The History of It All

Perhaps it's a reflection of my age. Well... I know it is. But it's obvious to me that history doesn't seem to be having an effect on Generation "why/who cares" as it did on previous eras of earthly occupants. It's very disconcerting when I speak to fellow Canadians who've never heard of the FLQ and how they caused the federal government to enforce the War Measures Act in 1970. Or to Americans of the similar generation who have no idea who G. Gordon Liddy is and what he and his cronies were caught doing just a few years later.

I'm not going to turn this into a political rant but am using the aforementioned examples as a segue into the regular subject matter of this forum: music & pop culture. I find it stunning that mentioning certain names from just a generation ago, names that were dominant in rock'n'roll music, draws looks of an authentic reaction of "Who?" while maintaining eye contact from those I question. It's jaw dropping to realize that no one under 40 has a copy of "Frampton Comes Alive." A lot of time has gone by very quickly. And music has developed in new, innovative ways. But don't sell yourselves short by denying the opportunity to a) discover what preceded your initial interest in music and b) expose these musicians and enjoy the talent they possess. Appreciate the time and place of where they were and what was going on around them that provided these songwriters with ideas and the musicians who helped interpret them.

The Beatles are as good a start as anywhere. True that Presley and Chuck Berry gave them the want to do what they did but The Beatles broke down barriers that most people didn't know existed. The Stones were more despicable than what we remember Guns'n'Roses were at their prime and what they wrote and played caused parents to want to hire assassins and have taken out. OK. I'm exaggerating but I'm just making a point. Artistic license, let's go with that! The Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 exposed Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, The Who and Jimi Hendrix, amongst others, to the masses who didn't belong to a cult following. Have you listened to Otis Redding sing? If Redding hadn't died 5 months later many people "in the know" believe he would have surpassed James Brown. Google him if you have to. And Woodstock 2 years later drove the nail through the board. Alvin Lee blazing through "I'm Goin' Home," with Ten Years After, was the first Randy Rhodes or Kirk Hammitt. (Please use only as a point of reference). I remember in high school my friends and I didn't acknowledge the existence of anyone who didn't listen to Hendrix.

Hearing bands like Humble Pie. Steve Marriott and company epitomized "hit the road and tear it up." Joe Perry has spoken about getting charged after cranking up Deep Purple's "Highway Star" just before he went to school in the morning. We knew every note of the full length version of "In A Gadda Da Vida." OK. That was a bit much. But it drove my father insane, to which now I have an appreciation for how he felt whenever I get "boom boxed." You know what I mean. Zeppelin dominated everywhere. I loved Grand Funk Railroad, the most dated sounding band from back then. And if you were born after 1960 you have no idea the shock and parental havoc David Bowie had on the world when he fronted "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars." I've had several occasions to spend time with Spider's bassist Trevor Bolder in the past and he's told stories of having the Ku Klux Klan show up at their second U.S. gig. I'd love to talk to the booking agent who decided Memphis, Tennessee would be a good place to play.

So much was happening at the time. When Mott the Hoople released their 4th LP (the big black disc) "Brain Capers" I was exposed to a whole new version of the British Invasion, the previously mentioned Deep Purple, Bowie and Humble Pie. T Rex. Black Sabbath made us feel invincible (smile.) Uriah Heep, Jethro Tull were certainly different. Robin Trower. Queen started up. Listen to "Ogre Battle." I was never a fan of the "cosmic rock" side of things (Genesis, Yes, Pink Floyd, Hawkwind, Gentle Giant) but they definitely had their fans. Rory Gallagher and Foghat gave it straight.

It's all about the history of it. Discover a past just "spewing" of talent. There are millions of Aerosmith fans but their early material is unknown to most of them. Listen to "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust" and follow the directions printed on the album jacket: "TO BE PLAYED AT MAXIMUM VOLUME." Humble Pie delivered a thorough sample of rock, funk and blues. You must buy a Blu-Ray/DVD copy of "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Rolling Stones." They actually had distinctive harmonies and endings to their songs. Deep Purple's "Pictures of Home", Ten Years After's "I'd Love to Change the World", Chicago's "Feeling Stronger Everyday."

There is so much history that's available with the click of a mouse. I've been fortunate to have made friends with a few folks from back then and whenever we speak or email, new memories are recalled and shared. In the meantime take advantage of the easy access to these artists and understand their work. It's important. Depending on your taste start with Stevie Wonder's "Innervision," Rod Stewart's "Every Picture Tells A Story," "Mott" by Mott the Hoople, "The NewYork Dolls," the previously mentioned Ziggy or "Alladin Sane," "Nilsson Schmilsson," The Stones' "Exile on Main Street" and Springsteen's "Born to Run." "Meeting Across the River" makes you feel like you're there. Let me know what you discover.

Peace out!

I've led a life I wish I could "do over" but wouldn't trade the experiences I've had for any options I can think of. Visit my website http://rockbandsandartists.com/

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Music and Movies: History of the Soundtrack - Pt 1

Music and film have always gone together. In fact, before 'talkies' came along, the only sound you'd hear in a silent movie would be music. Silent film star, Charlie Chaplin was one of the finest physical comedians to ever grace the silver screen. But despite this, without music in the background, even his best films would be missing something. There's no doubt about it, music adds an emotional element to whatever may be occurring on film. Music can enhance and punctuate the entire spectrum of human emotion. Can anyone imagine a movie without music? Would you even want to?

One the first great musicals, the 1939 fantasy masterpiece and timeless classic, "The Wizard of Oz", starring the velvet voiced Judy Garland, is probably most peoples' first exposure to a movie musical. The longtime children's classic about a Kansas farm-girl named, Dorothy, who, along with her dog, Toto, is whisked away by a tornado to the magical land of Oz. There she befriends many strange and wonderful characters and makes a serious enemy in the form of a wicked witch, as she tries to get back home. Along with the imaginative story, the songs such as, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "Ding Dong, the Witch is Dead!", have since become a part of our popular culture. That same year, the first full length color film, the sweeping epic, "Gone With the Wind", about life in the south before,during, and after the civil war. The film's main musical theme was widely popular and still recognizable even today. Another very popular soundtrack was Walt Disney's first full length animated film, the classic, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". Released in 1937, Snow White made musical and movie history by being the first film to have it's soundtrack transferred to record disk. Other notable Disney film soundtracks were 1940's "Pinocchio" and the animated and live action, "Mary Poppins", released in 1964.

In 1955, Rodgers and Hammerstein's broadway musical, "Oklahoma", was brought to the big screen. Director, Fred Zinnemann fillmed the movie in the wide open spaces of Arizona. The visually beautiful film was big, bright, and colorful. However, the cinematography did not overpower Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical score, but rather complemented it. Oklahoma is classic musical film fare for all audiences. Remember "Oh What a Beautiful Mornin"? That song, along with other classics graced the film's soundtrack. Another Rodgers and Hammerstein musical brought to the big screen in 1965 with movie classic results, is the beautifully filmed, "Sound of Music". The memorable songs and Julie Andrew's outstanding performance as the governess of a wealthy man's children in Nazi occupied Austria, is a wonderful musical about the human spirit's ability to be uplifted by song in the face of unspeakable madness.

In 1961, we saw a musical retelling of Shakespeare's,"Romeo and Juliet" in the film "West Side Story". Starring the beautiful Natalie Wood, the story revolves around two rival gangs, the 'Jets', a white gang, and a Hispanic gang called the 'Sharks'. Complications arise when Maria,(Wood), the sister of the Sharks gang leader falls in love with the leader of the Jets. True, the fighting/dancing sequences are a bit corny, but the songs in the film, such as, "Somewhere", "I Feel Pretty", and of course, "When You're a Jet" are all classics. In fact, the 2003 film, "Anger Management", starring Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson, there's a scene in which Nicholson playfully goads Sandler into singing, "I Feel Pretty", to ease his tensions. 42 years later, and yes, youthful audiences may not have known where the song came from, but they recognized it.

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Gretsch Guitars - Their Early History

White Falcon. Chet Atkins Hollow Body 6120. These are two of the most famous electric guitars made by the celebrated Gretsch Guitar Company, founded in 1883. There have been many new reissues and similar models. Any Gretsch, though, is marked by a tendency to feedback and have baffling controls. These guitars have been described as coolly beautiful, stylishly glamorous, and tonally weird.

Founder Friedrich Gretsch started crafting drums, banjos, and tambourines. He died at the young age of 39, and his widow Rosa determined that their 15-year-old son should quit school at Wright's Business College for immediate exposure to the real world. Teenager Fred Gretsch directed his youthful enthusiasm into growing the Fred Gretsch Manufacturing Company, which would become the maker of its storied instruments.

This early growth took place in a large ten-story building at 60 Broadway in Brooklyn, alongside the path to the Willamsburg Bridge crossing the East River. Back in the 1910s, the most popular stringed instrument was not the guitar but the banjo. The guitar began to eclipse the banjo in the early 1920s and early 1930s because it was more versatile and appealing. Gretsch started to use its own name as a brand for its guitars in 1933, a line of archtop acoustics. These guitars, including the Gretsch American Orchestra Series and Broadkaster model, were not particularly unique. When the Synchromatic line replaced them in 1939, however, the pros began to take Gretsch guitars seriously. These instruments were larger, louder, and had cat's eye or triangular soundholes.

In 1940, Dick Sanford and Clarke Van Ness wrote a song called, "When I Play on my Gretsch Guitar", performed by singing cowboy Red River Dave. The lyrics went, "When the shadows grow/And the lights are low/Then I play on my Gretsch guitar/As I touch the strings/Like a voice it sings/It's the voice of my love afar".

A key addition to the guitar team was "Duke" Kramer. The company had a meeting in New York in 1946 to decide whether they wanted to pursue a jobber-distributor type operation, or whether to go for the big time and sell its products under the Gretsch logo. It was a crucial turning point. They went for their own brand reputation. On drums and guitars, Gretsch stopped selling to catalog houses and those who were only into low-price merchandise.

Fred Gretsch, Jr. wrote in the brochure Your Gretsch Guitar Guide, "A Gretsch guitar truly glorifies the talents of the artist who commands it". Hyperbole aside, this brochure heralded the new emphasis on guitars for pros. Gretsch issued a three-year guarantee for all of its guitars, covering any defects caused by faulty parts or workmanship. The market leader in electric guitars back then was Gibson. Gretsch entered the competition with its Electromatic II and Electro II cutaway body in 1951.

The early history of this guitar brand would not be complete without Jimmie Webster. A piano player and tuner, he became Gretsch's main ideas generator, combining his talents as a musician, inventor, salesperson, and global ambassador for Gretsch. He introduced the "Touch System". If you remember the "tapping" technique that Eddie Van Halen and others made famous in the 1980s, then you get a picture of Webster's way of producing chordal rhythms. His left hand would make a rapid hamming-on motion, and he would play the melody at the same time, using a pick by tapping the strings against the upper fingerboard with his right-hand fist. He would add a baseline with his thumb. This was like patting your head and rubbing your stomach simultaneously. One Gretsch guitar sounded like two.

All about body electric guitars including Ibanez and Gretsch at: gretch.

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Japanese Zen Flute Shakuhachi - History, Information and Facts

The shakuhachi is a Japanese end-blown flute. It is the Japanese most well-known woodwind instrument. The shakuhachi flute (or also known as Zen flute) is used by Zen Buddhist as a tool for meditation as well as playing jazz, classical and traditional Japanese folk music. This flute is made from the very bottom of a bamboo tree, but versions now exist in ABS and hardwoods.

Although the bamboo flute is quite simple in appearance, but it is very difficult to play; its unique and magical quality is revealed to the listeners by the purity of its tone. In the hands of a master, the flute produces an extraordinary, subtle, sensual music - prized as being perfect for meditation and relaxation. Its beautiful, soulful sound made it popular in 80's pop music in the English-speaking world.

The name shakuhachi is derived from the term "isshaku hassun" meaning one shaku and eight sun (1.8 Japanese feet). Usually the term shakuhachi refers to the standard size instrument, which is 54.5 cm in length, but it can also refer to many different sizes ranging from 1.3 - 2.5 shaku (39.4 - 75.7 cm) and longer. The shakuhachi is usually made from the root portion of a thick-walled bamboo (known as madake in Japanese).

There are two contrasting styles of making these instruments: the first involves using a style that is similar to the Zen Buddhist monks from the past. There is no filler in this shakuhachi and it is also sometimes called as ji nashi or hocchiku. If you look down the bore of a ji nashi, you can see some nodes of the bamboo protruding. While the second style has a filler made up of a certain mixture of ingredients, possibly including a powder called tonoko, lacquer or urushi and water. This is finished to create a polished surface.

Shakuhachi can be made in one piece (it is called as nobekan) or in two pieces with a middle joint (this also called as nakatsuki). Two of them has no difference in quality, only the two piece is easier to transport and often contains filler. The top part of shakuhachi is called utaguchi - literally 'song mouth', and this contain an insert made of various materials such as buffalo horn, ivory and plastic. Its shape is based on the preference of different schools.

Shakuhachi flute is possibly the simplest non-percussive instrument ever conceived. This instrument has no keys or pads like a western flute, no strings like a violin or guitar, no mechanism inside like organ or piano, no reed like a clarinet or saxophone, it does not even have a mouthpiece like the recorder. Zen flute has only five finger holes, which is fewer than the penny whistle or many other wind instrument. To play a note, your mouth and lips must become part of the instrument. Despite this simple construction, this instrument can produce an inconceivably broad range of musical sounds.

The Zen flute came from China to Japan some time in the 6th century. The instrument was then adopted by a sect of Zen Buddhist monks around the 15th century. During this period, the flutes began to be made from the spiked root section of the bamboo - so the flute could double as a particularly ferocious weapon. That probably explains the flute's long association with the martial arts.

Feng shui bamboo flutes are used to ward off the bad chi whereas the lucky bamboo plants are used to attract wealth.

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3 Essential Ska Records - A History Lesson In Ska

People of all ages can enjoy the great sound of ska music. Finding out which records to purchase, however, can be a bit of a daunting task. With so many different bands, and albums released to the general public for the last half century, some music fans could be lost in the record store, but there's hope for a brighter future. After some careful research, this list came to being, and can help people of all ages get into the mighty music that is a close relative to reggae, and stands alone as one of the enduring styles of music for all ages. The following are 3 essential ska records to learn about the history of the genre.

Trojan Ska Rarities Box Set - 50 tracks across 3 compact discs, with every band that made a difference in the musical creation of this genre can be found on this box set. The Trojan Box Sets are often times rare and hard to find, but for those that are willing to drop upwards of $30 on each set, bliss comes quickly. No other compilation of music can truly be recommended for this genre, outside of the Trojan brand.

This Is Ska - A more modern take on the musical form from Jamaica is found on this compilation, and while it is not quite as massive as the aforementioned, it still packs a punch. This two-disc collection of ska music contains tracks from The Specials, The Selecter, Judge Dredd, The Heptones, Bad Manners and so many more. The two-tone artwork is a dead giveaway to the contents found on the 2-disc set.

Best of Ska - 54 tracks from all over the world, makes this set a must own. This set of music will create a foot tapping chorus line for anyone listening. Some of the bands featured include Madness, Rico, Desmond Dekker, The Maytals, Special AKA, The Melodians, The Swinging Cats, Carlos Malcolm and so many other big names in the genre, than most other collections. This amazing set rivals the aforementioned, but stands alone as a stand-alone option to collect.

The preceding was 3 essential records for anyone looking for a history lesson in the genre of ska music. Not everyone can appreciate the horn sections, bass lines, and great tonality that comes from this brand of music, but for those that can, the jazz notes transcend all others, creating a noise that is infectious.

Sir Jorge is the author of casketsalesman, a blog dedicated to media reviews and random rants about pop culture.

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