History Of Rock Written By The Losers

04 Aug 2017 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts, On a Lighter Note Tags:

(via The Onion)

BOSTON—Fifty years after its inception, rock ‘n’ roll music remains popular due to the ardor of its fans and the hard work of musicians, producers, and concert promoters. But in the vast universe of popular music, there exists an oft-overlooked group of dedicated individuals who devote their ample free time to collecting, debating, and publishing the minutiae of the rock genre. They are the losers who write rock’s rich and storied history.

“The city of Boston is about more than just Mission Of Burma or Galaxie 500, and it’s certainly about more than Boston or The Cars,” said 28-year-old Dana Harris, a rock historian. “The scene in Boston is full of history, but it’s also vibrant right now. Someone needs to record all the amazing things going on here, even if it means that person will never have a social life.”

Read more: http://www.theonion.com/article/history-of-rock-written-by-the-losers-736?utm_content=Main&utm_campaign=SF&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=SocialMarketing

Behind The Scenes of The Iconic Abbey Road Cover Photoshoot

30 Jul 2017 1 Comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags: ,

(via shooting film)

,,,The Beatles crossed the road a number of times while (Iain) Macmillan photographed them. 8 August was a hot day in north London, and for four of the six photographs McCartney walked barefoot; for the other two he wore sandals. Shortly after the shoot, McCartney studied the transparencies and chose the fifth one for the album cover…”

Read more: http://www.shootingfilm.net/2013/04/behind-scenes-of-iconic-abbey-road.html

Did You Ever Realize…

17 Jul 2017 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in Did You Ever Realize, General Posts Tags: , , , ,

alice 2

Bob Dylan obliges annoying fan in Berkeley by actually playing ‘Free Bird’

24 Jun 2017 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags: ,

(via SFGate)

You’ve seen that guy.

He emerges from some dark corner of the audience, maybe drunk, gawkily shoving his way through the crowd as the audience stands contented, mesmerized by the rock god onstage. He leans forward next to your ear, brutishly disturbing your daydream with a shrill, piercing shout:

“FREE BIRD!”

Eyes roll in the audience. The man’s face snarls with wretched delight. He is the only one laughing.

But just before your disgust impels you to jam your elbow into this troll’s ribcage, a guitar rings out. Everyone turns to the stage.

Holy hell, Bob Dylan is actually playing “Free Bird.”

To the shock of a Berkeley audience, Dylan closed out his set at the Greek Theater last week — which featured covers of some of Frank Sinatra’s most famous songs from his newest album “Fallen Angels” —  with a take on Lynyrd Skynyrd’s 1973 hit “Free Bird.”

The Death of the Electric Guitar

24 Jun 2017 1 Comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags:

(via The Washington Post) By Geoff Edgers June 22, 2017

The convention couldn’t sound less rock-and-roll — the National Association of Music Merchants Show. But when the doors open at the Anaheim Convention Center, people stream in to scour rows of Fenders, Les Pauls and the oddball, custom-built creations such as the 5-foot-4-inch mermaid guitar crafted of 15 kinds of wood.
Standing in the center of the biggest, six-string candy store in the United States, you can almost believe all is well within the guitar world.
Except if, like George Gruhn, you know better. The 71-year-old Nashville dealer has sold guitars to Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Paul McCartney and Taylor Swift. Walking through NAMM with Gruhn is like shadowing Bill Belichick at the NFL Scouting Combine. There is great love for the product and great skepticism. What others might see as a boom — the seemingly endless line of manufacturers showcasing instruments — Gruhn sees as two trains on a collision course.
“There are more makers now than ever before in the history of the instrument, but the market is not growing,” Gruhn says in a voice that flutters between a groan and a grumble. “I’m not all doomsday, but this — this is not sustainable.”

The numbers back him up. In the past decade, electric guitar sales have plummeted, from about 1.5 million sold annually to just over 1 million…

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/lifestyle/the-slow-secret-death-of-the-electric-guitar/?utm_term=.471017b5534a

Let’s Shine a Light on “The Midnight Special”

12 Apr 2017 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags:

(via Culture Sonar) by John Visconti

Before MTV, VH1, or, for that matter, YouTube and Vevo, chances to watch footage of your favorite musicians in action were fairly rare. Sure, bands would occasionally pop up on The Dean Martin Show and Sonny & Cher or lip sync on American Bandstand or Soul Train, but one of the only showcases for live rock was NBC’s weekly late night series The Midnight Special (1973-81). While there are DVD compilations from the show, frustratingly no easy streaming of the entire series exists. Below are six videos — from the “Legendary Performances” DVD set — suggesting that someone needs to stream these shows in their entirety pronto. Who owns a DVD player nowadays?

Read more: http://www.culturesonar.com/midnight-special/

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