Saturday, December 11, 2010

December 2010

Top 40 DECEMBER

As we head towards 2011 the Rock Journalist Joe Viglione blog will give insight into this Top40 as well as other topical pop culture happenings. More information chronicled on the autobiography blog and on the Visual Radio page, http://visual-radio.net


Thank you to WinCAM for awarding me the 2010 PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

I am grateful and deeply honored

Joe Viglione
Producer/Host
Visual Radio

See article:
Boston Globe

WHO’S WHAT WHERE: Winchester’s public access television, WinCAM, recently honored six individuals. Joe Viglione of Medford was recognized as producer of the year. He started in access television in 1979, and is host of “Visual Radio,’’ which is approaching its 600th episode, and “The Buzzy Linhart Show.’’ Other winners included Melodie Wing, Beyond the Call of Duty Award; Dan Holahan, Most Dedicated Youth Producer; Robert Gotham, Most Advanced Youth Producer; Lydia Mullan, Most Ambitious Youth Producer; and Dan Sheridan, Best New Member. .





#1 BACK TO THE FUTURE TRILOGY



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http://www.tmrzoo.com/2010/18905


All 3 movies digitally restored in HD, all-new bonus features and a limited time only digital copy (on three discs) this gorgeous deluxe edition has everything but extensive liner notes on paper. As we go deeper into our digital world, DVDs are abandoning the traditional paper essays for everything being condensed into uniform packages that need machinery to bring you to that world. Thus, this extensive essay will be that replacement guide, will give you insight on the boxed set that you won’t find elsewhere.

As much as I’ve watched the films repeatedly there are flaws inside these diamonds, perhaps intentional flaws which help make for mass appeal while denying purists a “Citizen Kane” of fantasy films. As James Cameron was able to get his motion pictures to surpass their scripts, Avatar and Titanic generating more funds than any other films in recorded history, one wonders if director Robert Zemeckis had gone hard-core fantasy, had he took the entire project into his Contact realm, believable and thought-provoking. Alas, just as The Wizard Of Oz didn’t get the deserved sequels in the time period when Victor Fleming’s masterpiece took years to be fully appreciated, Contact also missed the opportunity to continue to tell its tale. But Back To The Future does keep on giving, especially with the bonus tracks, deleted scenes, never-before seen nuclear test site ending and so much more.

Read more here: http://www.tmrzoo.com/2010/18905


2)John Lennon LENNONYC
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A Lou-reedish cover, black and white of Lennon in dark glasses, and a truly solid and enjoyable documentary including performance and interviews mixed together in a compelling and exciting way. A great quote from one of the interviewees, probably engineer Roy Cicala - "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean you are being followed"

This DVD was on television - an interesting occurrence these days as the T.A.M.I. Show and other mainstream DVDs are getting lots of play. Lennon notes that he was paranoid, the phone was tapped "People thought I was crazy; they did anyway". Yoko adds "They wanted to make it obvious so that we would get scared. They wanted to shut us up."

This DVD is tremendous and very necessary for every Lennon fan. It arrived on my doorstep FedEx on the 30th anniversary of John Lennon's passing.
LennonNYC


3)Tommy James Three Times In Love / Hi Fi
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4)
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5) VERSACE His Final Hours

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We’ve said it before, these “final 24″ DVDs are ghoulish in their approach to giving biographies of deceased famous people, despite the merit each of them appears to have. The sensationalism – the exploitation – is truly over the top on the Versace story, which is quite obvious with just a glance – a figure on the back of the DVD pointing a gun at the back of the head of an alleged photo of Versace.

The dour narrator lavishes praise on Versace for allegedly “discovering the super model”, but the gloomy story combines voyeuristic indulgences into the seedy path of the serial killer and the lifestyle of the clothes designer who wasn’t a heterosexual. The gay aspect is so in-your-face to be embarrassing, there for shock value more than historical or narrative purposes. Read more here: http://www.tmrzoo.com/2010/18266


6) THE T.A.M.I. Show

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MUSICAL HISTORY UNLEASHED AS THE T.A.M.I. SHOW FINDS A NEW AUDIENCE

By Joe Viglione


Director Steve Binder's 1964 film came five years before Woodstock and, though the rock & roll promotion machine had yet to get its bearings, let alone get into high gear, this early pop version of a Woodstock-type event, in all its black and white glory, could have been a road map and a perennial ...if only, if only, if only...

The T.A.M.I. Show sounds like a Murray The K. sampler album where The Shangri-Las shared a rare live track with the world. That The Rolling Stones, The Supremes, The Beach Boys, James Brown, Chuck Berry and Lesley Gore would all be on the same bill is as close as a counter-culture invasion as the parents in that time period were going to have to be concerned with. The live audience here wouldn't have to brave the dangers of Yasgur's farm, but the music presented was drawn from a number of major labels which rock historian Joseph Tortelli felt may have kept the powers that be from issuing a live album.

Tortelli also noted to this writer how Jan & Dean's 45 RPM of the theme song, "Here They Come", peaked at #50 in Cashbox magazine. The song was released on February 27, 1965 and was written by the great team of P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri. It's chock full of references to the artists at the gig including a snippet of "I Get Around", giving those clean-cut beach bums (and the term is used affectionately) Jan & Dean a chance to play The Beach Boys on their own turf.

The lack of a soundtrack album a la Woodstock certainly held the movie back, and had this gem found a life on network tv shortly after its release, it would have been a mainstay for music fans the way the Wizard Of Oz found a more substantial life off of the big screen and in the homes of millions in that other medium. Now lets look at some popularity facts. Jan & Dean had 14 hits, twelve of them coming between 1959 and 1964, Dean also singing lead on The Beach Boys "Barbara Ann" in 1966, after this film was released. The Beach Boys had a dozen hits between 1962 and 1964 while Chuck Berry had a dozen between 1958 and 1964. This information is important for the reader to get a sense of who the biggest act on this program were at the time it was filmed. James Brown did have six of his 44 Top 40 hits between 1960 and 1964, though he had yet to hit the top 10.

But the biggest acts on the show, eclipsing in sales and finding legendary status right next to James Brown and Chuck Berry - The Rolling Stones and The Supremes, were yet mere novices at this point. The Stones first two American hits, "Tell Me" and "It's All Over Now" launched in August of 1964, The Supremes were pretty much in the same boat, their "When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes" was in the Top 25 in 1963 but it wasn't until July of 1964 that they started to rack up their string of five #1 hits. Lesley Gore had three top 5 hits in 1963 - beginning with the #1 smash "It's My Party", and four more Top 40 hits in 1964...Gore was a much bigger star than the Stones and the Supremes put together at that point in time. Also key to point out is how r & b and psychedelia and British invasion and girl group were all put into the same mix...along with beach music. That would be like mixing reggae/rap and heavy metal along with euro dance today, a very distasteful thing that couldn't be duplicated in the new millennium. Well....it could be attempted but you would have niche audiences splintering off, rap and hip hop are just anathema to folk music and middle-of-the-road. The T.A.M.I. show documents a unique point in time when pop music was under one umbrella, it made it possible for Tammy Wynette to cross over from country in 1968 with "Stand By Your Man" and be played on the same radio stations as Deep Purple's "Hush" that same year. Admittedly, "Hush" was written by country singer Joe South while the follow-up hit, "Kentucky Woman" was written by Neil Diamond, but the key here that the T.A.M.I. show either took a snap-shot of or helped usher in was that when Deep Purple churned out "Smoke On The Water" five years later it would still be played on the same contemporary radio stations playing Tammy Wynette. The possibility of crossover in the 1960s was key to creating long-lasting stardom that such a thing is missing in 2010, and that the T.A.M.I. show finds a new life on DVD and on PBS is just a sign of the times, minus Petula Clark.

The two concerts from October 28 and 29, 1964 were distilled into one movie released in December of 1964 and clocking in at two hours and three minutes. It actually spawned a sequel in 1966, the T.N.T. Show, which makes its checkered history on the market and off the market a huge question mark. Just think if this got the annual play the aforementioned Wizard of Oz found, which would have been almost guaranteed given the strength of the artistry at play. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles and Marvin Gaye would become superstars, Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas and Gerry & The Pacemakers brought a totally different crowd to the table while Moulty & The Barbarians brought true street cred and wardrobe (that would be picked up down the road by those "New" barbarians, The Rolling Stones. Heck, Keith Richards joined Ron Wood's New Barbarians and one can only wonder if he didn't pick up the name watching Keith and Moulty perform in this iconic flick.

When one looks at the monster set list of 48 songs there's no doubt a double or triple album (eight songs per side) would've been a huge sensation...and would have propelled the film in the same way Monterey and Woodstock hurried into the history books, the audio putting an exclamation point on the video. An entire list of songs can be found on Answers.com http://www.answers.com/topic/the-t-a-m-i-show-1

The T.A.M.I. show is in an exquisite package from Shout! Factory with liner notes and extras that the package deserves. Moulty of The Barbarians allowed us to conduct two additional interviews on Visual Radio for the re-release, the first of which has already aired on cable tv with the second to follow soon. Moulty's inclusion on Lenny Kaye's seminal NUGGETS album and subsequent boxed set also gives The T.A.M.I. show that underground cache that makes it so very special. There's no other film from a time period so early in the dawn of rock & roll which captures so many important purveyors of such vital music and mixes it up in a way which all can enjoy...even close to fifty years after the fact.
http://www.shoutfactory.com/productlines/TAMI%20Show%20Header.jpg



7)THE 60's TED YATES

7)Product Details


8)Jimi Hendrix: An Illustrated Experience http://www.nathanielturner.com/hendrixillustrated.jpg






9) DEBORAH SWISS

The Tin Ticket: The Heroic Journey of Australia's Convict Women














The Tin Ticket: The Heroic Journey of Australia's Convict Women






















10)

Jack Phillips First Album In Ten Years, “To Whom It May Concern”


The title track of Jack Phillips first album in ten years, “To Whom It May Concern”, is reminiscent of the 1989 duet by Cher and Peter Cetera, “After All”, from the film Chances Are. Phillips earlier Revival Time release in 2000 was under the name John R. Phillips, and the new moniker comes along with his new approach.

With material more uplifting, “Winter Keeps Us Warm” is driving pop, something that – believe it or not – the Doobie Brothers and Kenny Rogers could cover… in fact, Kenny should cover it, backed up by The Doobies. Everything here is over three minutes and under five, and the authoritative handle exhibited on the opening track, “I Can’t See”, shows much promise – promise the artist fulfills on this intriguing new collection of material. read more here: http://www.tmrzoo.com/2010/18601


11)BMR Music helps nurture the sounds of the future



In the September 16 Malden Observer, we interviewed guitarist Don Schulze, an instructor at BMR Music who said the local music school is “the best.”

Intrigued, I visited the building on Salem Street, between the locations of the Malden Animal Hospital and the 7-11.


Three rooms were buzzing with sound — but all were soundproofed. Don Schulze was in the back with a couple of guitar students; a piano teacher was in an adjoining room at an upright piano; and S. Brian Bailey, the owner, was giving a lesson in the front room.

It’s a warm and friendly atmosphere with a bulletin board and cozy front lobby where parents can wait for the students if they so choose.

Bailey is a musician in a couple of regional bands that have CDs out. Watch for a future profile of those groups in the Observer.

Malden Observer: When did you open BMR Music, Brian?

Brian Bradley: I opened BMR Music in Malden in 1996. I worked at Stearlinguard Music on Pleasant Street in Malden as a teacher in the 1990’s. Stearlinguard closed in early 1996, and that seemed like the end of a music school and store in Malden. I didn’t have any business experience, but I love Malden and I love teaching, so I opened BMR Music and gave it a shot. We’re still here 14 years later, now moved to 185 Salem St.

MO: Your website (bmrmusic-shop.com) notes that your goal is to “enrich lives through music education.” What are some of the fundamentals in place for the students?

BB: Our motto at BMR Music is, “Learn to play the music you love.” Our teaching method follows that promise: We teach students of all ages and all skill levels to play the music they love to listen to, and along the way they end up learning music theory. All of our teachers are Berklee educated musicians, so our teachers instruct our students in any aspect of music the student cares to learn — everything from basic song-playing to advanced techniques, theory, ear-training, presentation, performance, song-writing, recording, you name it. Read more here: http://www.wickedlocal.com/malden/fun/entertainment/x934180017/BMR-Music-helps-nurture-the-sounds-of-the-future


12) FRANK ZAPPA THE TORTURE NEVER STOPS


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13) THE ROLLING STONES RARE AND UNSEEN


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14) LADIES & GENTLEMEN THE ROLLING STONES


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15) Velvet Revolver Live In Houston

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16 bee gees IN OUR OWN TIME

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17) BLACK SABBATH PARANOID


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18) Rock Roadie: Backstage and Confidential with Hendrix, Elvis, The Animals, Tina Turner, and an All-Star Cast

Product Details


19)

The Wake of Forgiveness By Machart, Bruce


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20) NOAH BOYD AGENT X

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21) THE ERIC CARR STORY by Greg Prato

PRESS RELEASE

'The Eric Carr Story,' is the Eric Carr Cover Arrfirst-ever book to tell the life story of Kiss drummer Eric Carr. Comprised of all-new interviews, the book also doubles as a study of 1980's era Kiss. You'll find insight into all of Kiss' albums that featured Carr (from producers Bob Ezrin, Michael James Jackson, and Ron Nevison), as well as those closest to him (sister Loretta Caravello, girlfriend Carrie Stevens, Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick), and music-related friends (Eddie Trunk, Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy, Anthrax's Charlie Benante). Also included is one of the last-ever interviews conducted with Kiss' original manager, Bill Aucoin, and for the first time ever, Kiss fans will be able to learn what the real story line to Kiss' controversial release '(Music From) The Elder' was all about (thanks to an explanation from Ezrin).




22)


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23 WILD MAN FISCHER


Cover Art


24




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25)Phil Collins Live DVD


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26) INXS


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27)How To Shop For Free: Shoppers Secrets For Smart Women Who Love To Get Something For Nothing by Kathy Spencer with Samantha Rose

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29) The Michael Schenker Group LIVE IN TOKYO


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30) PSYCHO CHICKEN AND OTHER TALES


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31) THE MONSTER AND THE APE

The Monster and the Ape


32)

Kylie Minogue: Rare & Unseen



33) Johnny Winter LIVE through the 80's

Johnny Winter: Live Through the '80s


34) WHAT'S MINE IS YOURS The Rise Of Collaborative Consumption


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35) FRANK: THE VOICE

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40)The Detective 1968

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114 min - May 28, 1968 Crime, Drama

Synopsis - A police detective played by Frank Sinatra, Joe Leland, investigates a homosexual murder. Directed by Gordon Douglas, Written by Abby Mann from the novel by Roderick Thorp featuring Lee Remick and Jacqueline Bisset


Monday, November 01, 2010

November Top 40


#1 JIMI HENDRIX
WEST COAST SEATTLE BOY
The Jimi Hendrix Anthology

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Genius second official Experience Hendrix boxed set, beautiful follow-up to the first one. The first boxed set was on Uni; this is Sony's opportunity to sell the Hendrix catalog and it is a stunning sequel to the discs released this past summer.

Here's Part 1 of my reviews on TMRZoo.com

Thus, I’ve had Disc 4 playing endlessly, just randomly pulling it from the envelope…and it is stunningly wonderful. Seventy three minutes and two seconds of newly remastered old tapes with a shimmering 14:46 minute version of “Stone Free” recorded live (keep in mind, TMRZoo reviewed Valleys of Neptune in March of 2010, the first Sony/Legacy release with a Traffic-styled rendition of “Stone Free”). “Sunshine Of Your Love” is tucked inside this long jam session, one of Jimi’s fave riffs it seems…and there’s yet another “Hey Baby” (New Rising Sun)” included …tons of great stuff. I could go track by track…but there are three more discs and a DVD to cover so let this article stand as Part 1. Read more here:

http://www.tmrzoo.com/2010/16571

2)Fab: An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney [Hardcover]
By Howard Sounes

On November 5, 2010 I interviewed Howard Sounes for Visual Radio (the taping was done on the SOAP BOX show which airs Friday nights 7-9 pm). Hope to have portions of the interview here soon.

http://images.bookdepository.co.uk/assets/images/book/medium/9780/0072/9780007237067.jpghttp://images.booksense.com/images/books/830/817/FC9780306817830.JPGhttp://images.booksense.com/images/books/830/817/FC9780306817830.JPGhttp://images.booksense.com/images/books/830/817/FC9780306817830.JPGhttp://images.booksense.com/images/books/830/817/FC9780306817830.JPG

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3)THE SACRED TRIANGLE IGGY - BOWIE - LOU


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Read the review by Robert Francos till mine posts!

http://ffanzeen.blogspot.com/2010/10/dvd-review-sacred-triangle-bowie-iggy.html



4) John Scofield
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5) Bing Crosby Return To Paradise Islands
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6) Marvin Gaye His Final 24
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7) Willie Nile Beautiful Wreck Of The Worldhttp://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/174s/8741041.jpg



8)The Buckinghams The Definitive Live Video

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#9 MARK NEWMAN Walls of Jericho

Also read review on TMR Zoo
http://www.tmrzoo.com/2010/16341

1.) Until The Morning Comes
2.) Don’t Get Me Wrong
3.) Taking Pictures
4.) Fire On The Water
5.) Mixed Up, Shook Up Girl
6.) Walls of Jericho
7.) Vacation
8.) She’s The One
9.) Medicine Marie
10.) I Wanna Know
11.) White Bird
12.) Under The Sun

Walls of Jericho takes Mark Newman into poppier territory than found on his 2006 Americana album, Must Be A Pony. Sure, the title track of that collection had its pop sensibilities, but leaning more towards Rusty Kershaw than David LaFlamme and It's A Beautiful Day, covered here on track 11, a version of the underground hit "White Bird". Newman does a nice job on that classic tune that always annoyed me, rounding it out and making it listenable (whereas LaFlamme and even a violin-laden rendition by Sam Bush were drenched in their "authenticity" bringing the song to a maudlin level a bit too hard to take). Newman does dip back into his traditional bag with "She's The One", but it still has a modern, Triple A folk style that works well in the context of these Walls of Jericho. His voice is also on here and throughout the disc, and the playing is as superb as we've come to expect from this journeyman. "Until The Morning Comes" opens the disc and is highly commercial and quite beautiful. It's a perfect opening to a very strong dozen tunes that have both integrity and personality.



Here's a useful link to It's A Beautiful Day http://www.dustbury.com/music/iabd.html





#10 The Blues Brats Evolution Of the Blues




Donald Reinhold (lead guitar, vocals) leads this brat pack of blues players with his Hendrixian-styled guitar that sounded wonderful as drummer Mike Thibeau and bassist Matte Vermette pounded down the walls of WinCAM in Winchester, Massachusetts on November 1, 2010.

This 9 song CD with songs written, arranged and produced by Donal Reinhold features the very excellent "Stingray", track 8. It is a standout and the group should release it as a single. Greg McSpadden guest sings lead vocals on "Cheap Wine", "Longing", "Sticky Bread", "Say No", "Soft Soul Shoes (version 1) and Sting Ray. Don sings on "No Best Friend", the second version of "Soft Soul Shoes" and the final track, "Say No". Check them out on YouTube. After the group's excellent set at Wincam on November 1 (thanks to producer Jeff Dearman introducing this group to us), I got to interview the trio. They've got the Cream/Jimi Hendrix Experience vibe and certainly have the chops to rock the weekend nightspots. The band exceeds their/its CD in performance.





Gary Sohmers Roar's Back March 8 with Collectibles Show, To Jah Nature Ellis, Tom Hambridge New CD, Keith Richards Waiting for the Man, Sean Walshe American Son, Clive Davis with Anthony DeCurtis

Top 10 1)Gary Sohmers 2)Tom Hambridge 3)Nature Ellis  4)Keith Richards "Waiting for the Man" Lou Reed's Birthday 5)Sean Walshe...