TimmyB

I totally disagree with you Northern Wish, Robbie Robertson can not be held accountable for the deaths of his former band mates.

I've read Levon Helm's book and it looks like to me that he is just a bitter man because Robertson wanted to end the band and Levon didn't. Helm also was bitter about who got credit for the songs, which to an extent might be justified, but why didn't anybody else, especially Garth Hudson for "Chest Fever" complain about it?

Richard Manual suffered from drug and alcohol abuse long before Robbie disbanded the Band. As did Rick Danko.

Robbie Robertson delievered the eulogy at Rick Danko's funeral. Rolling Stone magazine was interviewing Levon Helm at the time and took the inteviewer to the funeral. Which I think is absolutely ridiculous that Helm took the journalist to the funeral. While Robertson was giving the eulogy Helm had to leave! Leave, one of his best friend and band mates funeral because of his bitterness over Robertson. You would think that you should be able to put aside your differences for one day, especially the day of one of your best friends funeral. But I guess he was too busy giving Rolling Stone an interview.

As for Garth Hudson he as actually declared bankruptcy five times the most recent being only a little over a year ago. I do not think Robertson should be responsible for a former band mate and that band mates money mismanagement decades after the group split.

Finally I don't begrudge anybody for deciding not to tour anymore. If Robbie Robertson didn't want to perform live anymore or be in the Band, that is his right. Just as Trey Anastasio doesn't want to be in Phish anymore. Obviously there are differences between the two as I'm sure Trey will still be touring in different groups and alone, where Robbie decided to never tour again. But this is a free society in which we live and we should be happy for what artists have given us and not want to suck the life right out of them.

Though I liked Howard Dean I feel that it is good that John Kerry has picked John Edwards. I say this as Kerry is from Massachusetts and Dean is from Vermont which would have had the two both from the northern states.

While Edwards is from North Carolina spliting them in the north and the south. Which makes a difference to a lot of the voters in the south.

With Michael Moore making over $42 million in two weeks with his film Fahrenheit 9/11 hopefully we will be saying goodbye to Bush in November.

Everytime I try and get onto my hotmail account, it tells me that my cookies are all screwed up. Which is strange because I haven't done anything with my cookies, except eat them with some milk. So I have to continuously go into my Tool section and change a few things back and forth so I can access my e-mail account. It kind of sucks.

Today the great Robbie Robertson was born in 1944, making him sixty years old!

The Band are one of my all time favorite groups and I have been lucky enough to see Robbie Robertson perform on two occasions, since he stopped touring with the band in 1976.

I saw him in September of 1995 at Muncipal Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. Where he performed "The Weight" during the Concert For The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Concert. A couple of years later I was at his performce at the Canadian Aboriginal Awards at the Hummingbird Centre in Toronto. That night he played "The Code OF Handsome Lake" off his "Contact From The Underworld Of Redboy" album.

Robbie is one of the most underrated guitarists and songwriters ever and should be given more recognition for his accomplishments.

I agree with you PassedOutGuy, Warren Haynes at bonnaroo is amazing. I say this not yet owning the CD, though I should really get off my butt and pick it up.

I was at the Warren solo set on the What Stage on that beautiful Sunday afternoon a little over a year ago. It was a very tranquil and relaxing set. I especially enjoyed the Eagles and U2 covers that day.

I would love to see that gig, but unfortunately I'm already seeing a gig that night Eric Clapton at the ACC.

I think I might check out Crosby, Stills and Nash's 35th Anniversary Tour at Finger Lakes on Monday July 19th.

Also for anyone interested in members of CSN. Crosby and Nash will be releasing their first duo album since 1976 on August 10th on Sanctuary Records. They also plan to tour in the fall. I'll definitely be heading up that gig when it rolls around!

Hey whiteymuseum, I was wondering if you or anyone else for that matter, could tell me what time the Pete Best Band will be getting on, how many sets they will be doing and how long approximately will they be playing?

I ask this as I'll be seeing Eric Clapton at the ACC that night and would be willing to rush back to see the original Beatle drummer if I knew there was a chance to catch him, if even for a song or two.

I'm a little disappointed, wasn't the gig originally scheduled for Thursday July 8th and not the Wednesday?

Last night I saw one of those bands I grew up on, Van Halen. I first saw Van Halen on Canada Day in 1993 in Molson Park. I remembered that day fondly especially the last song of the night a cover of Neil Young's "Rockin' In The Free World." I also think back to my old friend Steve Carins who was right up front for that gig and threw a Van Halen banner up on stage that I helped him make. Sammy Hagar picked up the banner and drapped it over Eddie during "Panama." Good times.

I grew up in Burlington, ON and went to Central Public school. That was where I meet Cyberhippie nearly twenty years ago! But back then he wasn't known as Cyberhippie, he was just Trevor McCartney. One of the first conversations I ever remember having with Trev was in Mister Brooker's science class and I remember the conversation included Van Halen and David Lee Roth.

Last night as I went to relive some old childhood memories by seeing the recently reunited Van Halen with their second singer Sammy Hagar the Red Rocker. I didn't even consider asking my old friend Cyberhippie to go with me to this gig as I know he would have chuckled and politely said no. Not to my surprise I had a hard time finding anyone to go to this gig with me so I went solo.

The show started off with the opener Silvertide from Philadelphia, PA. I saw them only a month or two ago open for Velvet Revolver at Kool Haus. They are a very cheesy band that sound a bit like The Black Crowes but are nowhere near as good as the Crowes.

Van Halen took the stage at exactly 8:30pm and started off their show with "Jump." Talking about starting with a bang. It reminded me when the Rolling Stones started their Bridges To Babylon Tour in 1998 with "Satisfaction." It is the first number one hit for the band, the song that many people think defines the band and here it is in the opening song of the show.

After "Jump" the show hit an immediate roadblock with a couple of new songs that will end up on the new greatest hits package later this year and a bass solo by Michael Anthony and a drum solo by Alex Van Halen. Actually not often being a fan of the drum solo, I did enjoy Alex's last night and so did the crowd.

The second half of the show was a lot better for me with Roth classic's "Unchained," "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love," "Panama" and the Kinks' classic "You Really Got Me." Also great Hagar tunes like "Why Can't This Be Love," "Dreams," "Best Of Both Worlds" and to close the show "When It's Love."

During "Right Now" the band played the video on the screens that Halen allowed in the use of the the Pepsi advertisement for product that failed miserably, Pepsi Clear. The band had the video updated to show George W. Bush with the heading about something to do with regret.

Through out the show Sammy actually signed autographs for people up front. Some of the things that were signed were tickets stubs, CD and album covers and even a couple of bras, I guess they still have some groupies in 2004.

It's not like I put Halen on much anymore, but it was still a fun night for me and the main reason that almost everyone was at that gig, including me, was because of Eddie. Who looked great after his divorce from Valerie Bertinelli and his tongue cancer treatment. Though I still saw many a smokes on his headstock of his guitar through the course of the show.

Here's the set from the show last night.

Start time 8:30pm

1. Jump

2. Runaround

3. Humans Being

4. Up For Breakfast

5. Bass Solo

6. Call Me A Doctor (Michael Anthony lead vocals)

7. Poundcake

8. It's About Time

9. Drum Solo

10. Top Of The World

11. Unchained

12. Why Can't This Be Love

13. Where Eagles Fly> Deeper Kind Of Love (Sammy Hagar solo)

14. The Seventh Seal

15. Best Of Both Worlds

16. Guitar Solo (Includes "316" and "Eruption")

17. Dreams (not the Allman Brothers song you damn hippies)

18. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love

19. Right Now

Encore1: 20. You Really Got Me

21. Panama

Encore2: 22. When It's Love

End set: 10:37pm (Total time 2 hours and 7 minutes)

"Acadian Driftwood" by The Band

"Ambulance Blues" by Neil Young

"A Case Of You" by Joni Mitchell

"The Trees" by Rush

and Northern Wish I think the song you meant to say was "Prairie Town" by Randy Bachman

The lyrics for "Prairie Town" go

Born and raised in a prairie town

Just a kid full of dreams

We didn't have much but an old radio

Music came from places we'd never been

Growing up in a prairie town

Learning to drive in the snow

Not much to do so you start a band

And soon you've gone as far as you can go

Winter nights are long

Summer days are gone

Portage and Main 50 below

Springtime melts the snow

Rivers overflow

Portage and Main 50 below

Portage and Main 50 below

All the bands in a prairie town

Try to out-do the next in line

Learning records out of Liverpool

Dreams of England on their minds

On the other side of Winnipeg

Neil and the Squires played the Zone

But then he went to play

For a while in Thunder Bay

He never looked back and

He's never coming home

Just a band from a prairie town

Sometimes we'd drive from coast to coast

One call from L.A. and we'd pack and fly away

But in our hearts we're always pairie folks

Looking back at a prairie town

People ask me whay I went away

To fly with the best sometimes you have to leave the nest

But the prairies made me what I am today

Randy Bachman and Neil Young were friends back in the early sixties growing up in Winnipeg. After Randy wrote this song for his debut solo album released in 1992 titled "Any Road" (Koch). Bachman sent the lyrics to Neil in his California home to see what he though of it. Neil loved it so much that he invited a very surprised Bachman and his band to record it with him at his Broken Arrow Ranch in Redwood City, California. They also recorded videos of both the electric and acoustic versions of the song at Neil's ranch.

May Marlon Brando rest in peace. One of my all time favorite actors. The Godfather, Apocalypse Now and Superman are three of my favorite movies ever.

I interestingly enough just watched The Godfather a couple of nights ago and last night when I got home I put on The Godfather Part II.

I think I'll now put on Neil Young's "Rust Never Sleeps" and listen to "Pocahontas."

And maybe Marlon Brando

Will be there by the firre

We'll sit and talk of Hollywood

And the good things there for hire

And the Astrodome and the first tepee

Marlon Brando, Pocahontas and me

Marlon Brando, Pocahontas and me

Pocahontas

I do not know if Bill Cosby ever grew up in Harlem, or the south side of Chicago, or off of Eight Mile in Detroit, or in East Los Angeles, or anywhere in Baltimore, or the cardboard city looking on to the White House in Washington D.C..

There are too many places in the United States of America to mention where African Americans are oppressed and do not have even close to the same opportunites to that of what white America has.

While I was going out with an American in Richmond, Virginia off and on for over three years I was amazed how much it mattered that she lived in a certain area so her child could go to the better school district. I told her over and over again that in Canada if you lived in a certain region like the one I grew up in Halton, that all the schools were relatively the same and these were not often concerns of Canadian citizens.

Now here was a woman making over sixty thousand American annually and she was worried about being in the wrong area for her child. What kind of education in America do children get if their parents only make forty thousand or heaven forbid less than twenty thousand each year. Not a very good one let me tell you.

Bill Cosby should watch Michael Moore's new film "Fahrenheit 9/11" or even better his first film "Roger & Me" and see what happens in the United States of America if you don't make any money.

I'll tell you what happens to the majority of poor black children in America, they either end up in prison or the army.

As for the CNN poll, I'll start to listen to CNN when they actually start to show it's viewers real news intead of acting like a Entertainment Tonight or a Access Hollywood news show.

I'll be looking forward to seeing what is made avaliable. Frank Zappa is one of those artists that never got the respect that he deserved.

Everybody at one point will be listening to the greats ie. Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Pink Floyd, U2, Radiohead, etc. So my picks are albums that fall through the cracks.

DILLARD & CLARK "The Fantastic Expedition Of Dillard & Clark" (1968/A&M Records)

Originial Byrd Gene Clark could have been right up there with Gram Parsons in importance of creating country rock if it wasn't for his fear of flying. Ironic, eh? He was a Byrd that was afraid to fly.

Gene was quite the modest man as well, by not even having his name first on the billing with the duo he created with bonjoist Doug Dillard. The album also featured future Flying Burrito Brother and Eagle, Bernie Leadon playing guitar (Leadon will be at The Toronto [saturday July 17] and Ottawa [sunday July 18] Bluesfests in July along with another Byrd Chis Hillman. Both will be paying tribute to Gram Parsons each night), David Jackson on double bass and Don Beck on dobro.

Stand out tracks include "Train Leaves Here This Morning (Co-written with Leadon who took the song with him to the first Eagles album nearly four years later), "Why Not Your Baby", "The Radio Song" and "Git It On Brother."

Unfortunately Gene Clark died in 1992 after battling alcoholism for years.

BIG STAR "#1 Record" (1972/Stax Records)

This is one album that definitely everyone should have. Especially this being the debut and the only one with both Alex Chilton (former Box Top vocalist that sang the hit song "The Letter") and Chris Bell both on guitar and vocals. The who album was co-written by the two minus two tracks. The group was rounded off by Andy Hummel on bass and Jody Stevens on drums.

The album recorded in Memphis, TN at Ardent studios. Big Star created some of the most haunting and evocotive rcok songs ever created, though for some reason none of the songs off the album, or the album itself, were a hit. Which made the bands name very ironic too.

Soon after the record came out Chris Bell quit the band and suffered the same fate as a solo artist releasing great material that nobody cared to buy. Bell tragically died in a car crash just outside of Memphis in 1979.

I feel that every song on this record is great, though one song everybody should know if they have ever watched the FOX hit sitcom "That 70's Show". The opening credits has the Big Star tune "In The Street" on it. Unfortunately the version on "That 70's Show" is done by Cheap Trick, who I also like but the original is far better.

I was luck to see Jody Stevens a couple of times at the Horseshoe perform with the alt. country supergroup Golden Smog (which had Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, Gary Louris, Marc Perlman amd Kraig Johnson of The Jayhawks and Dan Murphy of Soul Asylum) back in December of 1998.

Recently Big Star reunited for a gig at the Sout By South West Festival. The line up contained Alex, Jody, and REM backing musicians Ken Stringfellow and Scott McCaughey. Oh how I wish I was a fly on the wall at that show! Alex has become a bit of a recluse and does not often perform and when he does it is never in this formate.

SUPER FURRY ANIMALS "Phantom Power" (2003/XL Recordings/Sony)

Do not confuse this album with the Tragically Hip album of the same name. Super Furry Animals "Phantom Planet" is far superior. Actually it's one of my favorite albums of the past couple of years. I was either going to put this album on my list or THE FLAMING LIPS "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots", but I picked the Super Furry Animals as I think that probably less people have heard of them.

The band is from Wales and are amazing at creating a wall of sound in their recordings that comes off making you smile, even if you are in a terrible mood. They create amazing pop rock songs, that being said this album has political overtones to it, though you could miss them in a heartbeat.

My favorite tracks on the record include "Hello Sunshine", "Liberty Belle", "Golden Retriever", and "Out Of Control".

Find them on www.superfurry.com

Jeff Tweedy and his gang will be coming back to Toronto on August 3rd at the Mod Club. I think? When I get more details I'll post them.

As for the whole songwriting thing, the worst Wilco album is better than the best second or third generation of jamband albums, period.

Also who cares if Tweedy with Wilco hasn't had a hit song ever? Have you seen what songs are in the HOT 100 on the Billboard charts lately? They're almost all crap, check it out for yourself. www.billboard.com

Jeff Tweedy gets critical acclaim for his songwriting because his songwriting is amazing. Wilco's albums are classics each and every one. Tweedy will be looked back on as a genius when all is said and done. That's it for my rant, thank you for reading.

Today I'm proud to be a Canadian. That the electorate went out and voted back the Liberals into a minority situation with the NDP gaining ground. And only being one vote for the two of these parties running the country with a majority is a better result than I could have possibly imagined.

The Conservative party got their butts kicked by losing 8% of their vote from the previous election with the combined Canadian Alliance/Proggressive Conservative party.

Canadians said no to the Conservatives and said we would rather punish the Liberals by rewarding the left, and the BQ.

My only wish was that the Green vote went to the NDP and/or Liberals as we would definitely be in a majority coalition with the Liberals/NDP if that was the case.

It took me so long to write a review on my first J.J. Cale concert due to the election last night (By the way I'm proud of Canada for not punishing the Liberals by rewarding the Conservatives. I just wish the NDP or Liberals got one more seat!)

As I walked up to Lee's Palace I found the line to get in around the building down the whole block. I have been to Lee's many times and some of the gigs were sellouts, though this was the longest line I have ever seen there. I guess the older Cale crowd didn't want to show up late? Even being so far back in line as I entered the venue I was still able to walk right up to the front of the stage, as most people went straight to the bar and chairs around the sides of the venue.

J.J. Cale rolled out two minues before showtime, which was ten. He is a small man, with a dark tan, wearing Tuscon, Arizona t-shirt, with bootcut jeans and surprise, surpise boots.

Cale entered the stage alone and tuned up for a bit before he started performing. The next song was "Mama Don't" where each band member came out with each subsequent verse in the song that spoke of the instrument they were playing.

Unfortunately the sound was terrible during the gig. At least up front where the mix of vocals in the moniters could barely be heard over the amps on stage. Many fans were complaining about the sound all night to no avail.

The bad mix was only amplified with the fact that J.J.'s vocal style is subdued at best. It often took me a minute or two to realize what song was being performed, if I even found out at all.

Even though Cale had just recently released his best received album in years on the Sanctuary recording label titled "From Tulsa And Back" he only performed, I believe, one song off the album, the opening track "My Gal."

The majority of the night was devoted to the songs that evey knew quite well, either by Cale or the artists that have covered him over the years. Cale performed all four songs that Eric Clapton has covered out of Cale's back catologue, "After Midnight," "Coccain," "I'll Make Love To You Anytime" and "Travelin' Light." Cale also performed the song that Lynyrd Skynyrd made famous "Call Me The Breeze". During the encore J.J. played "Magnolia" which I saw performed only two days before by Poco at the Tralf.

When it came to the performance of the artists on stage, specifically J.J. all I can say is, wow! What a guitarist. His playing style absolutely blew my mind. He performed then entire night on a Danelectro hollow bodied guitar through a small Fender and MesaBoogie amps. He sat almost the entire show sitting down on a nice brass stool.

It was a laid back night that had my head moving the entire time. I hope the next time I see Cale perform, if there is a next time that the sound was better. But he is so good I would see him play in the worst sounding venue on the planet.

Incomplete setlist at the show. If anyone knows the name of some of these songs with (lyrics)? Let me know.

Start time 9:58pm

1. "Where The Sun Never Shines" (lyric) (solo)

2. Mama Don't

3. "Low down dirty shame" (lyric)

4. Money Talks

5. "Sittin' on the train...ridin' home" (lyric)

6. Call The Doctor

7. "Guitar man" (lyric)

8. Travelin' Light

9. My Gal

10. "Taking life and liberty" (lyric) (keyboardist lead vocal)

11. "I feel the blues" (lyric) (rhythm guitarist lead vocalist)

12. "Easy come, easy go" (lyric)

13. Lies

14. Call Me The Breeze

15. Cocaine

16. Crazy Mama

17. After Midnight

Encore: 18. Magnolia

19. I'll Make Love To You Anytime

(total length 1 hour and 52 minutes)

I'm very happy with tonights outcome. The Liberals with the help of the NDP holding the balance of power is a lot better then the Conservatives and BQ.

This was a great night for Canada.

Hi everybody, Rachael and I want to go up for just the Fat Cats gig and leave after. We do not want to camp, we just want to see the show and go. How much would that cost for the two of us?

from www.billboard.com

"A favorite guitar of Eric Clapton's fetched $959,500 at auction yesterday at Christie's in New York, easily eclipsing the record set by the sale of another guitar by the legendary rock musician five years ago.

The Fender Stratocaster, nicknamed "Blackie," was one of 88 guitars and other items Clapton and other musicians donated to raise money for Crossroads Center Antigua, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation cener in the West Indies. The auction brought in a total of $7,438,624. A 1999 Christie's sale to benefit the facility generated $5 million."

I can't believe Clapton sold "Blackie". I remember in a Clapton biography by Ray Coleman Clapton talked about a sesion with Stephen Bishop. What happened was Bishop was in the recording room with "Blackie" and picked it up and started to play it in Clapton's opinion badly. Eric had to run into the room and stop Stephen from playing his precious guitar. I sure hope the person that won it in the auction is a good player because if they pick it up and don't do the instrument justice, Clapton just might run in and stop them too.

Don't forget the EC is performing at the Air Canada Centre on Wednesday July 7th and at the HSBC Arena on Friday July 9th. With Robert Randolph And The Family Band opening.

from www.rollingstone.com In Brief:

"...MICHAEL MOORE will film a new video for NEIL YOUNG'S 1989 song "Rockin' In The Free World" this summer. The song is featured during the closing credits of Moore's new film "Fahrenheit 9/11..."

Two of my favorite people on the planet working together! How great is that?

Speaking of Jimmy Page today is the sixth anniversary of my attending the Page and Plant show at the Palace of Auburn Hills, when they were supporting their album "Walking Into Clarksdale".

I forgot to mention that the Bisons beat the Bulls 9-3. And I thoroughly enjoyed my first minor league experience. I'll be heading to the opening of The Bob Dylan Show tour in Cooperstown, NY and I'm going to now look up and see if I can see a game at Doubleday Park before or after the concert.

Thanks for the info on the Moon book, I have not read it and will look for it soon.

As for the Beach Boys and soft rock bands comparison. They were influenced greatly by the Beach Boys harmonies. These bands like Poco and America have such lush and beautiful harmonies. I remember on Friday night when I saw Poco with my girlfriend she was amazed by their harmony vocals "all night long" (an Eagles song).

Back to the Who I really hope they announce a Toronto show again to close another tour. It would be great to see Pete and Roger again.

No arguments here Jaimoe, Everytime I see a Randy Bachman show be it with the Guess Who or solo the crowd is always so receptive. Bachman has written so many rock anthems it blows my mind each song that is performed.

I was happy to see the Guess Who reform after the PanAm Games a few years ago because I felt that Bachman started to get the recognition that he so rightfully deserves. Lenny Kravitz covering "American Woman" making it a hit for the second time didn't hurt too much either. Also with The Guess Who being mentioned in good light in the Cameron Crowe film "Almost Famous" was great too.

Under a minority government run by the Liberals the NDP will still have a voice as they will probably be in a coalition.

Jack Layton has been quoted recently that under a coaliton of the Liberals and NDP he will be pushing for a referendum on proportional representation in Canada. If this comes to pass then in the next election or the one after that no one anymore will be discussing voting strategically in your riding, which I believe will make Canada stronger.

No one ever talks about voting strategically if you are Conservative. You only have one choice Conservative. It is unfortunate that the left has three, the Liberals, NDP and Green Party. Hopefully under proportional representation even the Green party will get more than one or two seats in parliament.