Guilty Pleasures: Things Can Only Get Better

Guilty Pleasures.

We all have them. Whether it's eating a pint of ice cream in the middle of the night or watching an old "B" movie in the middle of the day, there are some things we enjoy in spite of the fact that usually they are either A) a waste of calories or B) a waste of time.

Then there are the musical guilty pleasures, and that's where we will go today. A single song, or maybe a band which is so outside your normal range of enjoyment and yet...you love it. The song that if you're old enough to remember, you would have purchased the 45 rpm, but never the album. These days downloading makes everything a world of singles...but I digress.

So, today we start another new feature that we will visit from time to time...Guilty Pleasures. Let's start with one of mine.

For the most part, I hate techno music. I am an old school rocker who loves to get buried in the blues. I am not into the "beats" or electronics made to sound like real instruments...like, what the hell is the point?  But just like on the Life blog when I posted an example of my writing when I was a kid (147 years ago), I will now embarrass myself on the Music blog by posting my Guilty Pleasure.

Howard Jones. There, I've said it.
It was the 80s and I was young(er). Having lived through the British Invasion, Hard Rock, Country Rock, Metal...etc, now we had Techno-Pop. ugh. I know nothing about Howard Jones and have no desire to even look him up on Wikipedia. Knock yourself out if you have the desire. However, there are two songs by Howard Jones which make me happy. They are my guilty pleasures.

Today's Tastes:

"No One Is To Blame"
"Things Can Only Get Better"

Ok, I've shown mine, let's see yours.  Leave a comment or send me an email...yours might be the next guilty pleasure we highlight.

A Night With Survivor

Sunday May 6: Destination...Penn's Peak

The road trip from the weekend house to Jim Thorpe, PA wasn't too bad at all. Some smaller roads, but a few of them were roads we had traveled on before.  The new car was a joy to drive, especially on the return trip when the insanely great headlights lit the way. The 70 mile trip took about an hour and twenty minutes. Not bad at all.

The venue, Penn's Peak is spectacular. Perched on top of a mountain, the panoramic view from up top is breathtaking. The building itself is like a large wooden barn; inside are two levels with plenty of room and a friendly atmosphere.

Opening act was The Pat Travers Band. One of the first things Pat said Sunday night, was that they were gonna kick our asses. Well, they sho 'nuf did. You want loud and hard rock & roll...you got it.  A solid set fronted by a man who has paid his dues and still has the nerve to apparently love what he's doing.

Highlights included "Boom Boom...Out Go The Lights", which had a lot of crowd participation and "Snortin' Whiskey." After a terrific set, Pat & the boys had a fine Meet & Greet session with the assembled troops at Penn's Peak. Nice touch.

Next up, Survivor. Sunday night was the fourth show of this tour, which has lead vocalist Jimi Jamison fronting the band once again.

Opening the show with "Can't Give It Up," a nice surprise off the Too Hot To Sleep album. Second song in...must be time to throw in one of the hits: "Broken Promises," one of those songs which never fails to deliver the goods. Jamison and lead guitarist Frankie Sullivan both seemed relaxed...easily falling into a familiar rhythm, the payoff of doing years of live shows together.  "High on You" ...another crowd favorite was up next, followed by three songs which were not recorded by Jamison, but by original lead singer Dave Bickler. "Poor Man's Son," "Take You On A Saturday," and a gem version of "Summer Nights."... all from the 1981 album Premonition.

Jumping back into a Jamison era song, "Desperate Dreams" off Too Hot To Sleep, is a lyrically haunting song from the Peterik-Sullivan catalog.


"Two souls drawn to the fire in desperate dreams 
Two hearts lost to desire's desperate schemes 
One girl lost in a reverie 
Lost love found in a memory 
Those nights live on forever 
Two fools lost in a desperate dream"


The next song was a tasty treat to be sure. 38 Special had a #1 hit with "Rockin' Into The Night." Jim Peterik (former Survivor member and Sullivan's long-time writing partner) and Frankie Sullivan were two of the writers of that song. The crowd was pretty pumped up by this time, so this rocker was just throwing "a little gasoline on the fire."

Back to the hits: "The Search is Over," "I Can't Hold Back," and "Burning Heart"...how can you argue with the set choices there.


Another oldie from the pre-Jamison days "Somewhere in America" gave way to the finale, no surprise there... "Eye of the Tiger."  As the song approaches its 30th anniversary, it has become more than an anthem...for many people it has become their mission statement,


Survivor:

Drums: Marc Droubay has been with the band, well almost forever. Never missing a beat, his talent lies in complimenting the rest of the band and not overpowering it. As strong as ever.
Bass: Billy Ozzello is not a wallflower type bassist. A wild man with long flowing hair, his get-in-your face bass provided a huge dose of solid work and a lot of energy.
Keyboards/Guitar: Walter Tolentino is one nice surprise. Multi-talents and a great stage presence, boy it sure seemed like he had fun.
Lead Guitar: Frankie Sullivan works hard, real hard. Watching just how hard he worked got me a little exhausted to tell you the truth. And all the hard work pays off. He's damn good. Something which might go unnoticed is just how well his voice backs up Jamison's.  He fills in all the right places, creating a perfect blend.
Lead Vocals: Jimi Jamison, well that's the voice now isn't it? He is so acutely aware of his vocal abilities, it's scary. Still a master of the stage, throw in the still-strong vocals and you have one of the best singers to ever front a rock band.

This was a top to bottom fun show. The band is tight, talented and relaxed. With their music catalog, the choice of set list must be tough. At some point, would love to see them try something to knock the socks off the crowd...something like an acoustic set or letting Jimi back up Frankie on a song or two. It's early in the tour, hopefully they will continue to play nice together and record some new music.

The evening was definitely worth the road trip. A night to meet up with friends who like us, drove in from some distance and spent the night enjoying two old-school rock bands still ready, willing and able to "kick our asses."

...and that's how you do it son.

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Road Trip: Let's Ride

Road Trip.

Two words, eight letters that get my blood pumping every time. This afternoon, we take off for an evening out, in a venue about 70 miles away.

Returning tonight, it's gonna be a lot of driving, on a lot of back country roads.

Time for a little traveling music.

Now there are different types of traveling music. Some bands themselves, just have a sound that works when the sun is shining and you are rolling down the highway. The Allman Brothers are a great example of this. Put on Eat a Peach or Live at the Fillmore, and you are always good to go.

Then there are specific songs that just put you in the mood for an adventure. Let's taste a few of those today.


Lynryd Skynyrd "The Breeze"
Doobie Brothers "Rocking Down the Highway"
Tom Cochrane " Life is a Highway"

and for a destination mood setter...
Survivor "Caught in the Game"

Turn up the volume, pedal to the metal and drive...
oh yeah baby...that's what I'm talking about.

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The Voodoo That You Do...So Well

On May 2, 1968 Jimi Hendrix walked into the the Record Plant recording studio in New York City and laid down the tracks for "Voodoo Chile." This epic song would become part of Jimi's legacy known as the Electric Ladyland double album.

After a late night club scene, Hendrix and friends began recording at 7:30 in the morning. Among the friends that night were Steve Winwood (organ), Jack Casady (bass) and Mitch Mitchell (drums). On the first take, Jimi showed them what to do. A broken string interrupted the second take and the third time was the charm.

Over the years many musicians have tried their hand at the guitar licks by Hendrix. Today, we will taste a few of the best.


Listen up:

Stevie Ray Vaughn "Voodoo Chile" ...perhaps the best outside of Jimi
Kenny Wayne Shepherd "Voodoo Chile" ...nice, especially with Noah Hunt doing vocals
Zakk Wilde & Slash "Voodoo Chile"...double guitars...double the power...blowing it out...killer
Jimi Hendrix "Voodoo Chile"... live at Woodstock. uh huh.

Hot damn, that's some freakin' great guitar work right there.

Pick your favorite and leave a comment below.

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Take A Ride In The Driver's Seat

Today we offer a second installment of the one-hit-wonder taste of the day.

This is a song while it became a hit in 1978, had a second life when it was used in a European advertising campaign over ten years later. The song is from a British group called Sniff 'n' the Tears and the song is

"Driver's Seat"

"Doing alright, a little driving on a Saturday night."

I actually saw them perform in NYC when they opened up for Dire Straits. I don't remember any other song they did, only that I has happy as all hell to have seen them play "Driver's Seat."

A little strum of the guitar, easy drum beat...kick it up.  Just a fun song with a catchy chorus.

Just take your place in the Driver's Seat.

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