Nazareth

Today in Music History:

IN 1964, During a US tour Beach Boy Brian Wilson had a nervous breakdown during a flight from Los Angeles to Houston. Wilson left the band to concentrate on writing and producing. Glen Campbell replaced Wilson for the bands live shows.

Before I get on with http://rapidthis post I have to mention a couple things and then I'll get on with it. First off I have to a huge shout out to wick with a big thank you. Secondly I've had so many people coming here and clicking on my last year's Ramones Christmas post that I put the song back up and you can catch it here. I've seen a few other blogs already posted it but it's there if you want to take a look. Thirdley, I probably won't post again until after Christmas and maybe even New Years, don't fret Homercat will be around somewhere.

I don't know why I was thinking about this but it explains this post about Nazareth. Back in the AM radio days as a kid that was the only music you were exposed to. As a kid soaking up music, the radio quickly numbed me and not knowing any cool people to expose me to new music, I had to think of a way to find new music. The next time I was in the record store I came up with a solution. I would start buying albums by people I had never heard of based solely on how cool the album cover was. So my very first pick was this album with some cool lightning bolts and a cool sounding name. I'll try this one my wee self thought. The album was Raz a Ma Naz by Nazareth. Took it home, played it and was blown away. Remember I was just a little kid in 73. I thought "these guys are gonna be huge". This scottish hard rock quartet did not disappoint. In 1975 they released Hair of the Dog and the rest is history. The album contained the mega power ballad Love Hurts and the total kick you in the ass, title cut. Now you're messin with a son of a bitch. Good Stuff. I had the opportunity to see Nazareth in 1981 in a little college gymnasium and holy shit, did they ever rock. Still a favorite band of mine so how about a couple tracks from these classic rockers

Telegram by Nazareth
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Love Leads to Madness by Nazareth
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Funny Toon

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Merry Winter Solstice

Today in Music History:

In 1969, The Supremes made their last TV appearance together with Diana Ross on 'The Ed Sullivan show', singing their last No.1 'Someday We'll Be Together'.

Get yer candlesticks out, today is the shortest day of the year. The winter solstice. Yey, days will start getting longer now. The solstice has been, throughout the ages, a time for celebration. Notice that even Christmas and Hannukah appear around the solstice. From the ancient druids to modern day christians. Why is that? Many, many cultures the world over perform solstice ceremonies. At their root: an ancient fear that the failing light would never return unless humans intervened with anxious vigil or antic celebration. Well Let's get antic eh. Actually The Earth is nearer to the sun in January than it is in June -- by three million miles. But it's so dang tilted that it makes us colder and darker. But Homercat, what does this have to do with music? It's just that I have a perfect ditty to help y'all celebrate this monumentous occasion. Polish up your flute because it's a Jethro Tull song. Some even consider it a Christmas song, but I say balderdash to that. What has the winter solstice to do with Christmas. Even though it has a wintery, holiday type feel. It stays in my playlist year round. Cause I likes it alot. It also hails from one of the best Tull albums in their catalog. Happy Saturnalia!!

Ring Out Solstice Bells by Jethro Tull
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When Thin Lizzy took a break at the end of the seventies, Phil Lynott released two solo albums in 1980 nand 1982. The first one, Solo in Soho, was very different from Thin Lizzy faire and it was obvious that Phil wanted to explore music in a different way. The album was very much a pop oriented record and it includes the classic homage to Elvis, King's Call, which alone is worth the price of this disc. Thin Lizzy finally broke up in 1983 and Lynott died on January 4, 1986 - his body giving out from all the years of abuse and hard living he had done. This song is from Solo in Soho and it provides a different look at Lynott than the one we're used to.

Tattoo by Phil Lynott
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Last but not least with all this solstice and Christmas stuff going on, one might think that I have forgotten my Jewish friends and their upcoming celebrations. But no and here is an excellent song by the Barenaked Ladies from their Holiday album to help celebrate the festival of lights.

Hanukkah Blessings by The Barenaked Ladies
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Funny Toon

Return of Homercat

Today in Music History:

1957, Elvis Presley had his draft notice served on him for the US Army. He went on to join the 32nd Tank Battalion third Armor Corps based in Germany.

Merry Christmas!! Allo Alloo. Apologies to my regular readers and a big ho hum to you leechers. I'm back!! But later than I said. Is anyone else as tired of this asswipe Christmas holiday as I am. Before you get your turds in an uproar, let me say this. Christmas has become so commercialized that I get sick to my stomach to venture out in public and watch the feverish masses trying to outbuy each other. I don't think my bud Jesus had that in mind when he was born. Buy Buy Buy big and hard and there art you shall be righteous and be in God's glory. I loves my Jeebus, but I would rather go to hell than have WalMart tell me my love of Jesus is based on how much money I spend, so this year I am boycotting the commercialization of a glorious holiday. No one is getting a present from me, and I am refusing any presents to me. Exceptions: Presents I make myself to give to others. Or if you made your gift to me. Hallelujah!

I'm just tired of it, TV telling me that if I don't buy a $3,000 plasma TV for my family, 10 cell phones for anyone I might happen to know for this special family plan or a billion dollar diamond for my wife, then I'm just a piece of shit. What kind of fuckin' dreamworld do people live in to even think that people can afford shit like this.

I can't and I know most folks can't, so I gots a gift for you guys. Free. One of many from me to you. Was in a thrift store on my travels and came across a 50 cent copy of of a Slade album called Rogues Gallery. Not Fifty cent, as in the worst rap artist of all time but fifty cent as in American dollars of a bonafide Slade album(that should never be in a fitty cent bin). Slade, who makes fifty cent sound like a turd at the end of a worm bowel movement. Oooh come shoot me Curtis. So the gift is a great slice of Slade from 1985, and if you guys are are really good maybe Santa homercat will release the Slade Christmas song in a couple days. If y'all request it.

But damn what a steal for fitty cent. By the way it's a gooder, would I steer you wrong? Steal it now while you can.

Little Shiela by Slade
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For those of you who continue to punish yourselves, I'm not a complete asshole. Even though I think all of you shoppers have lost your mind. Here's a good remake. Eighties plus my fave band=gooder hoser.

Do They Know it's Christmas by The Barenaked Ladies
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And for sheer fun!!

Santa's Gonna Kick Your Ass by The Arrogant Worms
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Xmas Toon

Funny Toon

Best Christmas song Ever and More

The Mojo link works now, sorry guys.
Today in Music History:

1988, According to a poll released in the US, the music of Neil Diamond was favoured as the best background music for sex, Beethoven was the second choice and Luther Vandross was voted third.

Absolutely no disrespect to the guys in my previous posts is intended when I say this, but I've had my fill of dead guys for a while. The mood is getting somber at Rockin' and it's time to liven things up. Plus I'm going to be gone until next Thursday so this post is gonna have to hold youse guys till then. I'll shell out a couple goodies and see you in a week.

My first choice is my pick for best Christmas song ever. It's not a Joy to the World or Silent Night type song. In fact it should get some different lyrics and be a song I can listen to year round. It's a Mojo Nixon song and I realize some people may be thinking I'm trying to ram Mojo down their throats so I promise, no more Mojo after this one. I featured it as one of my only Christmas songs from last year and it's well worth a repeat. Besides it's my blog. This song is full of double entendres and is probably not your typical kid friendly Christmas song. But it is awesome. The horns and piano in this song absolutely rock. It's kind of a jazzy, funky, r and b type thing that will get your booty shaking. I listen to this song year round and damn if it doesn't make me want to get up and dance. Trust me this is one song you'll want to keep on your playlist year round.

It's Christmas Time by Mojo Nixon and the Toadliquors
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This next item is not a song and it too has been featured here before. It also happens to be the funniest thing I have ever heard in my life. Ever. It's a guy on a cell phone leaving a voice mail as to why he's going to be late. Hilarity abounds. You can read more about it here.

Dallas Accident

Third choice is another AM radio staple from the seventies. I thought it was actually kind of a creepy song sung by Helen Reddy. That's a blast from the past eh. She was all about women empowerment or something, with that I am Woman song. Whatever the deal, I liked her stuff. It was kind of a guilty pleasure thing and trust me, not a lot of my friends knew I had a couple Helen Reddy albums sitting next to my Alice Cooper albums. They would have teased me mercilessly.

Angie Baby by Helen Reddy
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Finally one last song and I'll bend and make it another Christmas song. It's one no one has probably ever heard. It comes from Angel a highly overlooked band from the seventies. I featured them in a post here back in Feb. For pics and an idea what Angel looked like check out their official web site. They rocked purty good. This cut was actually a redo from their White Hot album called the Winter Song. They renamed it the Christmas song, reworked the lyrics, added a few bells and Voila a Christmas Song. I hope these tide you over till homercat returns next Thursday. I pretty much think that is probably the end of any holiday music that this site will promote. Maybe one more , we'll see.

The Christmas Song by Angel
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As I part company I leave you with these words from Denny Crain (Bill Shatner on Boston Legal)

I was good in there. I can't be sure, but in the middle I think I actually felt smoke coming out of my ass.

Funny Toon

Johnny we hardly knew ye :-(

Today in Music History:

Twenty five years ago, John Lennon was shot five times by 25 year old Mark Chapman outside the Dakota building where John and Yoko lived. Chapman had been stalking Lennon for days outside the Dakota apartments and asked for an autograph as Lennon walked through the courtyard. As he signed a piece of paper Chapman fired. Lennon was pronounced dead from a massive loss of blood at 11.30pm.

It goes without saying that many people will be remembering John today. From bloggers to TV and radio, each person will have his own way to pay tribute to a truly great musician. What makes John such an icon is that he so much more than a musician. I have already read several heartfelt pieces about the man and my writing is hardly good enough to compare to some of the wonderful things I've read already today. It was one of those defining moments, and everyone knows exactly what they were doing when they heard the news and they will never forget. Each of us dealt with the news in a different way. For myself, I immediately sought out my best friend to see if he had heard the news. When I got to his house, I could see it in his eyes that he had heard. He had the radio and the TV on and he says to me, "How could this happen?". My friend and I held our own kind of vigil that night. We sat together at his house and listened to his albums, the solo stuff, for he had them all. At first neither of us spoke, each of us mulling over our own thoughts. By the end of the Mind Games album, we had made several toasts to John. We drank, talked, sang and listened until dawn. Drunk as skunks and crying like blithering idiots. Maybe not the classiest way to mourn our hero, but at the time and in our grief, it was the only thing that seemed reasonable. Phil Lynott would understand since he wrote a song about Elvis called King's Call, that is just as appropriate for John.

It was a rainy night the night the king went down
Everybody was crying it seemed like sadness had surrounded the town
Me I went to the liquor store
And I bought a bottle of wine and a bottle of gin
I played his records all night
Drinking with a close, close friend

Now some people say that that ain'’t right
And some people say nothing at all
But even in the darkest of night
You can always hear the king'’s call

What really pisses me off the mostis the senseless act of violence and pure stupidity that ended his life, and if I dwell on it for too long, I get more and more angry. I'm all for the Constitution and I hate any act by the government that tries to quell any of our freedoms, but then and even more so now the gun laws have to be changed. Americans are concerned about terrorism when they go about killing each other at an alarming rate with hand gun violence. Don't even get me started on assault weapons. I'm down off my soapbox now.

I'm not going to feature a John Lennon song today. Every radio station and blogger will be doing that today. Instead I'll feature the most poignant and apropos song ever written as a tribute to John Lennon. Written by his good friends Elton John and Bernie Taupin. This may well be Taupin's lyrical masterpiece. Elton sings it with such emotion and a clear cut ache in his voice, that sometimes it is difficult to listen to without it wrenching your gut. It is a sad portrait of a child who doesn't realize that his playmate is dead. He keeps knocking on his friend's door, calling out for him, knowing that any minute he will come out to play, and slowly recognizing the terrible truth only after knocking and calling out "most of the day." The analogy to an adult still in the stage of denial is chilling in its appropriateness, and Elton's vocal captures the anguish perfectly. I don't normally post lyrics but these lyrics are exceptional and describe the man and the hurt we all felt that night. Lennon is the song's "Johnny," the "insect" is Lennon's murderer, Mark David Chapman, and the brownstone is the Dakota, Lennon's New York home where he was killed. The cracked sidewalk where "nothing grows no more" is where Lennon fell, the flagstones suggest tombstones, and the sunset symbolizes not only the end of a life, but also the end of an era so profoundly touched by that life. The tone of profound sadness is established with the first line, which suggests that we have come upon a scene of utter desolation. Indeed we have.(I am not this good a writer, excerpts culled from the Bernie Taupin web site)

Empty Garden by Elton John
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What happened here
As the new york sunset disappeared
I found an empty garden among the flagstones there
Who lived here
He must have been a gardener that cared a lot
Who weeded out the tears and grew a good crop
And now it all looks strange
It’s funny how one insect can damage so much grain

And what’s it for
This little empty garden by the brownstone door
And in the cracks along the sidewalk nothing grows no more
Who lived here
He must have been a gardener that cared a lot
Who weeded out the tears and grew a good crop
And we are so amazed we’re crippled and we’re dazed
A gardener like that one no one can replace

And I’ve been knocking but no one answers
And I’ve been knocking most all the day
Oh and I’ve been calling oh hey hey johnny
Can’t you come out to play

And through their tears
Some say he farmed his best in younger years
But he’d have said that roots grow stronger if only he could hear
Who lived there
He must have been a gardener that cared a lot
Who weeded out the tears and grew a good crop
Now we pray for rain, and with every drop that falls
We hear, we hear your name

Johnny can’t you come out to play in your empty garden

We miss you John.



Toon

One Hit Wonder Wednesday

Today in Music History:

In 1974, Carl Douglas started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Kung Fu Fighting'. The song was recorded in 10 minutes, started out as a B- side and sold 10 million copies.

70s soft-rockers Pilot originally formed in 1973 with its bandmembers all hailing from Scotland. The group added a few additional members along the way, including two chaps who were former members of the Bay City Rollers. Their self-titled debut released in 1974, spawned the Top 20 hit "Magic," which is the only song I've ever heard by them. Supposedly it was their 1975 single "January" (off their second album Second Flight) that was their biggest success, rocketing to the number one spot. I'm not sure if I agree with that as I don't recall ever hearing it. A couple albums later, circumstances, and poor management, conspired against the band and by 1977 Pilot had crashed and burned after a flight to stardom that was more short-hop than long-haul in its duration.. The drummer went on to work with 10 cc and a couple of the other guys did some work with Alan Parsons, and Kate Bush. It's a pure power pop tune and certainly evokes memories of the seventies.

Magic by Pilot
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Funny Toon

Rockin' Christmas

Today in Music History:

In 1997, A man died after falling from a balcony during a Rolling Stones concert at Pontiac Silverdome, Michigan.

As you can see the Christmas decorations are up. Rockin' should be back to normal now. Most of the bugs have been ironed out and I'm happy to report that since the new OS has gone operational, I have yet to see a blue screen of death. Since thaty's cause for celebrating, it almost makes homercat feel downright Christmasy. So I'll start my first December post with a rockin' Xmas tune. I won't post many holiday stuff so get em while they're hot.
As it's also nearing the end of the year, people tend to post lists of the best whatever of the past year. This yuletide screamer comes from my pick for best album of 2005. Billy Idol's Devils Playground. Not sure who else will make the list but the #1 spot is in the bag. Warren Zevon himself once said that Billy Idol was a great songwriter, great praise from a songwriting genius, and Devils Playground showcases Idol at his best. Although this album was released In March, the seventh track is a great Xmas tune called Yellin' At The Xmas Tree. Just take a gander at part of the lyrics

Santa's balls are jingling
Mommy's hips a-wiggling
But Daddy, he don't hear 'em
He's yellin'
He's yellin' at the Christmas tree

Hey if you're having a Christmas party and you want to liven things up just slip this sucker in the rotation.

Yellin' at the Christmas Tree by Billy Idol
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Since I mentioned Warren Zevon in this post, I thought I would offer up another Zevon goodie. In my earlier post about Warren (scroll down it's there somewhere) I featured a song off of his first major release. Today is one from his ninth studio release Life'll Kill Ya.

My Shit's Fucked Up by Warren Zevon
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Funny Toon