41 Years, Can You Believe It?

No I can't believe that it's been 41 years since Woodstock! I'm sitting here in my mobile home, in some idiotic retirement community watching a replay of the concert. On stage is Joe Cocker. He's belting out "With A Little Help From My Friends". It's a classic! Cocker was imitated numerous times for his jerking seizure like style of performing. He was just trying to get the notes out man. And did he ever!

Sitting watching this reminds of how important this music was and is to me. When ever I'm feeling a little lonely, whenever I feel alienated by the world, when I think nothings going to ever get better, I listen to the music. It lights some kind of fire inside me. My emotions swell and I start almost immediately feeling, not just good, but like I could take on the whole world. It's hypnotizing and motivating to a point where the energy is nearly uncontrollable.

But there's another thing that happens when I listen. There' a spark of creativity that is initiated. Creativity that I only feel intermittently at best. It's that once in a while feeling that leads me to new thoughts, new adventures, with the steam to accomplish those crazy things.

I lose the thoughts of hurting people. That's right! You heard it right. When I get down, when I have just about had enough of this angry unfeeling world. When I am shown it's lack of compassion and it's discourteous ugly face I want to get my rifles out and find a nice tall tower somewhere. Music heals that horrible feeling.

Music flies you through the clouds. It takes you to Heaven. It takes you sailing on the seas in a tall clipper ship! Music vibrates. It's not only sexy, it takes to places unspeakable. It is the password to the great star fields above!

I know it sounds unbelievable. But it's true. Take some time and sit down and listen to some of your favorite tunes. You'll be glad you did.

And, oh yeah... Woodstock... still as good as ever!

Quiet Greats

When we consider the period, we always think of the big bands; The Beatles, The Stones, Black Sabbath, Yes, and on and on. I'm sure there's no list that we could make that would be all inclusive. When I consider issues such as this, I think about how all people have a voice inside, and need to let it out. It is surely frustrating being a human and trying to express the right things to have any kind of minimal relationship with others. TMI? Yeah, I know. Voices in your head? Paranoia, fear, and anger? Well... we're human beings after all. It's all part of the package. It's the fight to get out of the weeds that counts. And most of us never get out of the cabbage patch. We end up throwing shit and crap at each other, attempting to hurt others to quell our own pain.

Anyway... this is a post about one of those bands that was short lived and really in the background. They opened for other big bands of the day. I saw them opening for Alice Cooper in San Diego; The same time as the previous post pictures were taken. The group's name was Captain Beyond! They were a group of musicians made up of other groups. But man! they rocked. I had never before, nor since heard a live band that was so together - on the dime and so clear. Everything was so tuned in it was incredible. I'll never forget that evening that me & my sweetheart and I had! Yes, we met the boys from Alice Cooper, but the concert rocked. I always remember the concert and listening to Captain Beyond more than meeting the Coop. Sorry Vince!

Their music had a syncopation to it, it changed beats and had great melodies. Lots of mean guitar work, a bottom you could not only feel, but hear. No mush here. Just a pure ride through the stars.

You can go to Wikipedia and get info about the members, but briefly - the singer was Rod Evans of early Deep Purple fame. His voice is likely very familiar to you if you're reading this blog. He sang the hits "Hush" and "River Deep, Mountain High" among others. A deep rich voice that doesn't scream at you or get overly shrill. Also in the band were Lee Dorman, Rhino Reinhardt, and Bobby Caldwell. You know Dorman, even though you may think you don't. He played that famous bass line in "In A Gada Da Vida"! Rhino was also a refugee from Iron Butterfly like Dorman and Bobby Caldwell played the kit for Johnny Winters (another great artist), back in the day. These experienced rockers were awesome! Tight and pounding!

Unfortunately, after a couple of albums they couldn't get out of the weed patch and split pretty much for good. A couple of concerts and a small reorganization, but as many, they went the way of the world. But we have a couple very good albums and their very first self titled album is still fresh after all these years.

So we'll go on trying to find ourselves in this world of crap. Good music often makes it easier. Thanx Cap'n!