“Sam (Cooke) had a way of singing, it was like Mahalia Jackson. She could sing a Christmas carol and people would cry. Sam had that same communication line. He could sing to an audience and he would have their complete (attention). I would look down the rows from the stage and everybody would be […]
Read MoreRIP Les Paul & Jim Dickinson
If Les Paul had only invented the solid-body guitar that bears his name, he’d be rock royalty. As an icon, the Gibson Les Paul has few peers. But, Paul also transformed the reel-to-reel given to him by Bing Crosby into the first functioning multitrack recording machine. That innovation in the mid-’40s spurred the development over […]
Read More“Blowin’ shit up and rockin’ ass till it’s all ashes and smoke.”
New Adios Lounge mission statement? Just throwing it out there. It’s either this or the thing about team-building, synergy, and never giving in to our robot overlords. Frankly, I’m torn. Anyhoo, while I work on a post that includes the likes of Sam Cooke and Doug Sahm — and maybe a certain EC — […]
Read MoreRinging the Doorbell in Your Mind
When in doubt: Minutemen. That’s a personal code and I’m passing it along to you free of charge. Don’t forget it. Etch it in your brain. Not many people got a code to live by anymore. To that end, I’ve found that playing Double Nickels On The Dime at least once a month is […]
Read MoreShe Don’t Do Drugs, But She Does The Pill (The Concept)
In the “Best First Songs on an Album” discussion, I’m making a Top 5 case for “The Concept.” Teenage Fanclub‘s kick start to Bandwagonesque (1991) is fangasmic for many reasons (see below), but it’s on the leadoff short list because who has the balls to begin an album with a 6 minute guitar epic?!?! Conventional […]
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