March 1969
CALENDAR
CALENDAR ߞ March 1-14 March 1-7 EXHIBITS SATURDAY, MARCH 1 David Driesbach, prints on exhibit through March 7. University of Windsor Art Gallery, University Centre 9 a.m. — 11:30 p.m. daily. William Fanning, small watercolors and drawings.
the FROST
The Frost are the kind of group that shouldn’t be here. They should be in recording studios -sleeping at the St. Regis -eating at the Savoy Grill in London -they should be the house band at Carnegie Hall -they should be playing to packed houses all over the world.
THE FOOL
The Tarot deck is a pack of colorful picture cards. The pictures are symbols — universal symbols which are based on common human experiences. Since its inception in ancient egypt, the Tarot has transcended state boundaries, language and religion.
LED ZEPPELIN
Pam Brent
Dominating a fifteen year period, surrounding 1930, the big and exciting thing in transportation was the dirigible, or zeppelin, a self-propelled, steerable balloon made rigid through internal aluminum framework. Owing to the conbustibility of the gases used to suspend these huge structures, they were considered unsafe, and were prohibited after 1937 with the crash of the Mindenberg.
HOT ROCKS
George Todt
It’s getting weird kiddies! Everybody’s tight; tight like a precision machine. But who wants to hear a machine make music? It doesn’t matter what comes out of a Marshall amp; what counts is what comes forth from the human plugged, into the amp.
THE CREATIVE LISTENER
Richard Walls
Avant-garde jazz has been surrounded by controversy the last eight years or so, most of it ridiculous. The central question tossing back and forth on this sea of controversy (what?) is usually “Is it music?” Very basic. Predictably one side says yes and the other side says no.
MELANI ESAFKA.
ICE ALEXANDER
There is a certain virgin innocence in some people that cannot be denied the freedom to show itself otherwise; as soon as restrictions are used, the innocence is tainted and the virginity becomes slutlike and worthless. Melanie Safka has that innocence.
The ASYLUM CHOIR
I remember about two months ago, before the magic of “Blackbird” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” had entered my mind, I was listening to the Nighttripper show on WABX and I heard the new Beatles album. I yelled to my wife “Here’s the new Beatles’ album!”
CROW’S NEST
Pam Brent
The editor told me to get out some local news, so that’s precisely what I’ll do. Since for the past two weeks, the highlight of my weekend has been a visit to the Crow’s Nest West, in Westland, I shall give an account of the happenings there and put in a plug for the place.
PROKOFIEV: SYMPHONY NO. 5 IN B FLAT
JUDY ADAMS
Moscow Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, David Oistrakh, conducting Melodiya/Angel (R-40003) newly recorded in the USSR Aesthetically There is a very important factor concerning classical musicߞyou don’t get rired or bored after listening to a piece more than once at a sitting.
ARCHIE SHEPP.
THE WAY AHEAD ߞ ARCHIE SHEPP Impulse A-9170 Richard Walls Damn If I Know (The Stroller), Frankenstein, Fiesta, Sophisticated Lady Archie Shepp, Tenor Sax; Jimmy Owens, Trumpet; Grachan Moncur III, Trombone; Walter Davis Jr, Piano; Ron Carter, Bass; Beaver Harris, Roy Haynes, Drums.
Trans Atlantic Blues.
Bob Stark
Ask a typical British blues fan who the best blues band playing today is and he’s likely to answer that it’s Fleetwood Mac or John Mayal Ask him what he thinks of B.B. King or Butterfield, and his answer is likely to be that they have a couple of nice sould bands.
Depravity and Corruption
TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT? I.A. The Blue Cheer suck! That will give you some idea of what this column is about. Hope to point out a few things, tell it like it is or should be, etc. If you like it how I write it, then congratulationsߞ if you don’t, then go and read road maps!
KEELAN over
RICHARD KEELAN
Richard Keelan visited us to tell us what he has been doing since the sad demise of the Misty Wizards. Keelan: Well, now I’m just interested in playing—well, not just my own tunes, but I’ve been slipping in other people’s too. Like Dylan’s “All Along The Watchtower” and “Hey Jude.”
RATS
ICE ALEXANDER
There are many groups around that one automatically conditions oneself against. Most of them are after the fashion of Herman, Monkees, Archies, etc.; and, because of these leading examples one is generally totally justified in barely giving listening times to these people.
THE 4 SEASONS
Jack Adams: Engineer, Producer, Musical Director, and partner of Tom Wilson, Independent Record Producer. In New York recently I went to visit Record Plant, a small recording studio on West 57th Street. I knew not that I was walking into the lair of Tom Wilson.
LETTERS
Being in the military, I’d like to try to give to you some first hand knowledge of what it is like. But first, let me say that if you don’t have to go—DON’T!!! When you first come in, if you have enlisted, (like me)they will treat you extremely well.
DETROIT LOSES ONCE AGAIN
Gayle Clark
Yes, folks, it’s happened once more, another Detroit band has made it big...in another city that is. The Passing Clouds have been around since April of 1966 when they formed on the north-west side of Detroit. They really got moving in July of ‘67 when Joe Fineman joined the group and got together with Steve Ross to put out some original songs.
ourman?
BILLBOARD — The 10,000 assorted bills and resolutions already launched in the 91st Congress show that many legislators have a keen concern —for better or worse—with the young, with their music, their movie and TV fare, their votes and their draft status.
HYPES....
The following news release is reprinted in order that you, out there, can see some of the strange side of the music business. This was written by an agency, which shall remain unnamed, paid to write “hypes”. Pay Careful attention to how seriously they describe this album, which, according to this release, will revolutionize all music.
TYRANNOSAURUS
Phip Richardson
It is quite difficult to describe an album like this, and, since it is a rather unknown, or should I say unpromoted English album costing six dollars, not many people will buy it. But that is not the purpose of this review. Nor will I fill your head with a cut-by-cut synopsis and explanation of the very heavy poetry and symbolism of the album.
SOUNDS LIKE
RICHARD WALLS
A noise rushing to the head, an urgency that cannot be denied. The juxtaposition of sound. The juxtaposition of feeling. Feeling, colors, and poetry. Something very simple, yet awsome. Where words fail. Where words become hints at what is really felt.
Jansch
Ice Alexander
Bert Jansch is slowly creeping into your existence. On the Pentangle album (Reprise 6315) Bert is one of the two fine acoustic guitarists featured. However, Jansch, as some of you may know, is by no means at the beginning of his career. Vanguard released his first English album over here (VSD 9212) many albums ago, and it roared into the album charts ast number 234.
,THE VILLAGE PUB
Phil Richardson
Detroit has kind of a strange thing happening in this age of supergroups and sessions. Sometimes it takes the form of an FM radio disc jockey chiding the local club owners for not backing local groups or the mentor of a certain local group accusing radio stations of not supporting local groups or in general, everyone accusing everyone else of not supporting our groups.
ouT oF mY minD
SPENCER DAVIS
I have been reading and hearing about a new “Rock Standby” returning to the States, with new visions, new inspirations and a new appeal. So strong was the audience response, and so overwhelmed the group that they will get their just rewards here, cancelling their European sellout dates to spend three more weeks in the U.S.
CRANDE BALLRM
Keelan: If a big enough section of man is attempting to make music—it’s life— a very powerful force, which is what it’s into now. I don’t really see how anything harmful can come out of it unless the whole reaction is crossed with something totally evil.
“SOUTHERN COMFORT” with Teagarden & Van Winkle
Gayle Clark
Thursday, February 20, was a big night at Finney High (so what if you’ve never heard of it!). The Senior Class sponsored Teagardin and Van Winkle in concert, and man, I swear that place hasn’t been that lively since the boy’s john caught on fire!
CREAM au revoir
ICE ALEXANDER
I can remember, in 1967, being at an all night “rave” at the Queen’s Hall in Leeds, England. On the bill were the Small Faces, Pink Floyd, and the Cream. It was Cream’s second live gig together, and when the Faces didn’t show, 80% of the crowd left the hall, leaving the Floyd and Cream to entertain about 35 people from the hours of 6:00 ‘til 6:00.
MC-5: OBSCENE!!
Two of Detroit’s largest record merchandising outlets, the J. L. Hudson Co., and Ross Music Co., have refused to sell the Maniacal Motor City Five LP, calling it obscene. Ross Music did, however, cash in for a while by selling a censored version, having the Trans-Love statement expurgated with black ink — Caveat Emptor.
HYPES AND ANTI-HYPES
Roy Feldman
Most Americans have fallen into the trap of being controlled by the media in their musical tastes. Often a name can sell a million albums even though quality is non-existent. An example of this is the (ouch) Monkees. Before one note of new music was sounded, hundreds of thousands of kids were ready for the “New Beatles”.