Greetings and hope everyone is well. As we do every now and then, a humble request for any donations would be very appreciated for the research time and cost. Even small amounts would be nice. In any case, the links will go on as awareness is necessary more than ever. Even if its just scrolling through the information. If you do chose to contribute, you can either send a credit card payment through Paypal to the account of balivillasinga@yahoo.com or send an envelope with a check to the address below.
Thanks
George and the family
George Douvris
c/o Aaron Gingerelli
POBox 8975
Missoula, MT 59807
USA LIFESTYLE/ ARTS/ CULTURE/ ETC:
Nimbin Mardi Grass May 3 and 4 August 4-10 "Gathering of the Healers" Banner Elk, NC
May 29 to June 10 Anastasia "Spiritual tour (pilgrimage) to Dolmens in Russia"
Kahikatea Eco & Art Fest invite, Saturday 26 April (near Aukland)
June 21, Yellowstone Montana-The Gathering of One Global Eden Event 2008
April 20 Earth Day Drum Gathering, Cleveland NY
Tim Buckley London Tribute May 10
UN Drug Policy Review. Spain, May 10
"History Channel features entheogens"
"The entheogenic frescos of Paris Eadwine Psalter" "The Gathering of One ... Sow the Seeds of Peace" video
"The Golden Age of Peace and the Tree of Life"
"Anastasia 'Healing Gardens' video made by Samantha!"
"Enlightenment Reason or Occult Conspiracy?"
By Daniel Pinchbeck http://consciouschoice.com/2008/04/pinchbeck0804.html "Inside the Spiritual Jacuzzi"
Willian Reich and Orgone http://www.metahistory.org/MysticJesus.php
"Mystic Jesus" Namgyal Rinpoche's Discourse On The Forest Grove Sutta "Old Struggles on a New Earth" by Daniel Pinchbeck
Stonehenge
Interview with Jorma Kaukonen
Some fine sounding music from Joe Gallivan
"Spirit of Film Interview with William Gazecki"
Graham Hancock Website
Gary Snyder "A Slice of Heaven in Southern Ohio, The Fur Peace Ranch"
"Hippy Gourmet & Farmer John Peterson"
"Massachusetts aims for pot legalization in Nov"
"Death Penalty: More Death Sentences in Algeria, Syria, Pakistan, a Reprieve in Vietnam"
"International Drug Policy Consortium website"
"Psychedelic Research: Past, Present, and Future" Stanislav Grof
"MDMA: PTSD study in Switzerland"
The Elixir: An Alchemical Study of the Ergot Mushrooms, by W.S. Shelley
http://erowid.org/library/books/elixir_alchemical_study.shtml Faux Freedom video trailer
"Lead Poisoning Due to Adulterated Marijuana'
"Keith Richards admits he smokes weed 'all the time' (+video)"
"Undercover at the Rainbow Family Gathering"
"Judge Dave and the Rainbow People"
"Rupert Sheldrake stabbed at LaFonda- SantaFeNewMexican.com"
The address for Sasha Shulgin's CaringBridge website is:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/sashashulgin "A No-Nonsense Guide to Meditation: No Gurus and No B.S."
Winn Wright's visionary art
Beautiful pottery gallery of my friend Kelvin Falconer
An amazing group that empowers individuals to stretch limits of acrobatic and dramatic abilities. "Kurt Vonngut's Posthumous "Armageddon In Retrospect" -- Just Published"
"Matrix-style virtual worlds 'a few years away''
http://technology.newscientist.com/article/dn13585-matrixstyle-virtual-world s-a-few-years-away.html "The Real Dirt on Farmer John"
"Homeless earthlings' camp at the border''
"The Lourdes of ancient Britain? Dig aims to reveal Stonehenge's purpose"
"And The First Animal On Earth Was A ..." "First movie of 'tsunami' on Sun"
'German schoolboy, 13, corrects NASA's asteroid figures: paper'
"Green towns, green cities"-UK
"Land inside national parks under threat of development"
"The Tree Corporation Of Australia"
An excellent look at Peak Oil and beyond "Disease Care versus Health Care"
Comfortably Numb: America Overmedicated
Autism and immunizations: a case study on possible link
"Slowing Down the Pharmaceutical Plague - The Model Group"
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/041008G.shtml
"GMO: Europe Says Yes; Member States Don't Follow" By Oph?lie Neiman Rue89 George Carlin on religion
"China to step up 're-education' of Tibetans"
"The 11th Hour (DVD -- 92 Minutes) -- Great Sequel to Inconvenient Truth"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IBG2V98IBY Trailer watch
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805?printable=true¢´tPage=all
"Monsanto?s Harvest of Fear" "Vitamin E Linked to Lung Cancer"
"The Simple Secrets to a Really Good Multivitamin"
"Urge Canada's Minister of International Trade to Stop the Seal Hunt"
"Control Oil and Water: Control the World"
"With eye on resources, India hosts Africa meet"
"Food riots fear after rice price its a high Environment "
"Drug Makers Near an Old Goal: A Legal Shield"
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/040608Y.shtml "Former Drug Sales Rep Tells All"
"Three climb Golden Gate Bridge to protest China's human rights record"
A Time to Break Silence"
By Rev. Martin Luther King http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19689.htm
"Preventing the Rise of a 'Messiah'' "Manifest Destiny - 21st Century Style
The Myth of U.S. Cultural, Religious, Political, and Social Superiority"
By Kristina M. Gronquist
The concept of Manifest Destiny describes the 19th century conviction that God intended the continent of North America to be under the control of Christian, European Americans. The ideology of Manifest Destiny was the backbone of U.S. government efforts to colonize land inhabited by indigenous people in North America and expand the United States into Mexican territory.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article8657.htm "Castro and ChøÞez Attack US Backing For Biofuels
Leaders say diverting crops for fuel starves poor" By Rory Carroll Cuba and Venezuela have launched an offensive against biofuels, warning that the US-backed rush towards ethanol will worsen global hunger and poverty. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19730.htm ===
"More Than Three Billion People Condemned To Death From Hunger And Thirst"
By Fidel Castro
THAT is not an exaggerated figure, but rather a cautious one. I have meditated a lot on that in the wake of President Bush's meeting with U.S. automobile manufacturers. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19729.htm "Indian baby born with two faces doing well, say parents "
GLOBAL "ECUADOR FILES COMPLAINT AGAINST COLOMBIA FOR SPRAYING COCA FIELDS NEAR BORDER'
"Haiti: thousands protest over growing hunger"
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/apr2008/hait-a05.shtml "Clown Prince of bloggers takes on Italian politics'
NATIONAL:
"Busheviks Renew Iraq Contract of Privatized Killing Machine, AKA Blackwater"
"Iraqi Widows, Orphans Left Stranded"
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/040708R.shtml http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19686.htm
"What Obama Could Have Said About His Pastor" "Iraq Costs US Families $100/Month"
Interview With Phil Donahue, Co-Director of "Body of War"
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/040708A.shtml How May War Crimes Did the Bush-Cheney Team Commit?
"A Glimpse of Secret Military Programs ・Through Patches"
Thomas D. Williams | Veteran Battles Pentagon's Vaccine
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/040908A.shtml "Use of Mind-altering Drugs On Captives, Maiming Weighed In '03 Memo" "States may free inmates to save millions"
"US jobless figures: The specter of a new depression"
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/apr2008/jobs-a05.shtml "Credit Default Swaps: Evolving Financial Meltdown and Derivative Disaster Du Jour"
The Black Death of Financial Collapse
By James Cumes
The financial and economic crisis now upon us is by far the most menacing of the past century - even more so than the Great Depression of the 1930s. It is not just a "subprime" crisis; it is systemic - affecting the entire financial system. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19718.htm "Evidence Grows of U.S. Use Of Drug On Prisoners"
Former Secret Service Agents Spied on Activists
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/041208Z.shtml "Feds to collect DNA from every person they arrest 16 Apr 2008"
"Glenn Greenwald's New Book: "Great American Hypocrites" (AKA Republicans)"
William Rivers Pitt | Remember: They Are Liars
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/040808J.shtml "Bush speaks on the possibility of another 9/11"
"Chicago's Malcolm X College Evacuates After Threat Discovery; 3rd School to Close"
"It's Obama, stupid: Carter and Gore to end Clinton bid"
FOCUS | Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: The Next President's First Task [A
Manifesto] http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/041208Y.shtml "How Republicans Quietly Hijacked Justice Dept. to Swing Elections"
"Election Season Increases Racist Slurs"
"’60s Radicals Become Issue in Campaign of 2008"
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=8067
"Detention camps at undisclosed locations in the US? " Editor's Blog on the Myth of Reagan and the Swindling of the Working Class
"Destroying Public Education in America"
Supreme Court votes 7-2 to uphold lethal injections.
QUOTES: "When dogma enters the brain, all intellectual activity ceases" -- Robert Anton Wilson A great wave of oppressive tyranny isn't going to strike, but rather a slow seepage of oppressive laws and regulations from within will sink the American dream of liberty: George Baumler
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The means of defense against foreign danger historically have become the instruments of tyranny at home: James Madison: US fourth president, 1751-1836 =
This and no other is the root from which a tyrant springs; when he first appears he is a protector: Plato: Ancient Greek philosopher (428/427-348/347 B.C.) =
The welfare of the people in particular has always been the alibi of tyrants, and it provides the further advantage of giving the servants of tyranny a good conscience: Albert Camus: French novelist, essayist, and playwright.1957 Nobel Prize for Literature. 1913-1960 "Most people want security in this world, not liberty: Henry Louis Mencken" American journalist, 1880-1956
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"We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security": Dwight David Eisenhower : 34th president of the United States, 1890-1969 =
"I have named the destroyers of nations: comfort, plenty, and security - out of which grow a bored and slothful cynicism, in which rebellion against the world as it is, and myself as I am, are submerged in listless self-satisfaction" : John Steinbeck: American novelist, Nobel Prize for Literature for 1962, 1902-1968 =
"The only security for the American people today, or for any people, is to be found through the control of force rather than the use of force" : Norman Cousins: American essayist and editor, long associated with the Saturday Review, 1912-1990 =
"Power always has to be kept in check; power exercised in secret, especially under the cloak of national security, is doubly dangerous" : William Proxmire "If my soldiers were to begin to think, not one would remain in the ranks": Frederick The Great
"In all history there is no war which was not hatched by the governments, the governments alone, independent of the interests of the people, to whom war is always pernicious even when successful ": Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy : Russian author, 1828-1910
It is well that war is so terrible ・otherwise we should grow too fond of it.
・General Lee speaking to James Longstreet, on seeing a Federal charge repulsed in the Battle of Fredericksburg on December 13, 1862 "The victor will never be asked if he told the truth": Adolf Hitler
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"that until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned; that until there is no longer any first-class and second-class citizens of any nation; that until the color of a man's skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes; that until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all, without regard to race -- until that day, the dreams of lasting peace and world citizenship and the rule of international morality will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never attained": Speech by H.I.M. HAILE SELASSIE I - California 28th February 1968 PUNMASTER MUSIC ARTICLES OF THE WEEK:
Jazz Great Nancy Wilson Hospitalized
Jazz legend Nancy Wilson has been taken to hospital in California after suffering from a collapsed lung. The singer was due to perform in Memphis this weekend. That show has been cancelled. The 71 year old singer who has recorded more than 60 albums over the last 50 years, has been suffering from respiratory problems for many years. She was taken to Hi-Desert Medical Center in Joshua Tree, California for treatment and observation. At this stage, Nancy Wilson is still scheduled to perform during the Melbourne Jazz Festival on Friday May 2 at Hamer Hall. ***************************************************************** The Who Prep Covers Album The Who are planning a collection of vintage R&B covers, similar to the Motown and James Brown songs they performed early on in their career. ｳWeｹre digging through lots of material and seeing what will work,? says producer T Bone Burnett, who expects to travel to London this fall to begin recording. ｳThereｹs an incredible treasury of songs in the mode of what they used to play. Not »yeat Wave? [an early favorite of the band], but ones that people probably havenｹt heard of.? Pete Townshend may also write new material for the project. ｳIt might be a combination of both,? Burnett says. ｳWeｹre still turning it over.? In other Who news, the band will perform on July 12th in Los Angeles for VH1ｹs Rock Honors. NEW ROLLING STONES MUSIC? Could the Rolling Stones make another album?
According to some things Keith Richards told the BBC, yes. When asked if the band might create some new music, the guitarist responded, ｳMaybe, maybe, yeah, I donｹt see why not.? Bandmate Ronnie Wood backed up Richards, adding that he was up for getting in the studio as well. Meanwhile, drummer Charlie Watts chipped in, ｳYeah, I think we are [planning a new album] but, you know, those two [Richards and Wood] write them, I just play them.? DAVE MATTHEWS TO ROCK FOR BARACK. The Dead arenｹt the only musicians to rock for Barack Obama, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds are playing in support of the Illinois Senator as well. The duo will perform an acoustic show on Sunday at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana to raise awareness of Obamaｹs presidential campaign. The show, dubbed Change Rocks A Very Special evening with Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, is free to all Indiana residents. Tickets will be handed out on a first-come, first served basis. To find out more, head to BarackObama.com/Dave. THE WHO TO DO COVERS ALBUM. During their tenure, The Who have created many classics. However, the band is planning on releasing a collection of covers of other musicianｹs hits. According to Billboard, the set will feature vintage R&B covers, much like the Motown and James Brown songs the group performed early in their career. Producer T Bone Burnett is working with The Who on deciding what to play. He revealed, ｳWeｹre digging through lots of material and seeing what will work. Thereｹs an incredible treasury of songs in the mode of what they used to play. Not »yeat Wave? [an early favorite of the band], but ones that people probably havenｹt heard of.? Burnett, who plans to travel to London this fall to begin recording, added that Pete Townshend may also pen some songs for album. The Who are set to perform at Vh1ｹs Rock Honors on July 12th. That show will air on July 17th. Procol Harum wins back "Whiter Shade" rights
LONDON (Reuters) - Procol Harum founder Gary Brooker on Friday won his court battle over royalty rights to the band's most famous hit, the 1967 song "A Whiter Shade of Pale." In 2006 London's High Court awarded former keyboard player Matthew Fisher 40 percent of the copyright of the track, which has sold an estimated 10 million copies worldwide, after he successfully argued that he wrote the organ music to the song. Brooker appealed, and on Friday judge John Mummery ruled that Fisher should be credited with co-authorship of the seminal track but should not benefit financially because he took 38 years to take his case to court. "Matthew Fisher is guilty of excessive and inexcusable delay in his claim to assert joint title to a joint interest in the work," Mummery said in his judgment. "He silently stood by and acquiesced in the defendant's commercial exploitation of the work for 38 years." Fisher described the appeal court's ruling as "peculiar." "Having demolished every single argument advanced by Gary Brooker's legal team ... Mummery suddenly produced an argument of his own, like a magician producing a rabbit out of a hat," the musician said on his Web site www.matthewfisher.com. "This argument is so obscure and oblique as to defy comprehension." He added that for him the case was never about money but getting due credit for what he called "the most commercial and essential feature" of the haunting ballad, namely the famous organ introduction. Brooker welcomed the court's decision, which he said had "gone some way to putting this right." "For nearly three years this claim has been a great strain upon myself and my family," he said in a statement. "I believe the original trial was unfair and the results wrong." Brooker, who still fronts Procol Harum, is arguing with Fisher over who should pay the legal costs in the case, which are believed to run to several hundred thousand dollars. Fisher may also take the case to the House of Lords, the highest court in the country. Although Fisher won the 2006 case, a judge rejected his claim to half of the copyright of the hit and back royalties estimated to be worth around $2 million. Fisher sued Brooker and Onward Music Ltd, and during the original trial the High Court reverberated to the sound of "A Whiter Shade of Pale," whose accompaniment is based on Johann Sebastian Bach's works including "Air on a G String." SHINE A LIGHT WASNｹT AN EASY THING FOR THE STONES TO DO. Shine a
Light is the new documentary from director Martin Scorsese that spotlights a Rolling Stones concert from 2006. One might think that it was easy for the band to make, but as Mick Jagger explains, that wasnｹt the case. (Actuality #5) ｳShooting this movie was quite nerve-wracking in some ways, it was fantastically enjoyable, but in other ways, it was very nerve-wracking for us. Iｹm sure that Marty has got a lot of things going on, and heｹs got to cover it when it happens. It was quite a challenge. Talking about having fun, it was great fun to do, but it was great challenge for everyone to come up with the goods both on the night and after it.? Shine a Light rocks into theaters today. NEIL YOUNG AND CRAZY HORSE TO RELEASE TOAST. Back in 2000, Neil Young
and Crazy Horse spent some time recording an album at San Franciscoｹs Toast Studios. That record, called Toast, was scrapped after a few months of working on it. However, according to a post on Youngｹs Web site, John Hanlon, a co-producer on the disc, is currently mixing the songs so that Toast can finally be released in the near future. The post describes the tracks, noting, ｳMany songs share a bluesy, jazz-tinged vibe as a common thread. Three solid rockers are interspersed in the mix. Other songs are long with extensive explorations between verses, a Crazy Horse trademark, kind of like a down-played Tonightｹs the Night, except these songs deal directly with love and loss, not drugs.? The post ends by revealing that the Toast release is just the beginning of a ｳnew series of unreleased albums.? No word on what else might be coming out but you can read more at NeilYoung.com. NEW LENNON TRACK TO COME OUT? A previously unreleased John Lennon song might surface as a tribute to the ｳfifth Beatle,? producer Neil Aspinall, who died last month. The track is called ｳNow and Then? and Lennon made a home recording of it in the ?70s. However, according to Englandｹs The Sun, it would take a lot of work to restore the tapes to full quality. Also, if it does come out, there is no word on if Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr would add anything new to the song. BE THE FIRST ON LED ZEPPELIN THE RIDE. You have a chance to make history with Led Zeppelin? kind of. Hard Rock Park is auctioning off 15 tickets to people who want to be among the first to ride their 155-foot high Zep themed roller coaster Led Zeppelin The Ride. As the coaster takes parkgoers 15 stories in the air, it blasts the bandｹs hit ｳWhole Lotta Love.? You can enter to experience it yourself at HardRockPark.com. The auction goes until the 7th and the winner will not only receive a ride on the coaster but also a commemorative photo, park admission and an autographed Led Zeppelin poster. The 140-acre Hard Rock Park, which is in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, opens on June 2nd with concerts from The Eagles and The Moody Blues. WILL AC/DC HEAD OUT ON A FAREWELL TOUR? If you believe rumors and
youｹre a fan of AC/DC, you might be sad to hear this. A New York DJ is claiming that the hard rock legends plan to take off on a farewell tour later this year, once they finish recording their latest album. While there has been no evidence to support this, bassist Cliff Williams did recently speak about their next tour with Spinner.com. Williams said, ｳIf we go out again or when we go out again, you just never know. Weｹve been around a long time, so weｹre doing to get together and get in the studio and I fully expect we will (tour). I donｹt mean to be so negative about that.? No word yet on when the band plans to release their upcoming album. ROLLING STONES STILL GOT IT AFTER ALL THESE YEARS. In Shine a Light, director Martin Scorsese documents a Rolling Stones concert from 2006 and in between some songs, inserts footage from the bandｹs early days. In one black and white clip, a young Mick Jagger is asked if heｹll be performing when heｹs 60. He answered he hopes so. So when the 64-year-old was asked this weekend if heｹd still be playing when heｹs 70, his equally-aged bandmate Keith Richards answered for him. (Actuality #3) ｳThatｹs only five years away!? In the flick, the audience can see that even at his age, Jagger is still very fit. So did the legendary musician prepare at all for the show? (Actuality #4) ｳNo gym, no vitamins I think that day, just do it. Just get out there.? You can see how the Stones look when Shine a Light hits theaters on Friday. KEITH RICHARDS WANTS TO SMOKE FREELY. Keith Richards wants to smoke wherever he pleases. The famed Rolling Stone is lashing out against the U-K government, which banned smoking in public areas. Richards told Englandｹs The Sun, ｳItｹs a drag because youｹve got to freeze your balls off to light a cigarette, youｹve got to go outside. Itｹs draconian, socially, politically correct bulls**t. Theyｹll get over it.? Richards then compared the ban to 1920ｹs America, noting, ｳItｹs like prohibition, they tried to stop booze once. Ha, look what happened, it ruined America.? Of course, a ban wonｹt stop the guitarist from smoking. You can see Richards illegally lighting up on stage at New Yorkｹs Beacon Theatre in Shine a Light, the new Martin Scorsese directed documentary on the Stones. Itｹs in theaters on Friday. PHIL SPECTOR WONｹT BE READY UNTIL SEPTEMBER. Phil Spector was back in court on Friday, when his lawyer told the judge that they would not be ready for the producerｹs murder retrial until September. Also, even though the honorable Larry Paul Fidler previously rejected Spectorｹs request for a different, more neutral judge, his attorney appealed the ruling. Now, a new hearing is set for May 22nd, when the trial date could be announced. Spector is accused of murdering actress Lana Clarkson at his California mansion in 2003. His first trial ended last September with a deadlocked jury. 'Rutlemania': Musical Mystery Tour Proves You Can Kid a Kidder By David Segal Washington Post Staff Writer NEW YORK -- You could call it a concert by a band re-creating the music of a fake band that satirized the songs of a real band. Or maybe it's a reenactment by four men of four men farcically reenacting the lives of four other men. Or maybe it's a new genre of rock: heavy meta. However you describe it, "Rutlemania," which tonight ends a four-night stand in New York, is a hall of mirrors set to a beat, laugh track sold separately. The nominal point was to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of "All You Need Is Cash," a mockumentary that told the fictional story of Dirk, Nasty, Stig and Barry of a band called the Rutles, whose lives, music and follies closely track the lives, music and follies of the Beatles. So "Rutlemania" is media mash-up, a live band playing beneath a movie screen, a little bit of "Rocky Horror Picture Show" atmospherics, plus a lot of trouser jokes. In "Cash," everything about the Fab Four was tweaked just enough to render John, Paul, George and Ringo faintly preposterous. The narrator of the film -- former Monty Python Eric Idle, who also plays Dirk, the Paul McCartney knockoff -- says the Rutles (rhymes with shuttles) played one of their most famous concerts in Che Stadium, "named after the Cuban guerrilla leader, Che Stadium." When Nasty, the John Lennon character, falls in love, it's with a Yoko-ish experimental artist dressed in a Nazi outfit whose father, we learn, "invented World War II." The band dissolves rancorously, just like the Beatles. "In December 1970," the narrator says, "Dirk sued Stig and Nasty, Barry sued Dirk, Nasty sued Stig and Barry, and Stig sued himself accidentally." "All You Need Is Cash" pretty much bombed when it aired on NBC, coming in 76th in the ratings that week in 1978. (No. 1 that week: An episode of "Charlie's Angels.") But "Cash" is beloved by Beatles fans, not least for its songs, an imitation of Beatles style that managed the astounding trick of exalting the originals and belittling them at the same time. So the idea behind "Rutlemania" was to reprise those songs with the help of a Beatles cover band, in this case a well-regarded outfit called, confusingly enough, the Fab Four. (For the sake of clarity the band will be referred to henceforth as "the Fab Four.") If the layers of lampoonery sound confounding on paper, they weren't in Blender Theater on Thursday night. The strange part, instead, was the uncanny quiet of the room. All the Beatles footage you've ever seen includes a quick cut to a crowd in the midst of a blissful meltdown. Of course, you can't expect pandemonium from a band simulating a satiric simulation, especially in a room with a few hundred seats, dozens of which are empty, the rest of which are filled with men over 40. Including Salman Rushdie. How much leaping and shouting do you think Salman Rushdie does? But those facts only partially minimize the weirdness of sitting and listening to a Rutles track like "Number One," an imitation of the Beatles circa 1964, and realizing that you're sitting. Because everyone is sitting. Because it would be odd to do anything but sit. It was a crowd reaction befitting a movie, which seemed apt as soon as it became clear that "All You Need Is Cash" would play on a large screen behind the band. When the Rutles are shown singing, the movie synced to the band's live performance. And the movie played when the group went backstage for one of its many costume changes. Two female dancers accompanied the band, reflecting the way fans of the Beatles changed both their outfits and their shimmying over the years. It's a testimony to the enduring hilarity of "Cash" that within 20 minutes it was obvious that the film would upstage the band. "Cash" eventually inspired films like "This Is Spinal Tap," which fired at a far broader target, hard rock itself. But part of the genius of "Cash" is its specificity. The movie flatters Beatles obsessives by taking minutiae only a hard-core fan would know and turning it into an inside joke. If, for instance, you know that the Beatles' manager, Brian Epstein, wrote a book called "A Cellarful of Noise," you'll be tickled that the manager of the Rutles, Leggy Mountbatten, wrote a book called "A Cellarful of Goys." The Beatles themselves reacted very differently to "Cash." Lennon responded to one fan who asked for his thoughts about the movie by singing part of "Cheese and Onions," a song parody of Lennon's late period writing. (Chorus: "Do I have to spell it/C-H-E-E-S-E-A-N-D-O-N-I-O-N-S oh no.") McCartney was apparently unamused until learning that Neil Innes, who wrote the Rutles songs and plays the Lennon character, was, like Macca, from the north of England. Ringo is said to like the stuff about events after 1968, for some reason. George Harrison has a cameo in the movie -- he plays a reporter, doing a story about the looting of the Rutles corporation. He reportedly referred to the Beatles as the Rutles for years. This might have been Harrison's way of dealing with and minimizing the myth of the Beatles, but perhaps he also appreciated that you can mock something and love it, too. The fans of "Cash" get that, particularly the ones who showed up Thursday night. When the movie ended, "the Fab Four" did a few songs as the Fab Four and for the first time, the crowd stood up and danced. Everybody loves a good ironic joke, but if you want people to twist and shout, it seems, you've still got to imitate the real thing. Ramblin Jack Elliott
And Country Joe McDonald An Evening of Song, Stories, Wit, Wisdom and Much More . . . Living Legends Share Stage for the First Time in Berkeley April 25 & 26th Berkeley CA- It is hard to believe that two of music's living legends and long time evangelical Woody Guthrie devotees had never broken bread together. Three weeks ago, Ramblin Jack Elliott and Country Joe McDonald met for the first time for dinner at Caf? de la Paz in Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto, and something special happened. Jack picked up a guitar and started playing Woody Guthrie's Ladies Auxiliary and Country Joe, who has been performing his critically acclaimed tribute to Woody for several years, dropped his jaw when Ramblin Jack sang some long forgotten stanzas to the popular old Union ballad. After hours of swapping lies, stories and lessons on text messaging, the two decided to do an intimate one-time only show right in the Caf? de la Paz's intimate (100 seat) Fiesta Room. WHERE: Caf? de la Paz 1600 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA WHEN: Friday & Saturday, April 26 & 27th?7:30 PM TICKETS: $40 in advance (100 seats per night) Cafe de la Paz (510) 843-0662 http:///www.cafedelapaz.net ROGER WATERS IS ALL FOR OBAMA Former Pink Floyd man Roger Waters is a
big fan of Barack Obama, and the bassist isn¹t holding back about Obama¹s opponent, Hillary Clinton, going sofar as to say she would strt a war with Iran if she were President. According to The Independent, Waters said, ³Please God, let¹s not have this woman! Hillary will want to mae her mark and show that she can be just as good as a male president, and she will f***ing invade Iran. Trust me.² As for his love of the Senator from Illinois, Waters added, ³I would buy a whole page in The New York Times and fly Obama¹s flag. But I would be terribly afraid they¹d go, ŒThis is that pinkos**tbag who¹s attacking our President in a time of war.¹² Waters is playing the Coachella festival in Indio, California on April 27th. STRAWBERRY FIELDS HOMELESS MAN IN TROUBLE Anyone who¹s visited
Strawberry Fields, the tribute to John Lennon at New York City¹s Central Park, might have run into a homeless man named Gary dos Santos. For the past 15 years, dos Santos has been arranging flowers into a peace sign at the memorial and speaking to groups about Lennon. However, now cops are threatening to charge him with littering and assembling large groups without a permit. According to the New York Post, he¹s even been ticketed twice, once for having a group of 20 people at the site and another for a noise violation. Dos Santos explained to the paper, ³They told me I needed a permit if I wanted to bring large groups of people. But I don¹t bring them here. The guides ask me to speak to them.² Law-enforcement sources feel differently and call dos Santos a nuisance, claiming they¹ve received numerous complaints about him harassing visitors and conducting tours for money. But dos Santos is fighting those claims, and already has collected more than 600 signatures for a petition that says he is not disruptive and never begs for cash. According to the homeless man, ³All I¹m trying to do is give what the brother [Lennon] wanted peace.² WIN THE WHO¹S MAGIC BUS Roger Daltrey is 64 and in great health, and he explained the secrets to his condition to London¹s Telegraph. The Who singer revealed it¹s because of ³lots of walking and even more shagging.² As for performing, Roger added, ³These days I play for free it¹s the schlepping about that I get paid for.² Meanwhile, you can enter to win The Who¹s Magic Bus, a 1965 VW van which has been signed by the surviving members. The band is holding a raffle and each ticket costs about ten dollars, with at least seven of those dollars going towards the Teenage Cancer Trust charity. The best part is, even if you don¹t win, you¹re still a winner because every entrant receives a free download of a previously unreleased live performance of ³Magic Bus² from when the group played at the International Bus Meeting last year. Head to TheWhoMagicBus.com for more info. MORRISON¹S LATEST MILESTONE With over 40 years making music, Van Morrison hit yet another milestone in his career this week. The legendary singer had his highest ever U-S debut with his latest album, Keep it Simple, which bows in next week on the Billboard chart at number ten. Morrison is currently touring overseas and plays Milano, Italy tonight. TRIBUTE CONCRTS TO HONOR JEFF HEALEY On March 2nd, Canadian guitar
great Jeff Healey died of cancer and in May, a pair of concerts are set to take place in Toronto to honor the musician. Healey¹s backup band, the azz Wizards, will open the first tribute concert on May 3rd. Deep Purple¹s Ian Gillan and Cream¹s Jack Bruce will perform at that show, which will focus on Healey¹s contributions to rock. According to CBC News, at the second concert on May 4th, Marty Grosz, Brad Kay and Vince Giordano will play to pay homage to Healey¹s jazz career. The proceeds from the shows will benefit the Healey Family Trust and Daisy¹s Eye Cancer Fund, a charity that assists the familis of children with retinoblastoma, the rare cancer that took Jeff¹s sight when he was one-year-old. Tickets for the shows are on sale now. ZAPPA¹S WIDOW SUE FAN CLUB FOR INFRINGEMENT Frank Zappa¹s widow is trying to stop a erman fan club from using her late husban¹s name. Gail Zappa says the German-based Arf Society¹s logo and use of the musician¹s name in their Zappanale festival infringes on trademarks held by the Zappa Family Trust. According to the Associated Press, the logo features a moustache, very similar to the one Zappa wore. The ociety says the trust has been aware of its use of the name since the inaugurl festival in 1998. A state court in Duesseldorf began hearing the case on Wdnesday. BRENDAN O¹BRIEN PRODUCING NEW AC/DC ALBUM? There might be som new information on what AC/DC is up to. Eddie Spaghetti, who is the bassst for Supersuckers, explained the delay of their next album on his group¹s Web site. Apparently, upersuckers can¹t get to work on their disc because their producer is busy wrking on the new AC/DC disc. That producer is Billy Bowers and apparently h is an engineer for Brendan O¹Brien, who, as Spaghetti revealed, is poducing the new album from AC/DC. In the past, O¹Brien has worked with Parl Jam, Velvet Revolver, Stone Temple Pilots and Audioslave. To read more,head to Supersuckers.com. RONNIE HAWKINS¹ ROULETTE SESSIONS FROM 1959-63 REISSUED ON COLLECTORS¹
CHOICE Twofer CD combines Mojo Man and Arkansas Rock Pile albums, featuring The Hawks (later The Band): Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Richard Manuel, Garth Hudson and Rick Danko LOS ANGELES, Calif. ‹ Ronnie Hawkins, born in 1935, was the rock ¹n¹ roll pride of Arkansas in the Œ50s when, at the suggestion of fellow Arkansan Conway Twitty, he moved to Canada, where there was a thriving rockabilly scene. From Hamilton, Ontario, Hawkins successfully toured and recorded in both his adoptive country and his native USA. ³There were three guys in those days who would really knock you out,² recalls Sun rockabilly artist Sonny Burgess, ³Elvis, Jerry Lee and Ronnie Hawkins.² Two of Hawkins¹ classic albums, Mojo Man and Arkansas Rock Pile, both culled from 1959-63 sessions in Nashville and New York, will be reissued on Collectors¹ Choice Music on April 29, 2008. Pop historian Gene Sculatti, author of The Catalog of Cool, wrote the liner notes. Hawkins was equally known for his band, The Hawks, which started back home in Arkansas with drummer Levon Helm but gained its core membership in Canada with Robbie Robertson, Richard Manuel, Rick Danko and Garth Hudson. (In later years, The Hawks went on to become Bob Dylan¹s band and later The Band.) The Collectors¹ Choice twofer contains two long-out-of-print albums, featuring 23 tracks from the early sessions. While information on the Roulette label is always a bit spotty, the label appears to have released Mojo Man in 1967 in Canada only, and released Arkansas Rock Pile in 1970 in the U.K. only. Mojo Man culls most of its material from other artists and writers, but Hawkins leaves his own mark on each song. Teaming The Hawks with saxophone legend King Curtis, Hawkins turns ³Suzy Q,² originated in 1957 by his cousin Dale Hawkins, into a rave-up. Carl Perkins¹ ³Matchbox² is re-imagined with an R&B bar-band feel and a scorching Robbie Robertson guitar solo. Other highlights include Bobby ³Blue² Bland¹s ³Farther Up The Road² and ³What a Party,² a re-titled cover of Muddy Waters¹ ³She¹s 19 Years Old.² Two other covers, Hank Williams¹ ³Your Cheating Heart² and George Gershwin¹s ³Summertime,² hail from two different Nashville sessions in 1960 and feature, instead of The Hawks, Floyd Cramer, piano; Harold Bradley, guitar; and Bob Moore, bass. In Arkansas Rock Pile, Hawkins pays further homage to his fellow originators of rock ¹n¹ roll. The album contains wild treatments of Bo Diddley¹s ³Who Do You Love² (featuring furious guitar work by Robbie Robertson and Richard Manuel¹s pumpin¹ piano) plus Bo¹s eponymous ³Bo Diddley²; Chuck Berry¹s ³Thirty Days,² re-cast as ³Forty Days²; Billy Lee Riley¹s wild rockabilly anthem ³My Gal is Red Hot²; and Larry Williams¹ ³Dizzy Miss Lizzy.² Also included are the mid-tempo blues ³Come Love² (with Helm, Danko and Robertson and a chorus likely containing Dionne and DeeDee Warwick) and Hawkins¹ own Lieber & Stoller-produced ³Arkansas,² which name checks ³Mary Lou, Odessa and Runaround Sue.² On ³Arkansas,² Helm, Robertson and Manuel are joined by blues harmonica giant Sonny Terry. Fresh from his Roulette years (1959-67), Hawkins went to Atlantic¹s Cotillion label, where he had a hit with ³Down in the Alley,² featuring Duane Allman and the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. He continues to gig, as he puts it, ³wherever there are rock ¹n¹ rollers. That¹s what we¹ve been doing for more than 40 years. It¹s made me everything from an honorary mayor to an honorary member of a motorcycle gang.² ***************************************************************** SHEL SILVERSTEIN BOOK AND ALBUM REISSUES ON THE WAY Writer: Adina Fleming News, Published online on 09 Apr 2008 In honor of National Poetry Month, HarperCollins Children¹s Books and Water Records are re-issuing some of Shel Silverstein¹s lesser-known works. Although famous for his classic children¹s books, Silverstein, who died in 1999, was also a composer and songwriter. Included in the re-issue are five different works spanning Silverstein¹s various mediums. Don¹t Bump the Glump! And Other Fantasies is Silverstein¹s debut poetry collection, first published in 1964. Silverstein contributed to Playboy throughout his career, and Playboy¹s Silverstein Around the World gathers together 23 illustrated essays originally published in Playboy documenting Silverstein¹s journeys abroad and in 1960¹s America. Three of Silverstein¹s musical contributions are being re-issued, all available for the first time on CD. Silverstein¹s first LP, Hairy Jazz, was originally released in 1959 and features him performing standard and classic jazz and ragtime songs accompanied by The Red Onions Jazz Band. The follow-up to Hairy Jazz, Inside Folk Songs, features all original material including ³25 Minutes To Go,² which was later made famous by Johnny Cash. Finally, Silverstein¹s sixth album, Boy Named Sue, is being re-issued which features the title track, which was eventually another massive Cash hit. Silverstein¹s comic illustrations are also currently being shown in Dave Eggers¹ exhibition Lots Of Things Like This at apexart in New York City. Related links:. ShelSilverstein.com HarperCollinsChildren.com Dead & Taxes²
That¹s what we¹re calling our Grateful Dead Night event folks. So come on over and share your US Tax Payer Blues with friends & family on Tuesday, April 15 @ 12 Galaxies (.com) in the San Francisco Mission District. We¹re especially honored to have Grateful Dead lyricist, John Perry Barlow, come down and spend an hour or so talking, telling stories, discussing current events & possibly a Q & A session with the audience. John has written lyrics for many of your favorite Grateful Dead/Bob Weir songs such as ³Cassidy², ³Let It Grow², ³Estimated Prophet², ³Music Never Stopped², ³Hell in A Bucket², ³Lost Sailor², ³Saint of Circumstance² and many, many more. His lyrics from "Throwing Stones" or "We Can Run" are as relevant today as the day they were written. This night will also feature an awesome acoustic set or two from Stu Allen (JGB/Melvin Seals/Workingman¹s Ed) & Pat Nevins (Workingman¹s Ed/Ragged Glory) covering Jerry, Neil, Graham Parsons, etcŠ For those who missed them last time, an ³Acoustic Crazy Fingers" basically sums it up. There's a reason Stu Allen plays guitar for Melvin Seals & JGB. We¹re still working-out the exact logistics of the night, but it will be posted soon. We'll also have legendary Grateful Dead/Legion of Mary/Jerry Garcia Band/Reconstruction engineer-producer Betty Cantor-Jackson ("Betty Boards") here this evening to help mix sound and just be there in support of Dead Night... We¹ll end the last portion of the night with a rockin¹ set from my personal archive of music. We¹d like to think this event kicks-off the official ³Dead-Head Season² of Spring and Summer shows featuring DSO, Phil, Rat Dog, JGB/Melvin, Donna-Jean, etc., etc., and we¹re charging $7 for this event. For over 10 years we kept Nickie¹s Dead Night less than other events @ $5, but with all the extra things we now offer, it is no longer possible. This was a tough decision for us, but we still feel we're offering an excellent night of De[a]dicated entertainment at a great value. And we're still cheaper than sitting on your arse at a movie theater. Dead Night can only happen if people show up. We only do this periodically so please come out, shake yer bones, burn some calories, meet some rock & roll legends and, most importantly... ³Support your local Dead Night!² Doors at 8PM. Events start around 8:35 or so. Many blessing to all! *-Dark Star Dan LONDON STRUMS INTO SUMMER
We live in hope of the constant risk of snow fading away but musical sunshine ahead is pretty much guaranteed by the upcoming London Guitar Festival www.igf.org.uk <http://www.igf.org.uk/> which will be held in early May at the South Bank Centre on the Thames. The various halls within the complex will be host to a stunning array of guitar stylists, echoing the great 'Guitar-in' show some forty years ago at which your correspondent witnessed Bert Jansch, folkrock band Pentangle, flamenco genius Paco Pena and the Jimi Hendrix Experience, who scooted on and launched into 'Sergeant Pepper' to wind up Paul McCartney, whose own band opted not to tour their landmark album. In 2008, the best in guitar stars can include Nino de Pura's flamenco ensemble, Luis Quintero the Venezuelan six string prince, Nicolas Meier fusing fusion and Turkish cadences, The Antonio Forcione Quartet a multi-national group of uncommon warmth and communicative skills and Brit pioneer Jason Carter whose travels have soaked into his fingerwork. Not only that, but former Stone, Bluesbreaker and Dylan cohort Mick Taylor will perform with the fabulously soulful songsmith Terry Reid, veteran drummer Colin Allen and even it is rumoured, JHE original Mitch Mitchell. And most likely others ! This plus workshops by the likes of Lee Hodgson and Andres Garcia and inspiration for new and old players and listeners is there for the booking. Pete Sargeant TALKIN' BOUT A REVOLUTION For me, the Beatles notorious 'White Album' double record is the very essence of sadness tinged with beauty and confusion. Four blokes realising that they were inevitably growing apart yet still (but not completely) able to make each other's works come to life resulting in maybe the most patchy big-seller of all time. Some of the tracks such as 'Something' were awesome enough even to step over Francis Albert Sinatra's renowned distaste for Limey rock'n'rollers and make him record what might be the greatest love song of all. Others such as 'Happiness Is A Warm Gun' hardly add to the the Fab Four's reputation. A man with a view on all this and enough inspiration to write an excellent analytical book thereon is Brit writer David Quantick. He and others including Tot Taylor will be at The British Library's Conference Centre early evening of 27th May for ' The Beatles White Album Forty Years On' to discuss this recorded work and what it means to fans followers and anybody else. Offhand it's a little hard to think of a more 'British' record (outside humourists The Bonzo Dog Doodah Band and their albums) than The White Album, given its inclusion of rock'n'roll, balladry, folkiness ('Dear Prudence') and yes, vaudeville. It could not have originated in other countries, for better or worse in the way that Zappa's 'We're Only In It For the Money' is so very American in its concept and execution. Final thought outside of the sublime 'Rain', did Ringo Starr ever sound better than on his contributions here ? Pete Sargeant www.fairhearing.co.uk ***************************************************************** Thanks to Kevin Walsh Roky Erickson and Doug Sahm Rememberance http://www.furious.com/perfect/roky2.html ***************************************************************** Thanks to Peter Huggins... Saluting Lonnie Johnson, Original Guitar Hero : NPR Music This is WAY cool, especially the links to the songs and a 20 minute interview / performance http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89186801 THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY - APRIL 7 1998 Carlos Vega, a Los Angeles drummer best known for his work with James Taylor, dies of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound. 1995 Airport police seize a loaded pistol from Eddie Van Halen's carry-on luggage. No charges are filed against the guitarist. 1974 No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: ``Bennie and the Jets,'' Elton John. The song is first released as the B-side to ``Candle in the Wind,'' an ode to Marilyn Monroe. 1970 No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: ``Let It Be,'' The Beatles. The song enters the Hot 100 at No. 6, higher than any previous entry on Billboard's pop singles chart. 1968 No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: ``Honey,'' Bobby Goldsboro. (OUCH!) 1951 Folk star Janis Ian (Janis Eddy Fink) is born in New York City. She has a No. 3 hit in 1975 with ``At Seventeen.'' 1920 Sitarist Ravi Shankar is born. 1915 Jazz singer Billie Holiday (Eleanor Gough) is born in Baltimore. She is posthumously given a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987 and three of her recordings receive Grammy Hall of Fame Awards: ``Strange Fruit'' (1939 recording), ``God Bless the Child'' (1941) and ``Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)'' (1945). The 1972 film ``Lady Sings the Blues'' is based on her life. |