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  3. 119753-1975

2016: a new year for music....

With all of the music icons leaving us lately, we need some new music for a new year. Here's one I'm enjoying....Aoife O'Donovan "In The Magic Hour". Any others?
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tostadosunidos's avatar
tostadosunidos
1,197 posts
 
bd24, it was in Austin. I don’t think I ever went out to hear her live so I can’t tell you what sort of backing she used back then. I didn’t really know who she was, I was just looking for work that involved a guitar rather than a hammer or shovel. I’ve seen Kottke live four times, once per decade, since the 70’s. I guess it’s time again for that. His between song jive is as good as his playing. I’ve enjoyed meeting and (usually) playing with some of my heroes from high school days. Sometimes enjoyable, sometimes not. The strangest encounter was when a guy I was talking to at a bus stop in upstate New York turned out to be the bass player for the Blues Magoos, a band I liked in the 60’s. Most of the other situations were planned or less surprising, at least. Wish I’d met Brian back in the day but he was off the road when I started going to hear them. And, chances are slim I could have met him. How did your meeting come about?

BTW,  I haven't heard Miss Lou Ann in years but I've always liked her voice. She used to sing at Antone's regularly in its heyday (and her heyday).

bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,722 posts
 

When Brian's first solo album came out, I went to his in-store appearance at Tower Records on Sunset. I brought along my 45 of "Caroline No" for him to sign, which though on the Beach Boys Pet Sounds album was released as a Brian Wilson single. He was sitting alone on a diaz, waiting to sign copies of the album. He was scared to death, his hands shaking violently, as those who were there supposedly on his behalf (Dr. Eugene Landy and David Leaf, names familiar to hardcore BW fans) were off making their own business deals. I handed Brian the 45, and a wistful look crossed his face. It was heartbreaking.

I went to the Universal Amphitheater show of the album, and Brian came out, arms hanging stiffly at his sides, not swinging as he walked, looking like a big stuffed bear standing on a board being pulled over to his piano by an off-stage rope. His singing was real bad---flat, stiff, like the words were sung by rote, sounds with no meaning. His piano playing looked weird---he was just plonking the keyboard with first his left hand, then his right, over and over, back and forth. In the middle of one song his whole band stopped playing but Brian didn't, and it was then I realized---Brian's piano was being fed to the onstage monitors, but not to the house sound system! He had two other keyboardists, whose playing the audience DID hear. At one point in the show Brian commanded the audience to "Stand up!". Then to "Sit down!" Then to again "Stand up!". Then to again.....you guessed it. Oh my God, the man is gone.

A number of years later I saw him at the counter at the Sherman Oaks Tower, so I approached him from behind and, knowing his fragile state of mind, very gently and quietly said "Brian.....". He kind of ducked, and whipped around very startled, his eyes filled with absolute terror. I put out my hand to shake his, and thanked him for his music. He didn't say a word, and didn't take his eyes off me as he backed away and left hurriedly, as paranoid as anyone I've ever seen.

bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,722 posts
 
Hey Tostado, did you ever happen to see a guy named Paul Skelton play in Austin? He was a Telecaster/Deluxe Reverb player who worked with Wayne "The Train" Hancock, Cornell Hurd, Libbie Bosworth, and other Austin singers and songwriters. I was planning on moving to Austin about ten years ago, just to play with him again---we had been in a Pop Group in L.A. together in the early 80's. He died of lung cancer (two-pack-a-day habit) before I had a chance to, damnit.
tostadosunidos's avatar
tostadosunidos
1,197 posts
 
bdp24, I can't imagine having two such encounters with Brian Wilson.  Man, that is so sad.  I've heard him in interviews where he seemed somewhat comfortable, somewhat lucid.
And, no, I never heard Paul Skelton unless he happened to be with Cornell Hurd when I caught his band.  You know, Austin is a great place to catch live music and to show what you can do but it doesn't pay well here.  Maybe it's the same everywhere, I don't know.  At least we don't pay to play--that seemed to be catching on in LA when I was there in '88.  At any rate, I make a living teaching and play more or less for fun.
slaw's avatar
slaw OP
21,059 posts
 
If you're like me and missed Tift Merritt "Bramble Rose" the first time around, it's just been re-released and sounds very good!
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