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From an underrated artist/singer/songwriter

It all starts with communication

...25 years since he left, and now one billion hits. Albums like "Never Mind", and songs like "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Began a whole genre of rock. Biting lyrics. GF choices could have been better. We all have our weak points. Sorely missed.

I've always wanted to do a historic blog about the Hammond organ.... it's one of the most famous musical instruments in the last century. Consider this the first installment.

Hammond electric organs came into manufacture in 1935. They were large dual 61 note manual consoles mounted in wooden cases. The sound they make is synthesized/created by rotating tonewheels and magnetic pickups. The tone is shaped by controls called drawbars that can be pulled or retracted changing the harmonics and the overall sound. Over the years various model added features. The B-2 manufactured from 1949 to 1954 was very popular and had a vibrato circuit added to it's sound. The model B-3 is by far the most popular Hammond. it was produced from 1954 to 1974. The B-3 was used in Jazz, Gospel, Blues, Rock and many other genres.

In the beginning Laurens Hammond had a speaker system to go along with his brand of organs. Donald Leslie created a speaker cabinet with a rotating horn and baffle that created a chorale or tremelo effect to emulate the sound of a theater/pip organ. His attempt was to market his product with Hammond but Laurens wasn't interested. Leslie Tone Cabinets were sold as a stand-alone product around 1941.

To the ear, the combination of a Hammond with a Leslie was awesome!

Many of us remember Jim Stafford for some of his songs like 'My Girl Bill' or 'Spiders and Snakes' but here is a little gem that I've not heard in decades, love the graphics:





If you have any of you Jim Stafford songs feel free to add them.....

I got that message from K on Friday evening. I had never heard the band live before, so I replied "Sure, I'm up for that!"

So we met up in the train, and decided to hit a bar, before the show. There was a great one 30 seconds from the venue, so we sat down and ordered. I went for a regular coke, while K went for a double vodka/fanta. Once the bartender came down with our drinks, he went "Double vodka/fanta for the lady, and a rum and coke minus rum for the gentleman".. I was going "But I didn't ord.. Aaah, I see what you did there . Clever"

We finished our drinks and headed to the venue. The first band on stage was a band called Ankona, and they were a Russian folk metal band, complete with bagpipes and flutes. It was absolutely brilliant! They blended good old fashioned folk metal with black metal. Mind blowing! They had 45 minutes to play, and I loved every minute of it!

Then it was time for Delain, the main event. You could feel the atmosphere in the venue building! Once they got on stage, they literally blew the other band away. Symphonic metal is amazing live!

Charlotte, the lead singer, was amazing on stage! I have never seen a person belong on a stage that much! She ruled the show with precision and a fantastic voice! It was heavy, yet melodic at the same time. It reminded me of the early Within Temptation. Maybe because the bassist in the band was a former member of Within Temptation.

It was one of the best nights in a long time! One I would gladly do again!

Soulless mutants! Here we are, trudging along in a cesspool of luke-warm mediocrity while these kids print their own golden tickets....

Harrrrrumph!

As much as I envy and loathe the gifted li'l ankle biters, I gotta say this one left an impression!