Something To Make Me Smile!

There has been some "Rod Stewart" debate among the Brothers Mcc - but I'm here to tell you that I am still on board - and I am really looking forward to hearing this:

ROD STEWART
The Rod Stewart Sessions 1971-1998
Release Date - 09/29/2009

Warner Bros. began reissuing Rod Stewart's Warner Bros. catalog a year ago with remastered and expanded versions of some of the artist's best studio work. With its latest effort, Warner Bros. goes deep into the vaults to reveal the secret studio history of this very public performer with a boxed set of unreleased recordings chosen from sessions spanning 1971-1998. THE ROD STEWART SESSIONS 1971-1998 will be available September 29.

Producers Andy Zax and Cheryl Pawelski prowled through a warehouse of Stewart's tapes to unearth all the dusty gems four discs could hold. Spanning more than 25 years, the collection's 63 songs, outtakes, and ephemera provide extraordinary insight into the studio work of one of rock's legendary figures and paint a picture of what might have been. Many of these performances are more stripped-down and intimate than their released counterparts, so the set becomes an illustration and a showcase of Rod's creative process. Few major artists have allowed such a revealing look behind the scenes.

More than a third of THE ROD STEWART SESSIONS 1971-1998 chronicles the torrent of indelible recordings Stewart unleashed during the '70s. Fittingly, the set opens with a decidedly rough take of "Maggie May," the #1 hit from Stewart's third solo album - Every Picture Tells A Story - that broke him as a solo artist in 1971.

SESSIONS offers alternate versions of well-known hits from that era such as "Sailing," "Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright)," "You Wear It Well," and an acoustic version of "You're In My Heart (The Final Acclaim)." Alongside those are rarities like the unfinished "Think I'll Pack My Bags" (which later appeared on Ron Wood's solo debut rewritten as "Mystifies Me"), an early version of "So Tired" that finds the band working out the arrangement in the studio, and an acoustic version of the B-side "Rosie."

Of special note is the rumored-to-exist but never heard - until now - sequel to "The Killing of Georgie"; "Innocent (The Killing of Georgie Part III)" completes the epic narrative begun on 1976's A Night On The Town album with a ferociously rocking performance taken from the sessions for the following year's Foot Loose & Fancy Free. Stewart ended the decade with a hits package that was to include his cover of British pub-rocker Frankie Miller's "When I'm Away From You" that has remained unreleased until now.

SESSIONS touches on six albums Stewart released during the '80s, including Foolish Behaviour (1980), which was originally intended to be a double album, but was eventually scaled back to a single disc. Along with an early version of the album track "Oh God, I Wish I Was Home Tonight" the collection also features four unreleased tracks presumably destined for the second disc: "Time Of My Life," "TV Mama," "Stupid," and Buddy Holly's "Maybe Baby." While the multitracks for Tonight I'm Yours (1981) have gone missing, the producers managed to recover an unreleased song called "Thunderbird" from the session's only surviving mixdown tape. The collection closes out the decade with several tracks from Out Of Order (1988), including a tender reading of "Forever Young" that features Stewart accompanied only by a piano and the improvised in the studio and then abandoned "I Go To Jail For You."

The final SESSIONS disc is dedicated to Stewart's resurgence as an artistic and commercial force in the '90s. It begins with six songs recorded in the summer of 1992 that were shelved in favor of Unplugged...And Seated, including a cover of Bob Dylan and The Band's "This Wheel's On Fire," and an all-star remake of the 1969 Python Lee Jackson song (originally also sung by Rod) "In A Broken Dream," which features Pink Floyd's David Gilmour and Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones. Also included is Stewart's cover of Bobby Womack's "Looking For A Love," which was surprisingly left off A Spanner In The Works (1995) and a version of Oasis' "Rockin' Chair" that he recorded for When We Were The New Boys (1998).

Although never intended to be shared with the world, the directness and immediacy of the music on THE ROD STEWART SESSIONS 1971-1998 documents an exceptional artist at work over a long period of time, says Zax, the set's coproducer. "Admirers of particular eras of Rod's career may be surprised to discover, upon listening to this box, that there is far less difference between the Rod of 1971 and the Rod of 1998-and all the years between them - than they had previously believed."

Welcome Back, Wilco

I just finished reading the David Carr article on Wilco in the New York Times … and I couldn’t feel better. The reason that I’m feeling better is that it was great to read that Jeff Tweedy (the oft times sidetracked leader of Wilco) is feeling great.

I am one of the faithful that has seen Mr. Tweedy go form the ashes of the Uncle Tupelo and travel the painful trail that has become known as Wilco’s career. Their 2002 film (I Am Trying To Break Your Heart) could not have had a more apt title. This band really tested the limits of friends, band members, record labels and fans. At points, their music almost dared the listener to like it.

And, through it all, there was the soap opera that was Wilco – the band. Busted relationships, bad drug habits, death … the stuff that William Shakespeare spent many years and worked so hard at putting down on paper, these guys had the knack for delivering to themselves day in and day out.

Now, we get “Wilco – The Album.” And for me, this is a joy. A set of songs that can truly showcase the band and its prolific frontman – in ways that were delivered to the world with “AM” and “Being There.” And, yes, I know that those are the first two releases by Wilco – and that there has been seven other releases that followed. But with the exception of the Billy Bragg collaboration (Mermaid Avenue), I’ve always felt that the band was never truly comfortable in their own skin. (Please note; I know that not many other Wilco fans feel this way. I know there are folks who take the more ‘experimental’ Wilco over the ‘pop’ Wilco any day of the week – I just don’t happen to be one of them.)

I will say that I am as guilty as most – that when there were times in the Wilco roadshow that I found more interested in the car wreck that was the lives of Wilco as I did in the music they were releasing. And, after seeing one fantastic Wilco show – followed by one ramshackle mess of a show – I began to hold these guys to what (in retrospect) was an impossible bar to clear.

A lot of folks always thought of Wilco as Americana’s answer to The Band. I never bought that. I always thought of them more as Americana’s answer to Mott The Hoople. Both bands with charismatic frontmen whose vision lead the path of the band. Both with personal trials and tribulations, band members coming and going … and through it all, trying to deliver some great rock and roll. And now, with the release of “Wilco – The Album” – both with CDs named after the band.

At one point of the NY Time article, Mr. Carr quotes Jeff Tweedy as saying; “I suppose because everything about my life is better …” For me, that is the best comment that I could hear from Mr. Tweedy these days. I’ve always liked his music, and I always rooted for him to beat his demons. So I’m glad to see him walking on a sunnier side of the street.

I’m really digging the music on “Wilco – The Album,” and I hope that Jeff & the boys can keep it together … and keep bringing us the joy that is Wilco – the band.

Old Man Hockey

It’s funny … a lot of folks say that you really don’t make any new friends after you reach a certain age. Well, sitting at 48, I’m here to say that isn’t true. Since moving back to the Philly area, I’ve been lucky enough to encounter a group of guys that could not be a better bunch of fellas to hang out with.

It started when I was taking my son to some ice skating lessons at the local rink. And, like it happens whenever I’m near a rink, the conversation turned to ice hockey. A guy I never met before joined the conversation and told me about a group of ‘old guys’ who play out every Wednesday night. Without further ado, he invited me to join in. And before I could respond, he added; “and they’re all nice guys.”

Well, I laced up my skates that Wednesday night and skated out for my first session of “Old Man Hockey”. And you know what? He was right; they were all nice guys. Most of the guys are over 40 … most have been playing since they were kids … and even a few are currently coaching local teams. All great guys. No hard asses … no guys who still feel they have something to prove since they never made it to the NHL. Just a bunch of old guys who want to play some ice hockey … and drink some cold beers. To give you an idea of the sense of humor these guys have, our team jersey logo has a picture of Moses … holding a hockey stick … with the phrase: ‘Let My People Score’

As it turns out, we have two goalies that both got great game. And, if one of them could not make it, I got the call. So, depending on who was on the ice, I either played in the net or left wing … and occasionally, the call never came, I'd show up with my 'winger' gear, find out we were a goalie short, and I’d zip on home to grab my goalie gear ASAP so the game could go on. Now, here’s where the “they’re all nice guys” part comes in. My first few times in the net I did OK. But, on one night, well … let’s just say that the puck found the back of the net more times than during an NHL All Star game.

On the nights that I played well, the team was right there with me … supportive and having fun. And, on this night where I couldn’t stop anything, the team was even more supportive … and kept reminding me that “we” were all still having fun.

We just ended the season with a night out at the local pub. And during that night we had the presentation of “The Old Fart Award” – a trophy that goes, each year, to the player who most lives up to the qualifications of being an old fart. Congrats, Joel!

So … as the summer is upon us, the skates will get sharpened, the pads will get aired out, and the roof of The Skatium will get repaired. But I know it won't be too long till the e-mail pops up in my “IN” basket calling all the ‘old men’ back for another season. And I'll be there ... with a bunch of really nice guys.

Happy Mother's Day!!

Peter Case Info Update

Here's some news from the folks at Hidden Love Medical Relief.

Dear Peter Case fan and supporter:

We are looking forward to an incredible series of benefit concerts at McCabe's this coming weekend. The outpouring of love and generosity from the amazing artisits and all involved in putting the shows together is a testiment to Goodness and Love.

Additionally, Roman Cho (official McCabe's photographer) has presented Hidden Love with another way for us to give to the Hidden Love Medical Relief Fund.

Roman's book Live@McCabe's is a photographic inside look at McCabe's Guitar Shop Concert Series. The book contains 106 pages of intimate photographs of live performance images, candid backstage photos, as well as formal portraits of artists taken by Cho over the span of the past five years.

To coincide with the Hidden Love Benefit shows, this unique "Peter Case Edition" contains a special cover and forward by the author.



All proceeds from books ordered by May 31 will be donated to the Hidden Love Benefit Fund.

To order, please click:

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/645599

Blessings,
Hidden Love Medical Relief

Who The Hell Thought This Was A Good Idea??

Someone should kick Louis Caldera's ass!!

It was an image New Yorkers never wanted to see again: a jumbo jet trailed by two fighter jets buzzing dangerously close to the city’s most famous landmarks.

On Monday morning a 747 and two military planes circled the Statue of Liberty and flew close to the World Trade Centre site, causing panic among locals in New York. Residents and office workers evacuated buildings and ran onto the streets, fearing a repeat of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, in which two hijacked airliners smashed into the World Trade Centre, killing almost 3,000 people.

But the flyover was nothing but a photo opportunity involving one of Barack Obama’s official presidential airplanes, apparently one of a series of flights to get pictures of the plane in front of national landmarks.

The flyover – carried out with little warning by the US defence department – was branded as “insensitive” by New York mayor Michael Bloomberg. President Obama, who was not on the plane at the time, was reportedly furious when told of the flight by White House staff.

Locals – particularly office workers, construction workers and residents in high rise buildings – fled into the streets when they saw the planes, including a 747 sometimes used as Air Force Once, flying as low as 1,500 feet above the Manhattan skyline.

Roy Renner, a construction worker in Manhattan said he feared the worst.

“I was thinking about what happened in 9/11,” Mr Renner told CBS news. “That was what I was thinking about, so I said: ‘look, let’s get out of here’.”

Dominick Caglioti, who works in one of the city’s high rise buildings, told the New York Post he was furious when he found out it was simply a photo opportunity.

"It's so stupid because they tell you about every fire drill, but they didn't tell us about this," he told the paper.

An administration official said the purpose of the flight was to update file photos of the president's plane near the famous statue in New York Harbour.

The official said the White House military office had told the Federal Aviation Administration that it periodically updates file photos of Air Force One near national landmarks, such as the Statue of Liberty and the Grand Canyon.

The FAA notified the New York Police Department of the flyover, telling them photos of the Air Force One jet would be taken about 1,500 feet above the Statue of Liberty around 10am on Monday. It had a classified footnote that said “information in this document shall not be released to the public or the media.”

Mr Bloomberg, who was not told about the flight, said had he been notified he would have asked the Defence Department not to do it.

“Why the Defence Department wanted to do a photo op right around the site of the World Trade Centre catastrophe defies the imagination,” Mr Bloomberg said. “Poor judgment would be a nice ways to phrase it.”

The director of the White House military office, Louis Caldera, took the blame a few hours later.

“Last week, I approved a mission over New York. I take responsibility for that decision,” Mr Caldera said. “While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, it's clear that the mission created confusion and disruption. I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused.”

by Sophie Tedmanson
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6182950.ece

You Were The Best, Harry

Phillies Broadcaster Harry Kalas Dies at 73

Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas passed out in a press box at Nationals Park today and was pronounced dead at GW Hospital. He was 73.

"We lost our voice today," team president David Montgomery said, his voice cracking. "He has loved our game and made just a tremendous contribution to our sport and certainly to our organization."

Nats acting GM Mike Rizzo talked to Montgomery after Kalas' collapse but there was never really a thought of canceling the game; Montgomery told Rizzo that Kalas would have wanted them to play. There will be a moment for silence for both Nick Adenhart of Hagerstown and for Kalas.

"Major League Baseball has lost one of the great voices of our generation," Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. "Baseball announcers have a special bond with their audience, and Harry represented the best of baseball not only to the fans of the Phillies, but to fans everywhere."

Montgomery said that Kalas was found unconscious in a broadcast booth, where he was preparing to work Monday's game against the Nationals. He was found by the Phillies director of broadcasting at about 12:30 p.m.

Montgomery called his condition serious at that time, and the Phillies closed the visitors' clubhouse to the media.
Kalas missed most of spring training after undergoing surgery in February. The team declined to reveal details of the surgery, saying it was a "minor medical procedure."

Kalas, who has broadcast Phillies games since 1971, was known for his distinctive "Outta here!" home run call. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame after receiving the Ford C. Frick Award in 2002. He was in the final year of a three-year contract with the Phillies. Kalas also narrated for NFL Films, broadcast Animal Planet's annual Puppy Bowl and did the voice-overs for the Chunky Soup commercials.

By Tracee Hamilton | April 13, 2009; 3:04 PM ET

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/nationalsjournal/2009/04/kalas_found_passed_out.html?hpid=topnews