CHARLIE SHEEN FIRED BY WARNER BROTHERS! I could not believe the headline. Who in their right mind would screw up a chance to earn another forty million dollars? Obviously, Sheen is not right in the head. Here is a guy from a famous family who appears to have everything in life yet seems intent on self-destruction. The former baseball player from Santa Monica High is the highest paid actor on television thanks to the #1 comedy Two and a Half Men. Sheen’s recent stint in rehab put filming on hold, now his fellow actors and crew are missing paychecks. He's been all over the internet and Twitter lately but for all the wrong reasons.
After getting kicked out of high school, Sheen went straight to making movies in 1984 and seems to have forgotten how fortunate he is to be a star in Hollywood. His troubles remind me of a quote from one of his Two and a Half Men associates:
"If you don't love the struggle, you have to get out of the business. Sometimes it seems like rolling a boulder uphill, but until you can love the boulder-rolling, you're gonna be disappointed."
Maybe that’s the problem with Sheen. He didn’t have to start at the bottom. He never had a boulder to roll. As for myself, I’ve been writing since high school and I’ve never stopped to ask why I keep writing! Its certainly not for the money. That quote helped me realize I keep at it because I love the boulder-rolling! I am a writer at heart but an office assistant by trade. For the last few years I've been working part-time in the afternoons and writing in the mornings. Except when I've been logging on to eBay to sell some of my rock and roll goodies. It's a simple way to pay the bills so I can keep on writing. Why? Because I love the boulder-rolling.
It wasn't always this way. I had a great gig in the music biz until the bottom fell out in 2001. For myself and thousands of others. Come to think of it, lots of things changed that year. Losing my dream job was a blow but I saw it as a sign to finally give writing a chance. The part-time shift was a good idea for awhile but after that my lifestyle caught up with me. I once had connections for Lakers tickets and backstage passes to the biggest concerts in town. After 2001 it was a struggle just to pay my grocery bill. I clipped coupons and ate every meal at home to save money.
I’m still living on hope and hot dogs, and begging the cable company to let me slide a bit so I can watch the Lakers on TV. I go to the beach almost every day because it's cheaper than going to the neighborhood pub. Not able to afford a health club membership I spend my weekends riding the South Bay bike path for exercise. When I do travel I stay at Super 8s, not super resorts. All because I love the boulder-rolling.
In the past decade I've written four books and a screenplay. I collect the rejection slips and almost look forward to getting them. It's nice to get something in the mail besides a bill. I’ve read countless books about writing. Stephen King once said that a good writer should "read a lot and write a lot." That's good enough for me. I've only read his baseball books but I know he has more money than god. So I read when I’m not writing and write when I’m not reading.
No matter how depressed I get by rejection, I'm always just a bit happier because I'm doing something I love. It reminds me of golfing. Thank goodness my sisters married guys who belong to country clubs or I'd never play at all. Every time I get frustrated on the course something good happens to make me try again. If I shoot over a hundred but make a twenty-foot putt I am overjoyed. If I write a hundred stories and get one published, I'm in heaven.
So imagine how ecstatic I was when I finally met a literary agent and gave him my latest book. The toughest thing for an unknown writer is finding an agent. It’s the famous Catch-22 thing. Publishers won't consider your work without an agent. Agents rarely consider anyone who hasn’t been published! Out of the blue, I met one without even trying.
I’d sold a rare Bruce Springsteen item on eBay and the buyer emailed, saying he lived in Venice Beach. If we met in person he would pay me cash. So I rode my bike over to the Rose Cafe and met up with the guy. We talked about the Boss and his latest music. Then he asked me why I was selling my collector's items. I told him I was a struggling writer and he said "it's your lucky day."
He gave me his card and yes indeed, he was an agent. He told me to send him my latest work and then he drove off in his BMW. I rode back laughing and singing all the way home. I've always believed in the power of rock and roll. Once again it came through for me.
Well, not completely. I sent the guy my book and heard nothing. I emailed him after a week and he said he was busy and hadn't looked at it yet. I sent him another copy with better graphics and formatting. He never returned my call. I’m okay with it because that ride home on my bike was better than the disappointment I would ultimately feel. I was high-fiving homeless people and running red lights and just having the time of my life. In that moment I was a believer. In that moment I was a damn writer! In that moment, I realized that I loved the boulder-rolling.
The quote that started this piece? It’s from Jon Cryer, who is Charlie Sheen’s co-star on Two and a Half Men. It came from an interview Cryer gave before the show became a smash hit. He sounded grateful just to have a job. He had good reason to be. Before Two and a Half Men, Jon Cryer had starred in three sitcoms. All three were canceled after their first season. His current show has been a Top Ten hit for over eight years and in 2009 Cryer won his first Emmy award. Two and a Half Men's future is now in jeopardy. Even if they never tape another episode, Jon Cryer has rolled his boulder to the top of the hill.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
The Beatles from Ed Sullivan to iTunes
The other day I was driving out of Playa Del Rey on the 90 freeway when I saw a billboard depicting a lovely black and white photo of The Beatles, trumpeting their arrival on iTunes and the internet. With Christmas just three weeks away I felt it was perfect timing. Beatle albums were popular holiday gifts when I was growing up and always at the top of my wish list. The Fab Four had an uncanny knack for releasing new material at the end of the year and their joyous music fit perfectly with our family get-togethers. It still does.
Life before the Beatles is a vague memory. If you lived in the USA in 1963, you remember a year that began with high hopes and endless possibilities. The Cuban Missile Crisis had come and gone, the Civil Rights movement was underway, and for a brief moment in history America was at peace. The bullets that killed President Kennedy on November 22 changed everything. Suddenly the USA became a very scary place. All of the ideals we grew up with seemed to expire with the young president’s final breath.
Three and a half months after that dark day, America finally had something to smile about. On a cold winter’s night, 73 million people basked in the warm glow of their television sets while watching the Ed Sullivan show. When the host appeared on screen and said “Ladies and gentlemen, The Beatles!” everything changed again. Not only in America but throughout the world. In February of 1964 I was a six-year old kid whose father was battling hemophilia. I was old enough to cry when JFK was shot and old enough to know my father was living on borrowed time. My mother and three older sisters took care of me and took care of my ailing father. Times were hard and we needed something to lift our spirits. That something was called Beatlemania.
Thank goodness for The Beatles. When my father passed away later that year I had their music to fall back on. In the past four decades Paul McCartney specifically has been my muse, my inspiration and my hero. Last March at the Hollywood Bowl he sounded better than ever and I can’t describe how I feel when I see him in concert.
I think the Beatles Christmas tradition in the USA kicked off in December 1965
with the release of one of their greatest singles: “We Can Work It Out” and “Day Tripper.” The picture sleeve (remember them?) of the 45rpm single depicted the boys looking cold and winter weary in their black coats but the music was both raucous and reflective. Perfectly capturing the essence of the band. Then came “Rubber Soul, “ an album so good each of my sisters insisted on having their own copy. So did I. The music was more acoustic than electric, the title was mysterious and the songs absolutely gorgeous. Especially John Lennon’s poignant “In My Life” and Paul’s lovely “Michelle” which won a Grammy for Song of the Year. My sister Marti named her daughter after it!
At the end of 1967 The Beatles released “Magical Mystery Tour,” and of course it sounded nothing like their previous records. I remember looking through the album’s picture book by the lights of the Christmas tree, trying to make sense of the strange photos taken from the movie of the same name. This is a record I’ve grown to appreciate, especially side two. “Hello Goodbye,”
“Strawberry Fields,””Penny Lane””Baby You’re A Rich Man” and “All You Need Is Love.” On one side of an album! That’s a career for most bands.
The ultimate Beatles Christmas present had to be “The Beatles,” the two-record opus commonly known as “The White Album.” Ironically released exactly five years after the day Kennedy was shot, this was the kind of gift that had kids calling each other on Christmas day with a million questions. Why was the cover blank? Why had The Beatles stopped shaving? Was that Yoko Ono on the poster that came with the album? What the heck was “Revolution #9” about? How come “Back In The USSR” sounded like The Beach Boys? Years later people still have questions about the album Bono of U2 called “the complete encyclopedia of rock and roll.” He’s right. There’s just about every style of music, from the country of Ringo’s “Don’t Pass Me By” to the acid rock of Paul’s “Helter Skelter.” “Dear Prudence” might be the prettiest melody John Lennon ever wrote while George’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” left no doubt of his songwriting strength.
“The White Album” was the hot topic when I returned in January 1969 to Raymond Elementary School in Fullerton. The Beatles were at the top of their game but something seemed off. We heard about their surprise rooftop concert in London and later the rumors of their impending breakup. When “Abbey Road” came out in September everyone agreed it was their best album ever. I personally think it’s the greatest album of all time. It was also the last one they recorded together and a few months later the band imploded.
Although it broke my heart, I knew deep inside they were doing the right thing by splitting up in 1970. The Beatles as a band belonged to the sixties and the sixties belonged to the Beatles. Their music, however, remains timeless. As evidenced by their success on iTunes: 450,000 albums sold with over 2 million individual songs in the first week available. No surprise the best selling Beatles album on iTunes is “Abbey Road” and the most popular song “Here Comes The Sun” hails from the same record. It really is their masterpiece.
With so much holiday cheer in their history its surprising to note The Beatles never recorded any Christmas music. Unless one digs a bit deeper into their catalogue and discovers the existence of “The Beatles Christmas Album.” This LP was made available exclusively to members of The Beatles fan clubs in the UK and USA in 1970. It compiled the Flexi-disc holiday messages they sent to their fan club members from 1963-1969. These quirky bits comprise song parodies and musical skits and show the band at their most unguarded. Its not available on iTunes. Thankfully, practically everything else you could want by the Beatles is on the internet. That makes for a Happy New Year!
Life before the Beatles is a vague memory. If you lived in the USA in 1963, you remember a year that began with high hopes and endless possibilities. The Cuban Missile Crisis had come and gone, the Civil Rights movement was underway, and for a brief moment in history America was at peace. The bullets that killed President Kennedy on November 22 changed everything. Suddenly the USA became a very scary place. All of the ideals we grew up with seemed to expire with the young president’s final breath.
Three and a half months after that dark day, America finally had something to smile about. On a cold winter’s night, 73 million people basked in the warm glow of their television sets while watching the Ed Sullivan show. When the host appeared on screen and said “Ladies and gentlemen, The Beatles!” everything changed again. Not only in America but throughout the world. In February of 1964 I was a six-year old kid whose father was battling hemophilia. I was old enough to cry when JFK was shot and old enough to know my father was living on borrowed time. My mother and three older sisters took care of me and took care of my ailing father. Times were hard and we needed something to lift our spirits. That something was called Beatlemania.
Thank goodness for The Beatles. When my father passed away later that year I had their music to fall back on. In the past four decades Paul McCartney specifically has been my muse, my inspiration and my hero. Last March at the Hollywood Bowl he sounded better than ever and I can’t describe how I feel when I see him in concert.
I think the Beatles Christmas tradition in the USA kicked off in December 1965
with the release of one of their greatest singles: “We Can Work It Out” and “Day Tripper.” The picture sleeve (remember them?) of the 45rpm single depicted the boys looking cold and winter weary in their black coats but the music was both raucous and reflective. Perfectly capturing the essence of the band. Then came “Rubber Soul, “ an album so good each of my sisters insisted on having their own copy. So did I. The music was more acoustic than electric, the title was mysterious and the songs absolutely gorgeous. Especially John Lennon’s poignant “In My Life” and Paul’s lovely “Michelle” which won a Grammy for Song of the Year. My sister Marti named her daughter after it!
At the end of 1967 The Beatles released “Magical Mystery Tour,” and of course it sounded nothing like their previous records. I remember looking through the album’s picture book by the lights of the Christmas tree, trying to make sense of the strange photos taken from the movie of the same name. This is a record I’ve grown to appreciate, especially side two. “Hello Goodbye,”
“Strawberry Fields,””Penny Lane””Baby You’re A Rich Man” and “All You Need Is Love.” On one side of an album! That’s a career for most bands.
The ultimate Beatles Christmas present had to be “The Beatles,” the two-record opus commonly known as “The White Album.” Ironically released exactly five years after the day Kennedy was shot, this was the kind of gift that had kids calling each other on Christmas day with a million questions. Why was the cover blank? Why had The Beatles stopped shaving? Was that Yoko Ono on the poster that came with the album? What the heck was “Revolution #9” about? How come “Back In The USSR” sounded like The Beach Boys? Years later people still have questions about the album Bono of U2 called “the complete encyclopedia of rock and roll.” He’s right. There’s just about every style of music, from the country of Ringo’s “Don’t Pass Me By” to the acid rock of Paul’s “Helter Skelter.” “Dear Prudence” might be the prettiest melody John Lennon ever wrote while George’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” left no doubt of his songwriting strength.
“The White Album” was the hot topic when I returned in January 1969 to Raymond Elementary School in Fullerton. The Beatles were at the top of their game but something seemed off. We heard about their surprise rooftop concert in London and later the rumors of their impending breakup. When “Abbey Road” came out in September everyone agreed it was their best album ever. I personally think it’s the greatest album of all time. It was also the last one they recorded together and a few months later the band imploded.
Although it broke my heart, I knew deep inside they were doing the right thing by splitting up in 1970. The Beatles as a band belonged to the sixties and the sixties belonged to the Beatles. Their music, however, remains timeless. As evidenced by their success on iTunes: 450,000 albums sold with over 2 million individual songs in the first week available. No surprise the best selling Beatles album on iTunes is “Abbey Road” and the most popular song “Here Comes The Sun” hails from the same record. It really is their masterpiece.
With so much holiday cheer in their history its surprising to note The Beatles never recorded any Christmas music. Unless one digs a bit deeper into their catalogue and discovers the existence of “The Beatles Christmas Album.” This LP was made available exclusively to members of The Beatles fan clubs in the UK and USA in 1970. It compiled the Flexi-disc holiday messages they sent to their fan club members from 1963-1969. These quirky bits comprise song parodies and musical skits and show the band at their most unguarded. Its not available on iTunes. Thankfully, practically everything else you could want by the Beatles is on the internet. That makes for a Happy New Year!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
The Wall Comes Down In Las Vegas
Hey You!!
I saw "The Wall" by Roger Waters in Las Vegas last Friday.
I walked a mile in the 35 degree evening and I am glad I did. What a spectacle!
I have to say I am not the biggest Pink Floyd fan. "Dark Side OF The Moon" is in my all time
top 10 album list, however. I saw the original band perform it at the Hollywood Bowl in 1972 before it even came out! Yet most of their albums have left me cold. The WALL (LP and movie with Geldof) just seemed too depressing. But its one of the biggest selling albums of all time.
Finally I realized why.
I did not plan on going to the Vegas show until I hit a football parlay bet on Thanksgiving.
I took the money to the MGM Grand and scored a ticket for $50 (face value $75) from a couple who were happy to get the money. And there's not a bad seat in the MGM Grand, an arena without luxury boxes. I think I liked this more than seeing Waters do "Dark Side" on his own a few years ago. That album really needs David Gilmour as a singer (after all he sang "Money") and guitarist. "The WALL" is really a Roger Waters masterpiece and he did much more singing and performing. I loved it!
With the massive WALL looming you could have sat in the last row and not missed a thing:
-The dramatic opening with the airplane crashing into the just developing WALL.
-"Another Brick In The Wall" with local Vegas kids out on stage and miming the lyrics.
- Waters singing along to a video of himself performing "Mother" live in London 1980, maybe my favorite part of the night.
-"Comfortably Numb" with the guitar soloist (I know, not Gilmour!) spotlighted on top of the impressively tall WALL.
-The WALL almost complete so you can only see small squares with narrow glimpses of the band.
-The rocking moodiness of "Run Like Hell" which Waters (still looking like an older Richard Gere) dedicated to the audience.
-Those damn HAMMERS!
-And of course the WALL finally crashing down.
On my way out I asked a fervent fan the meaning of it all and he said:
"Each of us has our own WALL to break down."
I couldn't have said it better myself.
I saw "The Wall" by Roger Waters in Las Vegas last Friday.
I walked a mile in the 35 degree evening and I am glad I did. What a spectacle!
I have to say I am not the biggest Pink Floyd fan. "Dark Side OF The Moon" is in my all time
top 10 album list, however. I saw the original band perform it at the Hollywood Bowl in 1972 before it even came out! Yet most of their albums have left me cold. The WALL (LP and movie with Geldof) just seemed too depressing. But its one of the biggest selling albums of all time.
Finally I realized why.
I did not plan on going to the Vegas show until I hit a football parlay bet on Thanksgiving.
I took the money to the MGM Grand and scored a ticket for $50 (face value $75) from a couple who were happy to get the money. And there's not a bad seat in the MGM Grand, an arena without luxury boxes. I think I liked this more than seeing Waters do "Dark Side" on his own a few years ago. That album really needs David Gilmour as a singer (after all he sang "Money") and guitarist. "The WALL" is really a Roger Waters masterpiece and he did much more singing and performing. I loved it!
With the massive WALL looming you could have sat in the last row and not missed a thing:
-The dramatic opening with the airplane crashing into the just developing WALL.
-"Another Brick In The Wall" with local Vegas kids out on stage and miming the lyrics.
- Waters singing along to a video of himself performing "Mother" live in London 1980, maybe my favorite part of the night.
-"Comfortably Numb" with the guitar soloist (I know, not Gilmour!) spotlighted on top of the impressively tall WALL.
-The WALL almost complete so you can only see small squares with narrow glimpses of the band.
-The rocking moodiness of "Run Like Hell" which Waters (still looking like an older Richard Gere) dedicated to the audience.
-Those damn HAMMERS!
-And of course the WALL finally crashing down.
On my way out I asked a fervent fan the meaning of it all and he said:
"Each of us has our own WALL to break down."
I couldn't have said it better myself.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Happy 70th Birthday John Lennon!
Last night I watched a fun movie called “Monday Night Mayhem” about the initial years of Monday Night Football. It’s a rollicking tale featuring the antics of Howard Cosell, Don Meredith and the rest of the crew that put the NFL on primetime TV. Right in the middle of it there’s a somber scene when Cosell breaks the news about the murder of John Lennon. I remember that night-30 years ago-as clearly as if it happened yesterday. I was watching football with my buddy Chris and both of us could not believe what we heard. We immediately left his house and joined up with other friends and headed out to Isla Vista park, where hundreds gathered to sing songs and cry on each other shoulders. It was a tragic evening with a strange Lennon-like twist. Up in the sky we saw a bright light streaking toward the heavens before bursting into a supernova of bright light. We all knew it was John’s spirit and it somehow made us smile amid all the grief.
The next day we found out it was an errant rocket fired from nearby Vandenberg Air Force base. It didn’t change our view of the matter. John Lennon was gone. It took a long time to get over it.
In the passing years the strangest observation is that Lennon's death actually preserved the legacy of The Beatles. Imagine the pressure the band would have felt to reunite and the money that would have been thrown at them. It would have been nearly impossible to say "no" and of course there would be no way they could meet the incredibly high expectations of a Beatles reunion. In 2000 the three surviving members were offered $100 million for one show!
Anyone who knows me knows I am a Paul McCartney fan. His music and its influence on my life cannot be measured. The Beatles on Ed Sullivan in 1964 is one of my earliest memories and Paul became my hero overnight. As I grew older I knew that Paul and John had a complicated relationship, especially after the Beatles broke up. Accepting John meant accepting Yoko and that wasn’t the easiest thing to do especially since she was the one who broke up the Beatles.
Now I know that isn’t true. Yes, Yoko was a divisive figure in the band’s final days. Just watch the film “Let It Be” and you can feel the tension she created by never leaving John’s side, even during recording sessions. She was just part of a bigger problem. The Beatles were losing money and the controversial Allen Klein was brought in to restore order to their finances. This did not sit well with Paul. George was frustrated in his attempts to get his songs on the group’s albums and Ringo’s presence faded with each argument. The greatest music group of all time imploded and John and Yoko were easy scapegoats.
I just finished reading “John Lennon: The Life” by Philip Norman. Its an excellent biography which explains the troubled soul who ended up writing such classics as “Imagine” and “In My Life.” Lennon was born during an air raid on October 9, 1940. His father was absent for most of his life and his mother was hit by a car when he was seventeen. His best friend-Stu Sutcliffe-died a few years later. No wonder the adult Lennon was a paradox of cruelty and humor, cynicism and hope. At first, Yoko was just another enabler, never saying “no” to John’s heroin addiction when they became a couple.
Yet even Yoko had enough of John’s bizarre behavior and kicked him out of their New York apartment in 1973. When he returned he got his act together and lived a peaceful domestic life until his untimely death in 1980. Every year it seems like I learn something else about John Winston Lennon. He was on Nixon’s enemies list and had to fight for years to become a US citizen. He once stayed at the infamous Peter Lawford beach house in Santa Monica where he entertained guests like Keith Moon and Harry Nilsson, and even McCartney. The recording of his “Rock and Roll” album was marred by lawsuits filed by gun wielding music publisher Morris Levy. While sailing he took over the helm during a fierce storm in the Bermuda triangle and guided the boat to safety. Even in 1980 he was still insecure and insisted on enhancing his vocals for the “Double Fantasy” comeback album even though he had one of the greatest voices in rock and roll.
John Lennon would have turned 70 on Oct. 9, 2010 and celebrations are being planned all over the world. All of his albums are being re-issued with plenty of rarities as well as a new movie about his early years called “Nowhere Boy.” His legacy as an artist and peace activist is secure. Will we ever truly understand this conflicted genius from Liverpool? I don’t think so but I do know he will never be forgotten.
The next day we found out it was an errant rocket fired from nearby Vandenberg Air Force base. It didn’t change our view of the matter. John Lennon was gone. It took a long time to get over it.
In the passing years the strangest observation is that Lennon's death actually preserved the legacy of The Beatles. Imagine the pressure the band would have felt to reunite and the money that would have been thrown at them. It would have been nearly impossible to say "no" and of course there would be no way they could meet the incredibly high expectations of a Beatles reunion. In 2000 the three surviving members were offered $100 million for one show!
Anyone who knows me knows I am a Paul McCartney fan. His music and its influence on my life cannot be measured. The Beatles on Ed Sullivan in 1964 is one of my earliest memories and Paul became my hero overnight. As I grew older I knew that Paul and John had a complicated relationship, especially after the Beatles broke up. Accepting John meant accepting Yoko and that wasn’t the easiest thing to do especially since she was the one who broke up the Beatles.
Now I know that isn’t true. Yes, Yoko was a divisive figure in the band’s final days. Just watch the film “Let It Be” and you can feel the tension she created by never leaving John’s side, even during recording sessions. She was just part of a bigger problem. The Beatles were losing money and the controversial Allen Klein was brought in to restore order to their finances. This did not sit well with Paul. George was frustrated in his attempts to get his songs on the group’s albums and Ringo’s presence faded with each argument. The greatest music group of all time imploded and John and Yoko were easy scapegoats.
I just finished reading “John Lennon: The Life” by Philip Norman. Its an excellent biography which explains the troubled soul who ended up writing such classics as “Imagine” and “In My Life.” Lennon was born during an air raid on October 9, 1940. His father was absent for most of his life and his mother was hit by a car when he was seventeen. His best friend-Stu Sutcliffe-died a few years later. No wonder the adult Lennon was a paradox of cruelty and humor, cynicism and hope. At first, Yoko was just another enabler, never saying “no” to John’s heroin addiction when they became a couple.
Yet even Yoko had enough of John’s bizarre behavior and kicked him out of their New York apartment in 1973. When he returned he got his act together and lived a peaceful domestic life until his untimely death in 1980. Every year it seems like I learn something else about John Winston Lennon. He was on Nixon’s enemies list and had to fight for years to become a US citizen. He once stayed at the infamous Peter Lawford beach house in Santa Monica where he entertained guests like Keith Moon and Harry Nilsson, and even McCartney. The recording of his “Rock and Roll” album was marred by lawsuits filed by gun wielding music publisher Morris Levy. While sailing he took over the helm during a fierce storm in the Bermuda triangle and guided the boat to safety. Even in 1980 he was still insecure and insisted on enhancing his vocals for the “Double Fantasy” comeback album even though he had one of the greatest voices in rock and roll.
John Lennon would have turned 70 on Oct. 9, 2010 and celebrations are being planned all over the world. All of his albums are being re-issued with plenty of rarities as well as a new movie about his early years called “Nowhere Boy.” His legacy as an artist and peace activist is secure. Will we ever truly understand this conflicted genius from Liverpool? I don’t think so but I do know he will never be forgotten.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Bad Company Is The Real Thing!
At the end of the summer of 1974, I was preparing to head off to college at UC Santa Barbara. During a Labor Day going-away party a friend of mine named Ollie handed me a present which was obviously an album. Remember the days of giving someone a 12" record and trying to disguise its distinctive shape? As I opened it, Ollie said: "Take this to school and every time you play it think of the "bad company" you used to hang out with." Or something like that. 36 years later I still remember Ollie, only because of that record: "Bad Company."
The band of the same name had just put out their first album with the distinctive black and white logo on the cover. I could not go anywhere that summer without hearing the smash "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love." The opening power chords and suggestive lyrics were hard to resist. The entire album was solid from start to finish and became a favorite at my freshman dormitory, along with the follow-up "Straight Shooter" with its massive hit "Feel Like Makin' Love." Singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke were former members of the band Free, who's signature "All Right Now" is still a staple of classic rock radio. I saw Free open for Traffic in 1973 and I knew guitarist Mick Ralphs came from the band Mott The Hoople. Bassist Boz Burrell had played with King Crimson, replacing Greg Lake who left to form ELP. By the time I finally saw Crimson live their bass player was John Wetton, who later formed the super group Asia. As unlikely as it seems, King Crimson's three bassists ended up selling millions of records once they left that band!
These are the types of things I think about whenever I hear the music of the 70s. All those groups were part of the soundtrack of my life: from high school through college, I went to over 100 concerts before I turned 20! Although Bad Company toured relentlessly, I never saw them live. The moment I heard they were reuniting for a brief summer tour in 2010, I knew I had to go. I had waited over three decades to hear Bad Company in person and I wasn't going to wait any longer. I'm glad to say the show exceeded my extremely high expectations.
The night was a perfect example of "less is more" and it started with the venue. Fantasy Springs Casino is my favorite Indian casino, a classy joint east of Palm Springs. The concert was held at the 3,000 seat Special Events Center. That's right, no corporate sponsored name and no advertising blanketing the arena. No charge for parking, no dreaded ticket service fees, no opening act. No video cameras following the band around the stage (although the back-drop images and light show were terrific.) Only two hours of the best rock and roll you could ever want to hear. The casino added a nice touch by giving $10 in free slot play to every ticket buyer. I used it and won $60 playing video poker after the show which more than paid for my ticket!
Anytime a classic rock band takes the stage, the first question I have is: "Can they still sing?" Well, Paul Rodgers can not only sing, he is a true rock and roll star who knows how to put on a show. From tossing and twirling his mike stand on "Rock and Roll Fantasy" (now that's a lost art!) to standing at the grand piano while playing "Running With The Pack", Rodgers looked and sounded great. He implored the crowd to sing along on the opening "Can't Get Enough" and the effervescent "Shooting Star" which received one of the loudest ovations of the night.
Rodgers joined Ralphs for a side-by-side all-acoustic "Seagull" in the middle of the show and I could only wonder about all the rock and roll memories these two warriors have experienced together and apart in the last four decades. Simon Kirke has always been one of my favorite drummers, and he looked like a happy surfer boy keeping the beat throughout the show. The encore began with a bluesy version of "Ready For Love" and then they rolled the grand piano out to the center of the stage. I knew the next song had to be "Bad Company" and sure enough Rodgers started playing the familiar opening riff while the crowd went wild. For a moment I went back to being a freshman in college, happy and hopeful, wondering what the future had in store. So many years later I was glad that future finally let me see Bad Company in concert. It was worth the wait.
The band of the same name had just put out their first album with the distinctive black and white logo on the cover. I could not go anywhere that summer without hearing the smash "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love." The opening power chords and suggestive lyrics were hard to resist. The entire album was solid from start to finish and became a favorite at my freshman dormitory, along with the follow-up "Straight Shooter" with its massive hit "Feel Like Makin' Love." Singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke were former members of the band Free, who's signature "All Right Now" is still a staple of classic rock radio. I saw Free open for Traffic in 1973 and I knew guitarist Mick Ralphs came from the band Mott The Hoople. Bassist Boz Burrell had played with King Crimson, replacing Greg Lake who left to form ELP. By the time I finally saw Crimson live their bass player was John Wetton, who later formed the super group Asia. As unlikely as it seems, King Crimson's three bassists ended up selling millions of records once they left that band!
These are the types of things I think about whenever I hear the music of the 70s. All those groups were part of the soundtrack of my life: from high school through college, I went to over 100 concerts before I turned 20! Although Bad Company toured relentlessly, I never saw them live. The moment I heard they were reuniting for a brief summer tour in 2010, I knew I had to go. I had waited over three decades to hear Bad Company in person and I wasn't going to wait any longer. I'm glad to say the show exceeded my extremely high expectations.
The night was a perfect example of "less is more" and it started with the venue. Fantasy Springs Casino is my favorite Indian casino, a classy joint east of Palm Springs. The concert was held at the 3,000 seat Special Events Center. That's right, no corporate sponsored name and no advertising blanketing the arena. No charge for parking, no dreaded ticket service fees, no opening act. No video cameras following the band around the stage (although the back-drop images and light show were terrific.) Only two hours of the best rock and roll you could ever want to hear. The casino added a nice touch by giving $10 in free slot play to every ticket buyer. I used it and won $60 playing video poker after the show which more than paid for my ticket!
Anytime a classic rock band takes the stage, the first question I have is: "Can they still sing?" Well, Paul Rodgers can not only sing, he is a true rock and roll star who knows how to put on a show. From tossing and twirling his mike stand on "Rock and Roll Fantasy" (now that's a lost art!) to standing at the grand piano while playing "Running With The Pack", Rodgers looked and sounded great. He implored the crowd to sing along on the opening "Can't Get Enough" and the effervescent "Shooting Star" which received one of the loudest ovations of the night.
Rodgers joined Ralphs for a side-by-side all-acoustic "Seagull" in the middle of the show and I could only wonder about all the rock and roll memories these two warriors have experienced together and apart in the last four decades. Simon Kirke has always been one of my favorite drummers, and he looked like a happy surfer boy keeping the beat throughout the show. The encore began with a bluesy version of "Ready For Love" and then they rolled the grand piano out to the center of the stage. I knew the next song had to be "Bad Company" and sure enough Rodgers started playing the familiar opening riff while the crowd went wild. For a moment I went back to being a freshman in college, happy and hopeful, wondering what the future had in store. So many years later I was glad that future finally let me see Bad Company in concert. It was worth the wait.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Michael Jackson: King of Insomnia
One year ago Michael Jackson was preparing for his London comeback shows, rehearsing at Staples Center in Los Angeles and apparently, not getting enough sleep. According to published reports, Jackson had a light dinner at his rented Holmby Hills mansion with his children on June 24th, 2009, the last time they would see him alive. Then he headed off to the downtown Los Angeles arena to stage the first dress rehearsals of tunes like "Thriller" and "Billie Jean."
Those who saw and participated in the performances recalled that Jackson seemed in good shape and high spirits when he left around midnight. No one had any idea of the tragedy that awaited the self-proclaimed King of Pop.
When Jackson arrived home he began complaining of fatigue and the need to sleep, a common malady among entertainers who find it difficult to wind down after the "high" of performing, even in rehearsals. His personal physician, Conrad Murray, gave Jackson a 10 milligram Valium tablet but Jackson remained awake. A half-hour later Dr. Murray provided Jackson with 2 milligrams of the sedative lorazepam administered through a saline drip. Despite this medication that would have put a horse to sleep, the drugs had no effect on the singer. The doctor tried a 2-milligram dose of midazolam at 3am and another 2 milligrams of lorazepam at 5am. By the time the sun had risen on the fateful day of June 25th, Jackson was lying restlessly on the sheets of his Renaissance-style double bed. He began asking for the drug propofol.
Propofol is a powerful anesthetic used by doctors to put a patient "under" - to "knock them out" during surgeries. Special equipment and a specialist are usually required to administer the drug. Dr. Murray felt Jackson had become dependent on propofol and tried many alternatives to help Jackson sleep. He finally relented to his client's demands and at 10:40am added 25 milligramsof the substance to Jackson's drip. Finally the singer fell asleep. Forever.
I'm not trying to be cute or clever but we've all had troubles going to sleep, right?
My mom would always tell me to read a book or watch an old movie on TV. She said the worst thing was to lie in bed worrying and thinking. Where was Michael's mom during all this? Whatever happened to a shot of brandy and cup of herbal tea? Speaking of herbs, I bet MJ could have afforded the finest marijuana, and that certainly has a calming effect on most people. What about a hot bath? They say Michael did not drink alcohol, maybe this was the time to start. A couple glasses of wine might have done the trick. Or how about a simple Quaalude?
Obviously Michael Jackson's problems were not simple to solve. He was in debt and under the enormous pressure of completing a 50 show engagement in London. I could understand how it would be hard to sleep with all that going on. I find it remarkable that his doctor kept giving him drugs and no one suggested any homeopathic cures for his insomnia. If you're at the point in your life you need a powerful anesthetic just to fall asleep, then you don't have much of a
life anyway. Even if you are the King of Pop.
Those who saw and participated in the performances recalled that Jackson seemed in good shape and high spirits when he left around midnight. No one had any idea of the tragedy that awaited the self-proclaimed King of Pop.
When Jackson arrived home he began complaining of fatigue and the need to sleep, a common malady among entertainers who find it difficult to wind down after the "high" of performing, even in rehearsals. His personal physician, Conrad Murray, gave Jackson a 10 milligram Valium tablet but Jackson remained awake. A half-hour later Dr. Murray provided Jackson with 2 milligrams of the sedative lorazepam administered through a saline drip. Despite this medication that would have put a horse to sleep, the drugs had no effect on the singer. The doctor tried a 2-milligram dose of midazolam at 3am and another 2 milligrams of lorazepam at 5am. By the time the sun had risen on the fateful day of June 25th, Jackson was lying restlessly on the sheets of his Renaissance-style double bed. He began asking for the drug propofol.
Propofol is a powerful anesthetic used by doctors to put a patient "under" - to "knock them out" during surgeries. Special equipment and a specialist are usually required to administer the drug. Dr. Murray felt Jackson had become dependent on propofol and tried many alternatives to help Jackson sleep. He finally relented to his client's demands and at 10:40am added 25 milligramsof the substance to Jackson's drip. Finally the singer fell asleep. Forever.
I'm not trying to be cute or clever but we've all had troubles going to sleep, right?
My mom would always tell me to read a book or watch an old movie on TV. She said the worst thing was to lie in bed worrying and thinking. Where was Michael's mom during all this? Whatever happened to a shot of brandy and cup of herbal tea? Speaking of herbs, I bet MJ could have afforded the finest marijuana, and that certainly has a calming effect on most people. What about a hot bath? They say Michael did not drink alcohol, maybe this was the time to start. A couple glasses of wine might have done the trick. Or how about a simple Quaalude?
Obviously Michael Jackson's problems were not simple to solve. He was in debt and under the enormous pressure of completing a 50 show engagement in London. I could understand how it would be hard to sleep with all that going on. I find it remarkable that his doctor kept giving him drugs and no one suggested any homeopathic cures for his insomnia. If you're at the point in your life you need a powerful anesthetic just to fall asleep, then you don't have much of a
life anyway. Even if you are the King of Pop.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Bono's Back Surgery Postpones U2 Tour
Saturday morning at 5:30am I wake to the sounds of helicopters flying over my apartment. They are loud and disruptive. I find out later its another car chase, a rarity for my neighborhood but common enough in the Los Angeles area. Since Friday night is poker night at my place I am usually a wreck the next day, even if I get to sleep in. This day starts with a bad omen (helicopters usually mean something awful is happening) as I toss and turn while trying to go back to sleep. Finally I give up and get up to make the coffee and fetch the newspaper. On the inside of the Calendar section I notice a small article with the tag:
BONO HAS BACK SURGERY.
It goes on to say:
BERLIN — The manager of U2 says that frontman Bono has undergone emergency back surgery in a Munich hospital after he was injured while preparing for the group's tour. Band manager Paul McGuinness, in an MP3 posted on the website, said Friday that because of the injury, the band's "360-Degree" June 3 show in Salt Lake City, Utah, has been postponed. It was not immediately clear if other dates also were canceled. McGuinness says, "We hope to get things resolved as soon as possible."
I had plans to see the band on June 6th in Anaheim for my birthday but I was more concerned for Bono's health. I started a 72 hour vigil where I kept checking the band's website and other news sources for updates. Emergency back surgery sounds frightening and I was hoping Bono would have a speedy recovery. The guy just turned fifty and deserved to have a much better birthday than this! If the tour was going to be canceled, then I had hotel rooms to cancel. By the time Monday rolled around I was definitely worried about the singer because there had been no updates and I was expecting the worst. Maybe he was paralyzed. Maybe he broke his neck. Finally on Tuesday the internet was full of news:
(CNN) -- U2 lead singer Bono has been discharged from a German hospital where he was treated for a back injury. The band's North American shows have also been postponed until next year. Bono suffered a serious back injury Friday while preparing for the resumption of the band's U.S. tour, the band said, and had emergency surgery. "Bono suffered severe compression of the sciatic nerve," Dr. Muller Wohlfahrt said. "On review of his MRI scan, I realized there was a serious tear in the ligament and a herniated disc, and that conservative treatment would not suffice. I recommended Bono have emergency spine surgery." Tonn said Bono was in severe pain and had already suffered partial paralysis in his lower leg when he was referred. Tonn said Bono is now "much better" and has regained all movement. "The prognosis is excellent, but to obtain a sustainable result, he must now enter a period of rehabilitation." Eight weeks of rehabilitation is considered a minimum, Wohlfahrt said.
"Our biggest and I believe best tour has been interrupted and we're all devastated," McGuinness said in the statement. "For a performer who lives to be on stage, this is more than a blow. He feels robbed of the chance to do what he does best and feels like he has badly let down the band and their audience. Which is of course nonsense. His concerns about more than a million ticket buyers whose plans have been turned upside down we all share, but the most important thing right now is that Bono make a full recovery."
I did not go to the U2 show at the Rose Bowl last October (soon to be a DVD) because that place is a zoo when there's 50,000 people in attendance, even crazier when there's twice that much. I watched the YouTube broadcast that night and loved it, and regretted my decision to stay home. Now I regret it even more. Another lesson that you can't take anything in life for granted. All the great rockers who've entertained us throughout the years will not be performing forever. So if there's someone out there you want to see, GO FOR IT.
It might be your last chance.
BONO HAS BACK SURGERY.
It goes on to say:
BERLIN — The manager of U2 says that frontman Bono has undergone emergency back surgery in a Munich hospital after he was injured while preparing for the group's tour. Band manager Paul McGuinness, in an MP3 posted on the website, said Friday that because of the injury, the band's "360-Degree" June 3 show in Salt Lake City, Utah, has been postponed. It was not immediately clear if other dates also were canceled. McGuinness says, "We hope to get things resolved as soon as possible."
I had plans to see the band on June 6th in Anaheim for my birthday but I was more concerned for Bono's health. I started a 72 hour vigil where I kept checking the band's website and other news sources for updates. Emergency back surgery sounds frightening and I was hoping Bono would have a speedy recovery. The guy just turned fifty and deserved to have a much better birthday than this! If the tour was going to be canceled, then I had hotel rooms to cancel. By the time Monday rolled around I was definitely worried about the singer because there had been no updates and I was expecting the worst. Maybe he was paralyzed. Maybe he broke his neck. Finally on Tuesday the internet was full of news:
(CNN) -- U2 lead singer Bono has been discharged from a German hospital where he was treated for a back injury. The band's North American shows have also been postponed until next year. Bono suffered a serious back injury Friday while preparing for the resumption of the band's U.S. tour, the band said, and had emergency surgery. "Bono suffered severe compression of the sciatic nerve," Dr. Muller Wohlfahrt said. "On review of his MRI scan, I realized there was a serious tear in the ligament and a herniated disc, and that conservative treatment would not suffice. I recommended Bono have emergency spine surgery." Tonn said Bono was in severe pain and had already suffered partial paralysis in his lower leg when he was referred. Tonn said Bono is now "much better" and has regained all movement. "The prognosis is excellent, but to obtain a sustainable result, he must now enter a period of rehabilitation." Eight weeks of rehabilitation is considered a minimum, Wohlfahrt said.
"Our biggest and I believe best tour has been interrupted and we're all devastated," McGuinness said in the statement. "For a performer who lives to be on stage, this is more than a blow. He feels robbed of the chance to do what he does best and feels like he has badly let down the band and their audience. Which is of course nonsense. His concerns about more than a million ticket buyers whose plans have been turned upside down we all share, but the most important thing right now is that Bono make a full recovery."
I did not go to the U2 show at the Rose Bowl last October (soon to be a DVD) because that place is a zoo when there's 50,000 people in attendance, even crazier when there's twice that much. I watched the YouTube broadcast that night and loved it, and regretted my decision to stay home. Now I regret it even more. Another lesson that you can't take anything in life for granted. All the great rockers who've entertained us throughout the years will not be performing forever. So if there's someone out there you want to see, GO FOR IT.
It might be your last chance.
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