L’imbonitore macrobiotico irrompe nella tua vita senza chiedere permesso, con una qualsiasi scusa, a sorpresa il più delle volte, nel caso tu abbia avuto la disgrazia di venire a contatto con qualcuno del suo universo. E’ successo ieri sera, ancora, un’altra volta. Avevo appena finito di lavorare, a fatica, avevo scritto un pezzo sull’inaugurazione di un cimitero di montagna alla quale avevo presenziato in mattinata, nonostante la febbre a 38. Stavo male ed ero appena riuscita ad infilarmi sotto le coltri, da dieci minuti ravanavo per acclimatarmi, ero una mummia avvolta tra le coperte di flanella e trac… E’ arrivato e ha suonato pure imperiosamente, aveva deciso di non mollare: non importava che non vedesse nel cortile l’auto della persona dalla quale avrebbe dovuto farsi prestare un martello, circa 4 ore prima, lui pretendeva di essere ricevuto. Gli sono andata incontro, con un occhio aperto e uno chiuso, sono uscita, e sono andata nella rimessa a cercare quel cacchio di martello. Ovviamente non si trovava: “Fa niente posso aspettare che torni tuo babbo”, ecco, a quel punto, nonostante mancasse qualsiasi forza vitale mi sono trasformata in un efficientissimo traslocatore, ho messo a soqquadro la stanza degli attrezzi ( da notare che lui,in un angolo a sfregarsi le mani, umilissimo come un Uriah Heep direttamente arrivato da Canterbury, continua a ripetere di non voler disturbare) e dopo circa 20 minuti di immane sofferenza ecco il maledetto martello del cavolo. Gliel’ho messo in mano con le ultime forze rimaste e speravo fosse finita, e invece no. A quel punto Uriah, dal nulla, se n’è uscito con”tu mangi riso integrale?” ed io ho risposto decisa “si”. Lui era dubbioso, non avevo ancora la cera itterica dei macrobiotici doc ergo ha aggiunto “devi mangiare più cereali, sai, ero molto molto malato, la macrobiotica mi ha salvato” A quel punto, anche benevolmente ho ribattuto per tagliare corto che la cucina macrobiotica mi facesse venire la depressione caspica, ma non è servito a nulla, lui ha continuato “Ci sono preparazioni molto appetitose, ti invito la prossima volta che organizziamo una cena”.Ecco,la caccia ai discepoli è sempre il punto d’arrivo: ero distrutta, febbricitante, con un sibilo nei polmoni, la bronchite bilaterale, il catarro che mi usciva dagli occhi ma non sono riuscita a trattenermi, volevo che se ne andasse e non tornasse mai più e allora è uscito il mio vero io provocatore :” Io credo nel modello dell’uomo primitivo: caccia al mammuth e bacche, inoltre adoro carne e formaggi, la scienza, gli ogm e la clonazione degli organi, penso anche che pesare 30 kg ed avere la faccia gialla non significhi essere in salute”. Non è servita a niente manco la provocazione: lui ha visto la luce e ha deciso che la devi vedere anche tu, e come tutti gli imbonitori conclude con compatimento paternalistico “anche io ero come te, ma adesso sto bene”. A quel punto ho mollato. Sapevo che sarebbe finita così, è una scena che conosco bene, ma da 4 anni pensavo di essere ormai al sicuro, invece con questi non c’è niente da fare, vogliono convincerti a diventare come loro, gialla, sottopeso, triste e vestita come una scafista albanese. Intendiamoci, niente contro la macrobiotica in sé, è che è una setta, tanto quanto la Compagnia delle Opere e entrambe sono pericolose a livello sociale, con un distinguo fondamentale: almeno le persone religiose si curano mentre pregano, quelli invece si curano col riso e si affidano al riso. Credo che sia ora di togliere dei diritti di voto e delle patria potestà. Per reazione, quando finalmente s’è levato dai piedi, appena ho rimesso piede in casa, prima di ritornare nel mio sudario, mi sono accesa una sigaretta. I miei bronchi hanno ululato, ma Uriah Heep non mi avrà mai!

Rod Stewart – Soul Book

Rod Stewart - Soul Book

I’ve always enjoyed Rod Stewart’s soul covers on his 70’s albums; ‘You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Man’, ‘If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don’t Want To Be Right’, ‘I Know I’m Losing You’ and ‘You Send Me’ spring to mind. Now in 2009, this 64 year old recently released a great collection of soul covers ….  great album.

Favourite track: It’s The Same Old Song

Leonard Cohen – Live In London

Leonard Cohen - Live In London

In July 2008, then 73-year old Leonard Cohen recorded ‘Live In London’ which was released as a double CD in March this year. A superb collection of songs with incredible musical arrangements, linked by Leonard’s surprisingly lighthearted banter and continuous acknowledgment of the band.

Favourite Tracks: Hallelujah, Recitation (A Thousand Kisses Deep)

Bob Dylan – Together Through Life

Bob Dylan - Together Through Life

I have never been a big fan of Bob’s vocal style, but he sure writes some awesome songs. On this album, featuring the two guys kissing on the cover (c’mon, look closer), he teams up with Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter and produces some fine swampy, bluesy songs.

Favourite track: Beyond Here Lies Nothin’

Uriah Heep – Celebration (Forty Years Of Rock)

Uriah Heep - Celebration

Uriah Heep first appeared in 1970 with their ‘Very ‘Eavy Very ‘Umble’ album featuring the classic ‘Gypsy’. I was hooked, and am still a fan today.  They are still going strong, though guitarist Mick Box is the only original member.

2008’s ‘Wake The Sleeper’ is one of my albums of the last decade, and Uriah Heep recently released ‘Celebration’. This album features only two new recordings, the rest are newly recorded covers of their greatest hits. Not always a recipe for success, but these new recordings breathe new life into many of my old favourites, except for ‘The Wizard’, which just doesn’t seem to work.

Favourite tracks: July Morning (2009 recording), Look At Yourself (2009 recording)

Special Mentions:

U2 – New Line On The Horizon

Steve Earle – Townes

Neil Diamond – Hot August Night / NYC – Live From Madison Square Garden

Neil Young – Fork In The Road

Lynyrd Skynyrd – Gods & Guns

Ian Gillan – One Eye To Morocco

Rod Stewart – Soul Book

Rod Stewart - Soul Book

I’ve always enjoyed Rod Stewart’s soul covers on his 70’s albums; ‘You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Man’, ‘If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don’t Want To Be Right’, ‘I Know I’m Losing You’ and ‘You Send Me’ spring to mind. Now in 2009, this 64 year old recently released a great collection of soul covers ….  great album.

Favourite track: It’s The Same Old Song

Leonard Cohen – Live In London

Leonard Cohen - Live In London

In July 2008, then 73-year old Leonard Cohen recorded ‘Live In London’ which was released as a double CD in March this year. A superb collection of songs with incredible musical arrangements, linked by Leonard’s surprisingly lighthearted banter and continuous acknowledgment of the band.

Favourite Tracks: Hallelujah, Recitation (A Thousand Kisses Deep)

Bob Dylan – Together Through Life

Bob Dylan - Together Through Life

I have never been a big fan of Bob’s vocal style, but he sure writes some awesome songs. On this album, featuring the two guys kissing on the cover (c’mon, look closer), he teams up with Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter and produces some fine swampy, bluesy songs.

Favourite track: Beyond Here Lies Nothin’

Uriah Heep – Celebration (Forty Years Of Rock)

Uriah Heep - Celebration

Uriah Heep first appeared in 1970 with their ‘Very ‘Eavy Very ‘Umble’ album featuring the classic ‘Gypsy’. I was hooked, and am still a fan today.  They are still going strong, though guitarist Mick Box is the only original member.

2008’s ‘Wake The Sleeper’ is one of my albums of the last decade, and Uriah Heep recently released ‘Celebration’. This album features only two new recordings, the rest are newly recorded covers of their greatest hits. Not always a recipe for success, but these new recordings breathe new life into many of my old favourites, except for ‘The Wizard’, which just doesn’t seem to work.

Favourite tracks: July Morning (2009 recording), Look At Yourself (2009 recording)

Special Mentions:

U2 – New Line On The Horizon

Steve Earle – Townes

Neil Diamond – Hot August Night / NYC – Live From Madison Square Garden

Neil Young – Fork In The Road

Lynyrd Skynyrd – Gods & Guns

Ian Gillan – One Eye To Morocco

Chiar imi palce, cel putin melodia melodia …. sau nu numai ea!

dar si varianta in romana cu Iris este placuta tare

Bezeugte soeben im Osnabrücker “Rosenhof” das Auftaktkonzert zur Jubiläumstournee von Uriah Heep, die in diesem Jahr ihr vierzigstes Band-Jubiläum feiern. Die Anhänger dieser nach einer Dickens-Figur benannten Formation, zu denen ich mich ausdrücklich nicht rechne, kommen ebenso wie jene, die ihren Hardrock gern mit einer gepflegten Portion Pathos beschwert zu sich nehmen, vollends auf ihre Kosten und erleben eine launige Party bei, das ist leider nicht selbstverständlich, sehr ordentlicher Einrichtung des Soundsystems. Sänger Bernie Shaw geht mit ansteckender und aufrichtig wirkender Freude seiner Arbeit nach und erweist sich überhaupt als bemerkenswerter Vokalist – während viele Altersgenossen schon knödeln und pressen müssen, um ihre Jugendwerke zu Gehör bringen zu können, meistert Shaw mühelos auch schwierige Passagen.

Gründervater Mick Box lächelt an der Gitarre stillvergnügt vor sich hin und scheint mit allem sehr zufrieden. Das Publikum reagiert überschwänglich, und auch Ihr ergebenster Chronist sah sich veranlasst, zur Zugabe geziemenden Beifall zu zollen, nimmt aber in seiner Funktion als DJ den Heuler „Lady in Black“ trotzdem nicht in seine Playlist auf. Apropos Zugabe: Machen Sie nicht den Fehler, den Konzertsaal vorzeitig zu verlassen. Es gibt noch ordentlich Nach- und auch Handschläge von den sehr zugänglichen Herren.

Ein Wort noch an die Vorgruppe: Liebe junge Leute! Da ihr schon spielen müsst, während das Publikum noch hereinströmt, solltet ihr zwischendurch immer wieder mal euren Bandnamen fallen lassen, damit man weiß, mit wem man es zu tun hat. Sonst wird das nix mit der Karriere.

Am 13.12.09 sind Uriah Heep in Hamburg in der Fabrik.

Heute in der NRhZ-Online: Uriah who?

1990 feiern die sturmerprobten Engländer „20 Years of Uriah Heep“. Ihre Jubiläumstour führt die Band um Gitarrist Mick Box mal wieder rund um den Globus. Bis in die entlegendsten Winkel der Zivilisation. Etwa in die Mehrzweckhalle in Erndtebrück-Birkelbach. Das dortige Konzert der legendären Hard Rocker veranstaltet die Dorfjugend Birkefehl, deren Mitglieder am Einlass manch einem Besucher den Ausfall der Zeltingerband erklären müssen. Als Ersatz sind kurzfristig die Bonner Trans Am eingesprungen, als dritte Band spielt Czakan. Uriah Heep, deren ganz große Zeit vorbei ist, sind noch immer ein bemerkenswerter Headliner für ein Konzert in tiefster Provinz. Aber dort hat Jürgen Zeltinger zu Beginn der Neunzigerjahre für manch einen weit mehr Zugkraft als die fossilen Briten.

Another Uriah Heep classic!

Part 1

Part 2

More Information on Uriah Heep or Official Web Site

So Cool…The tune reminds me so much of my early high school days…Also, the time I spent in a used LP store in Hyde Park, Chicago…

Studio Version

Live Version

More Information on Uriah Heep or Official Web Site

Hmmmm…So I thought and I thought, I pondered by my bedside, I thought of it in my sleep and I reached something – at last! My top 10 Villains in Fictions. The ones that I would love to hate and love their writers for sketching them so brilliantly that they still manage to rouse goosebumps on my flesh when I re-read them..Brilliant I say…Here are my favourites:

1. Uriah Heep(David Copperfield): Well well well, he is the top of the tops. The wicked Uriah Heep of David Copperfield. The insincerity of this character is spread throughout the book. He is the epitome of sheer evil. Read this one!

2. Tom Ripley(The Talented Mr. Ripley): It is strange however I would love to go to bed with Tom Ripley. After all one doesn’t really know whether this villain is gay or straight. His crimes. His mind. The plots he schemes is beyond everyone. And yet somewhere down the line he is aware that he will get caught someday for what he has done.

3. Heathcliff(Wuthering Heights): I would not call this one a villain, but then again, what would you call a person who drives his loved one to madness? What would you call someone who loves with such a vengeance that he wants to destroy everything in his wake? You would but call him a villain, wouldn’t you?

4. Lord Voldermort (Harry Potter Series): Lord Voldermort is real. He is insecure. He wants to be liked by all. He wants to overpower. He is the trueblue villain of the times gone by and Rowling has managed just fine with him.

5. Count Dracula (Dracula): An entire book dedicated to the blood-sucking, enticing vampire. Before Twilight emerged, way before there was this Scandinavian imaginary being that was many a cause of people’s sleepless nights. Including mine – though mine came later as well with Keanu Reeve’s Dracula.

6. Hannibal Lecter (The Silence of the Lambs): The hissing. The good taste for flesh. The maneater Mr. Lecter is quite a monster created by Mr. Harris. Dark and brooding. He knows what to plan and what to do with his time. Chills the spine everytime!

7. The Devil (The Master and Margarita): The devil decides to take a walk in Russia and there is but after all, hell breaking loose. Literally. Moscow is the devil’s new abode.

8. Humbert (Lolita): No matter what anyone says, to me Humbert is a villain. Probably the greatest of them all. Yes he was a pedophile. May be he loved the child, however doing what he did!! Attrocious!

9. Sauron (The Lord of the Rings): White haired, withering, full of strength, Sauron will not stop at anything to get the ring to rule them all.

10. Sher Khan (The Jungle Books): And my personal favourite, the tiger himself..Sher Khan. The one who still manages to instill fear in kids! Brilliant I say!

Last but not the least. For every anti-hero or villain ever created, you made it possible for the concept of heroes to come alive.

One has to ask what the point of having trading standards officers in this country is, when an album can go on the market with a title like that. I mean, really! But then I suppose calling it “The Best Of Neat Records Second & Third Division Bands Now That All The Half Decent Ones Have Been Snaffled Up By Major Labels, Damn Them All To Hell” wouldn’t have been nearly as snappy.

Things start off with one of the better second division bands, in the shape of Persian Risk.

To be fair, it wasn’t all their fault they never quite cracked it. The Tygers Of Pan Tang nicked their original vocalist, then after their Neat debut, guitarist Phil Campbell (pictured above, yes, really) buggered off to Motorhead. Which meant by the time this emerged, the only original member left was their bass player. Singer Carl Sentance is still going strong, having gone on to work with Geezer Butler, Tokyo Rose, Krokus, Don Airey, Phil Chapman and more.

MP3 one – Persian Risk – Too Different

Next up is Marseille. I bought this single when it came out, as a limited edition silver disc. Of course, it never actually seemed to appear on a normal disc, as the five people who bought into their US style melodic hard rock all got the “limited” one. I still think this is quite good, even though they were a bunch of chancers who’d been on the go since the mid-seventies (and released records on the same record label as Nazareth), and were just pretendy NWOBHMers. Here are some actual facts. They were originally called AC/DC until the Aussie lot came along. Their guitarist, Neil Buchanan, is the same Neil Buchanan who presented kiddies TV show “Art Attack”! They reformed last year with a new singer and are recording and touring again, although I last saw them supporting Whitesnake in 1979. Gulp.

MP3 two – Marseille – Walking On A High Wire

This installment comes to an end with Stratus. Now if I tell you that Stratus were a NWOBHM supergroup, don’t worry. You haven’t had an aneurysm. The band featured Praying Mantis members, Tino Troy, Bernie Shaw (now with Uriah Heep), Chris Troy and Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr.

Originally known as Clive Burr’s Escape, they only released one album, “Throwing Shapes”, before everyone realised that the Americans did AOR much better, and that a production budget of thruppence was unlikely to worry Journey. I have the album filed away somewhere, so be worried. However, this is a non-album treat!

MP3 three – Stratus – Top Of The Mountain

Part 2, when it arrives, will restore the metal with entries from Warfare and Jaguar. As well as the shining stars of the UK AOR firmament, Emerson! That last bit might be a lie, if my memories of their headlining show in Embra abck in 1983 is anything to go by.

www.patamushta.lt
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Давно обратил внимание, что ритмика слова Патамушта не позволяет это самое слово напевать под любую мелодию. Утро после дня рождения осенило – easy livin’ (Uriah Heep). Всегда нравилась эта хард-роковая композиция – невозможное возможно, – патамушта как нельзя лучше ложится в мелодику и ритм. Почитал текст – как для патамушты писано.)
Далее клип с тытюбика и текст песни.

Read the rest of this post

www.patamushta.lt
http://www.patamushta.lt/comment/reply/872#comment_form

Давно обратил внимание, что ритмика слова Патамушта не позволяет это самое слово напевать под любую мелодию. Утро после дня рождения осенило – easy livin’ (Uriah Heep). Всегда нравилась эта хард-роковая композиция – невозможное возможно, – патамушта как нельзя лучше ложится в мелодику и ритм. Почитал текст – как для патамушты писано.)
Далее клип с тытюбика и текст песни.

Read the rest of this post

Per celebrare il loro 40° anniversario la leggendaria Hard Rock Band britannica Uriah Heep ha deciso di riguardare un poco nel loro passato, senza malinconia o nostalgia, però.

“Celebration: forty years of Rock ” ci propone la re-incisione di dodici dei loro brani di maggior successo. Classici come  ”Free me“, “Gypsy“, “The Wizard”, “Easy living” e, naturalmente, il capolavoro di tutti i tempi “Lady in black“.

L’album è già stato pubblicato il 6 ottobre in tutta Europa, ma dovrebbe essere presentato il 26 ottobre nel Regno Unito ed a novembre negli Stati Uniti.

Oltre ai dodici capolavori di cui sopra, Uriah Heep hanno composto e registrato due canzoni completamente nuove in omaggio ai loro fans: “Only human” e “Corridors of madness“, che loro stessi definiscono come “due delle migliori canzoni scritte da anni”.

“Celebration” sarà anche un Tour che raggiungerà le più grandi città d’Europa e del mondo.

Il cd di “Celebration: forty years of Rock” sarà proposto in tre diverse edizioni:

La Collection Edition, con il vinile e due bonus track è proposta in tiratura limitata, ma sicuramente è la DeLuxe quella che tutti i superfans vorrebbero avere nella loro collezione: il dvd ci propone lo straordinario live-show tenuto durante il leggendario Sweden Rock Festival 2009.

01. Only Human
02. Bird Of Prey
03. Sunrise
04. Stealin’
05. Corridors Of Madness
06. Between Two Worlds
07. The Wizard
08. Free Me
09. Free and Easy
10. Gypsy
11. Look At Yourself
12. July Morning
13. Easy Livin’
14. Lady In Black

Bernie Shaw (voc)
Mick Box (gui)
Trevor Bolder (ba)
Russell Gilbrook (dr)
Phil Lanzon (key)

Wenn eine der besten Bands aller Zeiten 40 Jahre alt wird, dann ist das natürlich ein Grund zum Feiern. In der Msuikindustrie bedeutet das zumeist die Veröffentlichung einer “Best Of” CD, mit der man die alten Zeiten nochmal hochleben lässt.

Auch bei Uriah Heep ist das der Fall, doch anstelle einer normalen “Best Of” hat man alte Klassiker neu eingespielt und dazu 2 neue Songs aufgenommen, die sich wunderbar ins Gesamtild einpassen.

“Only Human” ist ein fast schon poppiger Song, der mich etwas an die “Perfect Strangers” Phase von Deep Purple erinnert. Fetter Keyboard Sound, gute Hooklines – gefällt mir ausgesprochen gut.

“Corridors Of Madness” ist ein langsameres, etwas sperriges Stück, das aber alles hat, was einen guten Uriah Heep Song ausmacht. Man kann deutlich spüren, dass die Jungs um Mick Box auch im 40. Jahr ihres Bestehens noch gute Songs schreiben können.

Etwas über die Klassiker zu sagen, wäre wie die berühmten Eulen nach Athen zu tragen. Musikalisch über jeden Zweifel erhaben und man hat die Songs auch nicht einfach nur 1:1 nachgespielt, sondern die Arragements verändert. Einige Songs sind schneller gespielt, andere mit weniger Bombast als in den 70er Jahren.

Der größte Unterschied ist natürlich das Fehlen von Götter-Sänger David Byron und Keyboard-Wizard Ken Hensley. Aber wenn ich jetzt diese Grundsatz-Diskussion führen würde, dann wäre ich morgen noch nicht fertig.

Also sage ich kurz und knapp, dass ich das Album jedem Uriah Heep Fan empfehlen kann … aber auch allen anderen Freunden gut gemachten Hardrocks der alten Schule.

Bewertung: 8,5 / 10

Per celebrare i 40 anni di attivita`, gli storici hard rockers inglesi Uriah Heep hanno pubblicato un CD intitolato Clebration che includera` 12 hits re registrate e 3 nuove canzoni inedite.

album track listing:

01. Only Human (new Track)
02. Bird of Prey (new version)
03. Sunrise (new version)
04. Stealin’ (new version)
05. Corridors of Madness (new track)
06. Between Two Worlds (new version)
07. The Wizard (new version)
08. Free Me (new version)
09. Free and Easy (new version)
10. Gypsy (new version)
11. Look At Yourself (new version)
12. July Morning (new version)
13. Easy Livin’ (new version)
14. Lady In Black (new version)

Tutto inizia con una band chiamata “The Stalkers” nella quale militano il chitarrista Mick Box e il cantante David Byron. Quando il gruppo si scioglie i due fondano gli “Spice”, ai quale si unisce presto anche il bassista Paul Newton, e successivamente anche il batterista Alex Napier. La fama degli Spice aumenta, e una sera ad un loro spettacolo c’è anche il produttore musicale Gerry Bron, che li invita ad alcune sessioni in studio. Bron suggerisce ai quattro di ingaggiare un tastierista, e la scelta finale cade, su consiglio di Newton che lo conosceva dai tempi dei “The Gods“, su Ken Hensley. A questo punto il nome alla band viene mutato in Uriah Heep, nome suggerito da Bron (che diventerà il loro manager) e preso in prestito dal personaggio presente nel romanzo di Charles Dickens David Copperfield.

Formazione Attuale

• Bernie Shaw – Voce
• Mick Box – Chitarra
• Phil Lanzon – Tastiere
• Trevor Bolder – Basso
• Russell Gilbrook – Batteria

Originale

• David Byron – Voce
• Mick Box – Chitarra
• Ken Hensley – Tastiere
• Paul Newton – Basso
• Alex Napier – Batteria

Album in studio

• 1970 – Very ‘eavy…Very ‘umble
• 1971 – Salisbury
• 1971 – Look at Yourself
• 1972 – Demons & Wizards
• 1972 – The Magician’s Birthday
• 1973 – Sweet Freedom
• 1974 – Wonderworld
• 1975 – Return to Fantasy
• 1976 – High and Mighty
• 1977 – Firefly
• 1977 – Innocent Victim
• 1978 – Fallen Angel
• 1980 – Conquest
• 1982 – Abominog
• 1983 – Head First
• 1985 – Equator
• 1989 – Raging Silence
• 1991 – Different World
• 1995 – Sea of Light
• 1998 – Sonic Origami
• 2008 – Wake the Sleepe

Clax

Poet (and you know it)

I’m a poet
And you know it
Gimme some words
And I will show it
In an instant I will tame them into form.

Like a magician
On a mission
I’ll use them
As ammunition
To create my own semantic thunderstorm

I’ll alliterate
And conjugate
Crumble to dust
And recreate
Until you’re desperately clutching at a straw

I’m a poet
And you know it
Gimme some words
And I will show it
Just admit, my feeble friend, you stand in awe.

- Marc, oktober 2009 -

Gilbert O’Sullivan – Nothing Rhymed

Uriah Heep – Poet’s Justice

Simon & Garfunkel – Homeward Bound

And every stop is neatly planned for a poet and one-man band.

The Glasgow-based, all-female power-pop quartet The Hedrons (pictured above, top) are featured prominently on the cover of Minstrels, Poets & Vagabonds (cover pictured above, bottom), a book by Robert Fields that chronicles five decades of rock music in Glasgow. The book’s foreword was written by Mick Box of Uriah Heep. On the book’s Web site, Fields wrote of what he hoped to achieve with the book:

Minstrels Poets & Vagabonds will at no time claim to be the definitive book on the history of the rock scene in Glasgow over the last half decade (Powerline A.D. note: he actually meant half century), but what it does claim to do is sit nicely on the shelves along side such fine tomes by Russell Leadbetter, Martin C. Strong, Brian Hogg and Martin Kielty and to fill in, and in some cases the huge gaps left by them.

I’ve tried to remain loyal to my genre as I’m a Rocker and I feel that this scene has been (and I can exclusively reveal) totally ignored in most parts by the mainstream media over the past 50 years. And so not in this book will you find the magnificent pop rock meanderings of Slide because in allowing that then the floodgates would surely open and coming rushing through would be the likes of Texas, Del Amitri, The Silencers, K.M.O., Simple Minds and Travis etc. all fine bands in their own right and as fellow Glaswegians earning a crust in the very fraught arena of the music business they have my 100% respect but their end product is NOT what this book is about nor did I want to go down the indie rock route. I couldn’t open the door for the likes of Glasvegas and Mogwai or I would have to include bands like Primal Scream, Jesus and the Mary-chain, The Fratellis, Ac-Acoustics, Murmur, Kit Cumming’s fantastic Said Florance, The Vaseline’s, Captain America, Teenage Fan Club, Bmx Bandits, Mickey Rooney’s mega Primevals, The Gyres etc.

Nor did I try and adopt any band or artiste which has been the case from the early seventies with the likes of Rod Stewart (have you heard him talk!!! Nuff said) and a craze that has carried on to this day with the likes of Snow Patrol and Franz Ferdinand all at some point featuring in various Scottish/Glasgow charts and polls when their Scottish/Glasgow links are very tentative to say the least.

When setting out the plan for this book I thought it would be cool to have a cd of free downloads for the reader to enhance their journey through the five decades and on putting pen to paper I ended up with a Six cd with 115 track historical artefact listening post which in my wee u’mble opinion is quite unique and superb so get the kettle on and download your listening post “Are you sitting comfortably?” then let the journey begin…………….Xmas comes early kiddies.

The book is a 248-page, large-sized paperback, and it is being released on October 19th.

For additional information on the book, see http://www.minstrelspoetsvagabonds.co.uk/.

The Hedrons did an exclusive Q&A with Powerline A.D. in August 2007.

To watch the video for “Heatseeker” by The Hedrons, click below:

To watch the video for “Couldn’t Leave Her Alone” by The Hedrons, click below:

To watch The Hedrons’ Video EPK, click below:

For additional information on The Hedrons, go to:
http://www.thehedrons.com
http://www.myspace.com/thehedrons
http://www.youtube.com/user/thehedrons

Färjan säsong2-minnen kommer här…Under vår tv-inspelningsresa hände en hel del. Tyvärr fångade inte tv mina möten med människor, då jag predikade, coachade i vanlig ordning. Backstage vid mötet med Uriah Heep, sade jag till varje Bandmedlem:”You are prescious, God loves You”! Jag är ju på Färjan, Viking Cinderella för att predika!

Uriah Heep-killen och Jag på Färjan.

Tv-teamet följde oss…

Vi käkade Buffe.

Vi på Uriah Heep-kryssningen. Tv-teamet spelade in oss!

Uriah Heep på scenen…

Vi medverkade på Färjan säsong2.

Rickard och Jag.

Tv-teamet och Jag……

Nostalgique je suis, nostalgique je reste… Je viens d’acheter le dernier album d’Uriah Heep, une compilation de 14 titres dont 12 anciens (la plupart des années 70) ont été réenregistrés avec la formation actuelle, et 2 nouveaux. Un DVD reprenant 45 minutes de leur concert au Sweden Rock festival de 2009 y est joint.

Tout comme pour Journey, je me suis toujours senti sentimentalement attaché à ce groupe, sans pourtant posséder beaucoup d’albums de leur discographie (en fait, leur précédent “Wake The Sleeper” et 3 plus anciens en LPs: “High’ N’ Mighty”, “Abominog” et “Equator”). Je crois que cela vient du fait que bien avant de devenir à partir de mes 15 ans le headbanger que je suis, j’avais déjà eu l’occasion d’écouter le “High’ N’ Mighty” après l’avoir racheté (plutôt mon papa)  à une amie d’une de mes tantes (vous me suivez?). Je devais avoir 12 ou 13 ans, et déjà j’avais été charmé par la voix de David Byron. J’avais déjà fait quelques incursions dans le monde du hard rock grâce à AC/DC et son “Let There Be Rock” également par un LP prêté à mon papa par un de ses collègues. Je devais avoir une dizaine d’années tout au plus!

Quelle joie de réécouter ce groupe avec un son actuel, et qui par certaines facettes de sa musique peut aussi être classé dans le progressif. A la première écoute, je ne suis pas déçu; la production est excellente et l’interprétation moderne donne vraiment une seconde vie à ce groupe. Bref, jamais un disque n’aura porté aussi bien son nom: “Fourty Years Of Rock”

Pour continuer dans la nostalgie, j’en ai également profité pour racheter en CD l’album “Lick It Up” de Kiss (je sais, je m’éloigne du progressif là, mais c’est aussi un groupe à part dans ma vie de hard rocker, je pense que c’est le 1er groupe que j’ai vu en concert). Encore un album de référence pour moi.