Still Alive

Still here. Still alive. Still buyin' great stuff.
Looking to change things up a bit here.
Stay tuned, if yer still out dere, dat is!!
-MEESTER MUSIC

Guess Who - Rockin' (1972) & Flavours (1975)

Welcome back! Yes, I've made a resolution to post some new music this year! Actually the move was precipitated by my whole family running their own laptops now and the "Old Man" has his computer back after 6 years or so!

Thought I'd keep it Canadian for the first post of the new decade. The Guess Who were certainly one of the first bands to "break out" of their Canadian shackles and make it big both in the US and internationally as well.

I've always found the Guess Who to be a tough band to categorize or pidgeon hole. They remind me a little bit of the Doors: lots of excellent top-40 hits, extremely catchy tunes, and interesting "weird" albums. Listen to the song "Friends Of Mine" from Wheatfield Soul and tell me that you're not thinking of Jim Morrison when Burt is screaming "And where WAS GOD???" Heady stuff. Other times, I'm not sure what the hell Burton was thinking. I remember at the time that I pretty much lost interest in Guess Who LP's after "Share The Land". Still, I liked the singles off the next group of LPs...

Rockin' (1972) was released after the band's live LP "Live At The Paramount" and featured guitarists Kurt Winter & Greg Leskiw, who were parachuted in after "American Woman" to replace Randy Bachman. The big hit off this LP was "Guns, Guns, Guns" which was kinda weird-yet-catchy, even for 1972. Can't remember the last time a top-40 hit implored, "...God Speed, Mother Nature..."

"Heartbroken Bopper" should have also been a big hit, but just missed the top-30 here in Toronto. I remember CHUM-1050 not even charting this song, but rival CKFH-1430 putting it into their playlist. I always liked Kurt Winter's guitar-style, and thought he added a toughness to the songs he brought to the table. I forget which band Winter was playing with in Winnipeg, but Burton did well to pry him loose. They had been friends for a long time. Kurt died far too early......

However, I think the album sort of got stuck in this 50's time warp. "Your Nashville Sneakers" is a nice ditty, and "Herbert's A Loser" also sounds like something from the Sha-Na-Na days. I won't even mention the cover of "Running Bear" (Johnny Preston with the original, I believe?....hell, I didn't even like this song THEN...).

"Hi Rockers" is some sort of weird Zappa-ish interplay between "Berrrt" and some numbskull whose name I can't quite make out. That's what I mean about the Guess Who. If they'd just stick to making great tunes and cut out this vaudeville shit.

Flavours (1975) came a full 3 LPs later (following "#10", "Artificial Paradise" and "Road Food"). By this time, Winter, Leskiw & Kale had departed and Bill Wallace and legendary guitarist Domenic Troiano were brought in. The big hit on this LP was "Dancin' Fool". Troiano was about the closest thing Burton ever came to finding a similar replacement to Bachman.

I think a lot of people expected a lot more from the guitarist who featured so prominently in BUSH, MANDALA and even THE JAMES GANG. Oh, there are some standout tunes here, including "Diggin' Yourself", "Dirty" and "Long Gone".

At least on this LP, Burton kept the Zappa-isms to a bare minimum. The lesser tracks are at least pleasing to the ear.

These two LPs were difficult to find for awhile, but BMG started reissuing the old LPs and for whatever reason, they decided to pair these two up. While not exactly the greatest pair in the Guess Who canon, each LP has its moments. A fun trip as it were, since the Guess Who would release "Power In The Music" a year later and that would about wrap it up for Burton and the gang.


"Rockin'" (1972)

01 Heartbroker Bopper
02 Get Your Ribbons On
03 Smoke Big Factory
04 Arrividerci Girl
05 Guns, Guns, Guns
06 Running Bear
07 Back To The City
08 Your Nashville Sneaker
09 Herbert's A Loser
10 Hi Rockers - Sea Of Love/Heaven Only Moved Once Yesterday/Don't You Want Me

Line-Up:
Burton Cummings - Lead Vocals, Keyboards
Kurt Winter - Guitars
Garry Peterson - Drums
Greg Leskiw - Guitars
Jim Kale - Bass

"Flavours" (1975)

11 Dancin' Fool
12 Hoe Down Time
13 Nobody Knows His Name
14 Diggin' Yourself
15 Seems Like I Can't Live With You, But I Can't Live Without You
16 Dirty
17 Eye
18 Loves Me Like A Brother
19 Long Gone

Line-Up:
Burton Cummings - Lead Vocals/Keyboards
Garry Peterson - Percussion & Backing Vocals
Domenic Troiano - Guitars, Mandolin & Backing Vocals
Bill Wallace: Bass & Background Vocals

Guess Who - Rockin' Part One

Guess Who - Flavours Part Two

Dig!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010

All the best to all of you in the New Year!

Take Care,

MEESTER MUSIC

Fine Canadian Blues - "Stink" (1969)

Meester Music is back....finally. I don't know what happened there, but it's great to be back!

Let's start off with one of my favourite Canadian bands, and maybe their greatest LP. I'm talking about the great McKenna-Mendolson Mainline and their LP, "Stink".

The album appeared on shelves during the second half of 1969. The band had been in London England, supposedly to hook up with bluesman John Lee Hooker. They never met up with him, but DID make a good enough impression in London that they ended up in a recording studio in June 1969 and knocked this LP off IN ONE DAY!!

Mike McKenna is the lead guitarist, a bit of a local legend around the Toronto area. He had been a member of Luke & The Apostles and also briefly with the legendary Ugly Ducklings. Even before that, he was a member of Whitey & The Roulettes, a precursor to the Mandala.

Joe Mendelson was a guitarist and singer who spotted an ad saying that Mike was looking to put together a blues band. They got together, hit it off, and started playing coffee houses in Yorkville. They attracted the attention of Denny Gerrard, great bass player with the Paupers who served session musician duties with fellow Pauper drummer Skip Prokop on "I Dig Rock 'N Roll Music" by Peter, Paul & Mary. (this is a killer cut...I HAD NO IDEA that a couple of groovy Canadians were playing on this record!!)

Gerrard would eventually be replaced by Mike Harrison (from Grant Smith & The Power), and drummer and North Bay, Ont native Tony Nolasco would join up.

If this LP doesn't get you tapping your toes, or flailing your fingers up and down your air guitar, then you are a dead man. Great blues guitar from Mike, especially on my fave cut, "She's Alright". The entire album is smokin', and you will be missing out on something special if you don't grab this one.

Mainline played many of the top venues around Toronto, and even got to be the very last ever band to perform at the legendary El Mocambo (didn't the Stones play there one night??). I will post that show a bit later.

For now, please enjoy some rocking Canadian blues. MAINLINE!!

McKenna-Mendelson Mainline - "Stink" (1969)
01 One Way Ticket
02 She's Alright
03 Beltmaker
04 Mainline
05 Think I'm Losing My Marbles
06 Drive You
07 T.B. Blues
08 Better Watch OUt
09 Bad Woman
10 Don't Give Me No Goose For Christmas, Grandma

Stink - part 1

Stink - part 2

ANDY KIM

Andy Kim was born in Montreal in 1952. He is of Lebanese descent (his real name is Andrew Youachim). He left for a singing/songwriting career in New York, but was soon back home. His big break came in 1968 with his hit song, "How'd We Ever Get This Way?" This would soon follow with a string of hits here in Canada. In the US market, he would bubble just under stardom until 1974, when "Rock Me Gently" went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Andy's greatest claim to fame was that he co-wrote the monster hit, "Sugar Sugar" by Don Kirshner's mythical group The Archies. Anybody old enough to remember the Summer of '69 will remember this song OWNED the radio waves, staying at #1 on the beloved CHUM Chart for upwards of 5 or 6 weeks. The common myth was that Andy also sang the lead vocals on this song, and I believed it for years. But in actuality, it was Ron Dante who sang lead. The same Ron Dante who did the lead vocals on "Tracy" by the Cuff Links (also in '69). I'm sure Andy and his writing partner Jeff Barry made enough moolah to retire successfully from that one hit.
This compliation was put together from all his singles, both as himself and also as "Baron Longfellow", a rather interesting stage name. I have an original copy of Andy's Greatest Hits on the DOT label, but there are only 11 songs on it and was released before "Rock Me Gently".
Andy Kim records are hard to find, trust me. Grab this great collection and remember what top 40 pop rock is supposed to sound like!

Andy Kim - Greatest Hits

01 I Hear You Say (I Love You Baby)
02 How'd We Ever Get This Way
03 Shoot 'Em Up Baby
04 Rainbow Ride
05 Tricia Tell Your Daddy
06 Baby, I Love You
07 So Good Together
08 A Friend In The City
09 It's Your Life
10 Be My Baby
11 I Wish I Were
12 I've Been Moved
13 Who Has The Answers?
14 Rock Me Gently
15 Fire, Baby I'm On Fire
16 The Essence Of Joan
17 Harlem

As "Baron Longfellow"
18 Go It Slow
19 Amour
20 Sugar Sugar
21 I'm Gonna Need A Miracle Tonight
22 Hold Me
23 In The Night Machine

Andy Kim Greatest Hits Part 1, Part 2

CROWBAR - THE BEST OF

Just about every Canuck worth his or her pound of salt knows Crowbar's singular huge hit, "Oh, What A Feeling" maybe, just maybe, one of THE greatest all-time hits to come out of Canada. A timeless classic, a goodfeel tune from a goodtime boogie band that had fun playing their music and you can HEAR it between the grooves.
Originating out of Hamilton, the band was led by Kelly Jay, a veritable mountain of a man with his huge mop of hair and (later) bushy beard. He could pound ONE MEAN boogie-woogie piano and had a great growl of a voice to go with it.
Let me tell you that in 1970-73 or so, CROWBAR was HUGE in Southern Ontario, playing everywhere it seemed...packing Ontario Place one night, Massey Hall the next.
Check out the flipside of the "Oh, What A Feeling" 45, "Murder In The First Degree". Better piano playing you won't hear. Or how about "In The Dancing Hold", with that opening from SOME classical piece (I don't know which one, maybe you will....) then right into the groove.
Classic slice of Canadian Rock. These guys were AWESOME.
(trivia: Josef Chirowski (piano/organ/vocal) appeared on Alice Cooper's "Welcome To My Nightmare" which Alice recorded in Toronto. My late buddy played on the sessions but didn't get his name on the LP cuz he wasn't yet a member of the Musician's Union (he was only 16!!!). Also, Kelly Jay used to be a DJ on CHUM-FM. Wild show!!!!)

CROWBAR - THE BEST OF

1. The Frenchman's Cherokee Boogie Incident
2. Let The Four Winds Blow
3. Cane On The Brazos
4. In The Dancing Hold
5. Where Are You?
6. Lay One Down
7. Oh Never Be A Dodo
8. Murder In The First Degree
9. Trilby
10. Dead Head Out Of St. John's
11. Tits Up On The Pavement
12. Oh What A Feeling

Grab it HERE

and HERE too!

"He's DEAD, Jim....no wait!....he's just singin'"

I'm straying a bit here, but this is ONE HILARIOUS CD, put together by your friends at the Space Station. Technically speaking, William Shatner is Canadian, so I guess I'm still sticking to the format!


The CD takes some of the greatest hits (?) from Leonard Nimoy's & Capt. Kirk's LPs. BOTH should have just stuck to acting, but at least Shatner does his bits with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek. Bill doesn't exactly SING his parts as much as recite the spoken word. Bill no doubt had a lot of fun doing his gigs and you can hear it in his voice. Spock, on the other hand, firmly believes that he is the next great chanteuse of his era, and that Frank & Dino and the rest had better watch out!!.


The CD opens with the great Shatner reading of "King Henry The Fifth". Listening to it, I couldn't help but think of Rocket Robin Hood battling the evil Sheriff John.....and where the hell is Friar Tuck to come help? (that last part is strictly a bit of Canadiana, "Rocket Robin Hood" being one of the greatest cartoons of my childhood-adolescence.....right up there with "Spiderman" and "The World Of Oz"). Shatner stirs the troops up for battle, and you just got to love the trumpets blaring. Shades of Monty Python & The Holy Grail.


Wait till you hear "Mr. Tambourine Man". The Dylan classic is apparently a song about a drug dealer, and Bill sings the song with the angst of a druggie desparately looking for his next fix. CAN YOU NAME ME ANY OTHER ARTIST WHO INTERPRETED THIS SONG CORRECTLY? NO!!!! Bill is a goddamned genius!!!


Move on to "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds". Here, Bill obviously found his Tambourine Man, got his fix, and is tripping higher.......higher.....HIGHER. Listen to how he belts the end of the refrain ".....and SHE'S GONE-GONE-GONE-GONE" The echo!!! The angst!!! (what? MORE angst?). Unbelievable. I cannot believe John Lennon (who penned this great song) misinterpreted his own composition......again, we bow to the genius of Bill.


Lastly, take in Bill's version of "It Was A Very Good Year". Notice how the first part is when he's about 17 or so and sings like the young, inexperienced wide-eyed man that any 17 year-old would be. THEN.....he's 21 now. Older, experienced, a "man of the world". YOU CAN HEAR IT IN HIS VOICE!!! The angst...the...what? With the angst again? Oh Bill, you kidder you!!!!


Spock? "Highly Illogical" poses questions that will leave you bewildered for days on end. What did Leonard MEAN by that? Wow, man. Or "Spock's Thoughts", where Leonard advises to even "listen to the dull and ignorant for they too, have their story." Such enlightenment! And sung with the type of fervor that only Nimoy could conjure up.


You can't afford to not have this classic in your collection. It's deliciously awe-inspiring. I'm SURE that the William Hungs of the world based their life teachings on these works of art! Grab it now!!!


What? You are AREN'T going to grab this? HIGHLY ILLOGICAL!!!



"Spaced Out" - Leonard Nimoy & William Shatner

01 King Henry The Fifth - William Shatner

02 Elegy For The Brave - William Shatner

03 Highly Illogical - Leonard Nimoy

04 If I Had A Hammer - Leonard Nimoy

05 Mr. Tambourine Man - William Shatner

06 Where Is Love - Leonard Nimoy

97 Music To Watch Space Girls By - Leonard Nimoy

08 It Was A Very Good Year - William Shatner

09 Ruby Don't Take Your Love To Town - Leonard Nimoy

10 Hamlet - William Shatner

11 A Visit To A Sad Planet - Leonard Nimoy

12 Abraham, Martin & John - Leonard Nimoy

13 Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds - William Shatner

14 If I Was A Carpenter - Leonard Nimoy

15 How Insensitive - William Shatner

16 I'd Love Making Love To You - Leonard Nimoy

17 Put A Little Love In Your Heart - Leonard Nimoy

18 Sunny - Leonard Nimoy

19 Gentle On My Mind - Leonard Nimoy

20 I Walk The Line - Leonard Nimoy

21 Ballad Of Bilbo Baggins - Leonard Nimoy

22 Everybody's Talkin' - Leonard Nimoy

23 Both Sides Now - Leonard Nimoy

24 Spock Thoughts - Leonard Nimoy

Spaced Out part 1

Spaced Out part 2

Two to beam up!!!

- MEESTER MUSIC