"The Effect of Beavis and Butthead Doing America"

One would be surprised what they find on MTV2 throughout the course of the day. Since MTV2 doesn't even play music videos anymore, I usually don't give them more than a second look, but today I noticed something on there that I haven't seen in many years since my youth: "Beavis and Butthead."

Many would say this show was for people as dumb as the two main characters, but it should be credited as what it truly was, a pop culture phenomenon that crossed boundaries and innovated television. "Beavis and Butthead," in its 7 seasons from 1992-1997 paved the way for many coveted shows that followed it on network and cable television. "King of the Hill" was a direct incarnation coming from "Beavis and Butthead" creator Mike Judge. "South Park" pushed these precedents set by "Beavis and Butthead" when it first aired in the summer of 1997, ironically, a few months prior to the final episode of B&B. It could be viewed historically as a torch passing of mockery on pop culture of two groundbreaking cartoons.

A show so massively popular now as "Family Guy" would never have eased its way into American living rooms on Sunday evenings had it not been for B&B. Without the show, there might not even be a place on cable TV today for Beavis and Butthead. Sure, many will argue that a show like "The Simpsons" paved way for "Family Guy," as they both share Fox as a network, but take a closer look.

Think of the "Family Guy" episode from a few years back, "The Thin White Line." The Griffin's martini-loving dog Brian becomes a drug sniffing dog and then develops a cocaine addiction because of his job. Does that sound like anything out of "Simpsons," with the exception of the rarely aired episode where Homer becomes addicted to medicinal marijuana. That "Family Guy" episode sounds more along the lines of a two part "Beavis and Butthead" episode from 1993 titled, "Way Down Mexico Way." The boys cross the border into Mexico, in hopes of getting their hands on illegal fireworks. Chaos ensues, and they are then forced to smuggle drugs back into the country by swallowing them; the subject matter of these two episodes would be taboo in "The Simpsons" universe.

Watching the pair now, over ten years later, makes you appreciate the bits where they watch very dated music videos. I don't know why, but them referring to a musician with a dimple in his chin as a guy God gave two butts to is hilarious; maybe it's just a result of my lack of sleep, who knows.

The animated film, "Beavis and Butthead Do America," from 1996 is probably a more embraceable platform to view these pop culture delinquents, as it has a clever plot, is hilarious, and was actually received well by critics when it was released. That film was also a springboard for the eventual "South Park" film that would come some years later as well.

Mike Judge, along with "King of the Hill," would also go on to write and direct the cult comedy classic "Office Space," and another comedy that fell even deeper into the cracks, "Idiocracy." Starting in 1993, though, while shows like "Full House" and "Family Matters" dominated network television, he innovated what we would come to see in comedic television to this day.

Live From New York It's...Michael Phelps!

NBC has just announced that Olympic super swimming sensation Michael Phelps will be hosting the season premiere of Saturday Night Live on September 13th, with musical guest Lil' Wayne. Lil' Bow Wow, Lil' Romeo, and Lil' Caesar were all booked, so they went out and got the next "Lil'" guy on the list. In recent years the show has taken a dive, so most likely people will not be watching when this tattoo-faced purveyor of the English language takes the stage. It will be interesting to see Phelps on the show as he is the first Olympian since Nancy Kerrigan in 1994 to host SNL.
My personal favorite of all the athlete hosts on SNL has been WWF star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson; that is, if he counts as an athlete, which there's definitely room for a dispute on. His somewhat theatrical day job at the WWF was sure to lend a hand in his onstage charisma. One of the funniest skits I can remember from that episode was when he was dressed in drag as an undercover cop who had become the girlfriend of the Ladies Man, played brilliantly by Tim Meadows (still one of the best SNL characters ever).

Below is a list of all the athletes/people associated with sports (George Steinbrenner- Owner of the New York Yankees, Carl Weathers- Apollo Creed in the "Rocky" films, and Mr. T- Clubber Lang in "Rocky III") I wish I could have seen the Billy Martin episode, I'm sure they touched on him getting fired 20 times by Steinbrenner. The ones I remember from my younger days were Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan (his skit with Stuart Smalley is a classic), Charles Barkley, George Foreman, Deion Sanders, The Rock, Derek Jeter, and more recently Peyton Manning and Lebron James.

For the most part, when athletes host Saturday Night Live, they remind us that they don't make their money acting. However, the show is a staple in pop culture, and athletes are a part of that pantheon. I'm sure Michael Phelps will get a few laughs, if not Lil' Wayne's music may. I think the show has been lacking substance and has come off as very stale and tired the last 3 or 4 years.

The show always has dark ages like this though, so hopefully it comes out of this as it always has, wiping the slate clean, with the exception of a couple gems in the cast. I haven't seen too much of Bill Hader on the show, but he was hilarious as the cop in "Superbad," and I wish he was featured more in "Tropic Thunder" as Les Grossman's assistant, so he can stay. Darrell Hammond, who has been on the show forever, will always get laughs for his spot on impersonations of Sean Connery and Bill Clinton, so he can stay for another 13 years if he likes. The guy from Keenan and Kel who played Fat Albert in the film, he's got to go. He's about as funny as watching grass grow in the middle of winter in Minnesota. Seth Meyers and the guy from the "Hot Rod" movie, they've got to go. Amy Poehler should stay, though I hear she's ditching the show in November. Tina Fey is gone, Tracy Morgan is gone, Jimmy Fallon laughing through every skit he's in is gone, and Horatio Sanz is gone. These were the lone bright spots in the show, and now it's like the lights are out and they keep the show going and going and going.

I would have liked to include clips of each of these hosts in all of their horrible acting glory, but unfortunately, the NBC honchos have had every single clip from SNL removed from YouTube, even all the musical performances. I could get into that, but will save it for another time.

What I notice most about the list is not who is on it, but who is not on it. Mainly some modern greats who, personality-wise, seem like they would be suited for the show such as: Tiger Woods, John McEnroe, Venus and/or Serena Williams, Kobe Bryant, Tony Romo, Terrell Owens, Tony Hawk, and Alex Rodriguez.

Athletes on SNL: OJ Simpson- 1978, John Madden- 1982, Mr. T. & Hulk Hogan- 1985, Billy Martin- 1986, Carl Weathers- 1988, Wayne Gretzky- 1989, George Steinbrenner- 1990, Michael Jordan- 1991, Charles Barkley- 1993, Nancy Kerrigan- 1994, George Foreman- 1994, Deion Sanders- 1995, The Rock- 2000 & 2002, Derek Jeter- 2001, Jeff Gordon- 2003, Andy Roddick-2003, Tom Brady- 2005, Peyton Manning- 2007, Lebron James- 2007

Johnny Be...Abiding. A Fitting Tribute to One of the Greatest Films of Our Generation

Those who know me might say I'm not too quick to admit when I am wrong, but this is a rare instance where I will partially have to agree to insert my foot in mouth. It is safe to say I've recently done some justified bashing of Rolling Stone in my post from August 19th, though it was very justified which you can see by reading the post here: http://johnnybeblogging.blogspot.com/2008/08/on-cover-of-rolling-stonewhile-its.html

However, in their most recent issue, they have a retrospective article that is probably among the best and most complete I have ever seen them publish. They pay tribute to the 10th Anniversary of "The Big Lebowski," a modern classic of cult standing, which remains one of the most original, funny, and feel good films I have ever seen. The film combined a stellar cast of great actors (Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Sam Elliott, John Turturro, and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers) with a great script and direction (The Coen Brothers, who also made "Raising Arizona," "Fargo," "No Country For Old Men," and the upcoming Brad Pitt, George Clooney, John Malkovich film, "Burn After Reading") to become a pop culture phenomenon over the course of a decade.
Rolling Stone's article finds their journalist roaming Jeff Bridges's house as they discover props and clothing from the film that he has continued to hold onto. With the several Academy Awards among the cast, they all still relinquish to the fact that it remains the film they are best remembered for. The film enjoyed more success on video and DVD than it did in its original release, and has become so popular among fans that Lebowskifests are popping up all over the country now in a cooler Star Trek convention fashion. Bridges made the trip to the fest a couple years ago and stated of the experience: "I consider it my Beatle moment."

The retrospective also has links to several other articles such as a look back at the T-Bone Burnett produced soundtrack. Burnett has also recently produced the bluegrass soundtrack to another Coen Brothers film, "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?," as well as the great Robert Plant/Allison Krauss album, "Raising Sand," and the soundtrack for the Johnny Cash biopic "Walk the Line," for which the actors handled all their own singing at Burnett's guidance.

Taking a look at the video clip of Jeff Bridges discussing the film makes me want to watch it 100 more times, and one of these days, mark my words, I will go to a Lebowskifest, and you can bet the Dude's rug on it I'll extensively report it here. The YouTube clip of "The Effin' Short Lebowski," on their "Lebowski On the Web" section, is as hilarious as it is priceless. The Dude has become immortal in cinema, like Bogart in "Casablanca," Brando in "The Godfather," and Nicholson in "The Shining." He has the freewheeling lifestyle and peace of mind we all wish we could have, that is of course, unless someone pees on his rug. If you haven't seen this movie, go to Blockbuster or get it on Netflix, because it is among the best and most clever comedies that has something for everyone. It is also one of the few comedies that has so many layers to it, that you can catch something new ever time. Trust me, the Dude abides.

Here is the link to Rolling Stone's story:

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/22694342/the_decade_of_the_dude

Here is the link to their Lebowski on the web section, which includes a scene from the film re-enacted by Mii's from the Nintendo Wii, and the "Effin' Short Lebowski" video.:

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/22717626/lebowski_on_the_web

Retro: On This Day in 1991...

Pearl Jam released their debut album, "Ten." Coming out of the Seattle grunge scene that produced such classic 1990's acts as Soundgarden, Nirvana, Alice in Chains and Mudhoney, they remain the lone survivor of this musical movement. Forming when members of Mother Love Bone lost lead singer Andy Wood to a heroin overdose, they were originally called Mookie Blaylock, after the legendary Atlanta Hawks NBA star. When copyright issues forced the band to change their name before releasing their debut album, they went to things that they knew for an alternative. Lead singer Eddie Vedder's grandmother was named Pearl, and the band liked to get together and jam, hence Pearl Jam. One legend told a tale of Vedder's grandmother Pearl making hallucinogenic peyote-laced jam, which explained the name, but Vedder has since disproved the theory.

The album is a classic to say the least, and remains one of the best albums released in the 1990's. It had some of the most acclaimed songs of that time period on it, including "Jeremy," "Alive," and "Evenflow." The music video for "Jeremy," based on a school shooting of the time, was so controversial it had to be edited before airing on MTV. This would also turn out to be the last music video the band would appear in until 15 years later. Other great songs on the album include...well, pretty much every single song on the album is great in some way or another. They still play all of them in concert to this day, and it is one of the most complete rock albums you will find out there spanning from the mid 1970's to this day.
"Ten" would be the only album to include original band members Eddie Vedder (vocals), Mike McCready (guitar), Stone Gossard (guitar), Jeff Ament (bass), and Dave Krusen (drums). Krusen would be replaced before the recording of Pearl Jams second album, "Vs." which is also a classic record of the era. Besides Krusen, the other 4 original members still remain in the band to this day (Since 1998, with former Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron). They will still put on one of the best concerts you will ever see, sprinkled with songs spanning their entire catalog from this first album to their latest, as well as some well thought covers in between.

I believe the biggest difference between Pearl Jam and their fellow grunge pioneers is the way they have embraced their musical sound as an evolving one, and keep their audience engaged over time. Bands like Soundgarden and Alice in Chains saw their time come and go because there is not much difference from their first records to their last. They stuck with what worked, and soon enough the public forgot about or grew tired of them. Even Nirvana would have most likely grown tired had they continued on.

Pearl Jam took on corporate giants like Ticketmaster in the process, deliberately made their music sound less commercial for a number of years, and fell off the radar. Now, their fans can see both halves of their career come together brilliantly in their live show, as it blends a perfectly eclectic mix of their ever changing sounds. Their latest self titled album from 2006, is probably their best album since "Vitalogy" in 1994, and shows a band in the second phase of their career now that they have moved out of their 20's and into their 40's.

They are still cool enough to do an impromptu show for a couple hundred people packed into a small local record store in Seattle, they're still cool enough to play better and fresher than every single band that was a part of VH1 Rock Honors The Who (they were even better than honorees The Who), they're still cool enough to open for U2 in Hawaii (I'd have given major organs to have seen that show) and they're still cool enough to tour every summer and play nearly 3 hours every night at every single stop on the map. They're also still cool enough to keep playing the songs they wrote when they were kids back in 1991, even if they may not have the same meaning or significance as they once did. But, they continue to anyway because they know the roof is blown off wherever they play any night of the week when those opening licks of "Jeremy" or "Alive" ring through.

Here are some Pearl Jam highlights you'll find interesting:

Eddie Vedder playing "Betterman" with Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqSLnlGU4EQ&feature=related

"Release" from the "Ten" album, performed during their one week tour of Italy in 2006. The last song on their first album, and still remains one of the best they've ever written.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zUKPpEYsAI

Eddie telling the crowd at a concert what he thinks of Rolling Stone magazine shortly after he was on the cover. (warning: explicit language)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IcZ2yBcvFQ

Performing "Jeremy" on MTV Unplugged in 1992.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nrlPtNu5N0

Their cover of The Who's "Love Reign O'er Me." The video is made up of clips from their "Immagine in Cornice" (translates to: Picture in a Frame) Live in Italy DVD. One of the best covers I've ever heard, Eddie Vedder is one of the only singers out there who could do Roger Daltrey justice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpgvQRTXWco&feature=related

Another day in musical history to put into perspective...One year before "Ten" was released, on August 27th, 1990, guitar legend Stevie Ray Vaughan was killed in a helicopter crash.

"Killer New Album Title From The Killers"

For fans of Las Vegas's best rock n' roll band, The Killers, their new album will be titled "Day and Age," and will be released in November. Following their album of B-sides and obscure tunes, "Sawdust," and their last album "Sam's Town," the group is recording the album now and has played some of the tunes in concert recently. One of these songs, "Spaceman," lead singer Brandon Flowers said they have been playing between "Read My Mind" and "Mr. Brightside" on their setlists to the fans approval; so that can give you a general idea of how the song will sound when split between those two singles.

Flowers spoke briefly about this at the Leeds Music Festival in England this past weekend where the band was a headliner along with Metallica who also have a new Rick Rubin produced album, "Death Magnetic" coming out next month. He went on to divulge several track names on the new album being: "Goodnight Travel Well," "Joyride," "Neon Tiger," "I Can't Stay," and "Losing Touch." He then said "Losing Touch" was a favorite of his.

I can't wait to hear what the group has to offer on their third disc. If it is a combination of everything they've done so far, it should be brilliant. My first experience listening to the group was hearing their album "Sam's Town," which many critics and die hard Killers fans put down when it was released. Many said it was not up to par with their first album, "Hot Fuss," but I thought "Sam's Town" was great (a concept album on the same, non-connected way as "Sgt. Peppers"). I think my blind listening to it formed a more honest opinion that differed from fans and critics that expected similar sounds heard on their debut (another great album).
Flowers openly touted the "Sam's Town" album as one of the greatest records ever made when it was released, which I'm sure didn't help as well, and eventually caused them to give something back to the fans with the "Sawdust," disc. Years from now though, I believe "Sam's Town" will stand the test of time, and be hailed as a great CD, much like my similar belief to The Strokes second album, "Room On Fire," which received similar initial backlash.

To see Flowers's full interview click on the link below:

http://www.nme.com/news/the-killers/39270

Whole Lotta Holy Crap!!! Led Zeppelin Working on New Material???

While Jason Bonham (who replaced his deceased father John as Led Zeppelin's drummer for their reunion show last December) spoke to a radio station in Detroit 94.7 WCSX, he revealed that he has been working on new material with guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones. Bonham also revealed that the material could be the makings of what would ultimately be a new Led Zeppelin album (which hopefully means more touring!).

Music website NME.com broke the story and quoted Bonham on the radio show as stating, "I've been working with Jimmy and John Paul and trying [out] some new material. I don't know what it will be, but it will be something." He continued, "[The] possibility of doing something [like an album] is on the cards. I really felt it was on the cards from the moment we walked offstage at the O2." (Arena where the reunion took place in December)

It was also revealed that lead singer Robert Plant has been absent from these sessions so far, but one can assume this is due to his current tour with Allison Krauss in support of their recent album, "Raising Sand." (Which made my obscure list of duets)

I am a bit torn about this as this is a direction I didn't think the surviving members of Led Zeppelin would take. Don't get me wrong, if it takes a new album to get them out on tour, I'm all for it. However, part of their mystique and legendary status is due to the fact that they had roughly a ten year run and that was it. Recording a new album without their original drummer would make them no different than the cash cow incarnations of the recent Rolling Stones and The Who lineups who tour for millions of dollars but remain shells of their former selves. I would have expected them to just do a worldwide stadium tour like the recently reunited Police and leave it at that.

On the other hand, Jimmy Page hasn't recorded anything in some years and his production skills in the studio is part of what made the Zeppelin records so great. Plant's voice is different than what it once was, understandably, so it could make for an interesting album, maybe with more of the bluesy nostalgia that was on their first few records. Bonham is as worthy and justifiable of a replacement as they will find for his father, so this could be the makings of one of 2008's biggest stories in music.
Here is a link to NME's original article that broke the story:
http://www.nme.com/news/led-zeppelin/39271

The newest incarnation of the band with Jason Bonham backstage in December:

L to R: John Paul Jones, Robert Plant, Jason Bonham, Jimmy Page.

Editor's Note: This is the second time in as many weeks that I've beaten Rolling Stone magazine to the punch with a huge breaking music story (but who's keeping count?)

"Michael Strahan Coming Out of Retirement??? Byaaaaaa!!!"

On Saturday night, Osi Umenyiora, the Giants lone Pro-Bowl selection and star defensive end from their Super Bowl Championship team went down with a season ending injury in their annual preseason game against the Jets. Today, they have started to go to a drawing board similar to that of their neighbors the New York Jets; find a recently retired first ballot Hall of Famer and woo him back into playing. The way the Jets traded for Brett Favre, who decided he wasn't ready for retirement, was as great for publicity as it was for the team. However, if the Giants cajole Michael Strahan out of retirement, it will be a completely different story, though on the surface it appears similar.

The main difference between the two situations is in the motivation. Brett Favre has come back because he has a bonafide desire to keep playing the game he has been a legend at for over 10 years. Money is not an option, since what the Jets are paying him is less than half of the $25 million the Packers offered him as "Please, for the love of all that is holy, do not play football" money. Not only that, if it was really about anything other than a desire to play, he would never in a million years come to the Jets. Even a Jets fan can admit they never in their wildest dreams ever imagined that Favre would play for the Jets before just staying retired. He hasn't had that a Steve Young or Troy Aikman helping of concussions throughout his career, so it is also safe to say he's not a couple beers short of a six pack. He moved his family across the country, to the biggest frying pan of media scrutiny, and turned away $25 million from the Packers to continue being a quarterback in the NFL with a desire to win. Plain and simple.

Michael Strahan, on the other hand, is a different story. Not soon enough after announcing his retirement, Strahan signed a broadcasting deal with Fox Sports to work the games on Sunday starting this season. As of right now, he's got a storybook ending in place; after winning the Super Bowl at the tail end of a 15 year Hall of Fame career, he goes out on top, like Elway. Strahan is also much more likable not only in the Giants spectrum, but among the rest of the league when compared to his former teammate Tiki Barber, who came as close to seeing someone eat their own foot throughout the course of a season as anyone last year. After retiring, prematurely and without a championship, Barber signed a lucrative broadcasting deal, then proceeded to bash his former team (mainly eventual Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning) who went on to win it all. He has alienated any chance of coming back in any role with the Giants, and burned more bridges in the course of a year than Julius Caesar. Needless to say that's a completely different rant, so back to Strahan.

Though he would be welcomed by the fans and his teammates with open arms, Michael Strahan should put the comeback rumors to rest before any more fuel is added to the fire. With his asking price for a return being anywhere between $8-$12 million, his return would strictly be about the money, unlike Broadway Brett's. I think the Giants front office dropped the ball on this one by letting it get out into the media so quickly (though media speculation may have fueled the rumors before the Giants even had time to think about it), and any football person should know they won't be any better or worse with or without Strahan this year.

If the Giants truly believe that the absence of Osi Umenyiora or the addition of Michael Strahan will make or break the defense of their championship, then they have bigger problems on their hands. Finally letting go of one of the faces of their franchise rather than trying to mercilessly buy him back when his heart is not 100% in it, will allow them to move on and focus on the season on hand. Bringing Strahan back will shift the media frenzy from the Jets and the Favre story back over to Eli and the Giants, who have had less pressure on them in the past month or so due to Brett's arrival. Less media scrutiny, and less pressure from overzealous selfish players like Barber and Shockey is what brought the Giants together for their eventual Championship run. Bringing Strahan back into the picture will take the pressure off Brett and the Jets (so you won't hear me complain) but ultimately, will do more harm than good with less than two weeks left before the start of the season by giving Eli more to think about.

Tom Coughlin got his Super Bowl and got his contract extension and ultimately, it's the front office's call, but I think the Giants are smarter than risking the next several years for a crap shoot with a guy who hung it up much more wholeheartedly than Favre did in March.

"My Super Obscure List of: Great, Yet Often Unnoticed or Overlooked Duets"

I've promised another super obscure list, and here it is:
Here is my list of the best duets that often go unnoticed or overlooked. Granted, half of them are cover songs, but the ones that are, were not duets in their original versions. Again, like my last list of notable beards on film, these are in no particular order, as they all bring something to the table, and make the list more complete. Each entry also includes a link to hear the song, while some are music videos, live videos, or just those weird YouTube videos that have pictures on them so you can just listen to the song. Either way, it gets the job done.

Tupac Shakur and Elton John- Ghetto Gospel: Don't adjust your monitor, you are reading this correctly; a collaboration between Elton John and Tupac Shakur does exist. Where is the connection between these two prolific artists from two very different genres, you ask? Slim Shady himself, Eminem. One of Tupac's many posthumous albums released using the hordes of unreleased material he left behind was produced entirely by Eminem. The album, "Loyal to the Game," is in my opinion one of his best posthumous records; "Makaveli," probably being the best (also, the first one to come out immediately after his murder). Eminem, a couple years after his legendary performance of "Stan" at the Grammys with Elton John, took a sample from the song "Indian Sunset," off John's fourth studio album from 1971, "Madman Across the Water." It is one of the few hip hop tunes out there that can give me the music chills when I hear it, and is a perfect blending of two artists among the best at their respective genres. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxR4AweLeXE The official music video for the song starring that guy from "The Wire" and "Oz."

Cream- Sunshine of Your Love: Labeled the first supergroup, made up of Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker, Bruce and Clapton shared vocals on this classic rock masterpiece. With one of the most distinctive guitar/bass riffs in rock n' roll history, this song has remained a staple in Clapton's set lists for 40 years. It's probably the most popular or widely known song on the list, but definitely one that's also not traditionally considered a duet; that's why it made the cut. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zga4_09nWzY -this is some random YouTube video I'm copying here for the sole purpose of listening to the song, I don't know of what meth lab this makeshift video was produced in.

The Beatles- Two of Us: For anyone who said McCartney and Lennon hated eachother toward the end of the Beatles' run, songs like this are a testament to what they were still able to create musically, even if their friendship was declining. This is a great song, and still one of my favorite Beatles tunes, and shows that they were still the best of friends when they got into the studio and created some of the greatest music ever heard. This song could be about friendship, it could be about love, it could be about two old friends running into each other at a bar, having a few drinks, reminiscing about old times, and sharing a cab home. Either way, it's a great piece of music that two legends make complete. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ztr8j_-gD4 I don't know where this video came from or who made it, but it's spectacular and is probably one of the best unofficial Beatles music videos out there.

Queen and David Bowie- Under Pressure: Known as the riff Vanilla Ice stole so many years later to create the abomination to hip hop that is "Ice Ice Baby," this is a great song spearheaded by two legendary frontmen, Freddie Mercury and David Bowie. That part in the middle of the song where Mercury belts out "Why don't we give love, give love, give love," still gives me chills every time. Everyone knows "Bohemian Rhapsody," "We Will Rock You," and "We Are the Champions," but "Under Pressure," was ahead of its time, and is unlike anything else you've ever heard, or will ever hear. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPoE7hVDJY4&feature=related -There's no video here, just a high quality version of the song, take a listen if you've never heard it.

Dave Matthews Band and Warren Haynes- Cortez the Killer: When the Dave Matthews Band took the stage in Central Park for a sold out crowd of 100,000 people a few years back, Warren Haynes of Gov't Mule and the Allman Brothers Band came out to lay his guitar down and share vocals on this old Neil Young tune. I was at the concert that night, and it was the first time I heard the song in general; a few years later, it's still the only version I'll listen to. Haynes's vocals are chilling and his guitar solos were highlights of the night for me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCiLCo-LoUg A live video of the performance from the show. They sell the concert in stores on CD or DVD, I have both, definitely one of the best live DMB concerts out there.

The Strokes feat. Eddie Vedder- Mercy Mercy Me: What happens when one of the most talented rock n' roll bands of the past decade gets together with one of the best frontmen of the past 20 years to record a cover of a classic Marvin Gaye tune? Some ridiculously insane funkdified rock infused musicality is what happens! They turn the soulful Motown staple into a funky guitar blazing tune that is all its own. Also, listen closely for Josh Homme's drumming along with the Strokes' Fab Moretti; in the second verse the beats start to overlap and it's a magical music moment, presto. It's hard to find this song on CD, I think it's on iTunes though, as it was originally released as the B-Side to the Strokes single of "You Only Live Once," from their last album, "First Impressions of Earth." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyZ0E8c2c-A&feature=related - the recorded version of the song, supplemented by a "Captain Planet" episode; very fitting for the subject matter.

Outkast feat. Norah Jones- Take Off Your Cool: Included on Andre 3000's disc of the Outkast album, "Speakerboxx/Love Below," this is just a damn sexy tune that sounds like Barry White could have written it with Jack Johnson. It's one of the shortest songs on the album, but still one of my favorites from it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUQHFqO6HvY The recorded song, over a photo collage video of Andre 3000 and Norah Jones.

The Raconteurs- Rich Kid Blues: I'm a huge fan of the White Stripes, but I must admit, some of Jack White's best work has been with his recently formed other band, The Raconteurs. Adding another singer/songwriter/guitarist in Brendan Benson, and an extended rhythm section serves White's musical talent well and adds another dynamic to his craft. The band's second album, "Consolers of the Lonely," is one of, if not the best album I've heard in 2008. This Terry Reid cover has Benson's soft melodic voice perfectly shared with White's hard rock howl that introduces the world to rock n' roll's newest powerhouse in fitting fashion. The song combines the organ, thundering drums, and a high squeeling guitar that makes me wish the album had 14 more songs on it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjT6DGlWyBs This is straight up audio of the song, with just a picture of the band displayed. Listen, but be warned, this will blow you away.

The Corrs feat. Bono- When the Stars Go Blue: U2 is U2, plain and simple; so anything Bono involves himself in, people will pay attention to. However, when he joined the Corrs onstage in his hometown of Dublin a few years back, very few remembered this great live version of this Ryan Adams original. I've heard Adams and Tim McGraw sing it, but this remains the definitive version, a song about despair, loneliness, and sadness, the song is sung by the perfect pair, and even if it's a girly song, I admit defeat; it's legit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdSpDrczo7w Live performance from VH-1.

Robert Plant and Allison Krauss- Killing the Blues: A bluegrass crooner with the voice of an angel and the screaming maniac lead singer of Led Zepplin get together to record an album of country/bluegrass/blues standards...Still waiting for the punchline? Well, there isn't one; this album is great, and the two very different voices blend unnaturally to make a perfect pairing. This song has been seen on commercials lately (for JC Penny's Home section, I believe), but it's still got a great sound, with two legendary vocalists from 2 very different genres showing the world that they still have it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHPrLifRhX4 This is a video of a live performance, I'm not sure where it's from though. They capture the same magic live that they do on the album.

Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova- Falling Slowly: This one is from the film "Once," about two musicians who meet in Dublin and forge a friendship through music over a week. The film was really moving and authentic, as it was filmed with a documentary look, and the two stars are actually musicians, not actors. The soundtrack is a great pairing of the two and their alternate vocal styles invokes the same effect as the Robert Plant-Allison Krauss pairing. They went on to win an Oscar for "Best Original Song" this past year for it; rightfully so, since "Enchanted" got nominated for 3 songs in that category http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPbC2YrUUsI This is a clip of them performing the song on David Letterman.

Roger Waters feat. Van Morrison- Comfortably Numb: This performance was part of Roger Waters 1990 concert in Berlin, Germany, where he performed Pink Floyd's "The Wall," in its entirety shortly after the Berlin Wall came down. Members of the Band and the legendary Van Morrison joined him for this tune, but the most prevalent voices are Waters and Morrison, which contrast each other nicely. Morrison hasn't aged so gracefully, but he's still got the vocal chops to bring the house down, and as blasphemous as it sounds, I prefer this version to Pink Floyd's original. I was reintroduced to this song last year when it was featured in "The Departed," which like every Martin Scorsese film, has a phenomenal soundtrack to accompany it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLx3uSwv6VM - This is a video of the live performance from Berlin.

Temple of the Dog- Hunger Strike: When eventual members of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden got together to record an album as a tribute to their friend Andy Wood who died of a heroin overdose in 1990, a modern rock masterpiece was made. Forming the group Temple of the Dog, Chris Cornell, Matt Cameron, Eddie Vedder, Matt McCready, Stone Gossard, and Jeff Ament, recorded one of the best non-traditional duets I have ever heard. After Soundgarden broke up in 1998, Cameron would join Pearl Jam permanently (as they've gone through a revolving door of drummers their whole career until Cameron came along), and Temple of the Dog had their only unofficial reunion in 2003, when Cornell joined Pearl Jam on stage for "Hunger Strike" and another Temple of the Dog number, "Reach Down." This is one of those songs that is as close to perfect as a song can get, so you tend to take notice when something like it comes along. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lln5i1N3J8g The official music video for the song with all the band members. Take notice of the vintage MTV music video tag in the bottom left corner of the screen at the beginning and end the clip, from the days when Music Television actually played music, who'd have thought?

Babyface feat. Eric Clapton- Change the World: Now, I know what you may be thinking, this was Eric Clapton’s song from that John Travolta movie, not Babyface’s. Babyface produced the track, appeared in the music video, and sang backup vocals on the album version of this tune, but the definitive version of this song has seldom been heard. While Babyface taped his MTV Unplugged special back in 1997, he opened the show with this number, and surprise guest Clapton joined him onstage for a blistering performance. The altered, acoustic blues guitar heavy live version was reminiscent of Clapton’s own Unplugged show which netted him several Grammy Awards several years earlier. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmsLQFqdiQE- The live clip from the MTV Unplugged special. Even sitting down, Clapton tears the guitar to shreds.

The Rolling Stones and Dave Matthews- Wild Horses: This performance came together in 1998 I believe, when Dave Matthews Band was opening for the Stones on their tour. Dave Matthews joined the Stones on stage for a duet of the classic song that got some new life into it. Dave's high pitched crooning is a stark contrast to Mick Jagger's historic howl, but the song is seen in a different light, and still as great as it ever was. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kAl5cUtxAc This is a video clip of the performance from the concert, wherever it was. A couple funny things to notice: Dave Matthews looking about 20 years old, also looking like he might nervously crap himself as he realizes he's on stage with the Rolling Stones, and Dave not knowing what to do with his hands without a guitar in them (he looks similar to Ricky Bobby in "Talladega Nights").

"This Isn't Your Grandmother's Catwoman...Or Is It?"

I don't know how true this rumor is, and for the franchise's sake, but I hope that it's about as real as those Phillip Seymour Hoffman playing the Penguin rumors that circled when "The Dark Knight" was in development. An article from British newspaper, The Telegraph is claiming that Christopher Nolan's first choice to play Catwoman in the next "Batman" film is, are you ready for this: Cher. Yes, that Cher, the one who is 62 years old, sang "I Got You Babe," was married to Greg Allman for about 3 days, and who was last seen playing herself in the 2003 Farrelly Brothers Matt Damon-Greg Kinear tent pole, "Stuck On You."

I'll admit Cher has got decent acting chops, especially in the early 1980's Eric Stoltz drama, "Mask," (she received an Oscar nomination for it), and later "Moonstruck," (which she won an Oscar for while wearing her ridiculous outfit shown above) but I'm not sure about this. The other villain rumored to be in this film is the Riddler, to be played by Johnny Depp; so if that happens, then maybe I can forgive the Cher casting.

A so-called studio executive said that director Christopher Nolan wants the character to be portrayed as a "Vamp in her twilight years," which I guess would make Cher a decent choice since she's pushing senior citizen discount age now. After films like "Memento," "Batman Begins," "The Prestige," and "The Dark Knight," Nolan could make a Teletubbies movie and I'd probably pay to see it. This should make for an interesting film, though I'm not sure anything will top "The Dark Knight" anytime soon, but hopefully it will at least be a worthy sequel next to the first two.

This third installment is said to be called "The Caped Crusader," and The Telegraph's source also claims filming will start in Vancouver early next year, so there's more good news.

Here is the link to the original article from The Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/2612613/Cher-to-play-Catwoman-in-next-Batman-film.html

Some Good News and Some Bad News for "Terminator: Salvation"

When I heard they were making another "Terminator" film, I was a bit skeptical. Then, I heard McG (Director of "Charlie's Angels" who thinks he can take a one word name like he's Sting or Prince when his movies are garbage) was directing it, and I became very skeptical, and nearly outraged completely. Then, along came the news that Christian Bale would be playing the adult John Connor in the new film, so out with some of my skepticism, even more of which disappeared when I saw the first preview for the film. More recently, I heard writer Jonathan Nolan (Co-writer of "The Dark Knight" and "The Prestige," and brother of director Christopher Nolan) was brought on to do some tweaking of the script; remaining skepticism- gone. Now for the bad news: Arnold Schwarzenegger won't be appearing in the film as a Terminator; but the good news is that it doesn't mean he will be completely absent from the film altogether.
With Terminator: Salvation (AKA T:4) done filming officially today and heading into post-production, people are still clinging to the hope of seeing Arnold Schwarzenegger make a cameo. With his current political duties in California ongoing, hope was slim for him reprising the role that made him famous and contributed to his entire "Governator" campaign.

Well, a glimmer of hope remains as the film's producer, Moritz Borman (who also produced the first 3 films) hinted at the possibility recently. "He will not be, as a person, in the film," Borman told multimedia website Wired.com. When asked if that meant he may appear in the form of a voice over, Borman continued, "It's really up to what fits in the film or not. Maybe his voice, or maybe not. It's really not settled."

That's much more optimistic than what I expected. I held hope out they would get Arnold in there somewhere, but realizing all the stuff a governor has on their plate, I thought chances were slim. The fact that Borman let that much information out, really surprises me and it would be great to have one of the most recognizable voices in the history of cinema grace us with his presence again. I'm tired of him calling political opponents "girlie men," he needs to go back to blowing stuff up and hitting us with those funny one liners from classic 80's/90's films like: "Predator" ('Get to Da Choppa!'), "Commando" ('I eat Green Berets for breakfast and right now I am very hungry!'), "Twins" ('You forgot dee first rule in dee crisis sitooation.'), "Kindergarten Cop" ('Who is your daddy and what does he dooo?'), and "Total Recall" ("Get your ass to Mars/Consider dat a divorce") to name a few.

Hearing his voice invokes memories of my childhood and years past just like pogs, Lazer Tag, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and that Saturday morning cartoon, "Pro Stars," with Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, and Bo Jackson. Hopefully, the Governator can come through for all the little girls and boys out there who enjoyed watching him punch a camel in the face after it spat on him in "Conan."

Either way, I think this new "Terminator" is really going to be something, and I'm confident it will make up for "Terminator 3," which wasn't up to par with the first two films. I liked the slight twist in the end of the film, but other than that, it was OK. With Christian Bale playing John Connor in this one, and the already circulating rumors that Linda Hamilton is going to return as Sarah Connor in flashbacks, I'm sure it won't disappoint. After "The Dark Knight," I'll watch Christian Bale in anything for the rest of his career. Even before the movie was finished filming, they managed to get a trailer out for it, which you can check out here to verify its goodness: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRw3AkbtJhQ

To read the story from Wired.com click on this link: http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2008/08/arnolds-voice-i.html

Hopefully, McG's film delivers on the shoulders of Bale, Nolan, and a Governator cameo of some sort. If not, then he should go back to directing Smash Mouth and Sugar Ray music videos and leave the directing to the people who still have enough of a soul to not beat another franchise of my childhood to death.

Editorial: "It's One Small Step for Man, One Giant Leap for Johnny Be."

Yesterday, the first significant accomplishment was made with my blog since it started a couple weeks back. In fact, you could go as far as saying history has been made. Earlier today, at around 9:45AM Eastern Time, I broke a story about a new album by Coldplay that is due to be released sometime in 2009. The source of my story was British music magazine NME's website. This sounds pretty ordinary, save for the fact that America's version of NME, Rolling Stone Magazine, reported it on their website nearly 4 HOURS after I did at 1:50PM Eastern Time. Measly 24 year old Johnny Be Blogging broke the news of this big story before the genuine article did.

I don't know what is to be said of that, but I view it as an accomplishment for a no-name, up and coming one man show run on a shoestring (zero) budget. I'm glad if you are reading this, that this is a moment I could share with you, my loyal readers. I continue to bring it day after day knowing one or two, or who knows how many people are reading my random thoughts/news, and moments like this help me strive to keep bringing it, and achieve more.

To show my excitement and gratitude, below is a picture of me jumping up and down on a bed in my hotel suite at the Hilton in Las Vegas from this past December. To put that moment in historical context and perspective, it was one day before my 24th birthday, and also one day before Roger Clemens was exposed in the Mitchell Report. It was also one day before I was able to see the most ridiculously amazing show on the planet, the Beatles Cirque Du Soleil show "Love" at the Mirage; one of the best birthday gifts I've ever gotten thanks to my wonderful girlfriend Nicole, who is one of my few or many loyal readers .

"I get up, 'cause nothing gets me down. You got it tough, I seen the toughest around."
-David Lee Roth, "Jump"

Hope everyone has an amazing weekend.

"A Stroke of Musical Genius"- new music for your ears.

To keep the musical vibe going on this second to last Thursday of the month, I've got a feel good song for you. If you don't know who Albert Hammond, Jr. is, you should. I briefly mentioned him in my last article about Coldplay; Albert is best known in his role as guitarist for New York rock band The Strokes. Since going on hiatus in 2005, Albert used the group's downtime to his advantage by recording his first two solo albums. His first album "Yours to Keep," is a slight departure from the sound of the Strokes and invokes the influence of the Beatles and Beach Boys while sticking close to his indie rock roots.

His second album was released last month and has a sound similar to some of his Strokes material, with some further innovation and exploration. Clicking on the link below will direct you to his Myspace Music page so you can hear one of these great new songs, called "Lisa" (Not sure why he titled it this, since the name is never mentioned, my guess is he wrote it about a girl named Lisa). Either way, it's a great song, and if you dig it, you will definitely like his other sonic offerings, both off the first album, and this new one titled "Como Te Llama?" (the album is in English) His musical offerings should be interesting once the Stokes do get back into the studio to record their fourth album next year. He also puts on a great live show, I saw him open for Incubus in Washington, D.C. in 2007 and saw him play a solo show in Asbury Park at the Stone Pony later that summer. It's a cheap ticket to buy and well, well worth it, probably better than most arena/ampitheater acts you'll see touring through the summer. Enjoy and let me know what you think of the sound:

www.myspace.com/alberthammondjr

You may have to click on the song title "Lisa" in the player, but the other songs on there are others off his new album. Great stuff all around.

You can find both his albums at most music spots like Best Buy, and I can definitely vouch for the first one as being a good investment. If you are into a new/vintage (does that make sense?) sound different than what's on the radio, you'll enjoy it.

Viva La Coldplay!!! More New Music in 2009???

For those of you who are fans of Coldplay here is some interestingly exciting news that I saw on NME's website. Reports are circulating that Coldplay will release another album in 2009 even though they just released "Viva La Vida or Death and All of His Friends" in June of this year. NME's story cites British newspaper The Sun as the source of this information.

When the band recorded "Viva La Vida" their sessions with legendary producer Brian Eno (who's produced albums for U2, David Bowie, The Talking Heads, and Devo of "Whip It" fame) were apparently so productive that they ended up with much more material than what could fit on one album. A source at their record label EMI stated, "The 'Viva La Vida...' sessions were incredibly fruitful. They gelled brilliantly with Brian and recorded much more music than they could fit on one album." The source continued, "The majority of the follow-up is already in the can, though they will have to go back into the studio at some point to add a few more songs."Though many big acts have left EMI recently since a corporate takeover, most notably Paul McCartney, Radiohead, and the Rolling Stones, Coldplay has a long term deal in place with the legendary label to continue putting out more of their music.

With the Raconteurs' sophomore album "Consolers of the Lonely," Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" is definitely right up there with the albums I've played out ridiculously due to great musicality. The album is a departure from the group's sound from their first two albums, and also much different than their altered sound on the ill received "X&Y," their last album before "Viva." Though the album has gotten mixed reviews, I believe in the years to come it will be looked at as their "Rubber Soul," or "Sgt. Peppers" album, the one where they changed direction and discovered more musically. Ultimately, a defining moment that will shape what they play in the future and what direction they will go in. This is similar to critical thought on "The Joshua Tree," which has been getting compared to this album mostly due to the fact that Brian Eno also produced that as well.

When "Viva La Vida" was coming out a couple months back I remember hearing that the band had recorded so much new material; and one complaint I had with the album is that it is rather brief with only 10 tracks (though a few are doubled up, extensive tracks, so it's more like 12 or 13 tracks). Learning that they may be rushing out a follow up with all that extra material is great to hear since I, along with many other people are eager to see what else they were able to put together. The bootlegged unreleased/b-sides Coldplay album "Castles," would hold up as its own album and I often wonder why some of those songs were left off their albums while others I wasn't too keen on made the cut. The same holds true for the recent Killers b-sides album "Sawdust." With some of this extra material being readied for mass release, it will be great seeing what they have left in the "Viva La Vida" tank.

For those of you who have listened to the album, and aren't a big fan of their new direction, or for those of you who aren't too big on Coldplay to begin with, I urge you to listen again. Dare I say "Lovers in Japan" is as anthemic as "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" or "City of Blinding Lights," well there, I said it. And "Strawberry Swing," is one of the best and unique love songs of the last decade. If Willy Wonka wrote a love song, it would sound like "Strawberry Swing," plain and simple. The last minute and a half is a melody that could have been written by Lennon and McCartney.

Here's a link to the story from NME's website: http://www.nme.com/news/coldplay/39117

If this story holds true, it will be interesting to see if they unveil any of this hidden material on their current world tour. I'll let you know during my concert review when I see the band perform at the Meadowlands in October.

Editor's (My) Note: What is it with British bands recording 10 songs and releasing it as a full album. I'm sorry, but even if the last 2 or 3 tracks are horrendous, at least give fans their money's worth. 10 tracks is not an album to me; it's two E.P.'s on one CD, that's all. I believe Radiohead did the same thing with "In Rainbows," though at least they let fans pay what they wanted for it. I will give Coldplay the benefit of the doubt though, as they at least had 3 songs that were split in 2, in which the tail ends were really completely different songs, so technically

the album had 13 tracks.

I really do think it's a Britain/Europe 10 track thing, because when Albert Hammond, Jr. of the Strokes released his solo album, "Yours to Keep," in Europe, it had 10 tracks. The album was amazing regardless, as every song was great; but when it finally was released in the US, 2 "bonus tracks" were included. There's a guy who knows how to please the stateside fans!

If musicians want to release 10 song albums going forward, they should market them to fans as "An extended E.P." I am fairly confident, these 10 song albums will be much better received by the paying customers; who cares what critics think? They get free copies of the albums they review, and don't have to pay their hard earned money for concert tickets.

From the Vault...My First Published Concert Review from Feb. '08

Back in February, I had a chance to see one of only 3 concerts Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood played together at Madison Square Garden. For those of you not too familiar with how monumental this pairing was, you would need to be familiar with their band Blind Faith. The group came together after Clapton and Cream broke up, only to record one monumental album in 1969. The group disbanded shortly after, and now 40 years later, Clapton and Winwood came together for the closest thing to a Blind Faith reunion we might ever see. I saw the band on their second of 3 shows, and it was one of the most extraordinary concert experiences I have ever seen. A day after the show, I submitted a review of the show to the Eric Clapton Fan Club magazine, Where's Eric. The website posted my review among others that were submitted and you can check it out on this link if you scroll down towards the bottom of the page. I've copied my review as seen on the website below, as well as the set list and list of band members which is also on the site.
http://www.whereseric.com/tour/special-gigs/26-February-2008_steve-winwood-eric-clapton-madison-square-garden-new-york-ny.html

"Review by John DeSantis- Bergenfield, NJ
I was one of the few lucky fans able to see one of these historic 3 Winwood/Clapton shows at MSG. Having been born nearly 15 years after Blind Faith's only album came out (1983 to be exact) this was my first tangible experience with probably the closest thing to a reunion I'll ever see. It also was my first chance to see Clapton or Winwood perform live in general, which made the experience even more significant to me as a fan of both.

I have to admit I felt a bit out of place being a 24 year old amongst a sea of nearly 20,000 baby boomers, but I have to say one moment allowed me to hold my head high following the show. A 40-something man with a hairpiece that looked about as out of place as Britney Spears at a successful parenting seminar, drunkenly and saracastically yelled out, 'Hey, did you like Layla?' He was obviously misinformed at the significance and substance of these shows that someone much younger than him who was not even conceived at the height of Clapton and Winwood's fame was able to realize and appreciate. For anyone who came to these shows expecting to see him play 'Layla,' 'Sunshine of Your Love,' 'Tears In Heaven,' or 'Wonderful Tonight,' they were probably about as misinformed as bad hairpiece guy, and don't have the depth of musicical appreciation to even know who Steven Winwood is or Blind Faith was. These people should have stayed home and waited until Clapton goes on the road solo again; I know plenty of people who would have appreciated this show much more than these fans whose knowledge is limited to what they listen to on Q104.3 on their way to work. (And that's not a knock on Q104, it's a great station, but limiting your Eric Clapton listening to a classic rock station is similar to watching reruns of the Sopranos on A&E, it's just not the same.)

The Blind Faith songs sounded amazing, especially 'Had to Cry Today,' 'Can't Find My Way Home,' and the way they transoformed 'Presence of the Lord' into a duet. Previously I wasn't a big fan of Clapton's 'Forever Man' until I heard him rip through it with a thunderous guitar stampede last night. This removed all memory of the dated studio version of this song I've been limited to my whole life. It seemed like the roof was going to cave in when they played 'After Midnight' and the back to back helping of Hendrix they played with 'Little Wing' (played more to the arrangment Derek and the Dominoes performed on the 'Layla' album) and 'Voodoo Chile' practically made my night right there. I also have to note that the New York Times had the absent-mindedness to say that they made 'Little Wing' sound like it could have been a song by the Band, until Clapton's solo, totally disregarding the fact that they played it to the same tune as Clapton and Duane Allman did on the 'Layla' album. Sorry, just something else I had to nitpick at in order to show I can hold my own with rock fans my parents' age and that a younger generation can appreciate an event like this just the same.

I'd have to say I'm more of a fan of Clapton than Winwood since my earliest memories of both differ very significantly. The first I heard of Winwood were his 1980's hits 'Higher Love' and 'Roll With It' while my first memory of Clapton was hearing the back end of 'Layla' play as the overture to the murder montage in Martin Scorsese's 'Goodfellas' (what kid wouldn't remember that?). Clapton has been undeniably the more popular of the two, but Winwood stated his case to me last night as his voice still unbelievably sounds as distinct and melodic as it did on record over 30 years ago. He made 'Georgia on My Mind' sound like it was his own, which was one of the best numbers of the night even though it was just him on stage, and convinced me to try to seek him out solo this summer when he opens for Tom Petty.

From what I read of the first show Monday night, it sounds as though Winwood did less guitar work and more on the organ last night, but it just added another layer to their great performance, and he took full advantage of the moments when he wielded the guitar. The way they traded riffs back and forth towards the end of the closing number 'Dear Mr. Fantasy' was one of the single most mysifying moments I've ever seen in concert (right up there with Springsteen joining U2 onstage in Philladelphia for a cover of 'People Get Ready' when I saw them in '05).

If I had $100 bucks to spend, or if my tax return came a couple months early, I would do everything I could to see the finale on Thursday night. My only hope is that they put these shows out on DVD like they did with the Cream reunion at the Royal Albert Hall so I can blast it up on my surround sound to enjoy over and over again. Hopefully, this isnt' the last time these two take the stage together, judging by their chemistry it certainly won't be."
The Band:
Eric Clapton - guitar, vocals

Steve Winwood - hammond organ, guitar, vocals

Chris Stainton - keyboards

Willie Weeks - bass

Ian Thomas - drums

Setlist:
01. Had To Cry Today

02. Low Down

03. Forever Man

04. Them Changes

05. Sleeping In The Ground

06. Presence Of The Lord

07. Glad / Well Alright

08. Double Trouble

09. Pearly Queen

10. Tell The Truth

11. No Face

12. After Midnight

13. Split Decision

14. Ramblin On My Mind (Clapton solo acoustic)

15. Georgia On My Mind (Winwood solo hammond)

16. Little Wing

17. Voodoo Chile

18. Can't Find My Way Home

19. Cocaine
Encore:
20. Dear Mr Fantasy

What Ever Happened To...Hideki Irabu???

It's been a week or 2 since my piece on the Pigeon Lady from "Home Alone 2: Lost In New York," (Check the archives on the blog if you haven't read it yet) so I figured it's about time I bring to the public's attention another once popular New Yorker who may be relinquished to the back of our minds. He played for the New York Yankees, was a native of Japan, and was named Hideki. No, I'm not talking about Hideki "With the Humongous Earlobes" Matsui A.K.A. Godzilla, I'm talking about our once hailed pitcher Hideki Irabu.

Irabu pitched for the New York Yankees from 1997-1999, netting 2 World Series rings with the Bronx Bombers in '98 and '99, though he didn't start a game in the '98 postseason and was shelled in his only '99 postseason appearance. Once dubbed the "Japanese Nolan Ryan," he was most notable for George Steinbrenner's public disdain for his laziness and weight in 1999. After failing to cover first base on a ground ball, Irabu made front sports page headlines when the Boss publicly called him a "fat toad." Irabu was traded to the Expos later that year then signed as a free agent with the Texas Rangers in 2002. In 2003 he went back to Japan where he pitched professionally until his retirement in 2005.

He was 34-35 for his career in the majors with a 5.15 ERA; I am somewhat confidently accurate in saying he won't be in Cooperstown anytime soon. Irabu currently resides in California, likely still living comfortably on the money the Yankees paid him.

The reason for this sudden trip down nostalgia lane is because Hideki Irabu made headlines on Sports Illustrated's website this morning. Irabu was arrested today in Osaka, Japan for assaulting a bartender after his credit card was rejected. Irabu allegedly drank approximately 20 beers, then became enraged when his credit card was declined, and began pushing, pulling the hair of the bartender and smashing bottles on the ground. Irabu paid his delinquent bill with another credit card and later admitted the assault when he was arrested.
Here is link to the Sports Illustrated story: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/baseball/mlb/08/20/bc.bbo.irabu.arrested.ap/index.html
So, there you have it. That's what Hideki Irabu has been up to: drinking beer, assaulting bar tenders, and having bad credit. Sounds more like Pete Rose to me.
This is a picture taken during better days for Irabu, when he was introduced to New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani one day before his Major League debut when he struck out 9 batters for a win. Unfortunately, it was all downhill after that...