Category: Music

Friday is for Rawk! IV (on Saturday)

Lemmy from Motorhead at the Warfield Theater, San Francisco. This might have been around his 80th birthday, but I can’t be sure. This show was especially memorable, not just because we saw a septugenarian playing a Rickenbacker, but because of the incredible sound pressure that was generated inside the aging show house.  I have been to way too many shows through the years but this was easily the loudest concert I have ever heard. Taking picutres was difficult as you got closer to the stage because the sound was vibrating the camera so much as to make focussing difficult. Rawk awn!
 

Friday is for Rawk 3

 This is one of the favorites in my collection. Akira Takasaki of the Japanese band Loudness raging at the now defunct Stone in San Francisco. This band is huge in Japan but only picked up a niche following in the U.S. Technically brilliant, Takasaki is a virtuoso guitar player and the rest of the band keeps up with him. The only drawback for American ragers is that we spoke little Japanese and the phoenetic English that was used in some of the songs was very difficult to understand.

Interesting side note, these guys almost made it to my wedding. Ten minutes more…but alas it was not to be. The singer also showed up back in the Bay Area about a year later looking for a woman to marry so that he could stay in the US, but that is another story…
 

Friday is for Rawk 2

Pete Way of UFO. This was taken at a blow out concert in the old Oakland Auditorium. They were particularly hot at this show supporting the Mechanix album. They had stormed through the year before at a Day on the Green stadium show but the intimacy of the auditorium brought out their best.
 

Mavis Staples Continues the Fight

  The legendary Mavis Staples has treated us, just a couple of weeks ago, to a new album recalling the civil rights struggle that continues to this day in some quarters. We’ll Never Turn Back is equal part traditional spiritual and modern protest lyric, all of it driven by the deep soul-shaking voice of the soul and gospel marvel. After one listen you will be lost in her storytelling, singing that takes you back to the battle lines of the sixties and then carries you forward to the aftermath of Katrina. On the hundredth listen you will remain captivated by the strength of her voice, layered as it is over a perfectly stripped down backing band that includes Ry Cooder, drummer Jim Keltner, hip hop producer Mike Elizondo on bass and backing vocals provided by Ladysmith Black Mambazo and The Freedom Singers. This is a CD that will not leave your player for some time.

Every song on this album is a masterpiece on its own but the traditionals stand out. Mavis sings over the most austere of background music, eliciting an image of the small church gathered to raise their voices in praise. We Shall Not Be Moved and This Little Light of Mine take you to another place and remind you that there is much work to be done. Go now and buy this record. Then lock the doors, open the windows and turn up the volume. Never mind the neighbors, they can sing along as well.

Friday is for Rawk!

 
Randy Hansen at the Warfield Theater, San Francisco

Randy never quite got the fame that his talent deserved. He is best known for his Hendrix tribute in which he sings and plays so much like Jimi that it’s scary. He briefly broke out with original material for a few years, including the soundtrack to Apocalypse Now, but momentum was not on his side.

 

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Am I Ever Going to See Your Face Again? Rock & Roll Memories

Thanks to the miracle of YouTube and the folks who have assiduously collected video of forgotten bands, today we get to enjoy the dulcet tones of one of my favorite Aussie bands. Angel City had the chops but never really broke huge. I think it had to do with Doc Neeson’s voice; you either liked it or hated it. Give this song a listen and see what you think…

So, what did you think? That song came off of the album Face to Face. If I remember correctly, this is an American compilation of their Australian releases. On the record, you’ll be grabbed immediately by ‘Take a Long Line’ and ‘Marseilles’ along with the best cut, the one you just listened to. (You did, didn’t you?) The band goes by two names, The Angels and Angel City because of a conflict with another group of lesser lights bearing the same name. There is a current band of Europop/Electronic musicians using the moniker so be cautious when pawing through the bins of the Used CD World when searching them out. Covers with scantily clad women are your first clue.

Find out more about Angel City/The Angels here.