Re: Country Weekly magazine?
Neal Weiss writes: And another thought. Who can tell me what about Country Weekly? Good? Fluffalicious? I suspect it's been raked over the P2 coals in the past, but I wasn't listening then, dammit. And now I need to know. My life depends on it. I don't see it very often on the newstands around Boston but picked it up fairly regularly when I was living up in New Hampshire. It's mostly fluff, but occasionally surprising in what they cover. They do better than you'd expect in terms of giving old-timers a decent amount of coverage and can even occasionally find the space to cover, say, a new Robbie Fulks album during an otherwise slow week. I'd grade the writing as "workmanlike." --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: Lee Ann Womack on the Opry
Jon Weisberger writes: Caught most of the rerun of tonight's televised portion, and though Ray Price was a hard act to follow - dang, he sounded good, and he also sounded great on the radio-only second show - Lee Ann was up to the job after a slightly shaky start with her Terry Smith-endorsed current hit; it looked to me as though they were having some monitor problems (there was flash of the lead guitar player pointing to his ear, which is usually a sign g). She did a *killer* version of "Miles And Miles Of Texas" for her (unscheduled) encore, with lots of great ensemble playing from the band. Hear hear. I caught most of the "pre-game" show on TNN, too, including most of an interview with Price, who says that his new album should be out in June. The interviewer was asking him what he does on his ranch and I was thinking, "Hell, ask him about his pot bust, too!" Boy, did he sound great, too (a version of "San Antonio Rose"). Lee Ann kicked ass, and Stonewall Jackson was mighty fine, too. If only WSM would start broadcasting through the internet so I could pick up the rest of the Opry and Eddie Stubbs. --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: Tom Petty's roots are showing (real twangy)
John Friedman writes: Jon Johnson: *One* guitar player?!?!?! Hell, John, why don't you just tell us they were recruiting for the Socialist Worker's Party while you're at it? Hm, if that's a sarcastic remark, which is cool, my guess is that you're not familiar w/Molly Hatchet. My point was that Molly Hatchet with fewer than three guitar players onstage is...well, just not right. It doesn't live up to one's expectations. I'm plenty familiar with their stuff, by the way. They were never a patch on Skynyrd, but who was? Hatchet's first couple of albums were about as good as the genre got if your band's name wasn't Lynyrd Skynyrd. I keep expecting to see a southern rock revival at some point, though despite noble attempts by the likes of Raging Slab and Pride and Glory, I don't think it's gonna happen. Saw Marshall Crenshaw open a show at the Paradise in '92 with a bitchin' cover of "Flirtin' With Disaster," by the way. --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Boxcar Willie
Just caught word of his death from leukemia on the radio this morning; age 67. --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: Weller's Prime
Don Yates writes: Listening to that lame shit could almost make one appreciate Vanilla Ice.g Who reportedly sold out the Middle East in Cambridge the other evening (no small task) with his new Rage Against the Machine ripoff schtick. It takes a lot to make me question my faith in God, but this just about does it. Oh yeah. I gave "London Calling" a listen a few weeks back for the first time in probably four or five years. Still works for me, except for a couple of tracks like "Lovers Rock." But it's hard to be objective about that record, which, like Elvis Costello's "Armed Forces" and Cheap Trick's "Heaven Tonight," is kind of an aural scrapbook of my life during that period. As infrequently as I listen to some of those records, every time I put one of them on I remember little things about that period that I'd never have otherwise thought of. There aren't many records that do that to me. --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: Sorry, Bit I HAVE to do This
Jerry Curry writes: This is BIG, BIG news. So, I had to pass it on. Um, OK...the press release is a *little overhyped. Still big news though.right? g My apologies to those of you that will see this twice. Thanks for the original post to Auditiesand you know who you are. Oh, I don't mind. It was me. I found it on the Eric Carmen website on Friday and posted it to the Posies list and the Poprocks list. Those outside Boston might not have heard yet, but the original J. Geils Band is reuniting for a tour this summer, too. --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: CD Length?
Neal Weiss writes: Anyone happen to know the maximun amount of music that can fit on a single CD? It currently stands at 80 minutes, as far as I know, but very few pressing plants want to go higher than 78 minutes because of an increased risk of pressing problems. I remember a few (4 or so) years back the Kronos Quartet was trying to find a pressing plant that was willing to attempt an 81 minute pressing (a Gorecki or Crumb piece, I think) but couldn't find any takers. --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: Corn stuff
Jon Weisberger writes: I have an HJ album out on loan, so I can't check, but if I remember correctly, the title is "Cornfucius Say," and the cover photo is them in "Chinese" outfits, eating corn flakes with chopsticks - and the corn flakes box is a Kellogg's one. Anyway, it seems virtually impossible that the minds that came up with "Cornfucius" could have overlooked "cornfused" I have a book at home (a birthday gift a couple of months back from my brother) that collects pictures of cereal boxes and cereal prizes from the '60s. There are one or two pictures in the book of HJ's appearances on Kellog's cereal boxes. I'm up in New Hampshire as I write this but I can follow up on this when I get back home if anyone's really that interested. --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Ooh, baby, go all the way... (non-twang)
No twang here, but I know that there are more than a few fans of power pop on P2, nonetheless. Word from the Posies list yesterday was that the Raspberries are going to be touring this summer with the original lineup (who are currently in rehearsals), along with the Knack and, on some dates, Cheap Trick. If you're a power pop fan, make a Homer-esque drooling sound at this point. --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: your worst fears realized
Bob Sorum writes: Have any reporters made anything up, or is it limited to columnists? Just Smith and Barnicle that anyone knows about, though the bad press that the paper got gave it a black eye that'll take years to erase. It kind of cast a pall over the credibility of a lot of other stuff in the paper, too. --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: Big Labels Dropping Bands
Neal Weiss writes: Which reminds me, I heard a tip yesterday that Warner Bros. dropped Grant Lee Buffalo. Breaks my heart. I tihnk Grant Lee Phillips is as talented as they come. Maybe a Rykodisc or someone will pick 'em up. Amen. A band that probably doesn't have a bad record in 'em. They had a brilliant track on last year's "Velvet Goldmine" soundtrack called "The Whole Shebang," which came across as equal parts GLB and "Hunky Dory"-era Bowie. For my money one of the best songs to come out last year that you never heard. For that matter, the movie was certainly flawed, but the soundtrack was a blast. --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: your worst fears realized
Neal Weiss writes: Well, I can vouche for LA Weekly being a credible journalistic voice. (I used to write for them, how could they not be? g) Heads would roll in the halls of that there publication if this article was a fraud. Yeah, I remember when I used to think the same thing about the Boston Globe. "The Globe? Make up stories? It'll never happen" Oh, we were innocent then! We had a song in our hearts and a spring in our step! But it *is* an interesting piece, if true. Now I'm wracking my brain trying to figure out who the anonymous executive might be. Any irresponsible theories anyone? --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: your worst fears realized
Neal writes: I tried to find out from my Weekly connex. Was told that even the publisher wasn't divulging. Think major label with smaller roster, right? At least it has to be a bigger player if he's making seven figures and answering to people who make eight or nine. What about pre-merger Interscope? Iovine? Or Hollywood Records. Or... There are a bunch of clues littered throughout the article. I'd guess that the individual is in his fifties, since he seems to have once had the idealism of the '60s generation. He also works for a label that has one of the divas under contract. Though Sony has Barbra Streisand, Mariah Carey, and Celine Dion, we can probably count out Mottola, unless it *is* Mottola and that was thrown in to throw armchair sleuths like us off the track. Who else? Whitney Houston at Arista? Madonna at Warner? Reba McEntire at MCA? There's also the suggestion that he didn't come up through the ranks at his current label; that he was a middle-level staffer somewhere else who was lured to his current job for whatever reason. I'd also guess that he's a fairly prominent liberal Democrat, though that doesn't exactly narrow it down in the entertainment industry. Bono is also mentioned; someone who was associated with Island or Polygram at one time, perhaps? --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: Charlie Feathers
Regarding the question on the 2-disc Charlie Feathers set, here's the answer from Revenant. --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts - Begin forwarded message -- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [RaB-HoF] Re: Charlie Feathers on Revenent Date: Sun, 28 Mar 1999 22:09:54 EST Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] After reading onthis mailing list that the excellent Charlie Feathers set may be pulled from the market for legal reasons, I e-mailed Dean Blackwood of Revenent Records. The following is his reply. I can't comment on it since I don't know anything about that being the case. There was some confusion about the clearing house from whom we licensed all the tracks but I believe we have cleared this up. Haven't heard anything different. Let me know from whom you are hearing this. thanks To unsubscribe from this mailing list, or to change your subscription to digest, go to the ONElist web site, at http://www.onelist.com and select the Member Center link from the menu bar on the left. Sponsored by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame http://www.rockabillyhall.com - End forwarded message --
Re: Steve 'n' Del
Tucker Eskew writes: Drove out to Annandale instead to catch the last set of an apologetically croaky Bill Kirchen. So how was Kirchen? (as if he could be anything but excellent) Amen...This man is a master. The be sure to check out the brand-spankin' new Jack Smith album, "Can't Help Myself" on the New Jersey-based Run Wild label. Kirchen produced the album and plays guitar on about 2/3 or it. --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: Country Music mag's new format
vgs399 writes: What I have been reading for some time is the website Country Standard Time, which I think does a pretty good job of informing us on the doings of all matters country in an objective format. Come to think of it, if they published a magazine I would subscribe...except I'd like to see more in-depth reviews and articles. Yet, I believe the editors keep these relatively short in order to conserve space. Actually, there *is* a print version of "C.S.T." and you *can* subscribe. It's published nine times per year. Send a check for $22.50 to: Country Standard Time/54 Ballard Street/Newton Centre, Massachusetts 02459. For what it's worth, several people here (Jon Weisberger, Stuart Munro, and me, for instance) are regular contributors to the magazine. Yes, space is limited in the magazine, though not so much on the website, so reviews tend to be kept around 175 words. Cover stories tend to be about 1,600 words, regular stories about 1,200, and one-page stories are about 700 or so. --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Ray Price
Just forwarded to me by Jeff Remz from "Country Standard Time." I just *knew* that Ray was still a hellraiser. --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts Price Faces Drug Charges (Last updated 4:14 AM ET March 24) (MOUNT PLEASANT, Texas) -- Country crooner Ray Price has been arrested on drug charges. The Grammy award-winning singer was arrested last week and charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia at his Texas ranch. He was fined 700 dollars.
Re: Tom Waits Meets Matt Cook at SXSW
I remember when I was running a record store there was a writer in his mid-50s named Richard who used to come in once in a while. He had been out of the music scene for quite a few years and came in occasionally to pick my brain and get musical suggestions. It was around this time that Asylum was reissuing Waits' early albums, so I suggested that he pick up the reissue of "Small Change," which has long been my favorite of the Asylum-era records. So he bought it and took off. A couple of hours later I had gone downstairs to get a soda and when I came back up my assistant manager told me that Richard had called. "No foolin'? What'd he want?" "He said 'Fucking awesome' and that he was coming right back down to buy everything else we had by Tom Waits." Sure enough, he cleaned us out an hour later. Guess he really liked "Tom Traubert's Blues." Wasted and wounded... Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: Live Mott
Steve Kirsch writes: OK, so there I stood in my local indie shop holding this apparently just-released live 2-disc Mott the Hoople album from the Mick Ralphs days. It has one show from 1973 or so from Philly and another from some other town. And it was about $23. Anyone heard it? It's not a boot, but I've never seen it before. Almost bought it 'cause I'm a bit of a fanatic, but on the other hand I want to make sure it's better than the live one I own on vinyl, which is over-the-top high-energy, but laced with awful lead work by Ariel Bender. Anyone? This isn't that live-in-Sweden one that came out a few months back, is it? If so, a friend of mine bought that and swears by it. He also has the new import 3-disc boxed set. I've seen that at Newbury Comics a couple of times but haven't picked it up yet myself. There's a real good MtH boot that I have at home of BBC and live tracks; nearly all from the Atlantic period (read: heavy as hell). --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: waddy wachtel
Stevie Simkin writes: Am I right in assuming that the well-known session guitarist Waddy Wachtel is the same Wachtel who wrote the beautiful "Maybe I'm Right" on Ronstadt's "Simple Dreams" album? And was this a one-off, or is he familiar for his songwriting? If it IS a one-off, did he just get struck by lighting one day, or what? I'm not sure if he's ever done a solo album, though I remember that Wachtel teamed up with some other studio pros around '79 or '80 for an album under the group name of Ronin; Wachtel being the lead singer, if memory serves. It's been probably twenty years since I've heard anything from it, though I remember it actually being halfway decent; kinda Stonesy, I think. I see the album turn up in used bins once in a great while. --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: Clip: New Faces Show
vgs399 writes: Don't know about the MTV thing, but FWIW, he's the guy married to Lorrie Morgan, if that helps you. Yeah,he's not the Real World guy. And, concerning to whom he's married, he's a lucky, lucky man. If I was in his boots I'd have a good reason to never leave the house. --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: Has Anyone Actually seen this?
Keith Beck writes: While looking up a movie in a video guide, I came across this entry: HILLBILLIES IN A HAUNTED HOUSE(1967) Unbelievably bad mishmash of country corn and horror humor. 88m Director:Jean Yarborough Cast:Ferlin Huskey, Joi Lansing, Don Bowman, John Carradine, Lon Chaney Jr., Basil Rathbone, Molly Bee, Merle Haggard, Sonny James. Yikes Yikes, indeed. I've *seen* it. It's...er...pretty painful. --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Hellcountry/Bourbonaires
I didn't get a chance to thank Stacey Taylor before I headed out last night, but last night's Hellcountry gig was a hoot. I got the impression from her that the attendance was the best they've seen so far. Maybe the recent mentions in the Herald, the Globe, and "Country Standard Time" have had some good effect? We were particularly pleased with the audience reaction. Hellcountry audiences clearly know good music when they hear it. ;-) For those of you in the New York City area, we (the Bourbonaires) will also be playing next Saturday night (3/6/99) at the Rodeo Bar in Manhattan with another local rockabilly act, the Raging Teens. Come on down if you can make it. Thanks again, Miss Stacey. The local scene won't be the same without you. --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: Austin city Limits/ Knoxville Girl
Lance Davis writes: 2) Is there a version of "Knoxville Girl" which would be considered "definitive?" If so, who? If not, who are the candidates? For my money, it'd be the Louvin Brothers' version, but your mileage may vary. BR5-49 also did a decent version on their live EP that probably turned a lot of younger folks onto the song. I don't have my copy of the "Billboard" book in front of me, but I believe that the Wilburn Brothers also had a decent hit with the song circa 1960. --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: MonkEE Biz
a question about nesmith who i have always enjoyed for his strange post Monkees country stuff.are any of those early records on cd? his version of tumbling tumbleweeds is shear delight and his band was great with red rhodes on steel...the monkees were a gulity pleasure in my youth but nesmith's output deserves some respectanyone know about those early cd's at allgeez i am showin my age here aren't i... I think pretty much all of them are in print on disc, though if you're looking for "Tumbling Tumbleweeds," that's available on "The Older Stuff," which is a Rhino collection of his post-Monkees (mostly) country recordings. There's a second collection on Rhino called "The Newer Stuff," which is (mostly) non-country material that he was doing later in his solo career. Neither collection includes anything from his concept album, "The Prison," though that's also on disc, so you're set there, too, if you want. --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: Blodwyn Pig
Junior writes: You can see Mick Abrahams, of course, in the Stones' Rock n' Roll Circus video, back when he was the first guitarist for the dreaded Jethro Tull (yuck!). He was only on their very first album, but that still leaves a bad taste in my mouth thinking about it!! Um...that's actually Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi on guitar with Tull in the Circus; his only performance with the group during his infamous 2-week stint with the group. --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: Blodwyn Pig
I wrote: Um...that's actually Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi on guitar with Tull in the Circus; his only performance with the group during his infamous 2-week stint with the group. Junior responded: Good lord...g. I always assumed that had to be Mick A.!! I'm gonna rent and watch it tomorrow to see. All I can say is, it serves Tull right, seeing as Mick was great and they were obnoxious, etc I'm renting it asap to check this out. Thanks Jon!, A word of warning. I can't remember what the credits say on the video, but on the CD Mick A. is listed as the group's guitarist, in spite of the fact that the guitarist in the pictures is clearly Iommi (pre-moustache, but playing a leftie white SG). In fact, when the CD was first released I e-mailed "I.C.E." about the error (since they love to follow these things and embarass the guilty parties in print...) and they wrote back saying they had been told the same thing by a couple of other people and would follow up on it. As for the plastic fingertips on Iommi's right hand, you can see them in some Sabbath footage, though I didn't really look closely the one time I saw the Tull footage. You're on your own here. Other suggested threads on long-obscure acts: Lindisfarne, Stackridge, Hatfield and the North, Mud, Budgie, and Greenslade. --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: MonkEE Biz
Jim Caliguri writes: Um, Buddy I know it's a taste thing and you obviously love the Monkees, (hell I grew up with them too) but that show was pretty lame. JC, smilin' I'm with Buddy on this. It was brilliant. --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Today in History
While visiting my folks up in Keene, New Hampshire this weekend, my dad gave me a 1999 desk calendar he had picked up for $3 at Border's; published by the good folks at the Country Music Hall fo Fame. All kinds of useful tidbits lie within, so I'll probably share some of it with the group from time to time. Today in history: In a transformation worthy of Eliza Doolittle, Porter Wagoner - he of the wagon wheel rhinestone suits - officially went disco on this night in 1979. Appearing at Nashville's Exit/In nightclub, he performed dance mix renditions of old counry standards while the colored lights went crazy. "Country music is actually pretty close to disco or rock," he told a local reporter. "Hell, you can sing 'Y'all Come' to disco." --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: The Boudin Barndance Playlist - 1/28/99
Dan Ferguson writes: slowly goes the transmitter.. Neko Case Sadies /My '63 / 7" (Bloodshot) The Fendermen / Bertha Lou / (Dee Jay Jamboree) .going. The Dazzlers / Something Baby / Wild Rockabilly Vol. 1 (Lost Gold) .going. Deke Dickerson / Peroxide Blonde / #1 Hit Record (HMG) .going.and for all you Falcons fans . Andy Starr / The Dirty Bird / Dig Them Squeaky Shoes (Bear Family) gone. Damn ice! Gee, Dan, we used to go up on the roof during ice storms when I was a d.j. and whack the antenna with baseball bats and lead pipes. Where's your gumption?! --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: Barry and the Remains (Boston content)
Kat writes: Hi Jon - Thanks for posting the article about my friend Barry Tashian. I don't know if I would classify The Remains as punk (but what do I know?). The article didn't mention Barry's nine years (80-89) with Emmylou Harris (The Hot Band). Or his recent work with his wife, Holly (bluegrass duo). Barry and The Remains did their first reunion show this past September 23rd in Leon, Spain and another show at Coney Island High in October. Well, having been born in '64, I couldn't say when the term was first used. I've always heard that there was *some* usage of the phrase during that period, though you're absolutely right: the Remains were a (particularly good) garage band, though not a "punk" band in the same sense that I would describe, say, the Chocolate Watchband or the Sonics. I had previously posted something about the reunion a few months back because of an article in the Herald (which has a local country piece today, so keep a lookout for it!). Yeah, I also noticed that the article didn't really mention much about Tashian's more recent activity, though I'd guess that has to do with the legendary status that the Remains have at this point. For all those in the NY area - Another friend of mine, Dale Watson will be at the Rodeo Bar in NYC on April 1st. Dale is also scheduled 3-31 at the Tin Angel in Philly. On 3-2 Dale will be in Richmond at Moondance. Looks like he's only making it as far north as New York on this trip. No chance of a Beantown date? --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Barry and the Remains (Boston content)
From today's Boston Phoenix. --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts The two preeminent punks bands to come out of Boston in the '60s, the Remains and the Lost, are making plans to share a bill at Avalon on March 20. This will be the first local show for either band since a brief Remains reunion in the '70s. Fronted by latter-day country artist Barry Tashian, the Remains made the classic single "Don't Look Back" and opened for the Beatles at Shea Stadium in 1965; Tashian has lately revived the group for a couple of recent New York shows. Willie Alexander's original band, the Lost, haven't played anywhere in more than 30 years. The week of the show will also see a reissue of the Lost's long-unavailable Capitol sessions on Arf-Arf. --Brett Milano
