Rock & Roll Historical Perspective

[MRD]

Rolling Stone Issue 13


Jerry Lee Lewis has been portraying Iago in Shakespeare’s Othello (the play is running under title of Catch My Soul) for the past month in LA.

Bob Dylan’s backup band, The Crackers, have recorded their first album. It includes Dylan’s song I Shall Be Released. I think we may hear from these guys in the future, but that’s just my thoughts.

I find the JLL thing, mm, interesting.

Yeah, the "Crackers" ended up being one of my all time favorite bands. I have owned the Last Waltz in several formats and usually catch it a couple times a year on tv. Music from Big Pink remains one of my all time favorite albums. I used to have THE biggest crush on Robbie Robertson. I probably watched Carny about a 1000 times because of him.

I have Levon Helm's The Dirt Farmer on my Christmas list. I love his singing voice, it's so earthy and raw. "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" is probably one of my favorites just because of his voice.

I LOVED Tiny Tim. I remember when he got married on Carson.

Razorbacker, you are not alone, I have NEVER cared for 2001: A Space Odyessy either.

[razorbacker]

Thanks MRD for responding. I have to admit some disappointment that no one else has had any thoughts on this stuff. It was getting pretty lonely in this thread. I would have thought that others would have had some thoughts or memories to share. I know there are many out there that lived through some of this stuff & have opinions, maybe they just don't remember them. As the saying goes, if you remember the 60's you weren't there.

[MRD]

Thanks MRD for responding. I have to admit some disappointment that no one else has had any thoughts on this stuff. It was getting pretty lonely in this thread. I would have thought that others would have had some thoughts or memories to share. I know there are many out there that lived through some of this stuff & have opinions, maybe they just don't remember them. As the saying goes, if you remember the 60's you weren't there.

I've really enjoyed reading this stuff, so thank you for going to the trouble to post it.
I have always loved RS mag and music. I think I'm a bit younger than you so in 67 I was probably listening to my Monkees records, but I was fortunate enough to have older brothers so most of this music I was exposed to later when I was old enough to appreciate it better. I think I've enjoyed reading it so much because I don't remember that time and I wish I had been old enough then.

But I do know most of the music and a lot of the music history. So keep it going.

I used to say I was born too late to really enjoy the 60's, but now I think I was born when I was so I'd survive the 60's.

(PS have on my Grateful Dead t-shirt today, thought about that when I was reading that review of their album or one of them that compared to the Dead)

[MRD]

I've been reading these to Mr. Rosie and he's been enjoying it too. I keep dropping BIG hints about him getting this for me, but until he does, please go on. You have 2 fans that are definetly enjoying it.

[priji]

Great. Someone has enjoy reading this

[razorbacker]

Rolling Stone Issue 14

Dated July 20, 1968. Frank Zappa on the cover. Vol. II No. 3

June 11 4:15 am, The Stones are in the middle of a recording session for Beggars Banquet when the Olympic Sound Studios in London catches fire. Their equipment was all soaked when the firemen got busy putting out the flames.

News of Note:
The Beatles have 32 songs ready for their next album. McCartney has stated that they just might record them all & put out a 3 disc set.

Eric Clapton has been acquitted on charges stemming from a marijuana bust in LA. But, Neil Young, Richie Furay & Jim Messina of Buffalo Springfield are all found guilty.

Dionne Warwick is in the process of recording a gospel album & working on a film at the same time. She relates the story of how she was discovered. She was home from college during semester breaks & was singing backing vocals on a recording session by The Drifters. The producers liked what they heard & talked her into singing on her own. The producers of the recording session were Burt Bacharach & Hal David.

The Swiss Police caused a riot during a festival that included performances by Hendrix, The Animals, The Move, Traffic & John Mayall. During the show the police were using billy clubs & fists to pummel the audiences that were attempting to move toward the stage. They also used the event as an excuse to repeatedly search the musicians, stop their jam sessions, & throw women out of their hotel rooms.

For the first time New York musical theater has gone joined the rock movement. There are two plays currently playing that feature rock music, Your Own Thing & another little played called Hair. “They dance, sing, perform gag routines, spill over into the aisles, & run around on scaffolds above the audience. In the process they enthusiastically promote every real or imagined vice that’s ever been associated with the hippies, from pot to sodomy, with a special fixation towards interracial & group copulation. There is also the famed nude scene in which the cast stand naked under a murky light show & there’s a story of sorts.”
Boy, do I remember the press this play got when it first started. And who could ever forget the hit song Hair by the Cowsills?

During the interview with Frank Zappa he is asked what some of his favorite songs are. His choices:
Pig & Ponies from Lumpy Gravy
Idiot Bastard Son from We’re Only in it for the Money
Brown Shoes don’t Make it from Absolutely Free
Brain Police & It Can’t Happen Here from Freak Out

He also says that the band has two albums in the can waiting for release, Rueben & The Jets & No Commercial Potential. NCP has an 8 minute segment of the Police busting in on their recording session in NYC & he decided to put it on the album.

Zappa’s first band? Captain Glasspack & His Magic Mufflers. This was the band the evolved into The Mothers. At the time of the interview The Mothers consists of Frank lead guitar, Ray Collins lead vocals, Roy Estrada on Bass, Jimmy Carl Black is the drummer, Ian Underwood woodwinds & piano, Motorhead Sherwood saxophone, Don Preson electric piano, Art Tripp percussionist, & a person called Bunk Gardner. Frank describes Bunk like this, “ He’s someone I don’t know much about but he’s obviously conservatory trained, manicures his beard, combs his hair, & likes to take his clothes off when he’s counting money.”

Album Reviews:

Wheels of Fire - Cream
The first sentence of this review pretty much says it all: “ Cream is good at a number of things, unfortunately song writing & recording are not among them.” The reviewer (Jann Wenner) is especially harsh about White Room which he says is an almost exact duplicate of Tales of Brave Ulysses, saying “ I can’t imagine why they would want to do this again, unless of course they forgot they had already done it once.”
Rolling Stone seems to have a real issue with Cream. This is the second bad review in a row they have given the bands albums & the only thing they have to say that could be construed as positive is that they like the band’s live performances.


Like To Get To Know You - Spanky & Our Gang
Spanky & Our Gang are slick, commercial kitch. Problem is that they are sometimes very good. The album is schlock rock at it’s most distinguished.

Creedence Clearwater Revival - CCR
I think the reviewer may look back on this & say oops!
The reviewer calls the band a third level San Francisco band behind The Airplane, The Dead, Moby Grape, Quicksilver & all the others. He says the only thing good about the band is John Fogerty, the drummer is monotonous, the bass player repetitious, & the rhythm guitar barely audible. The whole record is unimaginative, poorly produced, & a great waste of John Fogerty’s talents. Fogerty is a gas, but Creedence Clearwater’s Revival may not be worth it.
With any luck maybe they’ll get a second opportunity & we will hear more from CCR in the future. I predict some good things to come.

You can still get Tiny Tim’ new album with a subscription. Get em while supplies last.

[AJane]

I've been reading them here and there as well. I'm afraid I have to agree with RS's review of CCR, though - the only really outstanding thing about the band was John Fogerty.

[MRD]

I can remember my dad having a FIT and not letting me get the soundtrack to Hair. It made a huge splash in the adult conservative world of my parents.

[Unklescott]

I never cared for Hair. Tiny Tim album? No thanks, I'll pass.

[razorbacker]

I've been reading them here and there as well. I'm afraid I have to agree with RS's review of CCR, though - the only really outstanding thing about the band was John Fogerty.

I guess what I was saying about the reviewer & the oops, was not so much his statements about John Fogerty being the only good thing about the band, but instead his placing the band as third rate behind Quicksilver, Moby Grape, & All the other San Francisco bands at the time. I don't think this turned out to be the case at all.