01. Ali Baba – Duke Reid & John Holt
02. Singer Man – The Kingstonians
03. Israelites [single version] – Desmond Dekker & The Aces
04. Gangsters [live] – The Specials
05. No Raise No Praise – Derrick Morgan
06. My Boy Lollipop – Millie
07. Whine & Grine [radio version] – Prince Buster
08. Tears Of A Clown, The – The Beat
09. Blam Blam Fever – Valentines
10. Double Barrel – Dave & Ansel Collins
11. Everyday (Time Hard) [live] – The Selecter
12. Long Shot Kick De Bucket – Leslie Kong & The Pioneers
13. Fattie Fattie – Clancy Eccles
14. Ire Feelings (Leggo Skanga) – Rupie Edwards

Tracklist:
01. Too Much Too Young [radio edit] – The Specials
02. Monkey Man – The Maytals
03. Train To Skaville – The Ethiopians
04. Red Red Wine – Tony Tribe
05. One Step Beyond [radio edit] – Madness
06. Miss Jamaica – Jimmy Cliff
07. Liquidator, The – Harry J. Allstars
08. Funky Kingston – Toots & The Maytals
09. Carry Go Bring Come – Justin Hinds & The Dominoes
10. Pressure Drop – Toots & The Maytals
11. John Jones – Derrick Hariott & Rudy Mills
12. Three Minute Hero – The Selecter
13. Skinhead Moonstomp – Symarip

Tá aí sem saber o que fazer da vida? Corra pra uma dessas 10 praias e veja os famosos que passam por lá!

1) Copacabana – RJ - claro!

Dois famosos que já passaram por lá: Hugh Jackman (o Wolverine), e a banda The Police. 

Hugh Jackman - Foto: Quem Online

2) Ipanema -RJ

Dois famosos que já passaram por lá: Calvin Klein (sim, o estilista chiquérrimo!), e Chad Kroeger  (vocalista do Nickelback).

3) Angra dos Reis – RJ

Dois famosos que já passaram por lá: O casal Tom Cruise e Kate Holmes com a filhinha Suri.

Foto: Ag.APhotos/Felipe Assumpção

4) Búzios – RJ

Dois famosos que já passaram por lá:  Brigitte Bardot, e o ator Matthew McConaughey com a mulher, a modelo brasileira Camila Alves.

5) Jurerê Internacional – SC

Dois famosos que já passaram por lá: Snoop Dogg e Ja Rule.

6) São Sebastião – SP

Famoso avistado por lá: O guitarrista da banda Radiohead, Ed O’Brien.

7) Itacaré – BA

Dois famosos avistados por lá: O casal Carla Bruni e Nicolas Sarkozy.

Foto: Dida Sampaio/AE

8 ) Trancoso – BA

Famoso avistado por lá: Adam Clayton, baixista do U2.

9) Arraial D’Ajuda – BA

Famosos que já passaram por lá: Michael Schumacker, Richard Gere, Jimmy Cliff e Robert De Niro.

10) Maxaranguape -RN

Famosos que já passaram por lá: Casal Vitoria e David Beckham.

David Beckham - Foto: Site UOL

É, agora é só torcer pra encontrar né?

Fonte: O verso do inverso.

Duas músicas de Desmond Dekker, lendário cantor jamaicano de Reggae, Rocksteady e Ska. Apesar de pouco conhecido por aqui (Até mesmo os entre os fãs de Reggae), foi um músico de extrema importância pra história da música jamaicana, tendo sucesso internacional e respeito dos músicos de fora da Jamaica antes do tão idolatrado Bob Marley. Muitos dão a ele o título de verdadeiro rei do Reggae.

O vídeo também é bem legal. Não são os clipes da respectivas músicas e, sim, cenas do filme “The Harder They Come“. Esse filme jamaicano de 1972 é estrelado por Jimmy Cliff (Outra lenda da música da Jamaica) e conta a história de um jovem do interior que se muda para Kingston em busca de emprego e melhores condições de vida.

*Infelizmente, o vídeo só pode ser visto no youtube, então: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjMtygkIkys

Apesar de Desmond participar da trilha sonora do filme, as músicas “It Mek” e “Israelites”  (Ambas de 1968) não fazem parte da trilha. Ele participa com a música “007 (Shanty Town)”. Desmond Dekker morreu em 2006, aos 64 anos.

Photo PattyHeffley.com

In September, the nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2010 was announced.

They were:

• ABBA
• The Chantels
• Jimmy Cliff
• Genesis
• The Hollies
• LL Cool J
• Darlene Love
• Laura Nyro
• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• The Stooges
• Donna Summer
• KISS

Let’s take a closer look at these 12 acts and see which 5 should get the nod.

On first blush there are 5 names that I’m going to remove from the list immediately. 

ABBA – Sorry,  I don’t care how many tickets Mamma Mia has sold, ABBA wasn’t a rock band.  They were a pop band at best and a disco band at worst. 

The Chantels – Jann Wenner has a thing for 60s girl groups.  I had to look the Chantels up.  At this point in the nominating process, that shouldn’t happen.

Laura Nyro – see above.  She’s a songwriter with a string of above average tunes to her name.  Is that really the criteria for the Hall of Fame?  That would be like putting Mariano Duncan in the baseball Hall of Fame.  He was a servicable player on some good teams, but not a Hall of Famer.  She must have slept with Jann Wenner.

Darlene Love – see above.  Another girl grouper.  But this time, mainly as a backup singer.  She was great as Danny Glover’s wife in the Lethal Weapon movies, and she’s a fine singer, but not a Hall of Famer.

Donna Summer – disco is not rock.  Sorry.  Next.

So that leaves us with:

1. Jimmy Cliff
2. Genesis
3. The Hollies
4. LL Cool J
5. Red Hot Chili Peppers
6. The Stooges
7. KISS

With 7 acts left, maybe our next step should pick out the acts that are no-brainers.

KISS – I’ve already made my case for this one as clearly as I possibly can.

The Stooges – Iggy and the boys should have been in a long time ago.  They laid the groundwork for punk, grunge, post-punk, post-grunge and ever other iteration therein.

Red Hot Chili Peppers – the California funk punks were the poster children of grunge revolution of the early 90s.  It took them nearly a decade and the death of founding member Hillel Slovak to find their groove, but once they did, they never slowed down.  They remain a vibrant and forceful band to this day.

Jimmy Cliff - Cliff’s landmark 1972 soundtrack to The Harder They Come brought reggae to the world.  Bob Marley is in the Hall.  He’d never have been there without Cliff.  Case closed.

That leaves us with 3 acts and 1 remaining slot.

The Hollies – Graham Nash got in with Crosby, Still and Nash in 1997.  There is no other reason for this nomination.  Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress and Bus Stop do not a Hall of Fame career make.  They are running out of hippie bands to put in.  I don’t think so.

LL Cool J – I like LL Cool J.  He’s a definining hip hop artist.  However, this is the ROCK and ROLL Hall of Fame.  I had no problem with the induction of Run DMC.  They are the Kings of Rock.  There is none higher.  LL will get another shot down the road, but this isn’t his year.

That leaves us with Genesis.  I’m not sure I think they belong in.  Their induction will open the door for all those other crazy English prog rock bands (yes I’m looking at you YES).  Still, they’ve  been responsible for some great music over the years. They launched the careers of Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins, which I suppose makes them responsible for Groovy Kind of Love, but we won’t hold that against them. 

So, after the smoke and pyro have cleared, my picks for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2010 are:

1. KISS
2. The Stooges
3. Red Hot Chili Peppers
4. Jimmy Cliff
5. Genesis

Agree?  Disagree?  Let me know.

Vibe sensacional.

Le sondage réalisé sur ce blog a plébiscité Jersey Girl comme la plus belle chanson de Bruce Springsteen… non écrite par Bruce Springsteen.

Ce titre de Tom Waits l’emporte haut la main avec 59 % des voix, devant Trapped de Jimmy Cliff (26 %).

Twist and Shout des Isley Brothers (mais surtout célèbre pour sa reprise par quatre petits gars de Liverpool, les Beatles) suit avec 7 % de suffrages. Le Detroit Medley (Mitch Ryder) et Quarter to three (Gary US Bonds) ferment la marche. Raise your hand (Curtis Mayfield Eddie “Put your hands together” Floyd et Steve Cropper ) n’a recueilli aucun vote.

Voici la version particulièrement émouvante de Jersey Girl interprétée le 9 octobre dernier par Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band lors de leur dernier concert au Giants Stadium, dans le New Jersey, avant que la Wrecking Ball (cliquez ici pour la version de ce même concert du 9 octobre 2009) ne le réduise en poussière…

1. Inner Circle – State Of Da World [Shanachie 2009]
2. James McMurtry - Live In Europe [Lightning Rod 2009]
3. Lyle Lovett – Natural Forces [Curb/Lost Highway 2009]
4. Monsters of Folk – Monsters Of Folk [Shangri-La 2009]
5. Various Artists – The Biggest Reggae One-Drop Anthems 2009 [Greensleeves 2009]
6. Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2 [EMI 2009]
7. Robert Earl Keen – The Rose Hotel [Lost Highway Records 2009]
8. Various Artists – Jah Live Riddim [Joe Frasier 2009]
9. International Observer – Felt [Dubmission 2009]
10. Roseanne Cash – The List [Manhattan 2009]
11. Various Artists – Penthouse Showcase Volume 4 [Penthouse 2009]
12. Various Artists – Penthouse Showcae Volume 5 [Penthouse 2009]
13. Kiddus I – Green Fa Life [Makasound/Makafresh 2009]
14. Breakestra – Dusk Till’ Dawn [Strut Records 2009]
15. Danny Malone- Cuddlebug [Township Records 2009]
16. Kid Cudi – Man On The Moon: The End Of Day [Dream On/G.O.O.D./Universal Motown 2009]
17. The XX – xx [Young Turks 2009]
18. Various Artists – The Biggest Ragga Dancehall Anthems 2009 [Greensleeves 2009]
19. Muse – The Resistance [Warner Brothers 2009]
20. Ghostface Killah – Ghostdini Wizard Of Poetry In Emerald City [Island/Def Jam 2009]
21. Various Artists – 5: Five Years of Hyperdub [Hyperdub 2009]
22. Gossip – Music For Men [Columbia 2009]
23. The Avett Brothers – I And Love And You [Columbia 2009]
24. Chuck Fenda – Fulfillment [VP Records 2009]
25. Omar Perry -  Can’t Stop Us [Makasound/Makafresh 2009]
26. Tribal Seeds – The Harvest [Tribal Seeds 2009]
27. Toddla T – Skanky Skanky [1965 2009]
28. Masta Ace & Edo G – Arts & Entertainment [Traffic 2009]
29. Mark Stuart and the Bastard Sons – Bend In The Road [Dualtone 2009]
30. Q-Tip – Kamaal The Abstract [Jive 2009]
31. Doveman –  The Conformist [Brassland Records 2009]
32. Dawes – North Hills [ATO 2009]
33. Kris Kristofferson – Closer To The Bone [New West 2009]
34. Mark Knopfler – Get Lucky [Rerprise 2009]
35. Takana Zion – Rappel à l’ordre [Makasound/Makafresh 2009]

The beaches, the food, friends and family as well as the relaxed atmosphere of Trinidad and Tobago is what an adventurous Trinidadian girl misses most when she is abroad. Melissa Tang Nian from the Port of Spain area went to Germany in April in order to study German and aesthetics there.

After only a few months she is almost fluent in German now. Melissa did aesthetics in Trinidad and wants to improve her skills in Europe. Her aim is to get her cidesco diploma. That course will take two years. One reason why she decided for Germany is the good education system and the job opportunities there. “Trinidad lacks the updated systems that the aestheticians need to move forward”, she says.

In August last year, Melissa met her German boyfriend, Philipp, in Tobago on a glass-bottom boat at Buccoo Reef. The 22-year-old girl and the one year older young man fell in love immediately. Philipp went to Trinidad twice to visit her and her family. Now they share his tiny one-room apartment in a German town called Erlangen. 104 000 inhabitants live there. “It is a very cold place to live”, Melissa says. “The people are not always friendly. They always seem bothered by something. This place not vibes in meh.” From her experience with the Germans she can tell that they are very suspicious of foreigners. “But when they get to know you then they are open with you”. The Trini girl sees the problem in the cultural difference: “What would be a normal thing to say in Trinidad and Tobago may cause offence in Germany.” Caribbean people in her opinion are accustomed to lively, energetic and friendly people and they have a more relaxed and open culture where nothing really is taboo. Anyway, Melissa has also met some friendly German girls, she made friends with quickly. They sometimes lime at one of their homes or in a pub.

With one of the girls Melissa went to one of Europe’s biggest reggae festivals in the South of Germany, the Chiemsee Reggae Summer. She loved it because it had people from all age groups and all different countries. Trinbagonians with their national flags were also there. Food, clothes and craft from all over the world was available. A lot of campers put up their tents for the three days festival. The night before, it rained so that the whole area was nothing but muddy. But the 22 000 visitors at the 13^th Chiemsee Reggae Summer did not mind. Like Melissa, most of them wore rubber boots or danced just barefoot. Some of them looked like as if they had come directly from the Trinidadian J’ouvert morning, completely covered in mud. The Trini girl enjoyed herself very much whilst wining to Capleton’s aggressive dancehall beats, Jimmy Cliff’s, Max Romeo’s and Jah Mason’s conscious reggae, Alpha Blondy’s famous hits, Yellowman, Macka B & Royal Roots Band as well as to German reggae music like from Gentleman, Blumentopf, 40 Fiyah, House of Riddim, Mellow Mark & Natty Flo and many more international and German artistes.

“The annual Chiemsee festival reflects the German culture”, the young Trini says. “It is more organized with better security than in Trinidad. They have almost everything you can think about: toilet facilities, washing machine rooms, mobile grocery stores, breakfast tents, drinking water taps, parker areas, camping areas and the list goes on”. Planning and organising are the Germans’ biggest strengths. After the festival, Melissa was happy. She felt very much like at home. “The people at the reggae event were carefree and open, the music was wonderful and the food great. The energy in Germany and the energy in Trinidad and Tobago is the same just on a different level, ” she says. Melissa was quite surprised how many German Rastafarians walked around in the 426 000 square meters wide festival area. After the event, she tried to find her way back to the car several times. Finally, she found it plus a good comparison for that situation: “When I was ready to go home from the Chiemsee Reggae Summer, I swore, the whole area was the size of the entire of Trinidad and more”.

Melissa is now looking forward to more festivals like the “Volksfest” at her boyfriend’s hometown, Erding, where almost everyone is going to wear the traditional Bavarian outfits: leather pants for the guys and dirndls for the girls. Beer will be served in 1-litre-glasses and people usually dance on tables and benches – no matter if they are still teenagers or in their sixties. Until the one-week-lasting Volksfest, Melissa and Philipp will keep on studying, going jogging and cycling to a nearby lake from time to time. That is also something the Trini has to get used to. She says: “In Trinidad or Tobago when you go to a place with water, you go into the water. But in Germany, people stay on the grass or the beach because the water is too cold to go in”. It is also a fact that Germans love sunbathing for a nice tan. This is not necessary anymore for the Trinidadian beauty.

“If you make everything around you pleasant, know the right places to go and the right people to meet, Germany is also a nice place,” Melissa finishes. She wants to live there but not without coming back to Trinidad and Tobago regularly because nothing can substitute the multicultural country, home of the steel drum and calypso, provider of the most lovely beaches and tasty food and land of life-loving people.

(Tobago, July 2007)

Besides being a legendary movie with a legendary soundtrack and a legendary lead man, “The Harder They Come” also includes legendary style.

#219  Jimmy Cliff > Many Rivers To Cross
Jimmy Cliff blandar på ett unikt sätt soul och pop med ska, roots och reggae. ’Many Rivers To Cross’ är en av hans många, tidlösa klassiker som återfinns på hans självbetitlade album från 1969. Lyftet kom dock i samband med den jamaicanska gangsterfilmen ’The Harder They Come’ från 1973, där Cliff spelar den efterspanade reggaeartisten Ivanhoe Martin som hamnat på fel sida om lagen. Soundtracket till den mycket sevärda filmen innehåller naturligtvis ’Many Rivers To Cross’ (för övrigt en av filmens höjdpunkter) men även massor av annat godis, bl.a. Toots & The Maytals och The Slickers.  Jimmy Cliff är mannen som kommer med solen i höstmörkret…

I am playing some records at Benetti’s Coffee Experience on Sunday, to kick off the store’s weekly Sunday Spins.  I will have a sign-up sheet for you to bring an album next week, so will hopefully I will be providing fewer records each week.

Most of the time at these events, I will play entire sides of albums.  To keep things mixed up, I have chosen only to play one side of each album.  I’ll occasionally break from this and play an entire album if warranted, like when I play A Love Supreme in a few weeks.  (I already anticipate people’s criticisms about only playing half of these albums, but trust me, you will still get plenty of deep album cuts and non-singles.)

Since album sides usually run about 20-25 minutes, you can plan on a different side about every half hour.  I’ll start at 6:00, so plan accordingly, if you want to hear a particular record.  (I’ve included links describing the albums, so do your homework.)

1. Duke Ellington – 70th Birthday Concert (side 1)
2. Ray Charles – Greatest Hits (side 1)
3. Oscar Peterson – Night Train (side 2)
4. The Supremes – Where Did Our Love Go (side 1)
5. The Kinks – Kinkdom (side 2)
6. Buddy Miles – We Got to Live Together (side 2)
7. Yes – Close to the Edge (side 2)
8. Herbie Hancock – Head Hunters (side 1)
9. Jimmy Cliff – The Harder They Come (side 2)
10. Elvis Costello – This Year’s Model (side 2)
11. XTC – Black Sea (side 2)

Oh yeah, and I’m going to post the next episode of Radio Free Raytown tomorrow morning, making your Friday even better!

Sheesh!

Sometimes, it seems that no matter what you do, nothing is just coming out the way you want it.

And for someone like myself, with footmouth disease, I know all about that.

But this time, it’s just someone in my little world who is having trouble getting things going their way. I’m thinking about you, and you know who you are.

Otherwise, I’m getting ready for this festival this weekend. Also, I’m going to write a piece on bringing kids and families to festivals. And I want to know, for those of you who have the little ones, what kind of things you look for with the kids and the festivals.

This year, Kathleen and I have been to (soon to be three) family festivals: Merelefest, Floydfest and soon-to-be Shakori Hills.

So, I’m spotting a trend of families bringing their young ones along, and seeing the reunion atmosphere that some seem to have.

Kat and I, for an example of the reunion stuff, made a friend who really helped her out in setting up the site until Walter and I got there for Floydfest. I only hope that he’s there next year. She and I decided that he was a really good dude. Daniel was smart, and just young enough for us to feel like we could see him come along.

We both hoped that someday he becomes a badass scientist and finds a little honey to love on. He just had this pure spirit, and was kind. And he bummed us a cigarette, which was nice.

Also, on other reunions, Walter. My brother. He was at Floydfest, and I hope he comes again. I think this might be a lasting year-in, year-out thing.

For Shakori Hills, my old college pal Mike was telling me about how he and his parents have been going for years. See? Family. This year his folks can’t come, and I can tell he’s a little bummed about it.

I love it. Family.

On to other things on famlily.

This past weekend I went to a family – not exactly my family – reunion of sorts. But everyone there made me feel like family. I have warm fuzzies from that, still. Gram is a good hugger.

Most grandmothers are. It takes practice.

So, with all that in mind, and family, and working hard, I’ve got a coupla songs to dig on.

Peace, y’all. Feel the love.

And this great song, too:

On another note, I feel like I’m getting back to myself lately, and it feels good to be this grounded. Might have something to do with this project that I recently took up, which I’ll post about later.

Also, I managed to spell family four different ways in the blog post. Gotta tighten up!

Terça surpresa é o nome desse dia da semana. Pois sempre ocorre uma surpresa.

è dia de ser confessal, e elaborar projetos que não sei se serão levados a cabo.

noite de comer amendoim e fumar.

e acordar com muito calor, não entendendo porque se está usando edredon.

não sei se existe confessal. nao vou até o dicionario praberan.

reuniao cedo. reunião.

to ouvindo Khaled agora.

mais cedo pensei em uma gravação, onde decuparei minha experiencia amorosa em video.

além de ter tentado convencer a dona da banca de jornais a me fiar um cigarro.

recebi uma multa hoje, com o fim da greve dos correios. e tambem minha conta do cartao de credito.

e teve muito quente, aqui no meio das montanhas.

chegando a aula, descobri que estava no lugar errado.

nao to conseguindo mimetizar meus atentos de poetizar hoje.

já deu. fiquei muito ao telefone tenho de ir.

pouca cor nesse post.

Earlier this week, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its nominees for 2010, with the stipulation that only five out of the twelve are going to actually make the final list and get invited to Cinderella’s Ball at the Waldorf Astoria – another antiquated institution which actually makes it the perfect venue for a Rock and Rock Hall of Fame event. 

Don’t get me wrong…wanting to honor the Great Ones of Rock is a fine idea. Other music critics deem the whole idea of a music Hall of Fame as antithetical to the spirit in which rock music was created in the first place.  Maybe so.  Of course, if there was a category in the Hall of Fame for Most Influential Music Critic Demi-God, I have a feeling that criticism would wane as fast as the special effects smoke at a Motley Crüe concert.

Alright, so here’s the list of nominees and why these artists should – or shouldn’t – be graced with the golden ticket to New York for the awards:

ABBA

I know it’s hard to believe, but ABBA are one of the biggest-selling acts in pop-history.  This late-1960s Euro-hippie trash became an outed guilty pleasure when dinner theaters all over the country staged versions of ‘Mamma Mia’ and Meryl Streep decided to go commercial with the film version.  I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive her for that, but whatever.  Anyway, it’s only because of Mamma Mia that this kitschy act is even on the list.

Ms. Mix & Bitch’s Rock the Vote Verdict:  Not a Fucking Chance in Hell.

DARLENE LOVE

 
Ok, I didn’t know who she was either.  So, I did a little research for y’all.  Turns out her father’s church in East L.A was where she got her start.  At 16, Darlene sang at a wedding where two of the bridesmaids asked her to join their vocal group, The Blossoms. They quickly established a major presence in the L.A. session scene doing backgrounds for artists such as Sam Cooke. Darlene caught the attention of pre-felony days record producer Phil Spector and he made her one of the cornerstones of his “Wall of Sound” under various names (The Crystals, Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans, and of course, Darlene Love). She sang lead on a string of hits, earning an important place on the landscape of 60’s rock & roll. She continues to have a prolific singing career, having starred on Broadway, and in recent years has returned to her gospel roots.

But what this Generation Xer thinks really rocks is that she starred as Danny Glover’s wife in the Lethal Weapon movie series

 Ms. Mix & Bitch’s Rock the Vote Verdict:  I love her, but the competition’s just too great this year. A reluctant, no.

DONNA SUMMER

She’s the QUEEN of friggin’ DISCO.  How can you not let her in? Say what you want about the era, its fashion, and the vacuous nature of the movement, but Donna and her disco ducks lay the foundation for the whole dance/electronica genre and embraced multiculturalism (albeit under the umbrella of what Studio 54 deemed as mixed race ‘cool’) years before a nation would be ready for it – and helped legitimize gay culture on par with the Stonewall revolt.  And front and center was this liquid-voiced lady of the night…singing about last chance hook-ups, working-class heros, and even about cakes left out in the rain (yeah, no one understands what the fuck that song was about).  She’s a pioneer and I love her.

Ms. Mix & Bitch’s Rock the Vote Verdict: Let her in or I’ll cut you, bitch.

GENESIS

Believe it or not,  Genesis began as a cult art-rock band in England in the late 1960’s with Peter Gabriel before he left (he’s in the freaky-freak picture above).  Then, Phil Collins came front-and-center, and went on to pack stadiums across the globe in the 1980’s, 1990’s and on their 2007 reunion tour.  I had the misfortune of growing up during the 1980s and knew even then that most of their stuff was pop schlock squill.  Just because these guys used to sell a lot of records doesn’t mean they were any good. 

Ms. Mix & Bitch’s Rock the Vote Verdict:  I May Have Been High, But You Still Sucked.

JIMMY CLIFF

For once, the R&R Hof Fame got it right, and wrote,  “Very few single albums can be said to have changed music forever.  Jimmy Cliff’s The Harder They Come is one.  The album – and the movie that spawned it – introduced reggae to a worldwide audience and changed the image of the genre from cruise ship soundtrack to music of rebellion and inspiration. “Sitting in Limbo,” “The Harder They Come,” “You Can Get It If You Really Want,” and “Many Rivers to Cross” made Jimmy Cliff the first international reggae superstar and created the model that Bob Marley would soon follow. A beautifully gifted singer and a uniquely influential songwriter, Jimmy Cliff has made a profound impact on rock and pop music all over the world for 40 years.”

I couldn’t have said it better.

Ms. Mix & Bitch’s Rock the Vote Verdict:  Absolutely yes.

KISS

Yes, they were one of the most popular bands of the 1970’s – scoring countless hit singles, sold-out tours and appearing everywhere from comic books to lunch boxes to their very own TV movie. They continue to perform sold out concerts around the world. But they’re a Vegas act, nothing more and a hell-of-a-lot less.  This band owes its legacy to Maybelline, not to Metal.

Ms. Mix & Bitch’s Rock the Vote Verdict:  Not a chance in hell.

LAURA NYRO

Most of you reading this won’t know who she is, but singer, songwriter and pianist Laura Nyro (1947-1997) was a true original – composing intricate, haunting songs which found a vast audience when recorded by other artists. Elton John acclaimed her influence to Elvis Costello: “The soul, the passion, the out-and-out audacity of her rhythmic and melody changes was like nothing I’d ever heard before.”  She’s at the silent heart of the singer/songwriter movement and the lo-fi groove of the 21st century, and I always love bringing the behind-the-scenes stars to the spotlight.

Ms. Mix & Bitch’s Rock the Vote Verdict: Yes, yes…a thousand times, YES.

LL COOL J

I fell in love with LL Cool J when I heard him sing “…cause it ain’t the glory days with Bruce Springsteen/I’m not a virgin so I know I’ll make Madonna scream.” A year earlier LL had made his debut on Def Jam, which was also the debut of the label itself.  He’s part of my 80s soundtrack loop, and continued his presence in all of our lives with such hits as “Going Back to Cali,” and “Mama Said Knock You Out,” along with countless TV and film gigs.  He’s one of the most charismatic figures in hip hop, and I still don’t think we’ve come close to seeing his best.  That said, as much as I love him, I think this nomination is a bit premature, even though it makes the Hall of Fame time cut out.

 Ms. Mix & Bitch’s Rock the Vote Verdict: With a heavy heart, I gotta say no.  But come back in another few years, and I promise to say yes.

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are one of the most flamboyant, commercially successful and musically influential bands of rock’s last quarter century. They were high school pals who combined their passions for Jimi Hendrix, Seventies R&B and hardcore punk with sexual exuberance and local skateboard culture, immediately becoming famous for their outrageous (often near-naked) live shows and incendiary jamming. The Chili Peppers broke through with 1991’s BloodSugarSexMagik, a multi-platinum fusion of metal and rap that was pivotal in bringing modern black street culture and music to the Nirvana generation.  The band’s 2006 two-CD set Stadium Arcadium went right to Number One and is their most ambitious collection to date.

Besides, I have a reoccuring sex dream starring Anthony Kiedis.  He’s not my usual type, but I always wake up smiling.

Ms. Mix & Bitch’s Rock the Vote Verdict:  You betcha, baby.

THE CHANTELS

They were not the first all-girl R&B group, nor the last, but The Chantels were the first to achieve a consistent run of chart records, thus paving the way for The Shirelles, The Crystals, The Supremes and all the other “girl” groups that followed.  The Chantels’ distinctive, choir-like sound, with its classical and gospel overtones, featured the soaring lead of Arlene Smith, who also wrote much of the group’s material including its signature song “Maybe,” which has been covered many times over the years, most notably by Janis Joplin.

 Ms. Mix & Bitch’s Rock the Vote Verdict:  Sorry sugar. Not this time.

THE HOLLIES

Their wide-open three-part vocal harmonies of original members Allan Clarke, Graham Nash, and Eric Haydock, inspired by the Everly Brothers,  gave the Hollies a sound apart from other British Invasion beat groups. They had such hits, including “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother,” “Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress,” “Long Dark Road,” “Magic Woman Touch,” “The Air That I Breathe,” and others. That said, I don’t know…this nomination doesn’t excite me.

Ms. Mix & Bitch’s Rock the Vote Verdict:  Nope. That simple.

THE STOOGES

The “Big Bang” that became punk, alternative, heavy metal, new wave, grunge, hardcore and industrial music, could very well have been the advent of Iggy and the Stooges in Ann Arbor in the late 1960’s. Confrontational, out of the mainstream and the complete antitheses of the hippie movement, the Stooges were adopted by those on the margins of rock. Their debut Elektra LP was produced in four days by the Velvet Undergound’s John Cale and contained at least three landmarks: “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” “No Fun” and “1969.” Immediately embraced in New York, London and Los Angeles for the nuclear-powered simplicity of their music, the ironic nihilism of their lyrics, and the persona of Iggy himself, the Stooges have become icons in the history of modern music.

Ms. Mix & Bitch’s Rock the Vote Verdict:  A must-have.

Hello World!!!

I must confess…As a single person, it is easy to get self-centered…after all, you pay bills for one, you eat with one, you wake up with one…so it only makes sense you wouldn’t be very much concerned with anyone – except me, myself & I…

But last week, as it rained, rained, rained and rained some more here in A, even I was forced to take a look around and survey the damage…People were getting into rowboats from their windows to escape rising water in their homes, folks were stranded in their cars  as they floated in the flood, people lost their businesses to the unforgiving currents and some even lost their lives…We may not have experienced floods comparing to Hurricane Katrina, but many were devastated nonetheless…

If you are anything like me, you are wondering why God allows these type of events to happen from time to time…there may be a clue in His word obviously…

He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Matthew 5:45

So according to that verse, good and bad happen to the good and bad…somehow, that doesn’t seem quite right, does it?…it seems to me like if you are a Christian, you should have a sort of a heavenly insurance policy when bad things are happening all around you…it would seem that if you are trying to stay in His will, then He should be willing to spare you and yours when natural disasters or even unnatural disasters happen…But I am mature enough in this Christian walk to know that, yes, sometimes due to your status as a Christian, God will protect in you in ways that other people who aren’t Christian do not know about…but I also know that God often allows circumstances to happen to Christians to increase their faith in him and his sovereignty…

Yes, God is the ultimate Father…every Christian believes that…and so if we believe that, do we also believe that like earthy fathers, our Heavenly Father must punish us from time to time…Some people don’t think so, but as much as I am a “God is Love” Christian, I cannot ignore stories like Noah in the Bible…last week, some of my Facebook friends were joking about needing an ark because it was raining so much…but as I read their status updates, I began to consider that Noah and his family needed the ark, because our Father was destroying the land by water due to the evilness of the people at that time. So was God punishing Atlanta last week for some sin…was God punishing the city of New Orleans for some sin…who can say…God allowed Noah to know that was the case, and I believe that because that story was included in the Bible, we have to consider its ramifications…

For some of those who were affected by the flood last week, it may have been simply a case of God allowing things to happen to everyone…we don’t always know why, but believers in God can be assured that He will see them through…And for some, if you believe in the story of Noah, it may have been an example of God’s punishment! Only those people who were affected can say for sure…

At any rate, those of us who were spared from the storm or from other natural disasters, do have a responsibility as well..at least according to the Bible, we must apply the Golden Rule…

‘Love your neighbor as yourself.  Matthew 22:39

For me that means, giving what I can when I can – that may mean opening up my wallet, giving clothing or food, offering a listening ear – and of course praying for those who were affected by the storms last week…

So to those who suffered in the storms last week, I offer my condolences, support and prayers…

Also, I hope the lyrics to this song, “I Can See Clearly Now” by Jimmy Cliff also encourage you…

I can see clearly now the rain is gone.
I can see all obstacles in my way.
Here is that rainbow I’ve been praying for.
It’s gonna be a bright (bright)
bright (bright) sunshiny day.
It’s gonna be a bright (bright)
bright (bright) sunshiny day.
It’s going to be a bright (bright)
bright (bright) sunshiny day.
Yeah, hey, it’s gonna be a bright (bright) bright (bright)
sunshiny day.

Any thoughts?

P.S. And you know that rainbows are Biblical, right?  This verse appears at the end of the Noah story…

So did you hear about who’s being nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for 2010? Here’s a list…

ABBA
The Chantels
Jimmy Cliff
Genesis
The Hollies
KISS
LL Cool J
Darlene Love
Laura Nyro
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Stooges
Donna Summer

Now… Okay. Some of these are a no-brainer. KISS is a big duh, along with Genesis. The Red Hot Chili Peppers? Mmmmaybe. They’re definitely someone who should be there at some point, but I’m not sure if it should happen just yet. But seriously, DONNA SUMMER? LL COOL J? Look, I like these artists as much as the next guy, but really? In the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? That’s just silly, friend! I mean, good grief, how many legends of Rock are being overlooked so we can get these people on the list? Oh look, another list!

Thin Lizzy
Blue Oyster Cult
The Doobie Brothers
Kansas
The Steve Miller Band
Billy Squier
Journey
The Cult
Rush (I’m not their biggest fan ever, but I do acknowledge where they belong in history)
The Moody Blues
Def Leppard
The Marshall Tucker Band
Heart
Ringo Starr (the ONLY Beatle that hasn’t been inducted yet)
Stevie Ray Vaughn!

The list goes on. Now granted, I understand they don’t want to cram everyone into a single year. They wanna space ‘em out. But does that really mean we should be giving non-rock and roll artists the opportunity to be inducted? Not that it’s gonna happen, but what if LL Cool J gets voted in over KISS?

You’d look stupid, 500 people who get to vote on this. Yes, you. I will blame you all. Shame on you, 500 people. Shame. On. You.

So, to summarize, vote for KISS. Because that’s the American way.

Or write in the Electric Light Orchestra. That’d be pretty dang sweet.

Anyway, I’m outta here at 11:30. Gotta go take my Computer Skills Placement Test, or whatever it’s called. After that, I’m going to go pick up my tux for Troll’s wedding. Rehearsal’s tomorrow night, and Troll’s big day is on Saturday. I really hope it works out for him, and I wish him nothing but the best. I’ve been mulling over my best man speech (I did tell you I got “promoted,” right?…), and I have a pretty good idea of the challenge I’m going to issue them as part of my toast. I just hope they take what I say to heart, because the stuff I’m going to say is the stuff that all married couples should remember if they want to live a long and happy life together.

Little blurb about the iPSotD… My brother, Mark, is in the special ed program here at the high school where I work. They have their own PE room where they go to work on a preset list of physical goals. Today the teacher had Mark on the stairmaster, which as you can see, Mark can do in his sleep. LOL! (he stayed up all night last night)

Wait wait wait. ABBA? ABBA!? That’s… well, I don’t know what to think of that.

iPSotD:

My brother, the Sleepwalker!

Bunch of stuff on the agenda today.

First off, a big Happy #60 to The Boss, Bruce Springsteen. As what has essentially been a two-year tour winds down, Bruce and the E Street Band continue to play with more energy, power and passion then bands half their age. Guitartist Steve Van Zandt has stated that the band as a performing entity intends to take a hiatus after the tour ends November 22 in Buffalo, but that does not mean all will go quiet for Springsteen. He has already stated that he’s working on some solo projects so it is very likely there will be new music and possibly solo tours in the future. I saw him on the Devils & Dust solo tour in 2005 and while the Air Canada Centre was a little less than an intimate venue for such a show, it was still very powerful. Would love to see him in a theatre setting. As for turning 60, hell that’s just a number in my book. I think the best may yet still come from him. Look at the output of artists like Bob Dylan and Van Morrison. Some of the best work of their entire careers has come out in the last few years.

On to item #2: Today the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum announced the nominees for the class of 2010. And the nominees are: ABBA, Darlene Love, Donna Summer, Genesis, Jimmy Cliff, KISS, Laura Nyro, LL Cool J, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Chantels, The Hollies and The Stooges. Only five of the nominees will actually be inducted in ceremony to be held in March 2010 in New York City. In order to even be considered as a nominee, the performer had to have released its first single or album at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination.

Ever year I look at these nominations with a very skeptical eye. I mean, I can appreciate the influence of performers like KISS, Jimmy Cliff and The Stooges. But Abba? LL Cool J? Popular, sure. But are they deserving of a nomination?

And finally item # 3: I’ll warn you ahead of time, this made my stomach churn when I read about it. Actress Mackenzie Phillips (“One Day at a Time“) has stated in a new book entitled High on Arrival that she slept with her father, “Papa” John Phillips just prior to her wedding thirty years ago (She was 20 at the time; he was 44). Phillips, who died in 2001, was a member of the Mamas and the Papas, the hugely successful 60s pop group whose hits included “California Dreamin’,” “Monday, Monday,” and my personal favourite, “Creeque Alley“. While it’s no secret that both father and daughter were serious drug addicts, John Phillips isn’t around anymore. What’s the point of Mackenzie coming out with this stuff now? Do you care? While I try not to go through life with blinders on, I would rather just remember John Phillips for the music.

And that’s all I got for today.

(One Hit Wonder Wednesday will return next week. Unless there’s something else to write about).

Kiss, Red Hot Chili Peppers, LL Cool J, Genesis, the Stooges, Donna Summer, ABBA, Darlene Love, Laura Nyro, The Chantels, The Hollies, and Jimmy Cliff.

Those acts are on the ballot for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. If inducted, the acts will enter the hall as the class of 2010.

Do people actually think their votes matter? Inductees are determined by the whims of Jann Wenner, Suzan Evans, and Dave Marsh and not through some democratic process.

Basically whatever is in their IPods gets into the hall of fame.

With that being said, LL Cool J is in. The R&RHOF has to induct at least one rap artist.

KISS is in. They are the only act on that list that has any fans.

ABBA is out although they are the most talent band on the list and the best songwriters. They won’t be able to remove the stench of disco.

The Stooges are in. That will give the ceremony an edge and appease the Juno crowd who think “Iggy is a genius.”

It’s the first year of eligibility for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The powers that be will let them stew for a year before giving them the nod.

The Hollies are in with their folksy, bluesy sound. Rolling Stone Magazine loves bands that sound like that. No one else does but what are you going to do.

Darlene Love and Jimmy Cliff will fight it out for the final spot. They need to induct an older solo artist to show they have a heart and are well rounded even though they are neither of those things. Wenner, Evans and Marsh will probably flip a coin–heads it’s Love, tails it’s Cliff.

Genesis is a noodle scratcher but since their last couple of albums were god awful they will probably be skipped. Besides they aren’t as “cool” as the other acts.

The only thing that’s a more of a joke than Rolling Stone Magazine is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Music fans don’t need elitists telling them who’s immortal and who’s not. That’s what blogs are for.

The nominees for possible induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010 have been announced. The nominees are: ABBA, The Chantels, Jimmy Cliff, Genesis, The Hollies, Kiss, L.L. Cool J, Darlene Love, Laura Nyro, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Stooges, and Donna Summer.

Only five of the nominees will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during the 25th annual induction ceremony that will take place on March 15, 2010 in New York City. The five inductees will be announced in December.