Understanding - Pat Metheny on PAT METHENY RADIO

Paul McCartney - Vanity Fair

This is a sweet tune:

A three-part series on iconoclast Frank Zappa. The genre didn't matter-rhythm and blues, do-wop, jazz, classical- Frank Zappa embraced them all and folded them all into his own compositions. Frank Zappa made popular music that was challenging, and serious music that was listenable; to him there was only one type of music, good music; there was only one audience, all of us; and there was only one time, the present. You could also say that he wrote just one piece of music, a work, eclectic as it is, that happens to run for about a hundred hours. This series explores Frank Zappa as a composer, through the memories of some of those who knew him best: his family, his friends, and some of the musicians who worked with him. In this programme, we’ll hear Gail Zappa, Franks wife; Ruth Underwood, the percussionist who first heard him at a famous concert at New Yorks Garrick theatre in 1967; Elliot Ingber, a guitarist in the early Mothers of Invention, and Joe Travers, drummer and vaultmeister of the Zappa archives. I am all day and night was written and produced by Philip Coulter I am all Day and Night: The Music of Frank Zappa

POWER STATION

Kickstart my Heart . . . .Motley

Tea Party rocker sails with Armada By JASON MacNEIL - Sun Media After disbanding The Tea Party in 2005, lead singer/guitarist Jeff Martin decided it was best to strip his music down to its core, opting for the singer-songwriter route and separating himself from the big, brawny hard rock sound. But now that the "acoustic troubadour" phase has ended, Martin is back with The Armada, a group he says "will certainly remind you of the three-piece band I used to play in." Martin, performing tonight at Toronto's Tattoo Rock Parlour, says he wasn't hesitant about returning to a band. "My only concern would have been the musicianship," Martin says. "With The Tea Party we set the bar pretty high, and the thing was if I was going to go back into it, especially with a three-piece, I wouldn't go back into it underneath that bar. I needed to go back in with that bar being equal but being able to have the confidence to push it forward." The Armada formed when Martin met drummer Wayne Sheehy, who worked with the likes of Ronnie Wood and Robert Palmer. Martin says the synergy between the duo was something of a "slow burn." "It was just a case of feeling each other out -- first of all in a friendship," he says. "We had all the respect in the world for one another, so when it came time to actually get to the studio that chemistry certainly was there. We could play off each other but also inspire each other." As for the self-titled debut, released in a limited run last year but getting far wider distribution in 2009, Martin says there was no extra material to choose from. "I do believe that when the inspiration comes you have to be able to see it through to its finality," he says. "Writing songs in all facets, whether it's the composition, production or the engineering of it, it's always a big puzzle. The challenge is to realize it to its fullest, and that's what we did with every song, we saw it through to the end." And the finished product contains a lot of hard rock numbers, including the eco-leaning A Line In The Sand, the opener Going Down Blues and Chinese Whispers which was inspired by an Australian fan who tracked Martin down in Ireland. "He dropped off an instrument (Chinese pipa) for me, just as an appreciation for the past," he says. "So I started fooling around with it in the studio and Wayne came up with this massive drumbeat. "And in the past with The Tea Party, the Middle Eastern element has always been there with the rock and roll music. I was wondering how that would sound in a hard rock situation, so with this pipa and Japanese koto we put it all together and it started to sound like the real deal. It was a lot of fun." While no dates are confirmed for a Canadian tour for The Armada, Martin says the group will launch its tour in Australia next month, with the goal to hit Canada sometime in May. Martin says the shows thus far have been "fantastic," including an Australia in November. But this seasoned musician has his limits. "I had high expectations but they were definitely surpassed," he says. "When we come here it's got to be the right time and it's often an expensive endeavour. The one thing I will not do is lose money on a tour ever again. I did that too many times on tour with The Tea Party." This time, less is more When making their self-titled debut, Jeff Martin says one of the biggest hurdles in making The Armada was simply knowing when enough was enough when it came to producing the record. "The challenge was to maybe not go overboard on it, because when you own your own studio, time is not an issue," he says. "There's a tendency to perhaps over-produce, especially in my case because I've been guilty of it in the past with The Tea Party. The challenge was to make a rock and roll music that would stand the test of time, just making serious, sexy, dark rock and roll music." And while Martin says they tried to keep things from going over the top, the track Baby's Come Undone features the singer playing six or seven different stringed instruments from India. "It's like sometimes Wayne and I thought we should have a track on the (mixing) console called The Kitchen Sink because sometimes it was everything but," Martin says. But, like all a lot of classic rock fans, Martin is of two minds when it comes to the subject of Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham seeking a lead singer for a Led Zeppelin reunion tour of sorts. "I love the fact it would be good for people to see those masters again," Martin says. "But at the same time you wonder if things should be just left alone. That being said, Jimmy will do what Jimmy does."

Steely Dan - The Making Of Peg

Elvis Christmas Duets Surprisingly, it's good.

Jon Stewart lampoons Canada's parliamentary crisis

JIMI HENDRIX: 'The Making Of Electric Ladyland' Set For Release Experience Hendrix LLC has announced the release of "At Last… The Beginning: The Making of Electric Ladyland" DVD and companion "Electric Ladyland Collector's Edition" CD + DVD. The packages will be released on December 9 through Universal Music Enterprises coming forty years after the initial release of "Electric Ladyland", the third and final album by the JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE. It was the last Hendrix studio album to have been produced during the guitar icon's lifetime and reflects his meticulous involvement in every facet of its creation. "Electric Ladyland" is the source of such legendary Hendrix tracks as "All Along The Watchtower", "Crosstown Traffic", "Burning of the Midnight Lamp" and is commonly acknowledged by Hendrix cognoscenti as the most fully realized, cohesive project of his entire career. It was the only Hendrix album to have hit #1 on the Billboard charts. It is, indisputably, the crowning achievement of the JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE and underscored Hendrix's abilities as singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer. "At Last… The Beginning: The Making of Electric Ladyland" documents the creation of the album that was released in the fall of 1968 as a 2-LP set. Some of Jimi's closest associates are seen on screen discussing their recollections of Hendrix and the project including JHE bassist Noel Redding, drummer Mitch Mitchell, manager Chas Chandler who discovered Hendrix after he left THE ANIMALS; drummer Buddy Miles who appeared on the album and later went on to work with Hendrix in THE BAND OF GYPSYS, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE's Jack Casady, Steve Winwood and Dave Mason from TRAFFIC and others who participated in the "Electric Ladyland" sessions that took place at Olympic studios in London and the Record Plant in New York. One of the highlights of the program includes a session with original "Electric Ladyland" engineer Eddie Kramer who discusses the techniques Hendrix, Mitchell and Redding employed in recording "Electric Ladyland" and playing some of the original multitrack tapes to illustrate the process. Originally produced in 1997 as the premiere episode of the acclaimed "Classic Albums" television series, "The Making of Electric Ladyland" is newly edited with expanded features and almost 40 minutes of additional content not seen in the original feature. While the DVD is offered as a stand-alone title, a Deluxe CD + DVD Collector's Edition that includes "The Making of…" DVD along with the classic "Electric Ladyland" CD offers consumers both the expository look at the "Electric Ladyland" as well as the actual album which ranks as one of the most significant projects in the Hendrix canon. All Music Guide, Blender and Rolling Stone have all awarded "Electric Ladyland" five (out of five) stars as it has been firmly ensconced in the pantheon of rock's greatest achievements for 40 years. DVD track listing: 01. Prologue 02. Burning of the Midnight Lamp 03. …And The Gods Made Love 04. All Along The Watchtower 05. Rainy Day, Dream Away 06. Still Raining, Still Dreaming 07. Voodoo Chile 08. Crosstown Traffic 09. Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) 10. Little Miss Strange 11. Gypsy Eyes 12. South Saturn Delta 13. House Burning Down 14. 1983… (A Merman I Should Turn To Be) 15. Long Hot Summer Night 16. Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland) 17. Epilogue CD track listing; 01. …And The Gods Made Love 02. Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland) 03. Crosstown Traffic 04. Voodoo Chile 05. Little Miss Strange 06. Long Hot Summer Night 07. Come On (Let The Good Times Roll) 08. Gypsy Eyes 09. Burning of the Midnight Lamp 10. Rainy Day, Dream Away 11. 1983… (A Merman I Should Turn To Be) 12. Moon, Turn The Tides…Gently Gently Away 13. Still Raining, Still Dreaming 14. House Burning Down 15. All Along The Watchtower 16. Voodoo Child (Slight Return)

Former RAINBOW musicians Joe Lynn Turner, Tony Carey, Bobby Rondinelli and Greg Smith have united with a second-generation Blackmore to form OVER THE RAINBOW. OVER THE RAINBOW is: Joe Lynn Turner (RAINBOW 1980-1984) - Vocals Tony Carey (RAINBOW 1975-1978) - Keyboards Bobby Rondinelli (RAINBOW 1980-1983) - Drums Greg Smith (RAINBOW 1994-1997) - Bass Jürgen "J.R." Blackmore - Guitar Carey, who has produced several artists (including Joe Cocker and David Knopfler) since his RAINBOW days, says, "Having done everything from country to opera, I thought it would be fun to play some rock again without the burden of singing everything." Rondinelli adds, "OVER THE RAINBOW reunites members of one of the most distinctive sounding bands of all time and introduces a hidden treasure to the world in J.R. Blackmore." The son of the iconic RAINBOW founder/guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, Jürgen Blackmore is a critically acclaimed guitarist in his own right and agreed to join this endeavor after realizing how intense the demand was for a RAINBOW "reunion." OVER THE RAINBOW marks the first time that four members from three different eras of RAINBOW will take the stage together along with J.R. Blackmore. RAINBOW has spawned over 20 albums (five gold, four silver), seven Billboard Hot 100 and Mainstream Rock tracks, six Top 75 UK songs and at least seven MTV frequently played videos. Their longest tenure was from its inception through 1984 when it went on hiatus so Blackmore could reform DEEP PURPLE. A decade later, RAINBOW toured and recorded an album. Since then, Ritchie Blackmore has turned his focus toward BLACKMORE’S NIGHT. Since 1998, former members of RAINBOW and their respective management offices have been bombarded with requests for RAINBOW to reunite. Carey, Rondinelli, Smith and Turner answered "the call" but agreed that the only legitimate way that this could be accomplished was with a Blackmore on guitar. Enter: J.R. Blackmore. How does the younger Blackmore feel about sharing the stage with musicians he grew up watching perform in concert with his legendary father? "I have not worked with them," says Blackmore, "But I have admired them since I was young. That makes them like brothers." Greg Smith agrees that the market for RAINBOW's brand of rock is under served. "I know there is a big demand for this music," he says. "The fact that all members are ex-RAINBOW from different periods in the band's history will give the music the integrity it deserves. A Blackmore on guitar will give it even more authenticity." While Joe Lynn Turner has fond memories of collaborating with and great respect for Ritchie Blackmore, he's looking forward to working with his son. He states, "J.R. is the only logical choice for the guitar slot for OVER THE RAINBOW. I have followed some of his projects over the years now. He's very talented." OVER THE RAINBOW will begin touring in Russia during February of 2009.

Do You Want to Know a Secret? Beatles experimental track exists CBC News An experimental track recorded by the Beatles in 1967 but never released might finally see the light of day if Paul McCartney has his way. "I like it because it's The Beatles free, going off piste," he said in a BBC Radio 4 interview to be aired Nov. 20. The Fab Four, shown in a promotional photograph taken in the 1960s, recorded a 14-minute experimental track while working on Penny Lane.The Fab Four, shown in a promotional photograph taken in the 1960s, recorded a 14-minute experimental track while working on Penny Lane. (Associated Press) Parts of the interview were published Sunday in The Observer newspaper. McCartney said he still had a master tape of the 14-minute piece called Carnival of Light and "the time has come for it to get its moment." Carnival of Light reportedly includes organ sounds, gargling, distorted guitar music and shouts of "Barcelona!" and "Are you all right?" From McCartney and John Lennon. The track was put together Jan. 5, 1967, in between working on vocals for Penny Lane at Abbey Road studios. At the time, McCartney had been commissioned to create a track for the 1967 Million Dollar Light and Volt Sound Rave at the Roundhouse Theatre in London. He says his inspiration for the piece came from composers Karlheinz Stockhausen and John Cage — perhaps best known for 4'33, a completely silent composition. "I said to the guys, 'This is a bit indulgent, but would you mind giving me 10 minutes?,'" recalls McCartney. "All I want you to do is just wander round all the stuff and bang it, shout, play it. Then we put a bit of echo on it. It's very free." It was played just once for an audience at an electronic music festival in London but was not introduced as a Beatles track. The 66-year-old musician said he had wanted to include the track on the Beatles' Anthology compilation but the rest of the Fab Four disagreed. George Harrison had called such experimentation "avant-garde a clue," McCartney said. McCartney would need permission from Ringo Starr and the widows of Lennon (Yoko Ono) and Harrison (Olivia Harrison) to release the track.

Gordon Lightfoot to tour in 2009 Gordon Lightfoot, shown performing at the 2005 Canadian Live 8 concert in Barrie, Ont., hasn't toured in three years. (Aaron Harris/Canadian Press) Legendary folk singer Gordon Lightfoot will tour for the first time since 2005, taking his act to 21 cities in Canada and the U.S. beginning in April. The Orillia, Ont.-born singer, who turns 70 this month, will start his tour April 8 in Nanaimo, B.C., followed by stops in cities including Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Thunder Bay, Ont. His final concert in Canada will be in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., on April 18. Tickets go on sale Friday. Other dates include concerts in the U.S. Lightfoot, who has 16 Junos, has been in frail health since 2002, when he halted a tour because of a stomach aneurysm that nearly killed him. Since then, he has made rare appearances, especially to perform. His last tour was in 2005, with 33 dates including stopovers in Toronto, Stratford, Ont., Las Vegas, Detroit, San Francisco, Boston and Atlantic City, N.J., A companion to the Order of Canada, Lightfoot's many hits include Early Mornin' Rain, If You Could Read My Mind, Sundown and The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

The Armada - Going Down Blues

This one is grOOVY!

Recent Lindsey Buckingham interview/performance: http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/qpodcast_20081009_8190.mp3

Black Mountain

Go Behind the New Rolling Stone Cover: AC/DC

TEENAGE HEAD Frontman Dies At 51 Canadian rock icon Frankie Venom (a.k.a. Frank Kerr), lead singer of Hamilton punk pioneers TEENAGE HEAD, died of natural causes on October 15. He was 51. TEENAGE HEAD formed at Westdale Highschool in Hamilton, Ontario in 1975 and went on to become what many considered to be the Canadian equal to the RAMONES. In recent years, TEENAGE HEAD reformed, releasing a new album with Marky Ramone on drums, and touring internationally. While touring Canada, the band dropped by CBC Radio 3 and spoke with Lisa Christiansen for an interview that can be heard at this location.

:: Spotlight :: The Calm Before The Storm - Jeff Martin on his Solo Tour and 'The Armada' By: Christina Giuffre http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseact...logID=438021500 Jeff Martin is a Canadian guitarist, singer-songwriter and producer; best known for fronting the rock band 'The Tea Party'. Martin was raised in one of Canada's most southerly towns; Windsor, Ontario and started playing the guitar at just 8 years old. At 11 years old he formed his first band and began to really grow as a musician. In his early teenage years he was taken with blues and began jamming with professional bands from Windsor and Detroit. Inspired by the instrumentation of 'Within You Without You' from the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Album, Jeff then developed a fascination with eastern tunings and instruments. He has worked with artists such as Tenth Planet and Hundred Mile House and has recorded with David Usher, Conjure One and Todd Kerns. Martin began his career as a solo artist in October 2005 when The Tea Party disbanded. He is now touring Australia to perform the first completely solo acoustic show he has performed in the country, while promoting his new band the Armada and their debut release. Jeff Martin and legendary percussionist Wayne Sheehy are on a mission with the Armada and anticipation is building for the October debut release. Martin has described the release as 'a monster' and is happy to be back to 'some pretty serious rock and roll' music. The album will be released as a limited edition DigiPack exclusively available on Jeff Martin's website Everyone is really excited about the new direction you are taking with the Armada and I'm sure your loyal Tea Party fans would love to hear more about what you are up to and what they can expect from the new album. Firstly, is the Tea Party finished and what did you take away from being the front man of the band? Yes, the Tea Party is finished! I've taken with me a lot of experiences along the way. Basically, it was like living a certain lifestyle for 15 years. The trials, tribulations, the glory, the mistakes and the lessons learned are what I'm bringing to the Armada. What has changed since your days with the Tea Party? When the Tea Party broke up I just needed to be still, to realise what I was as part of that band. That's the reason I brought everything back down to the acoustic level but at the same time to say that I was 'bringing it down' was a bit of an understatement, as it was actually very challenging to be that musically naked. What it did was instill my passion for music again. I kind of found my muse, the oldest muse, my dreams, my focus and all that. I eventually knew that I would get back to rock and roll but it had to be at the right time, with the right people and in the right circumstances, and that time has now come. How would you describe your personal style of music? That's a tough one! You know, it is rock and roll music but it can be pretty exotic, very sensual, very dark and very joyous at the same time. It encompasses a lot of emotion. Growing up, which artists inspired your growth as a musician and why? There were many bands that I modelled my career on or who were my templates, especially in rock and roll and blues. In particular, Led Zeppelin was a big influence for me. I found that if you put all the bands from that era into one headspace, that's kind of where I am now. Who are some of the talented people that you have worked with in your music career? Definitely Jeff Burrows and Stuart Chatwood, who were the other two members of the Tea Party, Jeff and Stuart, are incredibly talented musicians. Also, Roy Harper who is an English folk musician has always been a big mentor to me and a very dear friend. Jimmy Cage is also someone I have gotten to know over the years and it is a good thing when your hero becomes your friend. I have met so many talented people in my career and it has been an incredible life so far. The word Armada has connotations of war, how did the name of your new band come to be chosen? Basically, my partner Wayne Sheehy and I wrote the directives together and the part of Ireland where we both lived has a very strong history, particularly when the French Armada came to the aid of the Irish at one point in the 1700s, to rid them of British rule. So, there's a lot of Armada symbolism around where we lived. When Wayne and I were half way done in creating this new record we kind of sat back and said, 'Well, what the hell is this (the music)?'The sound comes at you from all fronts. There are so many different musical styles involved and although it's just him and me, it sounds like a band! Wayne brought it up when he said, "It's kind of like the Armada, an attack and defence." That's where the connotation came from and it makes sense. It's like when you go on tour you are on a ship, you have your mates, you come into port, you do your business and then you leave. It's a big rock and roll ship! How did you come to work with Wayne Sheehy and what does this bring to the Armada album? Wayne and I met in a little, little, tiny town of about 200 people close to where I lived in Ireland and this was where Wayne grew up. We met in a pub there and hit it off immediately. He kind of had an idea of who I was and I had an idea of who he was and the more we got to know each other, the more we found out. We have a mutual respect for one another. The things we have gone through in our careers just reinforced the point of making music together. Once we started doing that, there was really nothing to hold us back and we both decided it was time to go back into the ring. I had been doing a lot of producing and my solo set acoustically and he was doing a lot of session work in Ireland. Wayne is a very sought after session drummer in Ireland, he's like Van Morrison, Ron Wood from the Stones and Robert Palmer; you know when he was alive. Wayne and I both come from pretty strong musical pedigrees. At the time we met we weren't sure that we really wanted to go back to the circus that is rock and roll because we both had our fame and had made our money. We were no longer doing it for a living but we needed to work out why we were doing it. There's got to be a passion there or a fire and we found that in creating music together. So, that's how the Armada was found. Tell us more about the Armada album? It will certainly remind fans of a band from the past (laughs) because it is really not to be helped. I wrote 95% of the music, so it is definitely a reminder of the past but this past character has evolved now and so that has brought heaps to the table. Wayne and I actually wrote The Armada songs together but with the Tea Party I was the sole writer. It was great to have his influence and it's brought a fresh approach to my song writing. Like I said it will remind people pleasantly of the past but at the same time people will hear a definite elevation as this is the next step. Do you find that your Tea Party fans have remained loyal and what level of excitement is there for the October release? The excitement is powerful. When I first made the decision to end the Tea Party I wasn't the most liked person (laughs). It's crazy but a small number of people are really holding onto their past loyalties to the Tea Party. I hope that they can now come along and experience this (the Armada) which is not really about reliving the past but a brand new future. It's interesting in that when I played my solo show I thought that what would happen is my audience would get older but that's not the case at all. I have actually seen my audience getting younger! It's cool because 17 and 18 year olds are like discovering Led Zeppelin for the first time. The Tea Party wasn't far removed from that sort of sound and the Armada would be the same. It has that connection, that classic sound but at the same time it is doing something brand new. Music is music; I'm not doing it to start a fashion. For me it is about the passion, the attitude, the sex and all that and this is what the Armada is going to bring to the fans. How do you feel about your first completely solo acoustic show in Australia and what can be expected? It's a wonderful position to be in, the foundation that I have here is so passionate and not to be taken lightly. What I want to do is let people make the most of it as it will probably be the last time I do something like this. Some of the older songs I created in the past year, I probably won't ever approach again. It's going to be a special evening for those die-hard Tea Party fans. We will close that chapter together and then open a new one. Tell us about your love of Australia and why you keep coming back? (Laughs) Well, first of all my little boy was born here (in Perth) and that was an exceptional situation. Not only that, Australia was the first country to really embrace the Tea Party and to embrace the music that I make, so there's always been that affinity. The friendships that exist and the experiences all make it a very special place for me. That's why I have chosen it to be the first place internationally and globally where the Armada will perform. So, Australia will be the first place we see on the tour we are doing in November and deservedly so! Tell us about your most interesting experiences in Australia? The ones I can talk about or the ones I can't… (Laughs) There have been some really wild times. Some day I will write a book. I have loved every experience I can remember in Australia. What have you got planned for the next year or two? The thing is the Armada is only releasing 10,000 copies of the new record before January 1, 2009 and that's globally! So the people that are just dying for it should really get a copy as soon as they can. And let me tell you on January 1st next year something much bigger is going to happen and it is at that point that everything changes. I can't really disclose what that is but when the 10,000 CDs get released - BE QUICK!

Metallica - Cyanide

Paul McCartney Rockestra Theme