I am a golden god!-Why Almost Famous is the pinnacle of music films

     My girlfriend and I recently sat down and watched Almost Famous together. It was her first time seeing it. I've seen the movie countless times so I decided to watch the movie through her point of view. That being, watching like it was my first time . Glad I did. Almost Famous is a comedy-drama and above all musical movie directed by former Rolling Stone writer and director Cameron Crowe. Prior to Almost Famous, Crowe directed the 80's classic Say Anything... and Jerry Maguire. Almost Famous can also be classified as semi-autobiographical because Crowe did tour with bands like The Eagles and many more. The movie follows  high school student William  Miller (Patrick Fugit) as his love for rock n roll becomes the focal point of his life while growing up in the 1960's (just like Crowe did). Despite his conservative mother Elaine , played by the great  Frances MacDormand , he continues to expand his love and knowledge of rock n roll largely due to his sister's record collection (listen to Tommy with a candle burning ). 

    After Willam meets with legendary music critic Lester Bangs, who is played brilliantly by  Phillip Seymour Hoffman, he finally gets to write his first true article for Rolling Stone magazine . He is sent to a Black Sabbath concert to write a review on the opening band Stillwater . From there , he meets the gypsy/roadie Penny Lane (Kate Hudson) and forms a strong bond with not only her but with Stillwater's guitarist Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup)

Aside for my love for music, my second greatest passion is movies. This movie is defiantly in my top 10 and for good reason. This film beautifully showcases the role a music critic has in shaping a bands legacy and following. There have been countless bands in rock n roll history that have been loved by fans, but despised by critics. Bands like Led Zeppelin , Grand Funk Railroad, and even AC/DC weren't well received by critics at the time. This movie proves that not all critics are the same because throughout the movie , we see William write his true feelings on Stillwater which are chronicled while being on tour with them and his own appreciation for them . This movie alone is the reason why I created this blog. 

The film also cleverly represents on how the majority of rock bands acted while on the road touring. It really puts the saying "sex and drugs and rock n roll" intro perspective. Russell Hammonds "I am a golden god!" scene showcases all of this perfectly.

Lastly , but certainly not least, the soundtrack . The soundtrack used for Almost Famous is flawless. The songs used compliment the scenery and mood perfectly . Simon and Garfunkel's "America" is used at the begging of the movie as Willam's sister Anita drives off with her boyfriend . That's a perfect song for not only the scene, but for the time period . Anita is part of the counter culture movement and with the rebellious action of her fleeting her home , "America" is a symbol for freedom .

The most famous use of the soundtrack comes with the band singing along to Elton John's classic "Tiny Dancer" on the tour bus . The scene is now considered iconic and in the process introduced John's classic to a whole new generation of fans . The scene is also powerful because prior to the scene, Stillwater had a heated argument between its members and even lashed out on William. With the band singing in unison to "Tiny Dancer" it proves that music truly brings society together and that music can heal. 

This movie is truly a masterpiece . If you haven't seen it, please do yourself a favor and get on it . It'll be worth it. 

Sweetheart of the Rodeo- Why it's The Byrds masterpiece

 Released on August 30th, 1968, Sweetheart of the Rodeo was released by The Byrds . By 1968, Co-founder David Crosby was out of the band due to his radical comments between the bands setlist at the Monterey Pop Festival. With Crosby out it looked like one of folk rocks most prominent groups was on the rocks. That changed once Sweetheart of the Rodeo was unleashed across the country . The saving grace for the band was new recruit 21-year old Gram Parsons. Parsons was passionate for country music at the time and was consistently listening to Merle Haggard and Buck Owens . Both Buck Owens and Merle Haggard were the pioneers in the "Bakersfield Sound" which is a subgenera of country music that originated in Bakersfield, California and incorporated electric guitars along with the fiddle and pedal steel guitar and was a musical rival for the clean and orchestral Nashville sound.  To add that rivalry, Parson's insisted that the band record the LP in Nashville .

Sweetheart of the Rodeo is country-rock at its finest and would become a major influence in not only country music , but for many other country-rock oriented bands to come like The Eagles and The Marshall Tucker Band. The album kicks off with "You Ain't Going Nowhere". The Byrds always knew how to cover bob Dylan properly and this is their best attempt by far. Right from the start you hear the iconic and blissful pedal steel lick by session legend Lloyd Green and what follows is nothing short of a 3 chord masterpiece. The next track "I am a Pilgrim" is highly influenced by American bluegrass with John Hartford on fiddle and guitarist Roger McGuinn providing fantastic banjo accompaniment. You can clearly tell that Bill Monroe and Earl and Scruggs influences were sprinkled throughout. 

The albums standout track though is Gram Parson's penned "Hickory Wind". 'Hickory Wind" is one the best country rock songs to date . Parson's lyrics tell of a narrator who is in a faraway city with a faraway lonely feeling . With a sweeping melody and Green's soulful pedal steel , it proved that Parson's was really in a league of his own. The song would gain even more legacy as The Byrds would play The Grand Old Opry . The Byrds already were on thin ice due to their appearance since the Opry weren't keen on long haired musicians/performers playing the now immortal venue . The band was supposed to cover Merle Haggard's "Life In Prison". Parson's refused and announced to the crowd they would play "Hickory Wind" as the song was  a tribute to his mother who loved country music. Pure outlaw attitude. 

Sweetheart of the Rodeo was a game changer in both country music and rock n roll. It proved that both genres can combine to create true Americana music . Without Parson's genus , beloved bands like The Eagles , and  The Marshall Tucker Band wouldn't exist. On top of that, Keith Richards would become close to Parsons and the now Stones classic "Torn and Frayed" was influenced due to Parsons. For country music, the album and parsons would be the blueprint for the Outlaw movement which would go on to cement the careers of Waylon Jennings and Johnny Paycheck who would deny Nashville's rules and dress code (long hair) 

This album is truly a work of art . If you haven't really given The Byrds a chance after they drifted from folk/psychedelic , you should because it will open your mind to country music . It did for me. 

Rock N Roll isn't dead: The Pretty Reckless 'Death By Rock N Roll" is keeping the torch lit

When it comes to current rock n roll bands , The Pretty Reckless are unquestionably at the top of the modern rock food chain.  I became an avid fan about 2 years ago . A friend of mine told me about them and thanks to Spotify , I was able to instantly look up their catalog . I was completely blown away . The first track I've ever heard from them was "Take Me Down" off their 2016 release Who You Selling For. Right then, I knew the band was special . The Pretty Reckless have an incredible musical chemistry and all band members play off each other flawlessly. What really stood out to me was their lead vocalist Taylor Momsen . She rose to fame in the CW cult classic television show Gossip Girl as the Jenny Humphrey. Gossip Girl was all the rage when I was in middle school. Her vocal range is just incredible and I had no clue she had that much monumental talent with vocals resembling Joan Jett and Janis Joplin to name a few  influences. 

The Pretty Reckless was formed in NYC in 2009 with Taylor Momsen on vocals, Ben Phillips on lead guitar, Mark Damon on bass and Jamie Perkins on drums . Since then, the band has skyrocketed in the rock community and with three successful LP's under their belt, there's no stopping them. Death By Rock N Roll continues that momentum. The title tracks a killer rock n roll groove with crunchy , distorted guitar that sounds fantastic. Even more impressive are Momsen vocals when she lets out a devilish scream . You can really tell she bought her A game to this record. 

"Only Love Can Save You Now" is the bands love letter to 90's grunge. It its a fitting love letter since the song features former Soundgarden members  Kim Thayil (guitar) and Matt Cameron (drums). Taylor Momsen channels her inner Chris Cornell while Cameron provides a steady groove on drums and Thayli just slays on the guitar while shredding , also shows incredible feel. 

On "My Bones" You can tell the band was influenced by British heavy metal gods Black Sabbath. The opening bass riff from Damon is a tip of the hat to Black Sabbath's doom metal classic 'Children Of the Grave" and Phillips guitar is beautifully distorted and heavy and is the backbone for this rocking heavy tune. 

"25" is a soulful Led Zeppelin Kashmir inspired rock n roll ballad . Because the song has lots of space musically , this song fully showcases Monsmen's true vocal talent as she can belt out incredible high notes and still able to have her voice flow flawlessly throughout.

Death By Rock N Roll is a tremendous  record from The Pretty Reckless . This band is truly at the the top of their artistic game and they're going to be around for a very , very long time I can guarantee you that. 

I Don't Need No Doctor: The legacy and importance of Humble Pie

 Over my Christmas break, I started to really dig deep into the catalog of Britain's monumental supergroup Humble Pie. Like many , I only knew of Humble Pie because of their smash hit "30 Days In the Hole" which is a great song in of itself , but I wanted to dig much deeper . I received their noteworthy live double LP Performance: Rockin The Fillmore for Christmas, and the floodgates bursted open . Chemistry in any band is critical not only for the lead singer and lead guitarist, but for every member of the band (rhythm guitarist, bassist, and drummer). Beloved acts like The Allman Brothers Band, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Band, and Green Day (to name a few) have that perfect chemistry of musicianship and each member brings their craft to create the bands signature sound . Humble Pie without question joins that list. Humble Pie was formed in Moreton, Essex in 1969 and in the footsteps of Cream were one of the founding supergroups in rock . The bands original lineup was the late great Steve Marriott of  Small Faces, Spooky Tooth's bassist Greg Ridley , Jerry Shirley from The Apostolic Intervention , and vocalist and guitarist from The Herd; who was none other than Peter Frampton . The band was starting to come into their own with their first two albums As Safe Yesterday Is and Town and Country.  With the release of Rock On in 1971 however , Humble Pie were starting to outshine the headline act. However , their shining moment for me personally is Performance: Rockin The Fillmore which was also released in 1971.

This double live LP fully captures Humble Pie in their prime. For starters, Steve Marriott was a fantastic frontman/ guitarist . Right from the opening number 'Four Day Creep" you can hear him interact with the crowd and more so on their cover of "Rolling Stone". Both Marriott and Peter Frampton are criminally underrated guitarists and with songs like their own "I Don't Need No Doctor" (which Frampton came up with the iconic riff while warming up at a MSG show), "Stone Cold Fever" and the cover of "Four Day Creep", showcases that both players can really groove and provide fantastic and tight distorted blues licks and rhythm . Also to add; Peter Frampton adds some mixolydian scale soloing which is impressive. 

As for Greg Ridley and Jerry Shirley, they are a fine rhythm section . Ridley's melodic and steady bass playing carries through smoothly for each song and Jerry Shirley knows how to play in the pocket, keep a steady beat, and gives killer fills when needed . 

By 1975, The Pie continued to have future success with Clem Clempson who replaced Frampton while also focusing on other projects . As for Peter Frampton , well I think it's safe to say how he made out (Frampton Comes Alive ring a bell?) .

However, nothing will ever come close to that original lineup that made Humble Pie so special and a force to be reckoned with. Humble Pie were one of those rare bands that had fantastic studio records , but like their fellow comrades The Who, when they played live they truly were something else. 

Grab a copy of Rockin The Fillmore or any of their other LPs because believe me when I say you won't be disappointed. 

Powering Up:AC/DC is back and with a bite

 This past Friday , November 13th, Hard rock legends AC/DC released their 16th international studio album Power Up.  Prior to the recent release, AC/DC's future and status as a band was in shambles . Back in 2014, the band had to cope with the news of Malcolm Young's permanent departure/retirement  as he was diagnosed with dementia . Black Ice, which was released in 2008 would be Malcolm's final album with the band. In November of 2017, Malcolm Young passed away at the age of 64 . It was a crushing blow to AC/DC, the legions of fans, and most of all for Angus Young who was his younger brother. When the band teased two new single's from the upcoming album; "Shot In The Dark" and "Realize", I was skeptical . I love AC/DC and have grown up with their music and they will always hold a special place in my heart and yet the other part of me was thinking without the driving force of Malcolm Young's rhythm playing, would the band ever be able to capture the pure hard rock sound that has made the band a household name ? 

With Rock Or Bust which was released back in 2015 and it having some decent songs and an sub-par production mix, these elements were the two key factors for meon going into the album. I must say , Power Up is the bands best since 2008's Black Ice,  even to go as far back as the 30 year old release of The Razor's Edge. For starters, Stevie Young, who is the nephew of the late great Malcolm Young does a fantastic job rhythmically and respects his uncles craft. The real winners here however are Angus Young and lead singer Brian Johnson. Johnson's vocals have his trademark screech and Angus can still crank out blistering solos and a powerful sound with his Gibson Sg and Marshall amp .

The lead single "Shot In The Dark",  along with "Demon Fire", and "Realize"  all capture what AC/DC is known for . "Shot In The Dark", and "Realize" showcase Young's tasty and blistering blues playing while 'Demon Fire" is a throwback to such classics such as "Whole Lotta Rosie" and "Shake A Leg." 

Some critics have cited AC/DC as a band that will  never evolved musically or lyrically. AC/DC has been running on two fuels their entire career; a killer hard rock/blues/in your face rhythm and blistering guitar solos and lyrics that signify the ultimate party lifestyle . When you listen to AC/DC that is what your getting. With 2020 being such a disaster of a year, we needed this album. Welcome back boys !

Hitchin A Ride: A Boston Musical Hot Take

The USA have given us countless stellar rock n roll artists and bands throughout the decades. With pioneers like Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Little Richard, and Buddy Holly ; to the 60's counter culture California based heavyweights like The Mamas And The Papas, The Byrds, Jefferson Airplane ; to recent trailblazers like The Black Keys and The Strokes , our nation has no intention of slowing down. 

    Boston is without question part of that fantastic lineup mentioned above.  Boston was formed in Boston, Massachusetts around 1975 by founding member and multi-instrumentalist Tom Schultz along with lead singer Brad Delp, guitarist Barry Goudreau, bassist Fran Sheenan and John (Sib) Hashian. The band is known mostly for "More Than A Feeling". While that song is great in its own right, my musical hot take is to dig deeper into the bands catalog and to offer my honest critique.

For starters, Boston, the bands self-titled debut record which was released on August 25th, 1976, is highly regarded as one rock n roll's greatest debut records and it's for good reason. It helps that "More Than A Feeling" was the song that kicked off the album because it became the bands cash cow and a FM rock radio staple. However, this whole LP is chalk fulled with fantastic tracks that are pure American rock n roll and gave the term 'arena rock" its name. 

Key tracks to listen to are "Rock N Roll Band", "Smokin" 'Hitch A Ride" , "Foreplay/Long Time", and "Something About You" 

"Foreplay/Long Time" is in the same league with Bohemian Rhapsody as one rocks greatest epics . The begging is all band members running full steam ahead with Tom Schultz at the helm with the iconic organ/synthesizer intro. Then all is quiet while more organ is played and then like a rocket, the blistering guitar dueling from both Barry and Tom kick in and they give us what is now the immortal Boston sound ; the harmonized guitar parts. 

"Smokin" is a rock bar jukebox boogie in A with killer guitar work by both Barry and Tom (Tom gives it his all on the memorable organ solo) and Hashian's in pocket groove. 

The best song off the album however is "Hitch A Ride". This song alone showcases what Boston is truly made of and shows each band member at their full potential . The Song structure itself is remarkable as the song is tuned up a half of step. Most rock songs are usually standard, drop D, or either tune down a half step. The song kicks off with the ear pleasing acoustic guitar and Brad Delp gives his best vocal performance. Fran Sheenan lays down a killer bass line as well. The kicker for this song however, is the outro guitar solos provided by both Barry and Tom. The iconic Boston harmonized guitar parts are in full swing here and what I love about the solo is that not only is it flashy , but also soulful. 

My music hot take on Boston is this however. After their debut album , I believe the band truly never captured the raw/emotional feel that they once did like on their debut. Granted, they have made song decent songs like "Feelin Satisfied" but even that song alone seems timid compared to every single song on their debut. 

Boston. A band that came into the scene like a lion, and it's footprint  is forever stamped into music history.

R.E.M.- An honest musical hot take

 It's no question that I'm a music nerd and is what will always keep me going . Now, I know what you're thinking ? There's got to be a band or a certain artists that he can''t be fond of? The answer might surprise you but it's a fact. I have had my fair share of bands that I didn't like at all (at first). I didn't care for U2 for the longest time. I had no problem with the Edge and the other band members (though I admit now that in my opinion the edge isn't the most groundbreaking guitarist) Nope. My problem was with Bono. I thought he was preachy and full of himself .It was also because I was so used to FM rock radio playing the same hits over and over and over. But then I realized something . If I can love Bruce Springsteen even though he can be political; then why couldn't I give a liking to U2?  Once I discovered their first LP Boy and dug deeper into 1983's War, I swung in the other direction . 

Now you're probably asking yourself "What does U2 have to do with this R.E.M. hot take?" Well, I'll tell you. I've listened to a boatload of bands and artists in my life and I can honestly say that R.E.M. just doesn't cut it for me. The first part of my disliking can come from the constant radio play of their most popular tunes. If I had a nickle for every time I heard "Losing My Religion" "Everybody Hurts " "It's the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine) , I would be a millionaire . Now just like U2, I wanted to give the same treatment to R.E.M. so like any good music nerd, I started from the beginning of their catalog. 

Here's the hot take. The bands sound and their songwriting doesn't bother me. When R.E.M released their first LP in 1983 titled Murmur , the sound and production of the record was fairly common at the time for lots of new-wave rock acts. Another factor that doesn't bother me are guitarist Peter Buck and drummer Bill Berry. I find Bill Berry to be a solid drummer and Peter Buck is an extremely gifted and underrated guitarist whose playing reminds me of a combination of both James Honeymoon Scott and Johnny Marr. My problem and what makes the buck stop for me is lead singer Michael Stripe. I can't stand for the life of me his vocal approach. I find his vocal approach to be throbbing and whiny to no end . I just don't understand why a lead singer can sound the way he does with a  band that clearly knows how to play their instruments. The song that can back up my opinion is their hit "The One I love" . Everything about the song musically sounds great .The track is polished and Peter Buck's guitar riff is killer while Berry lays a simple yet effective beat. Once again, Stripes vocals just turn me off completely.   

That's my hot take on Alt rock superstars R.E.M. I might be coming off as a Lester Bangs or Robert Christgau but just like them, I have my own crazy opinions.