Who Sang It?

Update: I put the answers in the comments. Some of these were really hard. One interesting thing about this lyric, several of you guessed Def Lepard which is correct, they did sing this in their song Pyromania, but I was thinking of Neil Young when I used it:

"It's better to burn out, than fade away"

That line was made famous to a generation that probably didn't listen much to either Neil or Def Lep, because Kurt Cobain used it in his suicide note.

Can you name the artist and the song?

1. All of us get lost in the darkness, dreamers learn to steer by the stars.
2. And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make. The Beatles,
   
3. Don't ask me what I think of you, I might not give the answer that you want me to.
4. Freedom, well, that's just some people talking. Your prison is walking through this world all alone.
5. I don't need no money, fortune, or fame. I got all the riches baby, one man can claim.
6. I understand about indecision, but I don't care if I get behind. People living in competition, all I want is to have my peace of mind.
7. I was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth.
8. I'm not a number. Dammit, I'm a man.
9. It's better to burn out, than to fade away.
10. My uniform is leather and my power is my age.
11. Nobody wants him, he just stares at the world. Planning his vengeance, that he will soon unfold.
12. Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea. All we do, crumbles to the ground though we refuse to see, dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind.
13. Send me dead flowers to my wedding and I won't forget to put roses on your grave.
14. So tonight you better stop and rebuild all your ruins, because peace and trust can win the day despite of all your losing.
15. Talk about your plenty, talk about your ills, one man gathers what another man spills.
16. Then one day you find, ten years have got behind you. No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.
17. There's an opera out on the turnpike, there's a ballet being fought out in the alley.
18. Thinking is the best way to travel.
19. You bought a guitar to punish your Mom.
20. You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.
21. You're dangerous cause your honest, you're dangerous cause you don't know what you want.
    

No offense to Allison Kraus but....

Image via Wikipedia....if it weren't for her and Robert doing this seemilgly never ending tour, MAYBE he would have been open to the tour millions of fans world wide have been wanting to see for years.   If you haven't heard yet its OFFICIAL that Mr. Plant will not be recording or touring with Led Zeppelin any time soon.  I for one am disappointed, but its his life, his choice, thank God Bruce Springsteen loves his fans.

So the big question is:

If Led Zeppelin do go on a tour with the unknow American singer they have been rehearsing with, would you go?

or

Would it just  not be the same without Robert singling lead?

I'll tell you my answer soon....

donovan frankenreiter - coach house - tj martell foundation

Last night I attended the 2nd Annual TJ Martell Foundation (cancer research) benefit concert at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, CA.

I think it was probably a great show if you were lucky enough to be sitting near people who were actually paying attention to it rather than talking non-stop, really loud, above the music and annoying all of those around them. There was a table full of partiers that didn't once stop to pay attention to the band...which is fine, but it sure messed up my ability to hear the music.

Donovan himself is a highly respected musician and surfer and seemingly a very nice person. I was outside getting some fresh air and got to observe what its like for a performer to put on a show like this. His manager (i.e. the guy telling him what to do) was saying stuff like "you have to talk to so and so, do this now, then do that, now its time for an interview). These guys get pulled in all directions. I was standing about three feet away when he was interviewed by a camera crew about the event, then immediately after that he was back on stage jamming with a band. (He played with each band that performed, which was very cool). I can't imagine what it would be like to be a celebrity on a large scale...this was small and it seemed stressful to me.

Anyhow - the music. The night was a combination of music and surfing so the bands that played were mostly local bands that have a surf background and/or are surfers themselves. At one point Timmy Curran was on stage - couldn't hear a word he sang but I was still impressed to see him up there. The night opened with a band of kids called "Black Heart" - when I say kids I mean KIDS, guitar player was 9, bass player 8, drummer 8 !!! They played good!

My favorite band was "Honk". If you've heard of "Honk" let me know - I want to know how, when, why and where!!! They are best known for writing the soundtrack to one of the best surf movies ever filmed "Five Summer Stories".

I wish I could say I had a great time, I think it would have been under different circumstances. I like Donovan, his style, his compassion, his hotness (oops did I say that?). I would recommend you to check out his music and see if you like it. Its light, fun, mostly upbeat.

(If your a surf fan you probably know who Tim Curran is, if not check out this 1:20 min, video to see the move he is famous for, "the Flip". Amazing)

Speaking of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame...

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I was asked to promote the R&R Hall of Fame by linking to their contest.  They are having a drawing for four tickets to the museum with a private guided tour.  I will receive two free passes for promoting this, and since I don't live anywhere near Ohio, I would like to offer my two tickets (if they actually give them to me) to whoever asks firsts....so let me know! 

Here is the link to the contest

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees Announced:

Image via Wikipedia

We've debated the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame here before and I think 90% of us agree that its pretty much a joke.  Which is sad, because R&R deserves its own hall of fame.  They need to change the name to the "Music Hall of Fame".  Although, with all that said, I'd still love to visit the museum.

I took this directly from Dave White's Classic Rock Blog:

A sure sign of autumn: the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announces its nominees for induction, and the debate resumes over the Rock Hall's relevance, and its puzzling definition of what rock is, and who has performed it or had some undefined "influence" on it.

Well, they're nothing if not consistent. I'm sure you won't be surprised at the usual scarcity of rock artists among the latest crop of nominees:

• Jeff Beck
• Chic
• Wanda Jackson
• Little Anthony and The Imperials
• Metallica
• Run-D.M.C.
• The Stooges
• War
• Bobby Womack

Now that the nominating process is complete, the equally Machiavellian voting begins. Anybody who gets more than 50% of the votes cast gets the honor being able to buy a ticket to the induction ceremony early next year.

Hey, how about those legendary rockers like Chic, Wanda Jackson and Run-D.M.C.? I can't wait to read your comments!

A Tribute to John Bonham

28 years ago today we lost, in my opinion, the best drummer of all time. Some may say others have more defined drumming skills, but no one can deny the power, the passion and the unique style that was his alone. He's inspired so many others over the years, including his own son, Jason who proudly continues his father's legacy.

For me personally, it was a tragic loss because at the time Led Zeppelin was my favorite band, and because John's death day was my birth day. It put a dark cloud over my plans to celebrate my 21st. I shared it here if you're interested - side note, yes, I'm 49, you can do the math but I'll never admit it - I've saying 38 for years and it still works ;)

Here are a few quotes from John and two videos that showcase a bit of his thunderous style. I miss you, Bonzo....

With Zeppelin, I tried to play something different every night in my solos. I'd play for 20 minutes but the longest ever was 30 minutes. It's a long time, but whenI was playing it seemed to fly by.

My nerves before a gig got worse; I had terrible bad nerves all the time. Once we started... I was fine.

I remember in the early days when we played six nights a week for a month and I was doing my long drum solo every night. My hands were covered in blisters.

I dare not drink before a gig because I'll get tired and blow it. So I have to sit drinking tea in a caravan.

Drumming was the only thing I was ever good at.

Test Your Knowledge of Discography Chronologicality

There's a site called Am I Wrong that has literally thousands of quizzes related to music and pop culture.  I put a few here for you.  You drag the album covers into chronological order, so pick a band and let me know how you do.  There are other bands to choose from on the site as well.  (Chronologicality is not a word, I made it up)

Queen 

Rolling Stones 

Who 

AC/DC 

U2

Bob Dylan

I dread the day Bob Dylan dies.....

Image via Wikipedia
Just read a very well written, heavy, depressing and thoguht-provoking post.  Hmm, maybe that's not the best way to describe it to convince you to read it - LOL.  I'll leave you with the opening paragraph:

I'm losing faith in the American public. It's getting bad, really bad. Recently, I've found myself asking: What happened to art? What happened to culture? What happened to sophistication? Who is the next Fellini? The next Bob Dylan? The next Jack Kerouac? The next Jim Morrison? The next James Joyce? When will we wake up and realize that everything popular today will be forgotten tomorrow?

and the ending paragraph:

I dread the day Bob Dylan dies. With his death, I fear that all remnants of great music, poetry, art and history will depart as well. Dylan, rescue us; leave us with a message. You're our only hope. Who will step up to the plate when you're gone? Who has the talent, the soul, the passion, the sophistication, and longevity to bring about the next Renaissance? Will it ever come? I'm worried it might be too late.

You can decide if you want to read the whole thing here at The Weight

Birthday Wishes to The Boss, Happy Birthday Bruce!

Ten years and two days before I was born, Mrs. Springsteen gave birth to her only son, Bruce.  I love (almost) sharing a birthday with him each year.  I am also glad he's ten years older, I feel like I've grown up in his musical footsteps, from the time I was in High School to now.  It just keeps getting better.

Happy Birthday, Bruce, I love ya!

(Bruce at age 18!)

Magical Mystery Blog

There's a new classic rock blog out there!  He has his collection of music listed and its impressive.  Check it out:

Magical Mystery Blog

Must Have Book for Zeppelin Fans

Yesterday I received so many wonderful things in the mail! One of them was this book:

Whole Lotta Led Zeppelin: The Illustrated History of the Heaviest Band of All Time

IT IS INCREDIBLE! You have to hold it in your hands and look at it yourself to truly appreciate it. This is their entire history illustrated with photos that are some of the best I've seen.

The book gives you a look into every aspect of the band focusing on their tours. I was able to look at the venue I (almost) saw them at and see the t-shirts and ticket stubs and posters form that tour, it took me right back. I love how this book is set up and highly recommend it. Here is part of the description from the publisher:

Now, to celebrate their fortieth anniversary and December 2007 reunion, here’s the first-ever complete illustrated history of Led Zeppelin.

This all-star tribute to one of the biggest rock ’n’ roll bands of all time features many of today’s top American and English rock journalists from Rolling Stone, Creem, Billboard and more, as well as reflections on the band’s inspiration from some of rock’s top performers, including Aerosmith, Heart, ZZ Top, the Minutemen, the Hold Steady, and others. An appendix features the complete discography.

Glorious concert and behind-the-scenes photography from some of the top names in rock photography covers the band from their first 1968 show as Led Zeppelin through the 2007 reunion. Also included are more than 200 rare concert posters, backstage passes, tickets, LPs and singles, T-shirts, buttons, and more from the United States, UK, Canada, Germany, France, and Japan, all comprising a book as epic as the band it honors.

"Do you think guitarists are all that special?"

Received an excellent question in the comment section and it was just too good not to share, plus I know many of you who read here aren't shy about sharing your opinions so this should give Daniel several views.

Daniel is an artist and he ask this in sincerity, I'll share my thoughts in the comments.

Hey, I have a question, and a tribute show seems related. Do you think guitarists are all that special? I don't mean this demeaningly and I don't want to bring on the wrath of the rock gods...

I'm wondering because Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and even a girl in Korea I think can sound a lot like Hendrix in their playing. So is it how they perform live? Is it how they relate to other players in the band? Is it singing too, so is Kenny less impressive?

I guess it comes down to intent and authenticity.

This is only a pondering, not a conclusion. I have HUGE respect for guitarists, but like if someone painted like I do and you had trouble telling the difference?

The Next Best Thing to Jimi Hendrix Live...

I MUST go to this.

Experience Hendrix:

Mitch Mitchell, Billy Cox, Buddy Guy, Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Robby Krieger, Eric Johnson, David Hidalgo & Cesar Rosas of Los Lobos with special performances by Hubert Sumlin, Chris Layton, Doyle Bramhall II, Eric Gales, Mato Nanji

A five week long, cross-country tour featuring some of the best known and most respected figures in rock and blues has been set to celebrate the legacy and music of Jimi Hendrix. The Experience Hendrix Tour presented by Experience Hendrix, L.L.C., the Hendrix family-owned company founded by James A. “Al” Hendrix, Jimi’s father, entrusted with preserving and protecting the legacy of Jimi Hendrix together with Gibson Guitar, will make its L.A. stop at the Greek Theatre on Sunday, November 2.

Songs NOT to Sing at the Office:

I listen to music all day at work with my headset on, either my iPod or Last FM. Occasionally I will sing outloud and my co-workers get serenaded (not intentionally, I just get lost in the music and forget).

Here is one song you do NOT want to sing outloud at work:

Star Star by The Rollings Stones

Ooops....

I'm sure there are many others. Luckily I caught myself right as it got to the chorus.

We Lost Another Music Great Today....

I will link directly to my friend Jeff because of his love for Pink Floyd:

Imagine Echoes, post on Richard Wright

Joe Strummer - The Future is Unwritten DVD, Review

Image via Wikipedia I just finished watching this intriguing documentary of Joe Strummer.  I thought I "knew" Joe from articles I had read and following his story and music; but there's nothing like hearing interviews with old friends and family, and in this case Joe himself as well.  Its apparent that his childhood had a huge affect on his rebellious attitude and possibly on on his sense for protecting those around him.
The history of band is interesting too.  Mick Jones (Clash guitarist) is in a lot of the interviews and shares lots of stories.  The band had a lot of ups and downs that's for sure, but most bands do.  Joe didn't like all the fame, he fought it for a long time but once he gave in - things changed.  Mick and Joe wouldn't speak to each other, they didn't trust each other.

At one point his manager told him he should go away for awhile to cause some media stir because tickets weren't selling well.  Joe decided he really would go away and not let anyone find him so it caused a real concern and his manager eventually had to hire a private detectivct. to find him.

There's lots more I could say but YOU MUST SEE THIS if you are a fan of The Clash.  I highly recommend it.

The Knack - My Sharona

I was hesitant to do a post on this song, but then I remembered it was good enough for Nirvana so I should have no problem admitting I think its a fun song!  The Knack was one of those one hit wonder bands that came out with a song that was so catchy people still recognize it today.  It was this week back in 1979 that the song debuted. 

Along with many other teens (that had fake IDs) I would dance to this song every time I went out - any cover band in their right mind added this one to their repetoire as soon as it hit the radios.  I have very fond memories attached to My Sharona. 

If you'd like to check out Nirvana's cover, here it is.

Free Songs

Hmm, the title of this post could be misleading, I don't have any songs for free. I got the idea of "free" songs from Jim Ladd of KLOS (LA classic rock radio).

Each Friday night Jim has a show called Theme of Consciousness where he suggests a word then the listeners come up with songs that have that word in the title and those song make up his set list for the evening. Jim is known for playing some very deep cuts that are rarely played on mainstream radio.

So, for fun, lets see what we can come up with to create our own "Free" playlist. I will start off with a couple obvious ones, it can be the word free or any word that contains free:

Free Falling, Tom Petty
Free Bird, Lynrd Skynrd
Freedom, Rage Against the Machine
Philadelphia Freedom, Elton John
Free Man in Paris, Joni Mitchell
Freewill, Rush

AC/DC Announces Tour:

AC/DC ANNOUNCES BLACK ICE WORLD TOUR

Tour Kicks Off on October 28, 2008 in Wilkes-Barre, PA

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• AC/DC - 2008 Tour Dates

Upcoming Reviews:

Image via Wikipedia The summer was slow for music reviews but things have picked up in the last few weeks, so be looking forward to reviews on:

LOU REED’S BERLIN was directed by Academy Award^® nominee* Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) and focuses on legendary front man of The Velvet Underground, Lou Reed, returning to a very special moment in his solo career - a live performance of his infamous rock opera album “Berlin”. In it Reed creates a complex world around a doomed couple by weaving moody themes of drugs and depression through heavy orchestral arrangements.

B.B. King’s One Kind Favor in stores now! One Kind Favor, which was produced by T Bone Burnett, features covers of old blues songs from B.B. King’s early influences.

Josh Rouse The Rykodisc Years, a two-disc, 32-song anthology spanning seven years and includes Rouse's best songs, rare tracks plus unreleased demos and outtakes.

And the one I am looking forward to the most:

"Joe Strummer, The Future is Unwritten". I am really excited about this one. Its a DVD on Joe's life before, during and after The Clash.

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• Movie Review | 'Lou Reed's Berlin': Tales From Divided Berlin, Where Angst Ate the Soul

MOG?

Image via CrunchBase, source unknown Have any of you heard of this site, "MOG"?  Its a music site that I joined a few weeks ago (they emailed me and asked me to so I did...) but I have never been able to log-in and they haven't responded to my request for my password.

I don't know if its worth my time to pursue it or not so wanted to get some opinions.  It seems to be a cool site with a good concept:

Welcome to MOG, your personalized gateway for music discovery. With MOG, you can find, share, and talk about the music you’re into, from Abba to Zappa.
Whether you’re a die-hard music junkie, or just looking for inspiration for your latest party playlist, MOG is your essential online music source. Created by a passionate community of music lovers and powered by cutting edge music discovery technology, MOG makes it ridiculously easy to find new music, watch music videos, and read news and reviews that match your personal taste in music. 
Imagine if Rolling Stone or MTV had thousands of writers and producers contributing news, reviews, songs, and videos that were filtered based on what you were listening to, so you could always find the good stuff. That’s exactly what MOG is doing.
And the scene at MOG is raging. You may even rub shoulders with some of your favorite bands; Over 100 artists are currently hanging out on MOG...
Completely free, anyone can create a MOG page and browse posts, MP3s and videos by visiting www.mog.com.

Thanks for any input you can provide!

Hey Check Us Out! We're in the Top 100!

I say "we" meaning I would not appear on this list if it weren't for YOU checking out my blog! 

Charlie over at Bloggerythms pointed out to me that Layla's Classic Rock shows up at #69 on a list of the 100 best music related blogs.  The stats were calculated by Alexa which is pretty impressive.   Charlie also shows up on the list and so do three other blog friends!!  


#51, 70's Classic Rock
#84 Imagine Echoes
#87  Bloggerythms
#99 The Six Strings


Wow, I have to admit I think this is kinda cool!

Winner of Aerosmith Quiz

Thanks to all of you who gave a try at the Aerosmith quiz I posted last week. We have a winner who got almost every question right! (and there were some tough ones)

Congrats to KRISTOPHER!

the answers can be found HERE

Bowie and U2 News

I heard the other day that U2 was postponing their new release until 2009.  I didn't bother to report it here because it was depressing and frankly, ticked me off a bit at Bono (which is a first).  He says they're writing some great stuff and want to keep at it...whatever!  I had my calendar marked for Nov. 16 and depending on how the election goes may really need something to cheer me up that month.   Oh well.

BUT to counteract some of that disappointment, I just read over at Real Rock News about David Bowie's new project.  THANK YOU, DAVID!    You can read there for details.  Its going to be his 12 favorite songs that he's recorded and you can bet it won't be the typical hits most are familiar with. 

Purple Rain

I've been watching too much politics on TV lately and its causing me severe anxiety/anger/acid indigestion. I had to turn it off tonight so I flipped around a bit and landed on the movie "Purple Rain". Prince is one of a kind, he can dance, sing, act, play numerous instruments and change his name - all with a certain flair of arrogance and class. I like him.

Back in 2005 I wrote about my experience of watching Prince being "booed" off stage at a concert in the 80's. He's come a long way since then. Like him or not, he's got talent. A guy I dated recently had the opportunity to be his bodyguard for a weekend and told me all about him. They did't talk much but he got to watch him rehearsing (not sure for what) and said he was in awe watching Prince go from one insturment to the next, playing each one with excellence.

Do you like Prince?

Good Music You May Have Never Heard:

The Ripple Effect has a radio show you should check it out!  I'm listening now and they are playing some great music.  Click their link and you'll find the link to BlogTalkRadio

80 Hours of 80's Music

Has anyone been watching VH1 Classics over this weekend? Wow, the memories. I noticed several things about the 80's music videos:

• hair bands were a dime a dozen
• women were scantily clad and objectified
• there were some VERY embarrassing cheesy videos made
• some boys are way prettier than girls

Any 80's music memories?