I had foind memories of the band listening to them on WAPP or WNEW-FM in New York and the music videos from "Escape" and "Frontiers", those were magical times in the good old 1980's and that is what I will remember from thst band that was special to alot of fans.

Journey on the Midnight Special 1979

Journey doing "Don't Stop Believin" this was used in the finale of the Sopranos and James Durbin singing the song on American Idol and used in the Tv show
"Glee", Neal Schon is one motherf--ing guitar player

Journey "Separate Ways" live in Japan 1983 loe that Jonathan Cain on keys man into

"Anyway You Want It" 1980, the last work with founding member Gregg Rolie who would leave the band only to be replaced by Jonathan Cain

Randy Rhoads

Let's talk about legendary Ozzy guitar wiz Randy Rhoads. He was a true guitar genius

very classically trained since he was a classically influenced in his music with a bit of an

edge. He actually learned to play guitar at age 7 from his mom Dolores' guitar school .

A guitar prodigy who was a bit of Andres Segovia meets Mick Ronson of David Bowie fame both whom he wa influenced with the likes of Leslie West , Ritchie Blackmore, Mick Ronson and Jeff Beck along with the classical music in his home.Whether you are a fan of his music or a guitar historian no one can say that Randy Rhoads cause he doesn't. Look at the film footages and listen to how he plays. At least he was not a dull moment.

He was a shy quiet guy who can play like a beast and with grace and beauty. He maybe a

"heavy metal" guitarist but he was more than that. He may have a flash but he had soul and

cathartism in his music as he expressed it in his writing of his music and was very patient in

perfecting his style.He reminded of Mick Ronson guitar wise and visually, plus he looked like a drag queen.

Prior to joining former Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne as his guitarist, he was a founding member of Quiet Riot, a power pop band in the LA area. His famous guitar solos like

"Crazy Train", "Mr Crowley", and "Over the Mountain" had this edge and can play fast and

he could have given his contemporaries like Eddie Van Halen and George Lynch a run for its money.When I first saw Randy I thought that was chick playing guitar. I mean he was so tiny and

frail but he was strong playing the fretboard like a monster. He loved playing the art of the instrumental whether its classical acoustic or electric. He pumped steroids on his Marshall amps

Randy was a phenomenom on top of that based on his interviews he was a humble guy and very

down to earth but when he was in the studio he was all business no fucking around. Randy accomplished alot during his brief 25 years of his life. Ozzy as a frontman was kind of gimmickry

and knows how to gie a show in the fashion of Alice Cooper.But I see an Ozzy show I see Randy

upstaging Ozzy with his fingers doing the talking. The performance at the palladium in NYC was one of the most memorable concerts , Randy outperformed Ozzy onstage and Ozzy was his typical showman though his singing was good great vocal harmony vocals but he does all these gimmicks and antics that is somewhat juvenile and cliche of what Alice Cooper did a while back.

At the time of his passing, Randy was planning to go back to school for music theory and make a classical guitar album who knows what he would have accomplished. Unfortunately, on March 19, 1982 we lost a true guitar hero since Jimi Hendrix in a tragic plane crash at age 25. He is a great influence to alot of guitar players and his legacy remains of his music on the first two albums "Blizzard Of Ozz" and "Diary Of A Madman".

Here is a clip from "After Hours" here is Ozzy with the late great Randy Rhoads with his most memorable guitar solo on "Crazy Train"

This one has a classically influenced guitar acoustic with a symphony sound with the London symphony recorded in 1981 and comes the dramatic sound with "Diary Of A Madman"

A song Randy wrote dedicated to his mom Dolores which is an instrumental acoustic song simply titled "Dee"

God bless you Randy

American Idol Season finale comment

Ok , this is my comment on American Idol
So far this season was the best and better than last year's season.
The talent was diversed and so awesome, there was country, R&B, pop and heavy metal and blues rock.I mean talk about great talent now we can focuse on that rather than
that loud obnoxious Brit name Simon. I don't miss him , guest what 29 million viewers saw the finale better than 23 million last year when it was time for Simon to leave. Steven Tyler and J-Lo as judges not bad they certainly brought the fun out of the show.
Well the finale was interesting everyone seems to be talking about J-lo's voluptuous physique as she was dancing her ass next to her hubby Mark Anthony. I am like Ok so what is this so you think you can dance or something? Weird. The highlight for me was not J-Lo's ass are you kidding me? it was the performances of James Durbin with his idols the legendary British heavy metal group Judas Priest fronted by the greatest rock voice of all time Rob Halford the Metal God performing "Living after Midnight" and "Breaking the Law" James can really do the high octave that Rob pioneered but Rob came on top . You can see the audience digging to the songs they did 31 years back. Guys you rock.

Here is James Durbin who was 4th in the show, singing along with Rob Halford and Judas Priest

Here is another metal god, this is Aerosmith frontman and AI judge Steven Tyler performing a 1973 Aerosmith classic written by the man himself and rocked the crowd and even J-lo and Randy was digging the classic rock anthem and the crowd were on their feet check it out

As for the two finalists I don't like these kids ,Scotty the winner of the show looks like Howdy Doody with a jihnn Cash voice and Lauren , the runner-up who many say sounds like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, she sings better than Ms Underwood but she still has a long ways to go as to her experience.

James Durbin will be the guy to watch on record sales he will outsell the two country cuties. He is my man. Haley is one rocker chic she has that Janis Joplin like voice. Well its those young 12 or 13 year olds who voted constantly. Anyway until next season I am looking forward to So You Think You Can Dance and X Factor that should be interesting.

Terry Kath/CTA

OK lets talk about the band Chicago and of course the group's founding guitarist, songwriter and singer Terry Kath

Terry Kath has been an unsung hero
He was one of the most gifted and underrated guitarist in rock history a
pioneering jazz rock guitarist who had influences of heavy rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix who became an big admirer of Kath, and jazz guitarists Joe Smith and
Wes Montgomery. He was a true natural genius when it came to his techical abilities.
People remember the 1970's pioneering jazz rock act Chicago formerly known as Chicago Transit Authority a band he formed with drummer Danny Seraphine and saxophonist Walt Parazaider in 1967 and score alot of number one hits and album sales of more than 100 million, man they should be in the rock n' roll hall of fame.

Kath learned his guitar techniques by playing the banjo his mom owned and he perfected his skills and was able to use wah wah and other gadgets in his arsenals to his guitar playing you can hear it on songs like "Poem 58", "Free Form Guitar"
a precursor to Van Halen's "Eruption" , "Uptown" , "In The Country"and "25 or 6 to 4" which he used his extended guitar solos that had jazz scales it was like having a jazz guitarist pumping steroids on his amplifier.He along with Harvey Mandel and Steve Hackett were pioneers for rock guitar in the finger tapping long before VH or Steve Vai even did this one. Kath rarely did this one in his later performances.

He was also a great songwriter with songs like the time signature Joe Eliis influenced song "Introduction" ,"Mississppi Delta City Blues", "In The Country",
the Randy Newman like acoustic number "Alma Mater" and the lists goes on and on.

His talents have been overshadowed by his tragic death which was an unfortunate event. The man was a better player than Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page put together, and he had this Ray Charles quality to his voice , He made the band looked and sounded cool on the classic rock radio stations. We will never forget his bluesy
baritone voice of "Make Me Smile" "Dialogue" and "Colour my World" to name a few.I prefer "Tell Me" that was his best vocal performance. Sadly during his lifetime he never got the respect or the recognition of his greatest talents as a great guitarist he was frst and foremost a great guitar player and I rank him in the top ten right above Clapton and Page but even with Stevie Ray Vaughan, technique wise.

He was one of a kind and what a great talent he was during his brief time in this planet. On January 23, 1978 old demons caught up with him when the legendary baritone voice and trail blazing guitar of Chicago was silenced for good as a result of an accidental gunshot wound.Although none of us can never change the tragedy but we will remember his music and the band he was in during those 11 years of gteat jazz rock . I never liked the incarnation of Chicago , it was interesting but it didn't feel like the band especially with Peter leaving abruptly and Danny getting canned by the guys.And I hated those power ballads they made them look wussy songs like "If You Leave Me Now" or "Hard to say I'm sorry" , sorry folks I hated those songs , I prefer "Feeling Stronger Every Day", "Free" or "Liberation" the rocker numbers than the ballads.Sorry if I offended fans of the power ballads i am being honest.The band was never the same after his passing.I saw him with my sister when I was a Child a while back as a nine year old. Man he was the bomb.Chris Pinnick was the closest to a Terry Kath. The other guitarists after Terry were good even Dawayne Biley but no one can be as good as a Terry Kath, there is only one Terry Kath and those are big shoes.

33 years have passed i truely believe that he and his band should be inducted into the Rock n' Roll Hall Of Fame, what is wrong with that darn committee. I hope and pray that terry along with Peter, Robert, Lee, Walt, Danny and Jimmy get their long overdue induction to the Rock n; Roll Hall Of Fame. I respect the survving members going out on the road playing their greatest hits but to me and other fans there will be one and that is the original guys that I mentioned. Gone are the large stadium or large arenas shows no longer the million selling records and hits they once did a while back.I prefer to remember them the way they were.

Terry Kath is still my hero and I love him like a mentor and I even play the guitar at Tribeca Bar for fun with a group of friends. I still have my Fender and i can still play "Uptown" or "In The country". Terry Allan Kath was one cool dude and a bigger than life personaility that is never forgotten. Anyway let';s check out Terry and the boys in action and you can see him finger tap during "Free Form" intro through Robert Lamm's "A Song for Richard and his Friends"

Chicago in their greatest concert film footage June 1972 in Budokan Hall , Japan

Terry and the guys playing his tribute to his idol Jimi
Hendrix "Oh Thank You Great Spirit"

Terry singing "Tell Me" 1972 written by Jimmy Guercio, we will never forget you dude we miss you and I wish you were here,