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Archives for September 2008

Canada’s Streetheart

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I never knew this, but the band Streetheart was Canadian band! Hum, something else for us to be proud of!

These guys were the first big rock concert that I saw at Ivor Wynne Stadium (originally Civic Stadium) in Hamilton! This was when Under my thumb was huge back when I was younger!

The band had so many hits over the years that they just seemed to be one of those bands that stood the test of time.

They weren’t always in your face, but were there politely sitting in the background, waiting for their turn.

Songs that stick out in my mind were Action, Hollywood, Here comes the night and Snow White.

Anyone else heard of these guys? I’m not sure if they were just big in Canada, but remained mainly obscure in the rest of the world.

Keep on Jammin’




Guitar players finger nails

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If you look at the picking fingers of a guitar player, don’t be surprised if you see long finer nails. So the next time you see a guy with long finger nails on one hand only, ask him if he’s a guitar player before jumping to any conclusions, ok?

I am a guitar player who plays many different styles of music. From classical, folk to SOME country and blues. I use a pick for the most part, I use a pick in combination with my fingers and I also use straight forward finger nails.

When I started playing classical guitar seriously, my nails were great. I took gelatin capsules and some nail hardener that my aunt, and beauty salon owner, told me to use. Maybe when your young, you have stronger nails? Anyone aware of this stat?

So I don’t have fake nails on all the time. I tend to put them on only when I know I will need them to play live somewhere OR if I’m working on perfecting a piece of music that I am working on at that time. Your finger nails, like your skin, need to breath.

If you have them on all the time, it can do some serious damage to them. They will become brittle and break like crazy. Aesthetically, it can make your nails, and even you, look like your some kind of weird person who lives on the fringes of society. If your into that sort of look, then look no further.

When I have them off, I do a light buff and apply a nail moisturizer to them once in a while. I can’t stress this enough.

I’ve tried things like Ecrnal, Triple Strong Gel and even crazy glue. Bruce Cockburn uses crazy glue, but it just doesn’t work for me. I’ve talked to countless people and there seems to be no other solution out there for me. Does anyone out there have the magic bullet that I am searching for?

Keep on Jammin’

Is the Guitar Solo dead

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Is the guitar solo really dead? Good question.

Once a intricate portion of any rock song, it seems to have skipped a musical generation of today’s Top 40 scene. To some listeners, if you play one you are dating yourself. The bands today, if you can call some of them that, seem to think that they take up too much precious air time. What the hell are they thinking/smoking?

Depending on your musical upbringing, you might now be praying for a musical messiah! Remember when Disco was at the height of musical fashion and you were of the Rock & Roll ilk? Everyone wanted to dig disco an early grave. Maybe we should entertain this train of thought for some todays bands?

Today’s musical style seems to be influenced by the alternative and the grunge scene of the 90’s. They seemed to have got the ball rolling on the decline of the guitar solo. They concentrated more on the means and lyrics of their songs. Let’s not even venture off into the dance or hip hop scene for the time being!

As for the general listening public of today, the intricate aspects of this lost art is well … lost! Should we also blame the bands themselves? Do they think it’s too hard to come up with new ideas to share with us OR is it the music industry stunting it’s grow? Why isn’t anyone out there using this tried and tested rock and roll tool? Ok, just maybe the hair bands of the 80’s went way over the top (or just plain showing off!) on this one, but lets try and rethink this one a bit shall we?

I think that the guitar solo’s of the 90’s and even todays’ bands, are not as singable as the fore fathers of the guitar solo intended them (knowingly or not) to be. Everyone in the world can hum along to the guitar solo in Hotel California, Stairway to Heaven and that ilk. So why can’t they do this now?

The public now seems more fixated on that little plastic guitar thingy called Guitar Hero. I honestly thought at first, this was a good thing, but the jury is still out on that one. They have these blistering solo’s in their play list from past guitar greats such as Van Halen or Jimi Hendrix on this toy. I for one am waiting for the next wave of guitar greats to be added to the collection! What’s your take on this one?

LONG LIVE THE GUITAR SOLO!!!

For the love of God, Keep on Jammin’

Illness puts Yes tour on hold or does it

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The super group YES, had to cancel their latest tour, due to asthma attacks that will sideline the bands lead vocalist Ian Anderson.

His physician told him that he just has to rest for six months after suffering an asthma attack. Respiratory problems are nothing to take lightly! I’ve seen what toll it can take on people personally … I work in a hospital … remember that SARs thing, I do?

Anyway, because of his health issue, Ian Anderson is “deeply disappointed” but realizes one’s health must take priority!

“You can’t ever really replace Jon Anderson, because he’s been such a force in the music business,” Squire said. “We look upon his replacement as more of an understudy.”

So how does one replace this little iconic powerhouse of a vocalist … you simple go and search on Youtube like everyone else does. Da, Da, enter Benoit David.

His band is called CLOSE TO THE EDGE as well as the symphonic rock band Mystery, is from Montreal Canada!

Chris Squire, the bands bass player and only other founding member of YES, and YES is back on tour again! Chris found this guy on Youtube with his YES tribute band playing Close to the Edge and just like that, YES is back on the road!

Chris admits that it’s impossible to replace the diminutive singer, but they can have an under study.

So decide for yourself, worthy or not worthy?

I sure as hell wouldn’t want to fill those shoes … no matter what his size is.

Keep on Jammin’

Richard Wright of Pink Floyd has died

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A founding member of Pink Floyd has lost his battle with cancer. We have just lost more then a fabulous musician, but the idea of a way of thinking how we listen to music! The man was the keyboardist of Pink Floyd, imagine their music without keyboards.

Let’s pray that he does go to the great gig in the sky.

And I am not frightened of dying, any time will do, I don’t mind. Why should I be frightened of dying? There’s no reason for it,

Keep on Jammin’ Richard, where ever you are


Paradise Skies Max Webster

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This was, in my mind, Canada’s greatest Rock and Roll band of all time!

I think they had more in the tank then they let on.

This is a really weird video from a show called UK Gold. This was when the band was touring support of the Million Vacations album. So, for all you Max fans out there, Enjoy!

Keep on Jammin’ Max and the Maxa Machine!

Seven Ages of Rock

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The BBC has produced one more gem of the documentary! This informative Rock and Roll documentary titled the Seven Ages of Rock was great to watch right from start to finish.

It was my wife’s birthday this past weekend and while at home eating her favorite Greek take-out food, we came across this amazing show that i just happened to tape earlier on in the week. The segment we took in was the We are the Champions section. It talked about, and with, some of the Arena Rock bands and how they achieved mastering this part of our R & R experience. The BBC brought us through it’s evolution of this period and how it shaped us morally and politically and it didn’t disappoint.

We both love all the bands of that era and the way they explored the sequence of it. Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Police, U2, Dire Straights, Kiss and to a lesser extent Springsteen. I realize I’ll take some heat for my comment about Springsteen from some of my readers, but that is for another future post.

This one hour doc was even making our puppy Midnight sit up and take notice (we’ll take any help to settle her down where we can get it!) It had all of the standard nostalgic rock doc footage, but it also brought us behind the scenes of the bands inner workings of their business dealings. The best and most insightful in this regard was from The Police’s Stewart Copeland.

The hats off best musical guitar lesson was from Mark Knopfler. He just casually picks up his trusty axe and shows us how he plays Money for Nothing from the 1985 album Brothers in Arms. That was just plain and simply amazing!

I’ve tried for years to figure out this song in many different ways, but I was never quite satisfied with my own end results. So when he picked up his Les Paul, and started showing us exactly how he plays this tune practically note for note, I almost died! So did my wife because we have a PVR (or TVo to my US readers) that allows me to go back and forth to pick apart any section of the video that is recorded with ease.

Having and using this piece of technology, is what helps in driving my wife up the wall and down the other side. The other is when I re-play the song for ever, because I am so annul in reproducing ANY song on guitar. If you have the ability to tape this part of the program and you honestly want to play this tune properly, them tape it! You WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!

OR, just check this out!

The only bands that where noticeable absent in the segment was Pink Floyd and The Who. Thank God they were in the first two programs. Otherwise, we both give this one 2 thumbs up! And, if the situation presented itself, I’d get the DVD for my collection … and I can be quite tight with my money!

Keep on Jammin’

How long should an election take

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This past Sunday, the Prime Minister of Canada, dissolved the government, thus opening the door for an October 14th Federal Election. From start to finish, the process will take 37 days.

This, I promise, will be a short (just like me) general post!

My wife in I live in the Danforth area of Toronto, which happens to be in Jack Layton’s NDP ridings. The biggest musical supporters are the Barenaked Ladies, which I find outlandishly entertaining! I’ve never seen them live before, but I hope to ends this little streak soon.

So my question here is, why does it take America about 2 years to do it? To us Canadians, it seems like the US elections has been dragging on for years now. This isn’t a regular length of time, is it? Why is it taking so long?

Keep on Jammin’

Journey Concert in Toronto

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This super group of the from late 1978 to the present, played in Toronto last night at the Molson Amphitheater. This also happens to be the band’s new lead singer’s, Arnel Pineda’s, birthday. I bet he put on a fabulous show this night!

I have been a fan of Journey for some time now. I remember figuring out how to play Don’t Stop Believing on the piano when I was attending St. John’s High School in Brantford and I played it all the time. The vocalist Steve Perry range was unforgettable and some of the guitar work was just so in your face.

I only regret that I did not get the opportunity to have played any of their songs with Pylis. Now that was tragic indeed. Anyway your want it, would have been the best fit in mind!

The former lead singer Jeff Scott Soto is replaced by Arnel Pineda. Arnel is from Quezon City in the Philippines. While looking for a replacement for Jeff, Guitarist Neal Schon, located Arnel on youtube singing many tunes with his band The Zoo. He got a hold of him through youtube and the rest is history.

This show also had Heart and Cheap Trick on the billing. This would of been one hell of a show to see, I wish that we could have been there for this one!

Keep on Jammin’

So how was your summer of 2008

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Ours was uneventful, but we all had a ball just hanging out together! It rained like it’s never had before, but we hung in there.

IMG_4908 copy Our area rec’d the most rainfall ever and we’re expecting an early winter, at least we’re not receiving any of that nasty hurricane weather like our neighbors to the south, hang in there gang!. We don’t mind the fall at all, but this last winter we had record snow fall. It could have been worst!

We went swimming in Lake Ontario multiple times, went walking through some neat streams in our immediate area and had a beer on a really nice, high end patio with midnight at Woofstock 2008!

It was our first summer with Midnight, since she was a puppy when we first got her, and I wouldn’t have traded it for the world! The pictures that midnight will remind both of us of the fun we had during those cold winter months. IMG_4893

So let’s sit back, enjoy and savor these last warm summer evenings in the lawn chairs and have a light refreshing beverage (that’s code for wobbly pop) like we are with midnight, as we speak! No, she has her own seat at the backyard table, it wasn’t mine.

What did you guys do over the summer?

Until we drink again!

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