Hank Jr. - Family Tradition(s)

In lieu of Kid Rock's awesome halftime performance this Thanksgiving during the Pats Lions game, and because I know of no Kid Rock that exists on vinyl - here's the next best (orginal) thing.  Hank Willams, Jr.  To me, he is one of the most talented performers of all time.  By "talented," I mean this: he writes (most of) the hit songs he does, he plays the songs on a variety of instruments (live and recorded), and he sings the songs.  That's hitting for the cycle in my book.  Legend has it - when Hank was just a todler, Jerry Lee Lewis taught him some boogie woogie left hand on the piano.  Fiddle, guitar, bass, keyboards - he's the real deal.  Not just a "vocalist," like some other county "legends."  I get it if you don't much care for his single-entendre C&W jingoistic songs of the south, but his musical talent, abilities, showmanship, and recording longevity is beyond question.  And I am not even counting "Are you ready for some football?!"

Chicagoland (vinyl) Record Collectors Show

In case you are wondering what it's like to attend a Chicagoland (vinyl) Record Collectors Show, I took a few photos from this past Sunday.  For the $3 entry fee - you just can't beat the fun!  Above is what a pretty typical vendor table looks like.  (Vendor tables are $45 I think).  Some vendors have thier records very well sorted and categorized by genre.  And some other just have all types of records in bins marked, for instance $2 - or "3 for $10." 

Here is a record vendor dude.  He let me take this photo.  He picked this record to hold up because I think it rare or of a very high value.  These record shows are scheduled quarterly or every other month.  And I live only a few minutes away from the hotel where they are held.  I've been two times now.  Most recently - I arrived around 10 am on Sunday and there were many attendees/shoppers.  The other time I went, it was after lunch and the crowd had thinned out.  I think better deals can be made later in the day.  What a blast!

Genesis - Wind & Wuthering

Try it this way:  please click on this post's title, with your speaker volume up, then read the post.   Wind & Wuthering is the 8th Genesis studio album.  I found this yesterday in a two dollar bin at the Chicagoland Record Collectors show.  http://chicagorecordcollectors.com/  I think it was never NOT on Dale's (Puppy) turntable in college in Walker Hall.  Down the hall Greg and Mark cranked Kansas as a nice counterpoint.  But it's nice to know that our college-era musical tastes are now verified, retroacticely.  We can read now that this, record, from late 1976, is what Tony Banks has said to be one of his two favourite Genesis albums.  I wonder what the other is?  Steve Hackett has stated that he is also "very fond" of this album.  Very fond - how Brittish.  Perhaps his view is nostalgic, as this was the last time he played on a Genesis studio record.  As for the music: is there a more powerful first song on a Genesis record than Eleventh Earl of Mar?  It would be what is rendered down to the condensed essence of Genesis, if they produced only one song ever.  Blood on the Rooftops is erie and great to hear this time of year with darkness falling early and leave-less trees "wuthering."  Your Own Special Way (unfortunately) is the precursor to their empending pop choral FM formula.  Listening to the closing song, Afterglow, is odd to me now as just a stand alone studio cut.  As we all found out later  - it became their go-to choral and epic coda to all of the great live Genesis medlies.

Nils Lofgren - pound for pound, as they say...

These are my three Nils Lofgren records.  Above right is his Cry Tough, produced by Al Kooper.  A very awesome bassist - Chuck Rainey plays on it, as does the tragic Jim Gordon, on drums, as does Aynsley Dunbar.  I had an interesting discusion recently with my pal Doug - a huge Bruce Springsteen fan.  We got around to the E Street Band.  That's where I declared this: Pound for pound, as the saying goes in boxing, Nils Lofrgen is the most underappreciated "lead" guitarist in the annals of rock n roll.  Many mistakenly think Nils was an original E Streeter.  Bruce asked him to join only in 1984.  The first gig he landed, at age 17, was with with Neil Young's backing band - Crazy Horse.  Nils played on After the Gold Rush.  Click on post title for clip of Long May You Run.

Nancy has satelite radio in her car now and she loves 2 stations, one called Deep Tracks and the other Classic Rewind.  According to Sirius - it's "classic rock you just don’t hear anywhere else — deep album cuts, b-sides and rarities from the golden age of rock, when you’re in a classic mood and want to dig deeper."  Driving home we heard a Nils song called Daddy Dream.  What a old gem that is.  In conclusion, any band with Nils as 2nd lead guitar must be pretty deep.  Crazy Horse, Grin, The E Street Band, his solo work - this guy is in the Fender Strat HOF in my book.