Music Blogs (1,258)

Everyone adopts the music of others and creates a soundtrack for their lives (unless you are one of the rare and talented few to make your own music).

Jungle Work


Of course, you remember the song that you adopted as "our song" between you and your sweetheart. In the late 1970's I had missed going to Vietnam (too young at the time), and was frustrated to no end that then-President Jimma Carter was on a world-wide surrender tour, pulling the rug out from under our allies, surrendering the Panama Canal, Iran, Southern Africa, Central America and any place he could surrender to the Soviets or Chi-Coms of radical Muslims.

Certain countries, however, still were holding their own and even winning against Communist forces, such as the South Africans, Rhodesians and SW Africans. America was not officially involved in those countries. Indeed, Jimma Carter was busy undercutting them as well.

But there is a little known but time-honored tradition of Mercenary, Soeldner or Francs-tireurs. They had both noble and ignoble reasons for going to war before their own government actually got involved.

During the Revolutionary War, we had Germans, French and Poles fighting with us and at the very top ranks. Americans would later go on to serve in the French Air Force in the First World War in Lafeyette Escadrille (Squadron), in the Guardia Nacionale against the Sandino Guerillas during the Banana Wars in Central America, for the British and Nationalist Chinese against the Germans and Japanese before Pearl Harbor (Eagle Squadron and the Flying Tigers, respectively).

The Cold War was called that because an open conflict between the US and the Soviets or the US and the Red Chinese could easily have escalated into full-blown nuclear war. And as they said in WARGAMES, the only way to win a Nuclear War is not to fight it.

So it was War by Proxy. Wars fought in Third World Countries, using private armies for us, arming, backing and training Communist guerillas and terrorists for them. (for the most part, we were defending, containing Soviet aggression).

And various points I toyed with the idea of going to fight overseas in certain units, and had even been in a recruiting station for the French Foreign Legion in Paris.

But an old, war-torn vet suggested just joining the Corps and hope to get lucky, because if caught fighting under a foreign flag, you could lose your American citizenship (now, who came up with that new, hare-brained rule?).

Nonetheless, I needed a soundtrack, and the first on the list of MERC ("MERK" short for 'Mercenary') MUSIC was Warren Zevon's STRENGTH AND MUSCLE AND JUNGLE WORK. Kinda tongue-in-cheek funny, but great to drink gin to, in some sweaty bar in Mombasa.

Every now and then 2 performers will get together for a duet version of a song. The song I've chosen involves 2 great acts but their styles are are completely opposite of each others.

My selection features Celine Dion and Joe Walsh.

Even though Joe doesn't sing, I still think it is an odd pairing.

What strange combo of duets can you come up with ?

I have been able to process the past few days, where K and I spent two evenings together. Now, before you all go "Oooh, finally", let me add that we went to a two-night festival, and we didn't spend any of the nights together. We met up, had some food, went to the show, went home and headed home to our respective places. Mainly because K had to work the following day, and I had some things to sort out at home. So no sleepovers. We also live too close to each other for me to stay over and sleep. Maybe when I have moved at some point. Maybe.

Anyway, onto the evenings! We went to Metal Aid 2021, which was a 2 day mini-festival where 8 metal bands played. The bands playing were: Lotan, a black metal band, Demolizer, a thrash metal band and Slægt, which is a blackened heavy metal band, Heidra, a folk metal band, Ethereal Kingdoms, which was a symphonic metal experience, Artillery, which is an old shool thrash metal band, Withering Surface, which is a melodic death metal band and Svartsot, which is a folk metal band.

With that out of the way, let's dive into the bands that I liked: Lotan, Demolizer, Slægt and Heidra. Let's start with Lotan! Solid black metal, which was SO much fun! Their set was six songs long, which wasn't enough! Next up, Demolizer. That band is very young, but already a fantastic band to experience live. The lead guitar player is an energy powerhouse, and it was clear that he enjoys playing the thrash! Next up, Slægt! Very cool black metal with some heavy metal stuff added in. Their show started with icy blue light, with a cold breeze blowing in from the outside. It was cold - evil - fantastic! The drummer was frigging awesome! A powerhouse who is REALLY hitting the drums hard! Outstanding! Finally, Heidra. It was just fun folk metal, which really got the party started!

All in all, it was a fun few evenings, with some fantastic music! The festival reminds me of just how much I love live music! Night two was a bit of a double-focus event, since Denmark played Belgium in Copenhagen. We lost, which is less than ideal, but that's the way it is. You win some and you lose some, which is how it should always be.

All in all, it was a great few days! Now we just need to remove the last restrictions, so we can go to concerts and stand up, since Metal Aid 2021 was strictly seating. It didn't ruin anything for me, since I usually sit down during concerts, unless I am on a festival. Then it's full-on party mode.

Mine is this:

One of my favorite progressive-rock bands is ELP. Sadly 2 of the members are gone now.

Keith Emerson died by suicide March 11, 2016. He had several health related issues and nerve damage in his right hand that added to his depression.

Greg Lake died from cancer on December 7, 2016

All 3 members were active after the breakup of ELP and performed a few reunion concerts.

I first heard Greg Lake around 1969 when he was with King Crimson and considered him to be one of the best vocalists of his time. While everyone was wowed by Paul Rogers (of Free) it was Greg with a more colorful sound and a wider range.

This past weekend, I binged on some ELP and also listened/watched a few Keith Emerson Band videos featuring Marc Bonilla on guitars and vocals.
They performed a melodic version of the ELP hit Lucky Man and Bonilla did a great job on vocals.

Christone Kingfish Ingram to be exact.

I like to expose you......to music that is far less mainstream, much less commercial, and so much better,
than what is commercially spoonfed to most on pop stations. In this case, some blues.

This young man is only 22 years old. He hails from Clarksdale Mississippi and states that Muddy Waters was a major early influence. I think he has tremendous potential. I hope you enjoy him.

Here's him playing guitar and singing the song 'Empty Promises'



and if you've enjoyed that taste, here's a free concert for you, which celebrated his 22nd birthday earlier this year.
Don't say I never turned you on to anything
The keyboardist (organ & electric piano) is excellent also.

Tag.} Looking at charts....
In search of musical logic..( or lack thereof
...basic building blocks of time / motion...R&R.
1965 edition...
...no satisfaction / rolling Stones
Turn,turn,turn./ The byrds.
..like a rolling stone./ Dylan
......and Time itself...
The L A S T* time./ Rolling Stones
.. don't look back / temptations
Eve of Destruction./ McGuire
...* Lmtd.Attn.- span Theater...... ...
.....1966.) reproductive seminar.....
When a man loves a woman./ $ledge.
..pushing too hard./ the seeds.
B-A-B-Y./ Thomas....) Attraction, friction, erection, penetration, performance & boom! ) Babies, whether you want them or not...
...same year ....blue prophecy...... ..
Projections./ The blues project
Blue things./ The blue things
Hey Joe ! / Hendrix
..A R ] I'm your puppet / Jim & Bobby Purify...) A rich tapestry of Metallica irony....
....uh-- oh..$CI€NC€ !?!.....1967 edition...
H.Q. / the Monkees
Evolution./ The Hollies
More of the Monkees / ~...
..A R ] make it happen./ $ R. & The miracle
....N A T U R E + Reason = garden State logic...
1967 { albums...... flowers / r. Stones.
................... ) . Bee gees 1st./ Bee G's....
....................W I L D . Honey./ Beach boys
Airport confidential..{ 66--67.
.. flying on the ground is wrong./ Buffalo Springfield
Jefferson Airplane takes off./ Jeff. Airplane
B O O M./ The Sonic's.
... Epicenter Epilogue...A picture perfect botanical byte of metaphysical truuf...
...the Joshua tree./ U 2
One drop of truth./ Wood. Bros.
Tap root. / M. Hedges.
.... . . standby...

Vocals by Beth Hart
Guitar by Joe Bonamassa



Bonus

Complete Concert from Amsterdam