James Bond Does the Beatles

Beatles Covers Are Easy To Come By, But A Few Stand Out

Just when you think you’re up to speed on the Beatles . . .
 While interviewing local musician Loren Radis – a big Beatles fan himself — I learned of a Beatles tribute album called “In My Life.” Radis told me it featured actors like […]

Where Have All the Mustaches Gone?

When I was a kid, I had a thing for mustaches.
Not in a weird way, mind you; I just liked mustaches.
In fact, whenever I started to draw a picture of a guy, he’d inevitably wind up with  this thing that looked like a cat tail above his mouth. Nothing fancy. Just your tasteful, little-bit-of-hair-above-the-lip-but-not-too-crazy mustache.
And, of course, I wanted one […]

The #1 Song the Day You Were Born

Well, I never considered myself a love child. But the day I was born, “Love Child” by Diana Ross and the Supreme was the #1 single, according to Billboard’s Top 100 charts.
My friend Scott sent me a link to this web site, which allows you to look up the #1 song the day you were born. […]

Drummer Salute to Ringo

Wait — Ringo Starr is how old?
I guess I’m in denial, but I just read that Ringo turned 68 yesterday, which basically means he’s old. (Sorry, mom.) And, of course, when your heroes get old, you can’t help but feel a little gray yourself.
Sigh.
Anyway, in honor of Ringo’s aging (but still living!), I figured I’d list my five favorite drummers. […]

A Funeral for a Friend

Today’s blog entry was written by guest blogger Jay Thompson, who is currently at the Grand Canyon.
                                                                   *** 
Today is a somber day for longtime residents of the Grand Canyon National Park and some scattered throughout the Central Coast.
Family and friends are holding a memorial service rim-side at 3 p.m. at Shoshone Point for a former […]

Why Did My Parents Hate the Beatles?

                        ”Cry Baby Cry” Was a “White Album” Classic in 1968 
I’d like to say my parents played “Cry Baby Cry” when I was in the crib, but it’s highly unlikely. My parents, after all, were never Beatles fans.
And, frankly, that kind of annoys me. Even though my dad was just 29 when the “White Album” came out, […]

More Cow Bell

Top Ten Songs With Cow Bell
My wife says whenever she hears a song with a cow bell in it, she has to pee.
I’m not sure what Pavlov would have to say about that. But one thing’s certain: If we go on long trips, we avoid listening to “We’re an American Band.”
The Grand Funk Railroad song is, of […]

Not just whistling Dixie (Whistling songs that rock)

This morning, I was sitting at my desk, whistling a Dramarama song no one’s ever heard of, when a co-worker said, “Pat, were you just whistling?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Is that okay?”
“Yeah. It just sounded like an old man whistle.”
I wasn’t sure how to feel about that. On the one hand, the comment conjured images of […]

CD Mix Smackdown Results

JUSTIN “Hoeger the Horrible”

VERSUS
DANNY “The King of Scots”

I love a good CD mix smackdown – especially when the two combatants hurl insults at each other.
That’s just good times.
So I happily agreed to judge the mix-off between Justin and Danny.
While they both created good mixes, this is a smackdown, which means one absolutely has to be […]

“Definitive 200″ albums? Yeah, right.

People love to hate best-of lists, and I’m no exception. Give me a list and I’ll be quick to scoff at it. And I’ll have a blast doing it.
So when I recently saw that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame had named its Definitive 200 album list, I was frothing at the mouth, ready […]