My all time favorite Who album is Who's Next. What started out as a project called 'Lighthouse' by Pete Townshend, ended up as a great collection of songs from this album...Baba O' Reilly, Going Mobile, Bargain...all great.I always loved the cover of the album, which depicted the band apparently finishing off a whiz on some concrete column in the English Country side, that reminds me of the monolith in the movie 2001 A Space Odyssey. It turns out the boys just couldn't pee on cue so according to the photographer Ethan A. Russell, they tipped a can of water onto the monolith to give it that just urinated look.
The effect was perfect and a sort of English "Piss Off" to anyone who cared to question it. A great album and a perfect cover to convey the attitude of these 'Mods'
Listen to the Revolution this Saturday for some Who and all the other usual suspects that made the 60s and early 70s so good.
Peace Out
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's next exhibit features some friends of ours, The good old Grateful Dead. Beginning April 12th this year, an exhibit entitled "What A Long Strange Trip" will be unveiled and this band that we in N.Cal. have loved for decades, will be honored. Dead percussionist Mickey Hart will bring his band for the kickoff of the run, which will go until December 31st. Phil and Bobby are on the road with the Further band and will be at NY's Beacon Theater. Among the higlights of the more than 100 artifacts are five Jerry Garcia guitars, Bob Weir's cusomized Ibanez "cowboy" axe and one of Mickey's painted drum sets. Parts of the huge Wall of Sound that Owsley put together will be exhibited, lots of original song manuscripts, Bill Graham's Father Time robe he wore one New Years Eve and lots more. Rock Hall VP James Henke said it all when he declared "The Grateful Dead is a band that is identified with a remarkable era in American history, and inasmuch as they embody that era, their work is timeless". If you're not going to Clevland anytime soon, wait till the exhibit comes home, most of the aritifacts will end up at UC Santa Cruz, where the official Dead archive lives.
Have you ever caught a stripped bass? Boy are they fun and they get big and they fight like crazy. This April, in the thick of the Spring run, we are going out with guide Kevin Brock and catch us some Striper up the Sacramento River. Kevin knows everything about fishing so all we have to do is enjoy ourselves. Kevin will do all the work, we catch all the fish..sounds like a pretty good day. If you want to go, just go here and find out more. Here is a conversation I had with Kevin this week on what you can expect on our fishing adventure.
A name that comes up every once in a blue moon is "Long John Baldry". This musician is an important piece of the blues story in England circa 1960. Born John William Baldry, the name Long John came from the fact that this towering man stood 6'7"...Among this man's accomplishments is the fact he was the first British vocalist to sing blues in clubs. He sang with Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated with whom he recorded the frist British Blues album in 1962,,R&B FROM THE MARQUEE. At stages, Mick Jagger, Jack Bruce and Charlie Watts were members of this band. When the Stones made their debut at the Marquee Club in July 1962 Baldry was the announcer, and introduced the Stones on their US live album "Got Live If You Want It"..In 1963, Baldry joined the Cyril Davies R&B all stars with Nicky Hopkins on piano. Then he started a band called the Hootchie Coochie Men featuring Rod Stewart on vocals. This evolved into the band Steampacket. Eventually John's band would be called Bluesology and feature a young man named Reginald Dwight on vocals and keyboards. Reg adopted the name Elton John, the John coming from his good friend Long John Baldry. There should be a plaque in front of where the Marquee club used to stand, honoring this man who was at the very forefront of the British music scene. This Thursday would have been Long John's Birthday. He died in 2005. Just think of him when you hear his song "Don't Try To Lay No Boogie Woogie On The King of RocknRoll. Maybe we should give it a spin this Saturday on the Revolution.
Peace Out
This Sunday would have been Bill Graham's 81st birthday. There is a little celebration for the man that invented the modern day concert experience. This Saturday night at the original Fillmore Auditorium, where it all really started, there will be a concert. More than that it will also be a benefit for the Bill Graham Memorial Foundation whose good works include providing grants in music , the arts and education. The silent auction will include original posters signed by the artists, musical instruments and rare photos. A fitting party for our man Bill. The music that night will be Hot Tuna..the electric version, and the David Bromerg Quartet. Good rootsy stuff. It starts at 8pm and tickets are $55-$125. Happy Birthday Bill..you were an original and your good works still continue today, thanks to the hard work and dedication to your old staff. As Hot Tuna once sang.."Keep on Trucking"..
Join me for this Saturday's revolution, the flashback is back on the Eagle starting at 7am!
peace out.
Well this was a pretty good year for the Saturday morning Revolution. We covered a lot of ground and paid our salutes to the pioneers of the "new generation". Well were not so new anymore but it doesn't matter because the music will always be alive and vital. It lives right here at the Eagle and we proudly keep the tradition alive as we present the last show of the year. December 31st. It's Burton Cummings birthday. What an amazing voice! Powerful and soulful, that's Burton. He sang on most of the great hits from the Guess Who, he did that song clap for the Wolfman which still cracks me up, and he was a member of Ringo's All star band. And let's take a minute to remember Kinks bassist Pete Quaife..The man who's bass line thunder out of top 40 am radio with 'You really got me'...man that went right through me. Pete passed away last year at age 66. Today is his birthday. For all our brothers and sisters, still with us or not, Happy New Year. Keep the Revolution alive. Peace out.
I think I have always loved the blues, especially the hot Chicago style from the South Side. A big part of my digging this music is because Paul Butterfield turned me on to it. Paul was from a middle class family in Chicago and met a kindred spirit who also loved the blues. This was in college and the other guy was Elvin Bishop. Both these guys would hang out in the clubs on Chicago's South Side and dig Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf and Little Walter. Eventually Paul put together the Paul Butterfield Blues Band with his partner Elvin Bishop, and guitarist Mike Bloomfield. Then he brought in Howlin Wolf's touring rhythm section Sam Lay and Jerome Arnold. This was the lineup I first saw at the Fillmore Auditorium around 1965...Paul had such a great tone on his harp, when you hear Paul Butterfield play harmonica, you just know it's him. He lived a pretty hard life; I guess the blues can do that to you. It would kill Mike Bloomfield, and eventually, Paul himself. I still miss him. I used to just go crazy when I heard he was coming to town, His album East-West was one of the defining pieces of music in my life. This Saturday would have been Paul's 69th birthday. Let's tip a cup of cheer to the man who brought that Chicago blues to the white kids here on the West Coast. Happy Birthday Paul.
I mentioned that Saturday was the anniversary of Keith Richards near electrocution at the Memorial Auditorium 1965. It was the second time the Stones came to Sacramento, coming off an appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. About 4 songs into their set, Keith stepped up to the microphone and got a jolt of electricity that put him on his butt. Some who were in the audience recall seeing a blue flash, or sparks and wondered if he was dead. Concert promoter Jeff Hughson heard a loud crack and thought it was a gun! "Oh no, someone shot Keith"!..My question was did the show go on, I have read in some places it did. Well it didnât. Mick Martin who was at the backstage door, saw Keith being carried out and he looked kind of "blue". The concert it turns out...did end at this point. The Stones didn't carry on, they just left. Without Keith, come on, it just isnât the Stones. Anyway, that's the way it went down 46 years ago. Join me and the "Revolution" this Saturday AM. We'll get some more early Stones for sure, plus, a generous helping of the Beatles Hard Dayâs Night. The music AND the movie. It shall be Trippy.
Peace Out
The Stones played Sacramento several times in the 60s; a couple of those times were at the Memorial Auditorium, on J Street between 15th and 16th streets. I love this old building, it has a great history. This Saturday marks the 46th anniversary of an electric Stones show at the Auditorium. It was on December 3rd, 1965 that Keith Richards brushed the guitar strings of his hollow body guitar against the microphone stand. In less than a second later, Keith was sitting on the floor wondering what just happened. The ungrounded microphone made a nice little electric arc onto Keith's guitar, and then of course, Keith himself. He was taken to an area hospital and released soon after that...I understand the show went on. Keith has made references to this incident since he has played Sacramento a few times since. He jokes that is why he plays more acoustic guitar here than anywhere else. He has also said that the souls of his shoes help save his life. He was wearing 'Hush Puppies"!! WTH!? This must have been before his nasty snakeskin boots. Just another day in the life of Keith Richards I suppose, but for us here in Sacramento, it was memorable. Join me for the Revolution this Saturday. It will be ELECTRIC! Peace out.
It's Turkey time again and that means the Eagle will be playing the entire Alice's Restaurant Massacree. This musical monologue by Arlo Gutherie, loosely based on a Thanksgiving he had in Stockbridge Mass., has become a Thanksgiving institution around the station. I remember seeing this record, with Arlo sitting down at the table, no shirt, long hair and funny hat..I saw this record on the record rack at the PX of the Air Force Base I was stationed at. It seemed a rather odd thing, so I bought it and listened and had a pretty good laugh. It is definitely a time piece, 1967, and the Vietnam War was heating up and guys were getting drafted like mad. By the end of 1969, over 100,000 U.S. servicemen were killed or seriously wounded. The absurdity of war, the absurdity of littering and the absurditiy of some city laws are all brought in to question in this 18 minute and 34 second opus. Hear this rambling relic from the 60s this Thanksgiving. We will play it both at noon, and later at 5pm. You can get anything you want, at Alice's restaurant...nice change from the Cafe Rock eh?
Peace Out
Weekdays 10a -2p
The 
Have you ever caught a stripped bass? Boy are they fun and they get big and they fight like crazy. This April, in the thick of the Spring run, we are going out with guide Kevin Brock and catch us some Striper up the Sacramento River. Kevin knows everything about fishing so all we have to do is enjoy ourselves. Kevin will do all the work, we catch all the fish..sounds like a pretty good day. If you want to go, just go 
A name that comes up every once in a blue moon is "Long John Baldry". This musician is an important piece of the blues story in England circa 1960. Born John William Baldry, the name Long John came from the fact that this towering man stood 6'7"...Among this man's accomplishments is the fact he was the first British vocalist to sing blues in clubs. He sang with Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated with whom he recorded the frist British Blues album in 1962
This Sunday would have been Bill Graham's 81st birthday. There is a little celebration for the man that invented the modern day concert experience. This Saturday night at the original Fillmore Auditorium, where it all really started, there will be a concert. More than that it will also be a benefit for the Bill Graham Memorial Foundation whose good works include providing grants in music , the arts and education. The silent auction will include original posters signed by the artists, musical instruments and rare photos. A fitting party for our man Bill. The music that night will be Hot Tuna..the electric version, and the David Bromerg Quartet. Good rootsy stuff. It starts at 8pm and tickets are $55-$125. Happy Birthday Bill..you were an original and your good works still continue today, thanks to the hard work and dedication to your old staff. As Hot Tuna once sang.."Keep on Trucking"..
I mentioned that Saturday was the anniversary of Keith Richards near electrocution at the Memorial Auditorium 1965. It was the second time the Stones came to Sacramento, coming off an appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. About 4 songs into their set, Keith stepped up to the microphone and got a jolt of electricity that put him on his butt. Some who were in the audience recall seeing a blue flash, or sparks and wondered if he was dead. Concert promoter Jeff Hughson heard a loud crack and thought it was a gun! "Oh no, someone shot Keith"!..My question was did the show go on, I have read in some places it did. Well it didnât. Mick Martin who was at the backstage door, saw Keith being carried out and he looked kind of "blue". The concert it turns out...did end at this point. The Stones didn't carry on, they just left. Without Keith, come on, it just isnât the Stones. Anyway, that's the way it went down 46 years ago. Join me and the "Revolution" this Saturday AM. We'll get some more early Stones for sure, plus, a generous helping of the Beatles 
The Stones played Sacramento several times in the 60s; a couple of those times were at the Memorial Auditorium, on J Street between 15th and 16th streets. I love this old building, it has a great history. This Saturday marks the 46th anniversary of an electric Stones show at the Auditorium. It was on December 3rd, 1965 that Keith Richards brushed the guitar strings of his hollow body guitar against the microphone stand. In less than a second later, Keith was sitting on the floor wondering what just happened. The ungrounded microphone made a nice little electric arc onto Keith's guitar, and then of course, Keith himself. He was taken to an area hospital and released soon after that...I understand the show went on. Keith has made references to this incident since he has played Sacramento a few times since. He jokes that is why he plays more acoustic guitar here than anywhere else. He has also said that the souls of his shoes help save his life. He was wearing 'Hush Puppies"!! WTH!? This must have been before his nasty snakeskin boots. Just another day in the life of Keith Richards I suppose, but for us here in Sacramento, it was memorable. Join me for the Revolution this Saturday. It will be ELECTRIC! Peace out.
It's Turkey time again and that means the Eagle will be playing the entire