A Great Guitarist that you Know; and his name is Barry Godreau

Barry Godreau.  Recognize anyone in the Rogues Gallery?  They're pretty famous for being in one of the greatest bands of all-time.  This is a bit of a Boston spin-off group.  Tom Scholz apparently did not like touring, was fixated on legal squabbles with the label, and it took forever for the "next" album to come out.  So - we get this: his first, last and only solo lp. Too bad, it's pretty good.  It has a nice Bostonian feel to it.  Barry Goudreau is the debut self-titled album of original Boston guitar front man, Barry Goudreau.  With the use of fellow Bostonians Brad Delp (on vocals, of course), and Sib Hashian (drumming), and future Boston singer Fran Cosmo, the album displays a sound very similar to that of Boston's first two releases Boston (1976) and Don't Look Back (1978).   However, neither this album, nor any of Goudreau's subsequent releases with other acts (Orion The Hunter, RTZ) proved to be as large of a commercial success as his work with Boston.  [insert huge duh here].  The album was released in 1980 and was Goudreau's only solo album.  The song "Dreams" was released as a single in 1980 nearly cracking Billboard's top 100 and it still receives air play today on Classic rock radio stations (mainly east coast?) along with "Mean Woman Blues."

   Your friendly blogger reports that you can catch Barry and Sib in a new band called Ernie and the Automatics these days.   They put out some classic rock and they WILL serve you up tasty 20-minute Boston song medley, which I saw last summer at Ravinia, as they opened for Deep Purple.  On Boston's monster selling (2nd highest debut lp ever), Barry is listed as "lead guitars, rhythm guitars on "Foreplay/Long Time" and "Let Me Take You Home Tonight."

America's Choice: Hot Tuna

America's Choice was the fifth album by the American blues rock band Hot Tuna, recorded in 1974 and released the following year.  Apparently - this is the first of the "Rampage" trilogy albums (the others being Yellow Fever and Hoppkorv) recorded by the now power trio, it marked a major shift in musical direction by the group.  With new drummer Bob Steeler, Tuna now (then?) performed in a predominantly hard rock style rather than their previous more acoustic flavored manner.  Seven of the eight songs are Kaukonen originals, the cover being Robert Johnson's "Walkin' Blues".  The album is characterized by Kaukonen's multi-layered and hard edged guitar solos and Bob Steeler's frantic drumming, which give a somewhat schizoid feel to the entire proceedings.  Songs resonate between the somber and the frenetic, which adds to the moody atmospherics, especially on "Serpent of Dreams" and "I Don't Wanna Go". Three of tracks, "Funky #7", "Invitation" and "Walkin' Blues", often evolved into extended jams when performed live at this time.  The album rose to #75 on the Billboard charts.  The album was originally released in Quadraphonic.  The album cover art depicts a box of laundry detergent, complete with dripping suds, labeled "America's Choice: Hot Tuna". The lettering and color scheme are loosely based on the style of Tide. On one side of the detergent box, a contents label lists the musicians as the "active ingredients", and also says, "Pure, unadulterated sounds with amplified additives and the necessary polytonal ingredients to handle heavy loads." On another side of the box is a "warning" stating, "This album to be played at full volume for maximum effect." Unedited extended live versions of "Invitation" recorded at the New York York Palladium November 26, 1976 and Santa Clara University May 28, 1977 are available. In 1996, RCA released the CD box set Hot Tuna in a Can which included a remastered version of this album, along with remasters of the albums Hot Tuna, First Pull Up, Then Pull Down, Burgers, and Hoppkorv.  ...wiki

Peter Frampton, the Ultimate DLA. He gets his mojo (and his guitar!) back

"If you lived in the Suburbs, you were issued it," said Wayne to Garth.  Peter Frampton: Frampton Comes Alive, 1976.  This is THE monumental and hugely significant DLA.  It is the DLA by which all others are compared.  The one that started the DLA trend, and affixed Peter on top of the mountain - for a long while.  Here is the set list he will play this Saturday at the Chicago theater.  I know the set list because he is performing the album, in order.  Side one:  "Something's Happening" – 5:54.  "Doobie Wah" (Frampton, John Headley-Down, Rick Wills) – 5:28.  "Show Me the Way" – 4:42.  "It's a Plain Shame" – 4:21.  Side two:  "All I Want to Be (Is By Your Side)" – 3:27.  "Wind of Change" – 2:47.  "Baby, I Love Your Way" – 4:43.  "I Wanna Go to the Sun" – 7:02.  Side three:  "Penny for Your Thoughts" – 1:23.  "(I'll Give You) Money" – 5:39.  "Shine On" – 3:35.  "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) – 7:45.  Side four:  "Lines on My Face" – 7:06.  "Do You Feel Like We Do?" (Frampton, Mick Gallagher, John Siomos, Rick Wills) – 14:15.  Peter's bass player on this tour is Stanley Sheldon, who was the very same bass player from the FCA album - cool!

Peter Frampton: the three albums of his in my collection

It's Peter Frampton Week here. Culminating with a concert I am attending this Saturday.  Billed as him performing the quintessential DLA Frampton Come Alive! in it's entirety, in order. Top photo is the inner gatefold of the ultimate DLA, Frampton Comes Alive.  It was most epic-ally captured using Wally Heider's Mobile Recording Truck.  The actual concerts recorded were at Winterland (SF) and Marin Civic Center, San Rafael, CA, Island  Music Center, Commack, Long Island, and SUNY Plattsburgh, NY.  Below left is his eponymous 4th (not his first) solo record - from 1975.  This one, called Frampton, was released in 1975, right before he went on tour where Frampton Comes Alive! was made.  This is the record that has studio versions of his songs from the album are "Show Me the Way" and "Baby, I Love Your Way," which were later recorded on Frampton Comes Alive!  That album peaked at #32 on the Billboard 200.  The liner notes tell us it was recorded at Clearwell Castle, Gloucestershire, England and was committed to tape using Ronnie Lane's Mobile "Reels on Wheels" recording studio.  Remember, FCA! was recorded mostly in 1975, and released in January of 1976.  Lower right is his 1977 follow-up effort, called I'm In You.  After FCA!, there's no way on earth a performer can do anything close to that level - which until recently (still is?) is/was the biggest selling DLA of all time.

The (almost) all-time Worst Double Record of All Time

Speaking of Peter Frampton, who Nancy and I are seeing this Saturday night.  Recently reunited with his "irreplaceable" and once-thought lost forever black 1954 Les Paul that he thought was destroyed in a 1980 plane crash, he is performing in its entirety his monumental DLA Frampton Comes Alive this Saturday in Chicago at the Chicago Theater.  Back to this record, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, that is Peter up next to one of the B of G (a Brother, Gibb if you will).  I adore the BeeGees, but this is arguably one of the worst double record rock albums of all-time.  If not for EWF's take on the Beatles' Got to Get You into My Life, it surely would be the A number one worst.

Camelot

 Have we been pronouncing that word wrong all these years?

Juice Newton - playing with the Queen of Hearts; and Angel of the Morning

Yes, we remember Juice Newton.  This is Judy Kay "Juice" Newton (February 18, 1952 - )

a singer, songwriter and guitarist. To date, Newton has received five Grammy Award nominations in the Pop and Country Best Female Vocalist categories (winning once in 1983), as well as an ACM Award for Top New Female Artist and two Billboard Female Album Artist of the Year awards (won consecutively). She has several Gold and Platinum records to her credit, including Juice, Quiet Lies and her first Greatest Hits album. During the 1980s, Newton charted 14 Top-10 hits across the Billboard Country,AC, and Hot 100 charts, with many of the recordings achieving crossover success and six of the songs hitting the #1 position.  This is her record - Juice is the multi-Platinum 1981 breakthrough album by American country-rock singer Juice Newton. The album was Newton's third solo album and her first major international success.  It has two #1 hits "Angel of the Morning" and "The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)". It also contains "Queen of Hearts," the biggest-selling single of Juice Newton's career, which peaked at #2 on both Billboard's Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts ("Endless Love" by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie prevented the song from reaching #1). "Queen of Hearts" was a popular music video during the summer of MTV's debut. Newton would go on to have more hit songs and albums, but this remains the album she is most known for.