Music

Heart Beat

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Christopher Sandford wrote a great article in The Seattle Times about the band Heart.  Worth reading.  

“By and large , Heart avoided the temptation to trash their hotel rooms or succumb to the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle, although there seems to have been an incident when a lawnmower somehow ended up in Holiday Inn swimming pool.”

If you’re a fan, check out the band Heart by Heart featuring founding bassist Norman Fossen and  former drummer Mike Derosier.  Tribute band on steroids.

– Jet Cannon

 

Photo: kexp.org

Burnin’ Love

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Elvis passed away 45 years ago today.  His last big hit was “Burning Love” in 1972.  It reached number two on the charts, surpassed only by Chuck Berry’s “My Ding-a-LIng”.  Just a couple of hunka-hunka of burnin’ loves.

– Jet Cannon

Photo:  independent.co.uk

National vinyl record day

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On August 12th, dust off your favorite albums and celebrate the good old days when new releases were a really big deal and we listened to an entire album one side at a time. Gave them all away? Vinyl sales now outpace CD sales.

  • Jet Cannon

Blue Boomers still got it

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Blue Oyster Cult’s original member “Buck Dharma” plus long time member Eric Bloom are proving they’ve still got the Mojo during their current tour. They played the hits but also came to jam!  Alas, no cowbell but otherwise, perfect!

  • Jet Cannon

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The Bond Theme and Martinis

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It’s like Pavlov’s dog.  When we hear the James Bond twangy guitar riff, we reach for a Martini.  Monty Norman, who composed the theme, recently passed away at age 94.  Here’s a BBC Proms performance which, by the way, credits John Barry who did not write the theme.  Monty sued and won a few quid over that.  Rest In Peace Monty.

– Jet Cannon

Belated Birthday Wishes

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On July 10th, two talented musicians shared a birthday. Arlo Guthrie, known for songs such as The City of New Orleans, turned 75. Jerry Miller, formerly of San Francisco’s legendary Moby Grape, turned 79. Happy Belated Birthday to you both!

  • Jet Cannon

Arlo Photo Below: Shazam.com

Thank you for tribute bands

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We saw Brit Floyd again and it was comforting to remember that live music by our favorite bands like Pink Floyd can carry on even after the original band’s retirement (or worse). Roger Waters is touring but David Gilmour confirms a Pink Floyd reunion will never happen. 

Talk about dedication to a craft.  Brit Floyd brings perfection to the instruments, vocals, lighting, lasers, and ultra-imaginative video in a smaller venue than would be typical with the original band.  They bring some deeper cuts not often heard on the radio.  The production execution and sound are absolutely superb.  Timeless, according to Maserati Mike.  It took us all back to the many decades of Pink Floyd’s brilliance.  Uncle Ray noted that Eva Avila nailed the humanly-impossible, incomparable solo on Great Gig in the Sky, one of the many outstanding Pink Floyd creations.  See her solo here.

It was worth the three year Covid delay to see Brit Floyd again.  We hope they continue, along with other tribute bands, to perform our favorite musical memories live and perfectly. 

– Jet Cannon

Kiss World Museum Rivals Smithsonian

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At least depending on your interests. Three tractor-trailer loads of Gene Simmons’ stuff is now on display in Vegas. Collected over 50 years, we’re certain there is no rival in terms of the variety of memorabilia. Plus guitars, leather pants, platinum records and the iconic ax bass Gene says he, “had to use against many a deranged fan.” We vaguely remember encountering that.

Anyway, Kiss fans, there’s another reason to visit Las Vegas.

  • Jet Cannon
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Binaural What??

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This is a Women’s Health article by Jasmine Gomez regarding the anxiety-reduction benefits of binaural tones.

“You know that urge to turn on your headphones and zone out after a stressful sitch? Turns out, your instincts are in tune with the latest science. After participants listened to 24 minutes of instrumental music infused with nature sounds and binaural beats, those who were moderately anxious experienced a significant reduction in their anxiety, researchers found. FYI: Binaural beats are composed of two tones, one played in each ear when you’re wearing headphones. In response to these sounds, your brain creates an illusory tone—one you only think you’re hearing—that is actually the difference between the two tones. Assembling a playlist of your fave hits is always a feel-good option, but what really nets the calming perks are binaural beat–filled tracks, which induce a sense of peace, says study author Adiel Mallik, PhD, a postdoctoral psychology fellow at Ryerson University. (You can find binaural playlists on Spotify and Apple Music.) Still prefer chart-toppers? Start with tunes that reflect your mood, then progress to songs that are more soothing. Sweet symphony!”

We’ll try it out and report back.

– Jet Cannon

Three Dog Night ignite

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Surrounded by fellow old Baby Boomers, we recently took an inspiring trip down harmony lane.  Only Danny Hutton is left from the original Three Dog Night line up but his fellow new/old bandmates can still hit the high notes on the hits.  The seventy-something trio and their backing band made us old folks feel better about our aches and pains as we watched from our seats, only standing for the encore.  How nice!  Three, four and sometimes five part harmony brought smiles to a lot of wrinkly but still rockin’ faces.  Thank you, gentlemen.  

– Jet Cannon

Booze and Vinyl

Food and Drink, Good Clean Fun, Music, Recipes / By

Remember back in the day when a new album would come out and we’d gather at a friends house to listen to the whole thing?  Both sides.

Booze and Vinyl:  A Spirited Guide To Great Music & Mixed Drinks is a beautiful book by Andre Darlington & Tanaya Darlington that helps us recapture the magic of music and friends paired with mixed drinks.  They’ve selected some excellent LP’s in rock, chill, dance, and seduce categories and suggested a couple of appropriate drink recipes with each.  

For example, Queen – A Night At The Opera is pared with a Coronation Cocktail for Side A and a Bohemian Cocktail for Side B.  The book advises that “Before You Drop The Needle”, invite guest to wear their most heinous sweaters and bring casseroles.  And be sure to queue up the video of Queen at Live Aid 1985, one of the greatest live performances of all time.

Coronation Cocktail

  • 1 1/2 oz amontillado sherry
  • 1 1/2 oz dry vermouth
  • 1/4 oz Maraschino liqueur
  • 2 dashes orange bitters
  • Lemon twist for garnish

Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  

Bohemian Cocktail

  • 1 1/2 oz London dry gin
  • 1 oz St-Germain liqueur
  • 2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
  • 1 oz fresh pink grapefruit juice

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Then toast to Freddie Mercury!

– Jet Cannon