Pencilstorm and Friends Remember Chuck Berry

editor's note:  Upon hearing the news of Chuck Berry's passing, Ricki C. & myself quickly agreed that nobody needed our two cents on the subject. Who were we to comment on the man who invented rock n roll?  After taking some time to let it all sink in, and a road trip to see Dan Baird, we decided our best course was to compile a page of people we admired to pay tribute.  Hail Hail Rock n Roll. Hail Hail Chuck Berry. - Colin G. 

For a quick reminder on why Chuck Berry was so important check out Annie Zaleski's bio she wrote for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame here. 

Read "Without Chuck Berry There Would Be No Rock n Roll" by Rob Harvilla

Listen to Remembering Chuck Berry on the outstanding Sound Opinions podcast.

Terry Anderson is one of my rock n roll heroes and one of just a handful of songwriters I mention in the same breath as Chuck Berry. I asked him for his Chuck memories and he was nice enough to shoot me this as he was finishing up work on his latest album, Jimmy's Arcade due out May 10th. - Colin G

Terry Anderson: So our hero has left the building. 90 years is a good run, though. I'll take it! Sign me up! I'm just so blessed to have seen him perform three different times.

The first time was at MUSIC CITY here in Raleigh NC when The Pedestrians, along with my buddy Dave Adams on keys, got the backup gig. He loved Dave but man! oh man! he hated Tony the bass player who was, shall we say..."new to the instrument"! Chuck finally yelled at him "if you can't play that thang put it down!" I seem to remember getting backstage at that show, but you know, that was long time ago...back in my drankin' days (hee hee!).

The second time I saw him play was years later. Me and my buddy Roger were at Topsail Beach with our girls (mine was my soon to be wife) when we were looking in the paper for somewhere to go eat and wouldn't you know it! there's an ad for a CHUCK BERRY gig about to start in just 2 hours. The only problem was it was 2 hours away!  So Roger and I left the girls to fend for themselves on the food thing and we hightailed the shit outta there headed for Myrtle Beach! Driving 70mph the whole way, screaming at stoplights and generally being the kinda assholes you never want behind you we got to the Carolina Opry House JUST as Chuck was hitting the stage! We had just enough time to catch our breath before he came out and started into Roll Over Beethoven.

The piano player sure was exuberant! Song after song he would take off on a solo just when Chuck was about to! Chuck would cut an eye but the guy was good, I mean REAL good! Eventually Chuck would get his solo in and continue on. But you could tell after about 5 or so songs like this our hero was getting pretty pissed off. About mid-way through the show Chuck had it out with the guy on stage. It was during a song so we didn't know what the hell was going on. But things started to change after that little talk they had. Chuck was ok with the guy stepping on his solos. He'd let the dude take one then he'd take his. Things went smoothly from then on and it wasn't until the end of the show did we ever figger out what they had discussed up there. On the last song Chuck made up an entire new number, 3 verses, solo...everything! 

And on the last line of the song Chuck sez, "I didn't know the piano player was stone cold blind! Goodnight everybody!"

He came back out and did ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC, then he was gone.

It was so great and hilarious!

Saw him one more time a few years ago in downtown Raleigh. There were storms due to a hurricane in the area and it was an outside gig. The promoter was having trouble talking Chuck into going on. Finally he upped the pay 10k and got him a plate of ribs. I don't know which one influenced him the most but he came out during a break in the storm action and did about 40 minutes of partial Chuck Berry songs. The backup band sucked, but hey! at least Chuck sucked too! It didn't make a bit of difference though, we were standing right in front of him performing for US! There he was...Chuck FUCKING Berry!

Anybody who has seen Willie Phoenix knows he is in anybody's class when it comes to playing guitar-driven rock n roll. I snagged this from his Facebook page. - Colin G. 

Willie Phoenix :IT'S SUNDAY MORNING....AND THERE IS YET ANOTHER CLOUD OVER PEPPER LAND...SEEMS SO MANY STARS THAT HAVE BRIGHTENED OUR ROCK N' ROLL SKIES ...OUR ROCK N' ROLL EXISTENCE...HAVE MADE THEIR FINAL EXIT. ...NOW WITH THAT BEING SAID ...LET ME SAY...NO OTHER ROCK ARTIST HAS INFLUENCED SO MANY MEGA STAR ROCK N' ROLL ARTISTS LIKE CHUCK  BERRY...MEGA STARS INCLUDE....BOB DYLAN...BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN...BEATLES...BEACH BOYS,,,WHICH OF COURSE CHUCK SUED BEATLES AND BEACH BOYS...MANY OF YOU THINK COME TOGETHER WAS AN ORIGINAL...LENNON SLOWED DOWN CHUCKS...YOU CAN'T CATCH ME...HE EVEN LIFTED CHUCKS LYRIC...HERE COMES OLD FLAT TOP.. . AND JOHN HAD TO THANK SIR PAUL FOR THE ROLLING SOUL BASS LINE IN THAT SONG ALONG WITH MR. LENNONS BIG CHORUS PUSH....OR THAT TUNE WOULD HAVE BEEN MR. BERRYS ALL THE WAY. BOB DYLANS HIGHWAY 61'S RAMBLINGS..VERY MUCH IS CHUCKS ....TOO MUCH MONKEY BUSINESS....THE ROLLING STONES...ALWAYS HONORED THEIR BLACK ROCK N' ROLL FATHERS....GOT THEIR NAME FROM A MUDDY WATERS SONG....BUT CUT THEIR TEETH ON MANY MANY CHUCK BERRY SONGS...AND THE STONES ALWAYS PAID BACK...BEFORE CHUCK BERRY....YES THEIR WERE OTHER GREAT GUITAR PLAYERS...IN ALL THE GENRES ...ESPECIALLY COOL ROCK A BILLY AND BLUES CATS...BUT MOST OF THOSE GUYS FOLLOWED THE BASS RIFFS TO FATTEN GUITAR RHYTHMS...NOT CHUCK...HE ADDED THAT CHUGA CHUGA THING...THAT ALL GUITAR PLAYERS SHOULD LEARN TO DO IF YOU WANTED TO PLAY TRUE ROCK N' ROLL GUITAR...AND NOT JUST ROCK GUITAR...AND FOR ALL MY METAL BUDS OUT THERE...YOU MIGHT SAY CHUCK NEVER INFLUENCED ME...WELL EVEN JIMI HENDRIX DID A 1000 MPH VERSION OF JOHNNY B. GOODE...LED ZEPPLIN ....RIFFIN' CHUCK UP ON...BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I ROCKED N' ROLL...AS ROBERT PLANT WOULD SING.... ANYWAY HISTORIANS RUSHED TO GIVE ELVIS THE CROWN...FOR MANY REASONS...AND BOY GROWING UP I LOVED ME SOME ELVIS....ELVIS MADE THE GIRLS SCREAM...BUT CHUCK NOT ONLY MADE THE GIRLS SCREAM...BUT THE BOYS CHEERED HIM ON TOO...ROCK N' ROLL ...THE TRUE POWER OF THE ELECTRIC ROCK N' ROLL GUITAR WAS FIRST BROUGHT TO LIGHT BY CHUCK BERRY...AND THEN OF COURSE WAS THE GENIUS OF HIS PERFECT SONG WRITING...I THINK HIS SONG WRITING GAVE A PICTURE PERFECT STORY OF ROCKIN' TEEN SUBURBIA FOR ITS TIME. HAIL! HAIL! THE TRUE KING OF ROCK N' ROLL!
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And not to be outdone, long time Willie Phoenix and League Bowlers drummer Jim Johnson had some thoughts too.

Jim Johnson: No one had a bigger influence on every band I've ever loved, than Chuck Berry. The man defined the word Rock & Roll. There would be no Beatles or Stones, without Chuck Berry. There would be no Willie Phoenix or League Bowlers without Chuck Berry. His influence will live on, in a world that will be just a little sadder,without his presence. Rest in peace Chuck. 
You changed my life, and countless others, who loved the words you sang, and the notes you played. 

No Chuck Berry tribute would be complete with out reading what Keith Richards had to say about his passing and influence. 

And Hail Hail Rock and Roll Director Taylor Hackford. Read it here.

And in closing, check out the playlist from Jon Brian Peterson's always swingin'  Shakin' it Radio program which airs/streams on WCBE every Saturday night at 8pm. www.wcbe.org 

"ALL OF CHUCK'S CHILDREN" 3-25-17 CB Special now online for FREE DOWNLOAD. Playlist below and download by clicking:

SHAKIN’ IT: CHUCK BERRY SPECIAL 03-25-17/HOUR ONE
CHUCK BERRY- “Memphis” (Live, 1972)
JOHNNY RIVERS- “Memphis”
CHUCK BERRY- “Sweet Little 16”
BEACH BOYS- “Surfin’ USA” (Live, 1972)
LONNIE MACK- “Memphis” (Instrumental)
CHUCK BERRY- “Wee Wee Hours”
CHUCK BERRY- “Downward Train”
CHUCK BERRY- “Havana Moon”
PULP FICTION clip- “Vincent Vega”
CHUCK BERRY- “You Never Can Tell” 
CHUCK BERRY – “Tulane”
PAUL McCARTNEY- “Brown Eyed Handsome Man”
JOHNNIE ALLAN- “Promised Land”
CHOCOLATE WATCHBAND- “Come On”
MC5 – “Back In the USA”
ROLLING STONES- “You Can’t Catch Me”
ROLLING STONES- “Carol”

ROLLING STONES- “Around & Round”
MITCH RYDER- “Let It Rock”
ERIC BURDEN & ANIMALS- “Little Queenie” (Live)
BACK TO THE FUTURE clip- “Johnny B. Goode (instrumental)

SHAKIN’ IT: CHUCK BERRY SPECIAL 03-25-17/HOUR TWO
JOHN LENNON & CHUCK BERRY- “Johnny B. Goode” (Live on Mike Douglas Show)
BEATLES- “Roll Over Beethoven” (George Harrison sings!)
BEATLES- “Rock & Roll Music” (John Lennon sings)
ROD STEWART- “Sweet Little Rock N’ Roller”
BOB SEGER- “Rock N’ Roll Never Forgets” 
TERRY DAVIDSON & THE GEARS- “I Will Not Let You Go”
THE KINKS- “Too Much Monkey Business”
ROCKPILE- “Oh What A Thrill” (featuring Dave Edmonds)
THE TROGGS- “No Particular Place To Go”
SELDOM SCENE- “Nadine”
JUDGE DREAD- “My Ding-A-Ling”
PETER TOSH- “Johnny B. Goode”
CHUCK BERRY- “30 Days”
JANE PAULEY INTERVIEW- (with CB, 1973)
CHUCK BERRY- “School Days” (Live, 1972)
CHUCK BERRY- “Almost Grown”
CHUCK BERRY- “Run Rudolph Run”
CHUCK BERRY- “I’m A Rocker”
CHUCK BERRY- “Woodpecker” (Instrumental, under outro)

Colin Gawel : The rock n roll tree has grown many branches, but the one that came straight from the trunk, the direct path from the roots was planted by Chuck Berry. I've watched the scene below hundreds of times and it always fills me with joy. I could go on and on about the songwriting, the poetry, and his problems but..... just look at him.....or better yet, try to take your eyes off him. RIP Chuck.

Chuck Berry - Guitar, vocals Eric Clapton - Guitar Keith Richards - Guitar Steve Jordan - Drums Johnnie Johnson - Piano Chuck Leavell - Organ Joey Spampinato - Bass

Two Rock 'n Roll icons of the 20th century meet and perform together at the Mike Douglas Show in February 1972, New York City. Full segment: Memphis, Tennessee - Interview - Johnny B. Goode NOTICE: Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.

Hit and Run Interview with Dan Baird & Homemade Sin - by Colin Gawel

Former Georgia Satellites frontman and current Homemade Sin bandleader Dan Baird is back at it again. Zigging & zagging his way across the USA, bringing the most legit brand of American rock n roll you could ever wish to hear. I will be attending the show at Route 33 Rhythm and Brews on Saturday March 25th. I wish I could also attend Friday March 24 at the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland and Sunday March 26th at the Southgate House Revival in Newport, Kentucky (right across the river from Cincy). Alas, that is just too much fun for a man of my age and responsibilities. YOU, however, should plan to attend all three. Loud guitars, catchy songs and looze booze should be flowing. 

Dan was kind enough to answer a few of my questions from the Homemade Sin van as I was drinking Four String Brew in my kitchen listening to his latest record, So Low. 

C.G. - Did you ever see Chuck live or meet him?

D.B. - Yes, I met Mr. Berry. Shook his hand backstage and ran like hell. Didn't want to find out if the rumors of his temper were true or not. 

C.G. - What Chuck Berry songs have you covered live?  

D.B. - I played bass in an all-Chuck band. Thirty tunes, the great 28 + a few. 

C.G. - Whoa. Switching gears, you and Homemade Sin are a touring machine. Would a 20-year old Dan Baird believe you would still be playing roadhouse rock n roll?

D.B. - I might believe I'd be playing, but my 20-year old self would have been frightened of what shape I'd be in.

C.G. - What good books or shows have you been watching to pass the time on the road?

D.B. - Planet Earth 2. Listen to a Live Dead playlist from 67-72.

C.G. - What records have you been digging? 

D.B. - I really like Super 8 Motel by Jason Isbell.

C.G. At what time everyday do you choose the night's set-list? Any method to your madness?

D.B. - I pick the set in the afternoon on the drive. We just started using one. Too many new songs, can't keep a lineup in my head.

C.G. - You guys were tight with The Replacements. What was you favorite record and did you enjoy the Mats bio Trouble Boys?

D.B. - Fave record is a tie: 
Let It Be
Pleased to Meet Me
Yes, I read Trouble Boys. What a book. Not for the faint of heart.

C.G. - Final question from Biggie: Did Tom Petty nick the Georgia Satellites cover of "Something in the Air" for their greatest hits record?

D.B. - Tom asked us at a sound check if we were gonna record it. (Rick) Richards blurted out "Hell no." 
Tom smiled and asked him if he could steal the arrangement, Richards said "Go right ahead." 
Tom thanked him for his next hit.
Same thing with "Suspicious Minds" and Dwight (Yoakam). 
Figure we threw away about 2 million records in hind sight.

Big thanks to Dan for answering this super fan's questions on short notice and make sure to visit his website and never miss a chance to see him perform live. - Colin G. 

Click here for Dan Baird website. .

Das war wieder eine super Stimmung in der Blues Garage mit Dan Baird & Homemade Sin - immer wieder klasse die Band!

Dan Baird (Georgia Satellites lead singer) performing "I Love You Period" live on the Letterman show in 1992. When this song came out I was not a fan, but now after hearing it 20 years later, I kind of like it.

This band changed my life. - Colin G. 

30 Years of Great Records by The Godfathers.....including a Brand New One - by JCE

A BIG BAD BEAUTIFUL NOISE by THE GODFATHERS – RECORD REVIEW

The first time I heard the Godfathers, I was knocking back beers at a little spot in Shockoe Bottom, Richmond, VA, around 1986 or 1987.  The place was called Domino’s Doghouse.  People used to stand on the tables in there and the music got played really loud.  It was freaking great.  I even remember the DJ that night was called “Donnie the Nightmare.”  Anyway, the song that got played was “This Damn Nation” by The Godfathers.  That song had a squealing guitar part and angry vocals that I will never stop loving.  The next day I bought the album Hit By Hit and over the last thirty years I have purchased every record that ever came out after that.  I’ve seen the Godfathers play three times, I’ve met them once and I think they are one of the best bands on the planet.  After 1995, nothing was heard from the band until they released the very good Jukebox Fury in 2013, their seventh studio album.  It appears that the Godfathers don’t really come to America anymore (they are a UK band), but I’m hoping their brand new record, A Big Bad Beautiful Noise, might bring them over for a tour.  I’m just glad they’re making records again.

A Big Bad Beautiful Noise is 11 tracks of classic Godfathers rock n roll.  Of course, the band has had line-up changes over the course of 30-plus years, but the new record is true to the original sound that blew me away that night in Richmond.  In fact, Peter Coyne is the only original member at this point, but I don’t care in the least, because Peter obviously knows what the hell he’s doing and how to pick bandmates.  Here’s my song-by-song record review of the eighth straight killer record from The Godfathers:

1.    A Big Bad Beautiful Noise – The title track rumbles out of the gates, starting us off with a pretty noisy song.  It’s arguably big and bad, but not beautiful.  Disappointing start.
2.    Till My Heart Stops Bleeding – This song came out well in advance of the full LP, which was released February 10th.  It’s a good song.  It’s not angry or overly rocking, but it chugs along pretty good.  Thumbs up.
3.    You Don’t Love Me – This is the first nugget on the record.  I really like this one. This was released as a single on vinyl with a b-side called “Some Reaction.”  The b-side smokes, so hunt that down.  No idea why it was left off the album.
4.    Poor Boy’s Son – This one leans to the harder rocking side, pretty good but not a total killer, which there are so many of from this band.
5.    One Good Reason – This song is quiet.  Maybe I would deem it ‘Godfathers Light.’  I like this one though.
6.    Miss America – When Trump got elected, Peter Coyne posted on his Facebook page a simple statement:  “Oh Dear America.  Now you’ve gone and f**cking done it.”  I think he wrote this song soon after.  Nuggett number two.
7.    Defibrillator – This attempts to be that angry rocking song but it misses the mark a little for me.  It’s just not up to Godfathers standards.
8.    She’s Mine – Here’s a bit of a departure.  This is a slow song loaded with great guitar.  Makes me feel like driving late at night on a lonely highway.  Think Chris Isaak’s ‘Wicked Game.’
9.    Feedbacking – See ‘Defibrillator’…
10.    Let’s Get Higher – See ‘Feedbacking’.
11.    You and Me Against the World – This one gets back on track, and I like the sentiment of the song.

So, I’m going to say that if this were an EP with tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8, and maybe with the b-side I mentioned, ‘Some Reaction’ then you would have a very nice seven song collection.  As it is, it’s a bit uneven and has some clunkers.  But please understand, The Godfathers, for me, have set the bar so high that even one of their clunkers is better than your average rock song.

And this would be my list of the Godfathers studio albums, ranked in order of greatness, in my opinion:

1.    Birth School Work Death
2.    Unreal World
3.    More Songs About Love and Hate
4.    The Godfathers (aka Orange)
5.    Hit By Hit
6.    Afterlife
7.    Jukebox Fury
8.    A Big Bad Beautiful Noise

It is true that the two most recent records are last on my list, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t good records.  The Godfathers will remain one of my all-time favorites, along with bands like the Neighborhoods, The Outlets, Watershed, and many others…  - JCE

TV Party Tonight! Part Ten: Bands I've Gotten Mail From - by Ricki C.

It's a pretty simple concept: back in the day, at the dawn of time, say 1974 or so, when KISS had barely been invented, and Colin was 5 years old, I was sending away for 45 rpm punk singles through the mail.  (iPhone kids, ask your parents what 45 rpm singles were; ask your grandparents what "mail" was.)  The first one I sent away for was Patti Smith's "Hey Joe" b/w "Piss Factory."  The second was Boston rock & roll genius Willie "Loco" Alexander's "Kerouac" b/w "Mass Ave."  When I got it, at my second apartment ever, back in the old Lincoln Park West Apartments - that complex right across from the Hollywood Casino that I believe set a city record for most police runs last year - it contained this note from Alexander.......

I couldn't find a decent-sounding version of that indie single b-side on YouTube, this is the later LP version, when Alexander signed to MCA Records.  It's not quite as good, but it's still rockin', and kicks anything from Grouplove's ass......

Okay, let's shift coasts now, to maintain chronology, but we'll get back to Boston later.  I sent away for The Pop!'s first single "Hit & Run Lover" b/w "Break The Chain" in 1976 or so, when I was running Teenage Rampage - my Columbus punk fanzine - and corresponding with the staff of Back Door Man magazine (who taught me everything I needed to know about DIY publishing) out in Torrance, California (the mean streets/working class 'hood of L.A., definitely NOT Malibu).  Here's a letter The Pop! guys sent me one year, and a tune of theirs from when they were part of the 1979 post-Knack "My Sharona was a big hit!  Sign up any power-pop band you can find in L.A!." major-label signing frenzy.......  

By time 1977 rolled around I had already spent my hard-earned, workin'-in-the-Service-Merchandise warehouse money on tickets to a Styx/Ted Nugent double-bill at Vet's Memorial and a KISS debacle at St. John's Arena on the OSU campus, because my A-1 punk/hardrock heroes The Dictators were supposed to OPEN both those shows, but managed to get themselves booted off both tours due to "musical differences" or "attitude adjustment" problems.  That brought about this postcard from Dics founder/leader/songwriter Adny Shernoff.......

(by the way, this Dictators video features some of the WORST camera work I've ever witnessed by a professional camera crew, as they seem to search vainly for WHO in the band is singing lead at any given moment.  I guess those hippie audio/visual stoners out in San Franscisco didn't know how to shoot anybody but hopelessly sedentary Grateful Dead-style bands.)

(plus whoever filmed seemed overly fond of showcasing rhythm guitarist Scott "Top Ten" Kempner's ass) 

Okay, back to Boston: The Atlantics were a classy new wave/power pop band who I first started reading about in Bomp! and The New Rocker in 1976 or so.  They always wore suits onstage, they always had cool haircuts, they knew how to tune & play their instruments, and they wanted to be rock & roll stars, as opposed to punk-rock rumors.  (The musical fame dicotomy that later saw Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain blow his brains out.)  They lasted into the early 80's, battering their heads against all the usual music biz walls: endless club gigs that finally led to being signed to a major label - ABC Records - in 1979 (that same power-pop boomlet that swept up The Pop! and The Plimsouls out in L.A.), only to watch their major label debut - Big City Rock - sink without a trace when ABC Records folded within weeks of its release.  I was a roadie for Columbus' The Buttons at that time (see The Buttons Opened For Judas Priest), wrote to The Atlantics to commiserate about our power-pop troubles 'n' woes and got this postcard back from them.......      

BONUS PREVIEW VIDEO

I started listening to Elliott Murphy in 1973.  In 1989 he emigrated from New York to Paris.  In 1992 I was lucky enough to meet him at a show at the Bottom Line in New York City when he played there during a visit back to his Long Island hometown.  (I took a Greyhound Bus to that show, a trip I wrote about at length in my old blog - How I Spent My Summer Vacation - if you'd care to read more.)  Anyway, we've corresponded ever since - first by postcard & letter, now via e-mail - and when I got this postcard from him in January, it gave me the idea to ask if we could conduct a trans-Atlantic / Paris-to-Columbus interview for Pencilstorm.  That interview will run this coming Thursday, March 16th: Elliott's birthday, by the way.  Here's a little bonus video to preview that piece.......

ELLIOTT MURPHY / "Continental Kinda Girl" / 1984 

Ace In The Hole Music Is Closing Next Week: You Should Stop In - by Ricki C.

Ace In The Hole Music Exchange (1153 Kenny Centre, inside the Kenny Centre shopping plaza, right by the corner of Kenny & Henderson Rds. / 614-457-5666) is closing its doors for good on Saturday, March 18th, 2017.  You should go there before it does. 

Owner/proprietor Mike "Pepe" Depew has kept Ace In The Hole going since 1995 - virtually single-handedly for the past seven years - but the crushing economic realities of keeping an indie record store afloat in our current downloadable music culture has made continuing the venture impossible.  (see store hours and closing-week discount schedule below)

I worked at Ace In The Hole for nine years in the first decade of this 21st century, 2001-2010.  I lived a pretty clichéd rocker existence that decade: I played action-packed acoustic solo rock & roll gigs; I served as road manager for Hamell On Trial, a punk-blast of MC 5-derived acoustic energy; halfway through the decade I signed on as merch guy & guitar tech for Watershed (and later for Colin’s spinoff bands, The League Bowlers and The Lonely Bones); and in between all that touring my day job was at Ace In The Hole Music.

I can’t tell you how cool that day job was.  Essentially I was getting paid to hang out and listen to music for eight hours a day, while talking ABOUT MUSIC to various strangers, friends & acquaintances who dropped into the store, both of which I WOULD HAVE DONE FOR FREE!!!  Other than a very short stint at Camelot Music right before Ace In The Hole, I had spent 25 years of my life working on receiving docks and in warehouses, unloading trucks and humping freight about for 40 bone-crunching/soul-destroying hours a week; BELIEVE ME, working in an indie record store work was better.

Plus I can’t tell you the number of good friends I made at that store: a local cancer physician, who – due to his rather retiring nature – I’m guessing would rather remain nameless here, who has subsequently become my sister’s oncologist as she battles cancer, and whose friendship has made that entire process SO MUCH EASIER; local rocker (and current Nashville émigré) Erica Blinn, whom I met when she was in her early teens when her dad – Ace In The Hole regular Jerry Blinn, bassist of the fine, fine, superfine West Side rocker elite Black Leather Touch – brought her into Ace, where she later became an employee; and, crucially, Joe Peppercorn – leader & master songwriter of first Mrs. Children, later The Whiles, still later the mastermind & driving force of the annual Beatles Marathon, perhaps Columbus’ finest yearly musical throwdown.

I met Joe one chilly Monday morning after I had co-hosted Invisible Hits Hour – Curt Schieber’s long-running Sunday night CD 101/102.5 record review show – the night before.  Joe came into the store – all but twisting a cloth cap in his hands like a character out of some Dickens novel – and said, “Are you the guy who was on Invisible Hits Hour last night?”  (I continually plugged my employment at Ace In The Hole on the show: why waste an hour of free advertising?)  “Did you like the show?” I asked back at him.  “Yeah, it was great.” he replied.  “Then yeah, that was me,” I said, brightening.  “What were you going to say if I didn’t like the show?” Joe asked, meeting my eyes for the first time in the entire shyness-slanted conversation.  “I was gonna say it was the white-haired guy who owns the store,” I said, “the last thing I need is little assholes coming in here and berating me because I badmouthed their favorite 311 record, and I can’t walk away from ‘em, because I’m at work.”

It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

There’s so much more about my nine years at Ace I’d like to get into: Watershed playing a great gig in the parking lot of the store on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon back in 2002, when The More It Hurts, The More It Works was brand new, YEARS before they ever became my employers (maybe Colin will write about that separately this week); the fact that Jim Johnson – ace drummer of various Willie Phoenix bands through the years & decades – was our record distributor throughout my employment and remains in that position to this day (plus he got me my job at the store, that’s a cool story in itself); but all that has to wait for a later blog, ‘cuz here’s what you have got to know RIGHT NOW!!!!!!! 
   
Ace In The Hole is open this week and next week Tuesday through Friday 11 am-7 pm; Saturday 11am-5 pm; and Sunday March 12th from noon to 2 pm or so, whenever the traffic and the conversation run out.  Final business day is Saturday March 18th, 2017.  All used CD’s in the store are 50% off; vinyl records $6 and under are 50% off (and, you’d best believe me, there’s still a BUNCH of great, cheap vinyl left in the store, I got that Brotherhood album – offshoot band of Paul Revere & the Raiders – for 50 cents last week, among others); vinyl $7-$30 is 20% off, and vinyl over $30 (and there’s some gems in that price range still there, too) is 30% off.  You really should go in and drop some cash, you could do much worse stuff with your time and your disposable music money until the 18th. – Ricki C. / March 6th, 2017. `

National Record Store Day, April 18th, 2009: Colin plays music, future Pencilstorm movie critic Rob Braithwaite reads the paper, local singer/songwriter John Vincent watches and waits for his turn to play.....

TV Party Tonight! Part Nine: Guilty Pleasures (and a couple not so much) - by Jeremy Porter

From Google:

guilt·y pleas·ure
noun
plural noun: guilty pleasures
something, such as a movie, television program, or piece of music, that one enjoys despite feeling that it is not generally held in high regard.
"everybody has a guilty pleasure—for me, it has to be mid 70s disco"

These are some of the things I pontificate about over drinks in the back rooms of dive bars, on soap-boxes at social gatherings, and during long drives between shows. It takes work to digest a piece of music objectively. It takes time, too. You have to learn to navigate through a quagmire of distractions that might include too much reverb, electronic drums, sterile or dated production, computerized perfection, and layers of unnecessary tracks. But beneath it all is the song and performance. Here’s a few that I’ve come to terms with, and learned to admit that I love, despite what you think.  

This isn’t going to make me any new friends. 

Aerosmith - Janie’s Got A Gun

This song made every old-school Aerosmith fan cringe. A lot of them left and never came back. The Toxic Twins were no more. The days of “Draw The Line” and “Sweet Emotion” were long gone. Well, ok, let’s get this on the table right off. This is a GREAT F*ING SONG. The writing and arrangement is just perfection. It rises when it’s supposed to and drops out when it’s supposed to. There’s not a wasted note or lyric anywhere.  If I had to take points off, it’d be the sheen over the mix and the synthy strings over the outro.  But Jesus, I love the tone of the guitar solo. And there are some real classic Aerosmith elements at play here: the piano shuffle going into the pre-chorus, the layered Tyler harmonies in the intro, and especially the Joe Perry rat-tail guitar bends over the “run away, run away from the pain” bridge.  All things considered, Steven Tyler is the greatest American rock singer of all time, for my money. His genius and talent as a singer and composer shines on this from front to back.  

Van Halen - Jump

Continuing with bands that jumped the shark, here’s another one that made old-school fans want to puke. You’ve got the greatest guitarist on the planet….and you write a synthesizer song. Ugh. Well, let me tell ya, this too is a GREAT F*ING SONG. And mostly thanks to Diamond David Lee Roth. Anyone else behind the mic and this song probably sucks. His delivery is just amazing. It’s funny and soulful and just overflowing with sex and energy. The highlight? “Whoah-oh, hey you? Who said that? Baby how you been?” is just classic brilliant rock and roll writing. It’s pure snarl,  idiot-in-a-bar-pickup-line conversation that - through a stroke of genius - becomes the lyric that opens the second verse. Who does that? No one but DLR would have thought of it. It’s an uninhibited move. Eddie’s smile in the solo is infectious. These guys nailed it with this one, and it was the hit it deserved to be. 

Bruce, Elvis, Steven, Dave - London Calling (Tribute to Joe Strummer)

Clash tribute.

OK, I’ll pull you back in with a not-so-guilty pleasure. Not sure I need to say anything about this, other than everytime I hear Bruce yell “This is for Joe!” at the beginning I get goosebumps, then I get sad as I remember how bummed out I was after Joe unexpectedly died. I never feel as out of touch about music as I do when someone brings up the Grammys and the crap that flows through there, but every once in awhile… Tony Kanal of No Doubt plays bass here, which gets us back (in a roundabout way) to our next guilty pleasure. Better watch this first cuz it’s about to get sappy here.  

Gwen Stefani - Cool

OK, we’re getting really guilty here. I’ve never been a No Doubt fan, and her solo stuff has been even harder for me to appreciate. Frankly, I loathe most of what I’ve heard. That Bananas song is horrible. But damn, this is a GREAT F*ING SONG! Like “Janie” above,  the arrangement, the lyrics, and the vocals are just great and so efficient. Four minutes goes by quick. The real key here is that hooky synthesiser riff that carries it throughout. The back story is cool, about her ex, the dude playing bass for the Boss up above (see how I did that?), and how they’re all adult now and get along after she hooked up with the dude from Bush. Yeah, it’s heavy on the Madonna and Lauper vibe, and the video is Godawful (tho Gwen is lookin’ fine), but it kills me every time. 

The Ataris - Boys Of Summer

Music Video-The Ataris, posted while I was bored...I sing this song with Resty a lot. =]

Annoyed yet? Even as an unapologetic Eagles fan, I can’t get on board with Don Henley’s solo stuff. But as a teenager watching MTV I saw that there was a really good song in here somewhere. I fell for the hook and the lyrics and wished the DH version and video were better.   Then I heard this a couple decades later. Yeah, it’s a bit stiff, a bit emo. It’s been through the Pro-Tools time lock, and you probably can’t find a single damn mistake in the whole thing, but somehow I can get past all that. The vocal is strong and the guitars are huge and the song is up front where it belongs. It’s a great cover of a great song that everyone hates.  

Bangles - Hazy Shade of Winter

The Bangles' official music video for 'Hazy Shade of Winter'. Click to listen to The Bangles on Spotify: http://smarturl.it/TheBanglesSpotify?IQid=BanglesHSW As featured on The Bangles: Greatest Hits.

Here’s another cover that I think is an improvement over the original. Everyone knows the Bangles for “Walk Like an Egyptian” and “Eternal Flame” - easily two of the weakest songs in their catalog (even if Susanna was naked when she sang the latter). But they have a dark streak: minor chords with themes of loneliness and betrayal, delivered with moody melodies and layered harmonies and '60s fuzz. More polished than the also amazing Go-Gos, but the material warrants some extra shine, and this Simon & Garfunkel tune from the Less Than Zero soundtrack pretty much kicks ass. Vicki plays a great Carvin and sister Debbie hits the snare hard. I played this a lot in 1987, between spinning Please To Meet Me, Document No. 5, and Warehouse: Songs And Stories, and I saw them open with this on tour that summer in Milwaukee, too. Most of my friends didn’t get it. I think it holds up pretty well.

Britney Spears - Womanizer 

If you’re still with me, then this ought to do it. Auto-tune, drum-machine, vocal-fry bullshit by the heap. It flies in the face of everything I love about music. This ain’t white guys with low-strung guitars! Whoever spent days and days at the mixing board and computer keyboard assembling this deserves credit for crafting a perfect combination of arrangement, punch, vocals and groove. The bridge is a nice change of pace. Let’s drop some molly and dance! 

The Nils - Freedom

video from this awesome and under-rated montreal punk band cicra 1986. this song Freedom, is off their Sell Out Young ep

I have to try to save some face here at the end: so this is no guilty pleasure, but something near and dear to my heart. The Nils were a disaster of a band from Montreal in the '80s/'90s who churned out some of the best punk, power-pop and rock that was never heard. Alex Soria wrote amazing songs from an early age until his untimely suicide in 2004. They had one full length (self-titled on Profile Records), 3 eps, and a coupla posthumous releases. This was their only official video. If you’re looking for something new (to you) and love bands like The Replacements and early Soul Asylum, check them out.  Start with the self-titled record.   

  
Jeremy Porter lives near Detroit and fronts the rock and roll band Jeremy Porter And The Tucos. Follow them on Facebook to read his road-blog chronicling their adventures and see his photo series documenting the disgusting bathrooms in the dives they play. He's a whiskey snob, an unapologetic fan of "good" metal, and couldn't really care less about the UofM - OSU rivalry since he once saw The Stones at the Horseshoe. Still, go blue.     

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