Your Abbreviated C-Bus Record Store Day Preview

Record Store Day 2017 is upon us. Make plans now to throw some cash at some tasty new platters and support your local record store. Click here for the complete list of all Record Store Day releases.   Below are some choice picks from a handful vinyl junkies. 

Jim Johnson - Sales & Mktg. rep for AllianceEntertainment. Drummer.
Drive By Truckers-Electric Lady Sessions
Doors-Live at the Matrix '67
Ramones-76-79 Singles Box set
U2 picture disc of Red Hill Mining Town
NRBQ 50 year retrospective
Cars-Live at the Agora(Cleveland)
Dennis Wilson- double LP
Springsteen-Live Hammersmith '75 (4 LP set)

Brett Ruland (Spoonful Records)
Atomic Bomb Band (Performing The Music of William Onyeabor)
Shocking Blue - At Home
The Meters - A Message From The Meters
David Bowie - BOWPROMO
Luna - Penthouse Deluxe

Click here for Spoonful Records RSD event page.

Kyle Siegrist (Lost Weekend Records)
Fleetwood Mac - Alternate Mirage
Son House - Oberlin 1964
Grateful Dead - Vancouver 1966
The Cure - Acoustic Greatest Hits
Columbus Blood 4 Compilation

Scott Carr (Lost Weekend Records)
Cheap Trick - The Epic Archive Vol. 1
David Bowie - Cracker Actor (Love In Los Angeles 1974)
The Cars - Live At The Agora 1978
Big Star - Complete Third Vo. 3 - Final Masters
Ramones - '75 - '79 Singles Box

Lost Weekend has all kinds of cool RSD events going on including portable screen printing and live performances including Lydia Loveless. Click here for the Facebook event page. 

And don't forget to visit Used Kids Records. Click here for their list of events. 

Pat Dull - this year I am looking forward to the Cheap Trick 2x lp of *somewhat* rarities (many already on CD bonuses), and anything on Parlophone! In the future, the Steve Abini re-recording of In Color would be the perfect RSD release!  Also the legendary 2x lp version of Combat Rock (my least favorite Clash LP tho) called "Rat Patrol From Fort Bragg."

Ballroom Breakout! Magic Dick (of the J. Geils Band), Barrence Whitfield, Terry Davidson & the Gears and Erica Blinn @ Valley Dale Ballroom

First the sad news: Founder/guitarist J. Geils of the J. Geils Band - and bandmate of this week’s Ballroom Breakout! headliner Magic Dick for many, many years - passed away last week at the age of 71.  Pencilstorm wishes to pass along our condolences to Geils’ friends, family & fans.  We also wanna say, "Nice going, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for passing over the J. Geils Band FOR THE FOURTH TIME while inducting the likes of Journey.  You couldn't have given a genuine rocker like J. Geils some little recognition while he was still alive?”

Now onto the rockin' news: I saw the J. Geils Band live four or five times in their 1971-1976 heyday – the last time at St. John’s Arena – and those were some TRULY fearsome live shows, boys & girls.  Nobody (but me) ever seems to mention this, but I firmly believe that Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band were MIGHTILY influenced by the original Geils Band.  Yeah, Bruce certainly channeled Bob Dylan and Van Morrison to a large extent lyrically, but that arms-around-shoulders-brothers-against-the-world camaraderie that the E Street Band evoked (and still, to a large extent evokes today) I believe largely derived from Peter Wolf, Seth Justman & da guys.  And anybody who thinks Bruce and “Big Man” Clarence Clemons’ onstage interplay didn’t derive somewhat from that of lead singer Wolf and “Magic Dick” Salwitz never witnessed The J. Geils Band in their prime.

Now TEAM Productions welcomes Magic Dick to the fine, fine, superfine environs of the Valley Dale Ballroom this coming Friday, April 21st.  But wait a minute, JUST Magic Dick?  NO, my rocker sons & daughters, this week’s Ballroom Breakout! ALSO features screamer extraordinaire and all-around-debonair-man-about-town Boston rocker Barrence Whitfield (sadly without his Savages on this occasion), both of whom will be backed by Columbus rockers Terry Davidson & the Gears, purveyors of many a night of soul-smashing rock & roll in their OWN right.

And the icing on the cake of the whole rockin’ Friday night?  None other than C-town’s own rockin’ little sister, Erica Blinn with her take-no-prisoners band OPENING the whole shebang.  Jesus, Erica is the OPENING ACT?  There’s your price of admission right THERE, cats & kittens, then you still you STILL get Terry, Barrence and Magic Dick.  That’s a rock show, ladies & gentlemen, that’s a rock show.     

And that’s also a rock show that DEFINES the ongoing continuum of GENUINE barroom rock & roll music.  Ask Erica about her early influences and this is what you’ll hear: “I still remember when I was about fourteen years old and my dad (editor’s note: “Dad” in this case is Jerry Blinn, bass player of Black Leather Touch, a band of West Side rockers who never garnered anywhere NEAR the acclaim they should have in the 1970's) put on J. Geils’ Live Full House and said, ‘Listen to that harmonica, don't you think it would be cool to do that?’ To which I replied, "Yeah, that's awesome!”

He then took me to see Delyn Christian play and encouraged me to inquire about harmonica lessons. Delyn said "Do you wanna play like Bob Dylan or Magic Dick?" And I said, "Magic Dick!" 

"Good answer," Delyn said. 
 
Tickets for the April 21st show are $17.50 in advance and $20.00 at the door. Doors open at 7PM. For tickets, information about the show, and to read more about the musical talent, visit www.theballroombreakout.com.   

Ricki C. / April, 2017
    

Dual Review: Cheap Trick / Exene & John Doe - by Jeremy Porter

Dual-Concert Review
Cheap Trick - Windsor, Ontario March 24, 2017
Exene Cervenka & John Doe - Detroit, Michigan March 25, 2017

I’ve seen Cheap Trick so many times. I’m not positive, but the count is.....well, it’s a lot. I have a spreadsheet. Many of those were simply opportunity - an easy chance to see a great band that’s constantly on tour - but yeah, I’m what you’d call a big fan. I’ve seen them in arenas, sheds, festivals, race tracks, theatres, clubs, bars, private parties.....and casinos. On March 24th we descended beneath the Renaissance Center and under the Detroit River to Ontario, Canada to see them at The Colosseum in Caesar’s Windsor Casino. That’s my 3rd Trick show in Windsor and 2nd at Ceasar’s, if you’re keeping score. It’s a clean, sterile setting with movie-theater seating, nice carpet, and expensive-drink lines for miles. This ain’t Irving Plaza or Harpo’s. Despite the lecture hall atmosphere, good tickets are relatively easy to come by and it’s comfortable to a fault.    

 After seeing a band that many times the surprises are few and far between, but Cheap Trick usually throws something interesting in between the predictable fan-faves. What are they gonna pull out from the first record? What are the deep cuts gonna be? I’ve seen and heard them all, but I still get excited to hear something I wouldn’t expect, something most people there don’t know. This time the deep cuts were Lookout (a great, upbeat, live-only track originally from Budokan), Baby Loves to Rock, and She’s Tight - a couple songs that are very similar from One on One and All Shook Up respectively. It’s always cool to hear Big Eyes, and Never Had a Lot To Lose (from 1988’s comeback album Lap of Luxury) was a bit unexpected. The set included 5 covers - Velvet Underground, Beatles, The Move, Big Star, and Dobie Gray. That’s about 25% of the show, and they didn’t even do a couple of their staple remakes (Ain’t That A Shame and Don’t Be Cruel). And of course, there are the hits - the ones everyone knows and were there to hear. 

The band was a little looser than usual. Long-time fans might have caught the stumble during Top of the World, and I took some satisfaction in seeing a band that plays 200 shows a year still mess up the way my own little group does from time to time. Drummer Daxx Nielsen was getting over a bout of stomach flu, but you couldn’t tell it from the smile on his face and the youthful kick in the ass he gives the three front-line men, 30+ years his senior. Robin Zander continues to amaze. He might not be quite as consistent as he was a decade ago, but he’s still able to sing circles around most other rock vocalists, turning songs like Voices and The Flame into vocal clinics for anyone who’s ever stood in front of a microphone.  

These days a lot of the novelty has worn off, and I even look back myself and ask “why” sometimes, but they still bring the goods to the stage and the songs are timeless. Even staples like Surrender and Dream Police are delivered with the same tenacity and spirit as the deep cuts and newer songs. Your entertainment dollar goes a long way with Cheap Trick, and I have a feeling I’ll be seeing them again someday.   

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What is the polar-opposite of seeing a classic-rock concert in a 5000-seat theater attached to a Vegas-style casino in Detroit’s Canadian sister-city? How about a special acoustic set by a couple of legends from the Los Angeles punk scene at an old warehouse-converted-event-space down a dark side-street in Detroit’s New Center area? John Doe and Exene Cervenka - the voices of X and The Knitters - flew into town specially for the event which was a fundraiser for Public Pool, an art co-op in Hamtramck.  

I often find myself wishing I lived in Southern California where stuff like this seems to happen constantly - legendary bands like X playing little shows - special events that are usually limited to the proximity of where they live. They don’t happen in Detroit often, so I just couldn’t pass it up. We parked around the corner, stuffed anything of value from the car into our pockets to deter would-be thieves, and headed into the warehouse. 

This ain't no casino. The concrete floors, exposed oil-stained wood walls, and high ceilings feel SO Detroit. There was a small bar with a couple choices for liquor (at less than ½ the price of Ceasar’s) and a card table where they were handing out PBR's that were gratis with your donation to get in.  We stocked up and headed into the dark back room where John and Exene were just about to start.  

The setting was casual and loose, with some funny banter between songs about death, loss, longing, and want. “You’re harshing my mellow,” Exene said quietly (and jokingly) after John joked about the dark subject matter. There were a couple old country tunes played, including an incredible version of Something to Brag About, originally recorded by Charlie Louvin and Melba Montgomery, later by George Jones and Tammy Wynette.  They did some great Knitters songs (Skin-Deep Town, Poor Little Critter on the Road) and a few X tunes that were the best received - I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts, The New World, Burning House Of Love to name a couple.  

I’ve seen both X and The Knitters a few times but I’ve never seen or heard John and Exene really come together like this. It’s no secret that they have an amazing chemistry and those unique harmonies are a part of the lexicon of American punk rock, but the stripped-down setting really drove that home. They were both in very fine voice and John’s lack of prowess on his Guild acoustic (blaming his “bass-player fingers”) were overcome by the spirit and vibe of the set. It was a really special thing to see, and I don’t think anyone would have complained if they’d played twice as long. The 45-ish minute set went by fast and people lingered well after, drinking and talking, waiting for more bands and the 50/50 raffle (that my wife won!). I was so glad I got out and saw this show - there’s a decent chance I won’t have the opportunity again, and it was everything I’d hoped.  

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.     
www.thetucos.com
www.facebook.com/jeremyportermusic  
@jeremyportermi
www.rockandrollrestrooms.com

April 13th, 1981, Billy Squier Releases Don't Say No - by Scott Carr

It's a pretty big statement to say someone released a perfect record but on April 13th, 1981, that's what Billy Squier managed to do with his second record Don't Say No.

Don't Say No was released four months before MTV hit the airwaves, and three years before Billy's infamously bad career-ending video for "Rock Me Tonite," a song that oddly enough ended up being his highest-charting US single. 

Don't Say No seemed to blast its way out of nowhere. The lead single "The Stroke" became an instant staple on rock radio and a top twenty hit on the Billboard charts. If you are old enough to remember spending your Saturday afternoons at the roller skating rink, you are very familiar with "The Stroke."

It may seem like Squier was an overnight success, but his rock 'n roll resume stretches back to the mid 70's when he fronted the band Piper. Piper were managed by Rock Steady Management Company, the same team that managed Kiss. Piper released two albums on A&M Records and opened two sold out nights for Kiss at Madison Square Garden. Both Piper records garnered high praise from rock critics but failed to make any waves in the charts. Billy eventually left Piper, signed a solo deal with Capitol Records and released his debut record The Tale of the Tape in 1980. The album featured a minor rock radio hit "You Should Be High Love" but went mostly unnoticed. Billy's fortunes would soon change.

Squier initially asked Queen's Brain May to produce the follow up to Tape, but May was busy with other projects and suggested Billy use Mack as his producer. Mack had produced the most recent chart-topping Queen album The Game. Billy took May's advice and would go on to co-produce the record with Mack.

Don't Say No kicks off in high gear with "In The Dark," highlighted by the thunderous drumming of Bobby Chouinard. Chouinard was the only holdover from Squier's debut album  and he would remain a member of Billy's touring and recording band for several years. "The Stroke" is the album's second track and although the song would eventually become overplayed, it's easy to see why it became an instant radio hit. "My Kind Of Lover" continues the what seems to be effortless flow of hits. Side one closes with two uptempo rockers, "You Know What I Like" and "Two Daze Gone." Both songs have a great live energy.

If you were thinking that they purposely loaded up side one with all the hits and strong material, you'd be wrong. Side two picks up right were side one left off. The opening guitar riff of "Lonely Is The Night" is one of those signature riffs that instantly grabs you. The song became a big radio hit and is still a staple on classic rock radio stations. Halfway through the albums second side Squier takes his first breather with the dramtic ballad "Nobody Knows," a song he mostly sings in a high falcetto voice. "Nobody Knows" is the perfect counter balance to everything that preceded it on the record and is a standout track. "I Need You" is another mid-tempo track but a bit more bouncy and upbeat than "Nobody Knows." The album closes with the title track "Don't Say Know" and it leaves you feeling very satisfied but also wishing there was more.

Don't Say No went all the way to No. 5 in the Billboard charts and would remain on the charts for a solid two years after its release, selling more than 4 million copies in the US. It spawned two top forty hits with "The Stroke" and "In The Dark" along with "My Kind Of Lover" and "Lonely Is The Night" being big rock radio hits. When MTV launched in August of 1981 Squier became a fast favorite on the station and this exposure pushed the album to even greater heights. MTV ran a concert from the Don't Say No tour called Live In The Dark and it captured Billy and his band at their best. All the videos from the album were also in heavy rotation. At the end of 1981 Billy filmed a Christmas themed video at the MTV studios with cast and crew from the station. He was one of the early faces of MTV.

The impact of Don't Say No on the rock world is widely known and well-documented, but you may not be aware of Squier's influence in the world of Rap music. His debut album featured a song called "The Big Beat" and it has been sampled over 200 times by artists like Jay Z, Kanye West, Ice Cube, A Tribe Called Quest, Alicia Keys, and Run DMC. To a lesser degree "The Stroke" from Don't Say No has been sampled by Eminem and Nas. Eminem has also sampled "My Kind Of Lover."

It's unfortunate that when you mention Billy Squier these days people seem to remember that career-ending video for "Rock Me Tonite," that I mentioned earlier in this piece. They forget that making a record is no easy task and in my opinion, Don't Say No is flawless and has stood the test of time. I think that speaks for itself.

Scott Carr is a guitarist who plays in the Columbus, OH  bands Radio Tramps and Returning April.  Scott is also an avid collector of vinyl records and works at Lost Weekend Records. So...if you are looking for Scott....you'll either find him in a dimly lit bar playing his guitar or in a record store digging for the holy grail.

Billy Squier - Full Concert Recorded Live: 11/20/1981 - Santa Monica Civic Auditorium (Santa Monica, CA) More Billy Squier at Music Vault: http://www.musicvault.com Subscribe to Music Vault: http://goo.gl/DUzpUF Setlist: 0:00:00 - In The Dark 0:04:18 - Rich Kid 0:09:15 - My Kinda Lover 0:13:29 - Whadda You Want From Me 0:18:01 - Lonely Is The Night 0:25:54 - Young Girls 0:30:01 - I Need You 0:36:05 - The Stroke 0:39:42 - You Should Be High 0:46:12 - Too Daze Gone 0:53:43 - Extended Applause 0:54:12 - Big Beat 0:58:48 - You Know What I Like

Shot along with "In The Dark" and "My Kinda Lover", "The Stroke" is one of Billy's signature performance videos from "Don't Say No."

In The Dark by Billy Squier.

No Copyright Infringement Intended Radio: Los Santos Rock Radio Artist: Billy Squier Song: Lonely Is the Night http://www.tugaming.net (Portuguese) http://www.youtube.com/tugamingoficial

Title: My Kinda Lover (track 03) Artist: Billy Squier Album: Don't Say No Year: 1981 Label: Capitol Writer(s): Billy Squier Lyrics: You got me runnin' baby - You give me somethin' way beyond revenue You put the magic in me - I feel the magic when we do what we do And oh...

dedicated to John Lennon I may get around...i may laugh alot... Now youd think that Id be happy with the life I got Nobody knows...nobody sees Aint nobody really knows the inner side ome... I may seem secure...i could have it made...

i need you by Squier off of Don't Say No.

Pencilstorm Writers Take the Stage in April

Spring is here and various Pencilstorm writers are crawling out of their winter hibernation caves, intent on prowling rock & roll stages around town.......

Ricki C. will be playing the Midgard Comics Reunion gig at the CD 102.5 Big Room Bar (1036 South Front Street / 614-449-9612) this Friday, April 7th, 2017.  For the uninitiated, in it's 2001-2004 heyday, Midgard Comics was Columbus' greatest all-ages, teen-catering music venue since the pre-historical rock & roll epoch of mid-to-late 1960's teen clubs.  (You can read all about it here - I Miss Midgard Comics - in Ricki's former blog, Growing Old With Rock & Roll.)

The superlative Mr. Keith Cousineau - former owner of Midgard and Keith Cretin to you - put this bash together.  Doors are at 7 pm, music starts around 8, goes to midnight or thereabouts, $5 admission.  Ricki's probably opening, and the other acts on the bill are Joey74, Robots Revenge, godawfuls, and Mummula.  As Ricki always (sometimes) sez, "Whattya got better to do on a Friday night: go out and see some rock & roll, or stay home and watch Blue Bloods?"  

Ricki C. belts out some Lou Reed tunes at last month's Corona Covers For a Cure Benefit at the CD 102.5 Big Room Bar, in a t-shirt he bought at a Reed show in 1989, making it chronologically OLDER than the bartender on duty that evening. 

Meanwhile, North Coast Posse stalwhart Patrick "Big $" Baracus will be fronting the fine, fine, superfine Bava Choco, at the Rumba Cafe (2507 Summitt Street / 614-268-1841), the following Friday, April 14th.  Bava Choco will be opening for Bush League All Stars on that Happy Hour show.  Doors 6 pm, Bava Choco (following on the heels of their mighty Death Ride release) will play at 6:30 pm.  (More on this show next week.)

Journey Was The Bridge Between 70's and 80's Rock - by Wal Ozello

By Contributing Pencilstorm Writer, Wal Ozello

This coming Friday night, April 7, Journey will finally earn their rightful seat in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Unfortunately, the controversy around whether or not former front man Steve Perry will be in attendance has overshadowed the importance of this band in Rock history. (Also... how about no word of all the other players including founding member Gregg Rolie?)

Much like their hometown Golden Gate Bridge spans across the bay and connects San Francisco to Sausalito, Journey effectively connected 70's Classic Rock to 80's Power Rock.  Rooted in the San Francisco sounds of bands like Santana with a thick mix of blues, rock and jazz, Journey evolved over the years with different members much like their fellow 2017 inductee: Yes.

You can still hear their classic rock roots on their earlier albums like Infinity, Evolution and even Departure. Listen to the 70's feel in the chord structure, guitar and rhythm sections in both these songs, while the 80's feel of power rock can be felt emerging from the melody and keyboards. 

Where the band begins to push the synthesizer and arena rock envelope is in their much more successful albums, Escape and Frontiers. Here in Separate Ways is a prime example of where Neal's angry hard guitar meets power synth, topped with driving drums and bass, layered with Steve's bluesy and emotional vocals. 

For all intents and purposes, Journey invented the Power Ballad with songs like Send Her My Love, Opens Arms and probably the best 80's ballad ever, Faithfully. While the piano and vocals dominate this song, it's really the pounding, massive drum fills and wailing guitar solos that really make this song stand out.

Journey never transitioned into the MTV generation well, and due to Steve Perry's personal issues (his mother passing away during the recording of Raised on Radio and a degenerative bone condition discovered after the release of Trial By Fire), the band never had the success they had in the late 70's and early 80's.  Steve had a shortlived solo career while Neal and Jonathan teamed up with John Waite from The Babies to form Bad English, then Neal went on to play in Hardline.  Journey has tried to rekindle that magic over the years and now are basically a touring band with their new singer, Arnel Pineda.

There are many reasons why Journey belongs in the Rock Hall. Don't Stop Believin' is the most downloaded song in history. All the members of the Escape/Frontier line-up are virtuosos in their own right. Steve Perry has one of the most awesome voices in rock, Neal Schon plays a killer guitar, Jonathan Cain's talent as keyboardist is only superseded by his songwriting skills, Ross Valory plays a funky rock bass and Steve Smith is a god on drums.

But the most important thing is the impact Journey has had in rock history. We'd never have 80's rock music without Journey.  Van Halen's 1984 wouldn't have been the success it was if Journey hadn't lead the way with the powerful synth-guitar formula. Bands like Aerosmith and Van Hagar could have never made their triumphant return to rock n roll without Journey opening the door to Arena Rock.  There would be no Bon Jovi, no Huey Lewis & The News, Duran Duran, David Lee Roth, and any other Hard Rock band. We would have missed out on every hard rock power ballad that was ever written. Even Prince was influenced by their work. Concerned that Purple Rain sounded too much like Faithfully, The Purple One played the song for Jonathan Cain before its release to ask for his blessing.

I'm sure there are those that would argue a world without Bon Jovi and Huey Lewis & The News would be just fine, if not better. Those are probably the people that believe Classic Rock should have never died and their dislike of Journey runs deep.

Journey nailed the classic rock coffin shut with their release of Escape and Frontiers, ushering in a new era of rock 'n' roll. I, for one, am thankful they did. Classic Rock was going to evolve and it was better for Journey to take it into the direction they did. Congrats on your induction into the Rock Hall of Fame.

A child of the 80's, Wal Ozello is the lead singer of the Columbus hairband Armada. He's the author of the science fiction time travel books Assignment 1989, Revolution 1990 and Sacrifice 2086 and a frequent customer at Colin's Coffee.