Concerts - Woodstock

By Michael Russell

In this article we're going to reflect on one of, if not the most famous concert in history, Woodstock.

If you were growing up in the 60s and were part of the hippie movement you were probably at the concert at Woodstock, even if you weren't there. Over the years, the number of people who claim to have been at Woodstock has gone from thousands to millions. Everyone has a story to tell about that. What follows, is the actual story in a very brief summary.

The actual name of the concert was The Woodstock Music And Art Fair, held in 1969 in Sullivan County in New York. This was truly the biggest concert of its kind to that date in history. The actual number of people in attendance was about 450,000. The concert itself ran for four days. The site itself has become a self appointed shrine. During the concert, in a time when drugs were most illegal, drugs were everywhere and people were having sex out on the lawn. And unfortunately, that is mostly what is written about when it comes to anything involving this event. But there was more to Woodstock than just sex and drugs.

Woodstock was a musical event the likes of which we will probably never see again. The concert itself cost more than $2.4 million to produce. Back then, that was a lot of money. The four men responsible for getting this piece of history together were John Roberts, Joel Rosenman, Artie Kornfeld and Michael Lang. These were men who couldn't be more different from each other. Yet, they all had a vision to put something like this together.

The idea first originated when Roberts and Rosenman met on a golf course in 1967. What started as a screwball situation comedy ended up to be the plans for Woodstock that would take almost two years to complete. The work involved was enormous, not the least of which was getting all the musicians to show up. How many musicians? Over 20. This was something that was just unheard of at the time. And not just your run of the mill musicians. These were some of the biggest acts of the period, including Joan Baez, Santana, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, and of course the act that pretty much defined the concert, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

In the four days of performing the 450,000 plus people got to hear some great classics like Freedom by Richie Havens, Green River by Creedence Clearwater Revival, Try by Janis Joplin, I Want To Take You Higher by Sly and the Family Stone, We're Not Gonna Take It by The Who, Somebody To Love by Jefferson Airplane, and of course all the great tunes by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

Ironically, the song "Woodstock" was not sung at the actual concert itself. This was a song that CSN&Y recorded after they performed at the concert.

A book could be written about this concert and probably was. We've only scratched the surface here. And while you can't relive the concert itself, there is a great box set of the whole concert, digitally remastered, that you can get. Enjoy!

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Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Concerts
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Concerts - Concert For George

By Michael Russell

In this article we're going to briefly review one of the most touching concerts that was ever held for another person, The Concert For George.

There are very few people in history who you can mention their first name, say the word concert and know exactly who that concert was for. The Concert For George was one of those concerts. George of course being the late George Harrison of the Beatles.

George Harrison died of brain cancer on November 29, 2001. One year later the memorial concert for this great musician was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London. It is only fitting that this was the place as Harrison was 100% English from the top of his head to the tips of his magical guitar fingers. Many feel he was the overlooked Beatle. Everything was about John and Paul. But most critics feel that George Harrison was the heart and soul of the Beatle's guitar sound which has since be copied by so many artists.

The idea for the concert was George's good friend Eric Clapton's. Clapton and Harrison had actually been friends for a long time and first played together on the White Album. The song, of course, was "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Clapton put together a memorial that Harrison himself would have smiled at.

The concert began with the daughter of one of Harrison's great friends, Ravi Shankar, singing "Your Eyes." After this song the daughter, who's name is Anoushka, teamed with another one of Harrison's friends, Jeff Lynne of ELO fame, to sing "The Inner Light" which was one of George Harrison's own tunes.

The concert itself was a mixture of music and comedy, which is very unusual for a concert. The comedy was handled mostly by the ensemble of Monty Python who, along with Tom Hanks, performed "Sit On My Face" and "The Lumberjack Song" which was one of Monty Python's funniest and most famous tunes.

The rest of the concert featured more of George's friends and the remaining members of the Beatles, Paul and Ringo. Also there were Tom Petty, Billy Preston, and Gary Brooker from Procal Harem. George's son Dhani was also on hand. If you watch the video of the concert you would swear that Dhani was George Harrison if you didn't know better.

The remainder of the concert featured mostly songs that were either done by The Beatles or songs that George had done solo or with other performers such as when he was with Tom Petty during his stint with The Traveling Willburys.

The songs are a who's who of some of the greatest tunes these people ever did together or separately. They included such classics as George's signature song "Something," the Beatles' like "Isn't It A Pity," "Here Comes The Sun," a Ringo tune that George played on, "Photograph," "All Things Must Pass," "My Sweet Lord," and finishing with "I'll See You In My Dreams," which was an appropriate ending for the concert.

George Harrison may be gone but he will never be forgotten.


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Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Concerts
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Concerts - Freddie Mercury Tribute

By Michael Russell

In this article we're going to briefly review the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert which was held at Wembley's Stadium in London.

Freddie Mercury was not just the heart and soul or the rock group Queen, he was Queen. When he died from complications of AIDS on November 24, 1991, the world lost one of the truly unique and great singers.

When Queen first hit the scene in the mid 70s they had a cult following at best. Their music was quite different from anything that had come along until then. Their harmonic vocals, led by Mercury's over the top solos, made them a group that sooner or later had to get noticed. And while it took years for them to reach the peak of their popularity, once they made it they were one of the biggest groups of the era.

And then the world got word of Mercury's death and for all practical purposes, Queen was dead. In truth, until their recent team up with Paul Rogers, Queen had stopped performing and recording. But on April 20, 1992, Queen, with the help of some very talented musicians put on a concert to pay tribute to their fallen leader.

The concert, held at Wembley Stadium in London sold out its 72,000 tickets in just six hours. The concert was also broadcast live to over one billion people. The profit that they made from the concert was used to fund the Mercury Phoenix Trust which is a world wide charity organization to fight AIDS. This organization has been operating ever since.

The concert itself was actually announced and planned for at a February 1992 BRIT awards ceremony by Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor. At the time nobody knew who would play other than the remaining members of Queen which included May, Taylor and John Deacon who played his last performance as a member of Queen with this concert.

The lineup for this concert was quite impressive. Guest artists included Spinal Tap, Robert Plant, from Led Zeppelin, Roger Daltry, from The Who, David Bowie, who recorded the song "Under Pressure" with Queen, Elton John and even Elizabeth Taylor came by to give a speech.

The musical highlights could have made a greatest hits album alone. Many Queen favorites were played such as "Tie Your Mother Down", "Radio Ga-Ga", "Under Pressure", "Somebody To Love", "We Will Rock You", "We Are The Champions", and of course Queen's greatest hit of all, "Bohemian Rhapsody."

Other highlights and artists included Def Leppard, who sang "Now I'm Here" with Brian May, Gary Cherone singing "I Want It All", Seal singing "Who Wants To Live Forever", Ian Hunter and a host of others singing "All The Young Dudes", Lisa Stanfield singing "I Want To Be Free", and Elton John singing "The Show Must Go On."

The passing of Freddie Mercury has left a terrible void in the music industry. And while Paul Rogers is certainly a talented singer in his own right, he can't fill Mercury's shoes.

Nobody can.



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Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Concerts
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Concerts - Simon & Garfunkel In Central Park

By Michael Russell

In this article we're going to review one of the most famous reunion concerts in pop history, the reunion of Simon and Garfunkel in Central Park.

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel were one of the biggest singing duos in the late 60s and early 70s. To understand why this concert was so important one first needs to know about the events that led up to it.

Right after their recording of their landmark album "Bridge Over Troubled Water" Simon and Garfunkel had a huge falling out. In a nutshell, Paul Simon felt he didn't get the credit he deserved for their Grammy winning title song from that album. Because Paul Simon actually wrote the tune he felt that he should be the one identified with it. But because of Art Garfunkel's incredible vocals Paul Simon was always overshadowed even though he was the creative force behind the duo's success. This became quite evident after their breakup when Garfunkel's music career fizzled and Simon's took off.

There was a period of time when people felt these two would never speak to each other again. It was more than ten years after their breakup that Paul Simon finally approached Art Garfunkel and asked him if he would consider getting together to do a concert in Central Park in New York City. Quite honestly, Simon never expected Garfunkel to agree but he did. The rest is history. So on September 19, 1981, Simon and Garfunkel played together for the first time in over 10 years in front of more than 500,000 people in Central Park. This is more people than attended Woodstock, just so you understand the significance of this event.

The duo had a pretty decent backing band as well. They had Steve Gadd and Grady Tate on drums, David Brown and Pete Carr on guitars, Anthony Jackson on bass, Richard Tee on keyboards, Rob Mounsey on synthesizers, John Gatchell and John Eckert on trumpets and Dave Tofani and Gerry Niewood on saxophones. This tight bunch of musicians put on a performance that for those in attendance will never be forgotten.

The truth is, anything these two would have sang together would have been a treat but the highlights were nothing short of the best these two had to offer. The concert started with one of their greatest songs and Grammy winner, "Mrs. Robinson." Two songs later they came through with "America" which got an ovation that had to be heard in New Jersey. Other highlights included "Homeward Bound", "The Sounds Of Silence", "American Tune", a solo Simon effort from 1973, "The Boxer" and of course the great "Bridge Over Troubled Water" which swept the Grammy awards show broadcast in 1971. Simon also did a few more of his solo efforts including "Still Crazy After All These Years", "Late In The Evening", "Kodachrome", "Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover," and "Slip Slidin Away."

For 500,000 people it was a once in a lifetime experience. Simon and Garfunkel were back together again...at least for one glorious day.



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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Concerts
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Concerts - Live Aid

By Michael Russell

In this article we're going to review another very popular benefit concert, the one they call Live Aid.

Most people probably had very little clue that The Concert For Bangladesh would start a trend that would continue for many years. Live Aid is another example of some of the world's greatest musical acts coming together in a common cause to help people in need.

What made Live Aid different from Bangladesh and many other concerts was that this concert was not held in just one place. The concert, held on July 13, 1985 was broadcast live from a number of places, including Wembley Stadium in London, JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, and a few acts performing from Sydney, Australia and Moscow, Russia.

The concert itself was put on in order to try to help raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia. The concert was billed as sort of a "global jukebox." The number of people in attendance at just two of the sites totalled over 150,000 people. Live Aid was the largest scale satellite link-up and TV broadcast of all time. It was estimated that about 1.5 billion people saw the broadcast live.

The concert was conceived by master mind Bob Geldorf who had previously put together another gala called "Do They Know It's Christmas" which was known as Band Aid. That concert went off the previous winter featuring a number of British and Irish acts also for the purpose of raising funds for famine relief in Ethiopia. This is the first time that two concerts had been put on so close together to raise money for the same relief effort.

The initial goals of this concert was to raise about $1.5 million. But as the concert grew in scope and the number of acts increased the final number was estimated at a staggering $254 million earned. Nobody could have ever seen this coming. Because of Geldorf's efforts and the success of Live Aid, he received an honorary knighthood.

Because there were so many venues and so many performing artists it would be impossible to list every artist who performed and every song done. But there were a few memorable highlights that deserve to be mentioned.

One of the most memorable moments at JFK Stadium was when Bob Dylan was playing and broke a guitar string. Ron Wood then took off his guitar and gave it to Dylan. Wood was then left standing on stage without a guitar. What does he do? He shrugs to the audience and proceeds to play air guitar even imitating Pete Townsend's windmill motion until a stagehand brought Wood a new guitar.

Over at Wembley Stadium the highlight of the concert there was when Freddie Mercury and Queen got the entire audience in attendance to clap and sing to "Radio Ga-Ga," "We Will Rock You," and "We Are The Champions." It was reported that the sound at that point was almost deafening with over 70,000 people singing and clapping.

Live Aid was an amazing event. It raised millions of dollars and helped feed starving people. No, this wasn't just a concert.




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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Concerts
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Concerts - Smoke On The Water

By Michael Russell

In this article we're going to tell the true behind the scenes story of one of the most famous songs in rock history that was actually the result of an incident at a concert.

Everyone knows the song "Smoke On The Water". Every kid who ever picked up a guitar for the first time plunked out that four chord blues riff. For many kids, it's the only thing they were ever able to play. And many of these kids think they know the story of how that song was recorded. Yes, there was a fire, a bad one. But what most, if not all of them, don't realize is that the fire that broke out that day was during a Frank Zappa and the Mothers Of Invention concert.

The date was December 7, 1971. It was thirty years after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Maybe that should have been an omen. Certainly this was not an insignificant date in history.

Anyway, Deep Purple, the band who recorded "Smoke On The Water" was setting up their camp in Montreux, Switzerland to record their next album. They were going to use a mobile recording studio to do this which they rented from The Rolling Stones, known as their Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. They set up at the Montreux Entertainment Complex which was part of their casino. This is referred to as the "gambling house" in the lyrics of the song.

Well, on the eve of their recording session Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention were performing live in concert at the casino's theater. They were to perform a number of their popular songs including the epic "The Nancy & Mary Music”, "Sharleena”, "Duke Of Prunes”, and "Hungry Freaks Daddy". Frank Zappa was strange to say the least. However, before they could really get into the meat of their performance a fire broke out during the concert. It was said to have been caused by a Swiss fan shooting a flare gun at the ceiling, as was stated in the "some stupid with a flare gun" line that ultimately destroyed the entire casino complex, along with all of Frank Zappa and The Mother's equipment.

The smoke on the water that was talked about in the song was the smoke from the fire that spread over all of Lake Geneva. From their hotel across the way from the casino, the members of Deep Purple watched the fire burn and the smoke cover the lake. In the lyrics they mention a "funky Claude" running in and out. This was actually the director of the Montreux Jazz Festival running in and out of the casino trying to get people to safety.

The aftermath of all this was that Deep Purple had no place to record and Frank Zappa and the Mothers were part of the most famous concert in history to get cancelled mid way through.

Deep Purple eventually found another place to record, using a near empty Montreux Grand Hotel. They converted its hallways into a makeshift recording studio.

As for Frank Zappa, the concert was cancelled and never rescheduled. But he had become a part of history that little kids with electric guitars will be thankful for, for a very long time.

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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Concerts
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Concerts - Neil Diamond at Earls Court, London in 2005

By Michael Russell

It’s 1st June, 2005 and three years less a month or so since I last saw Neil Diamond perform here at Earls Court. I’m wondering if this could be a mistake because the 2002 concert was so fantastic and Neil so charismatic that I’m not sure if he can possibly live up to my, now very high, expectations.

The atmosphere is electric in the 17,000-odd seat arena and I wish that Neil would hurry up and get on stage. I don’t have to wait long. The band, all 12 pieces, emerge through the floor of the stage and the show begins with “Crunchy Granola Suite”, swiftly followed by more vintage Diamond.

Neil is just the same - the black trousers, the sparkly shirt, the energy, the voice, the charm and the mixture of panache and passion with which he delivers the timeless favourites.

Contrary to expectations, there is nothing from his imminent new album, but a sort of a preview in the form of a set of acoustic numbers including “And The Grass Don’t Pay No Mind”, a personal favourite of mine which Neil performs sitting down with his guitar.

Some of the oldies have been given a slightly new treatment in terms of arrangement, but the voice, the centrepiece, is the same. In tribute to UB40s hit with Red Red Wine, Neil starts to rap part way through. I’m not sure that I don’t prefer the original though. “Forever in Blue Jeans” introduces some interesting brass and harmonies from the three backing singers (one more than last time)

The patriotic “America” brings the crowd to their feet (even the London crowd) and “Sweet Caroline”, as ever, makes everyone sing along, our enthusiasm encouraging Neil to a couple of encores.

Except for those rare seated moments, Neil roams the stage with his usual energy, encouraging the crowd (as if they need it) and generally looking as though he is having a good time. He has the ladies in the audience practically swooning through the slightly suggestive “Play Me” and his sotto voce asides nearly bring them to their knees.

For me, apart from “And The Grass Don’t Pay No Mind”, the highlights were “Desirée” (missing from the 2002 tour) and “You Don’t Bring Me Flower”, once again in duet with Linda Press and an encore of the fabulous“I’ve Been This Way Before”.

I can’t believe how fantastic this show is, the lights, the music, the skill and camaraderie of the band but above all, the sheer presence and unmistakeable voice that is Neil Diamond.

Michael Russell

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Concerts

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Concerts - Neil Diamond at Earls Court, London in 2002

By Michael Russell

It was a hot July night (not a Hot August Night) in London and I was to see Neil Diamond perform live for the first time. I had been a fan of his music since my teens but had never been to one of his concerts. However, I knew that he had passed his 61st birthday and wondered if he could still actually sing. I needn’t have worried, he could!

For those who don’t know the Earls Court Exhibition Centre, it is a vast open space, sometimes used for trade fairs, sometimes as a theatre. It has incredibly high ceilings and is not the warmest and most inviting place in the world. On this evening, though, there was a buzz as people bought pre-show drinks and souvenir T-shirts and CDs.

We took our seats, about 20 rows from the front and slightly to the left - not a bad view of the stage - and looked with amazement at all the complicated lighting and sound equipment up in the rafters. There was a guy up there in a sort of cage for the whole evening. Who’d have his job?

Hanging down the front of the stage was the biggest Stars and Stripes you ever saw…….then the lights dimmed, the buzz of audience chatter was silenced and Neil Diamond appeared on, bounded onto rather, the stage and straight into a rousing version of “America”. Backed by a 17 piece band, many of whom had been with him for 25 years, Neil moved straight into a raft of favourites, including “The Boat That I Row” complete with well choreographed rowing movements from the beautiful ladies who make up the four piece string section.

Neil Diamond works a stage and an audience like no-one I’ve ever seen, whipping the different sections of the audience into a frenzy of appreciation with an remark here and a look there. Well worn phrase though it is, he really did have the audience in the palm of his hands, and what a mixed audience it was. Ages ranged from 20s to 90s with nearly as many men as women, throwing themselves into the dancing, clapping and swaying with as much enthusiasm.

Neil doesn’t take a break during his shows (apparently because he’s afraid people won’t return after an intermission) and although the tempo varied during the two and a half hours, he was on stage, the energy he brought to his performance was incredible.

Neil sang nearly all the old favourites, dedicating “Captain Sunshine” to the memory of Vince Charles, the band’s steel drum and percussionist, who sadly died in 2001 and “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” to the true heroes of America post 9/11, the police offers, the teachers, the fire fighters and military personnel serving overseas in order to protect the liberty of the American people.

Other highlights included “Sweet Caroline” and for one young lady in particular, “Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon”, during which Neil lay supine on the stage caressing and kissing her as well as the appearance out of the floor of a grand piano, on which Neil played “I haven’t Played This Song In Years” and “You Are The Best Part Of Me”, both from his Three Chord Opera album

Altogether, it was a memorable evening with music performed by a brilliant and charismatic artiste.

Michael Russell

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Concerts

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Paul McCartney - The Beatles - A Biography

By Michael Cooper

James Paul McCartney was born on June 18, 1942 in Liverpool. He was the first son of Mary and James McCartney. His brother, Peter Michael McCartney, was born eighteen months later. Paul's mother was a midwife, who died from breast cancer in 1955 when Paul was just 14, this troubled Paul deeply. Paul's father was a cotton salesman during the day for A. Hannay Co., and a jazz musician with Jim Mac's Jazz Band at night. Paul did very well in school. He passed his 11-Plus examination in 1957 and entered the Liverpool Institute, a very popular high school. There, he met a younger student by the name of George Harrison whom Paul later brought with him into John's group, The Quarrymen. As a child, Paul showed no particular interest in music. Both he and his brother were sent to piano lessons, but these didn't last long. Then he was given a trumpet by an uncle, and he began to teach himself. His musical talent probably came from his father. Of all The Beatles, Paul's family was the only one with any musical background or interest. At the Liverpool Institute, Paul became popular. His dealings with young girls, however, had little effect on his grades. He was a top student, but he soon found that school was interfering with his social life. Like John and the others, Paul was influenced by early rock songs. Still, it was Elvis that formed the greatest impression on him. Paul first met John through a mutual friend, Ivan Vaughan. Vaughan invited Paul to see The Quarrymen play at the Wooton Parish. c The Quarrymen, and Paul accepted. Paul's first public performance with The Quarrymen was at a dance at the Conservative Club in Broadway. Paul was supposed to play a solo that night, but for some reason, he never did. What he did do after the dance was play John some songs that he had written himself. John was impressed and later tried to write songs of his own. Neither wrote anything of much value, but the two began collaborating, each egging the other on to better works. From that day until the end of The Beatles, they never stopped, and together they became "Lennon & McCartney," one of the most renowned song writing duos of the twentieth century. Once they had become established songwriters, Paul and John would often write independently of one another. John's songs were more raw rock 'n' roll, while Paul's tended to be more romantic. Songs like "Yesterday," "Michelle," and "Lovely Rita" are typical McCartney songs. An early agreement between Paul and John assured that all Beatle songs that either wrote would bear the trademark of "Lennon & McCartney." Paul met Jane Asher at a pop concert at Albert Hall. She was then seventeen. The Radio Times asked her to go along to the concert to give her impressions of The Beatles. After the concert, she was invited back to their hotel for a drink. That night Paul and Jane spent the evening together. "I realized she was the girl for me," Paul once said. Jane, however, summed up her impression of the boys by exclaiming, "They couldn't believe I was a virgin. " Paul wanted Jane to give up acting to be with him constantly. She refused. This led to a number of arguments, but Paul was still attracted to her. It was for Jane Asher that he wrote "I'm Looking Through You" and "And I Love Her." Marriage seemed inevitable, and on Christmas Day, 1967, Paul asked Jane to be his wife. She accepted (Bio..)(Paul Mc…)

In 1969 rumors started to spread that Paul was dead. Rumors of the death were exaggerated. No one knows for sure where the "Paul is Dead" rumor began. Some rumors were spread that Paul had been dead for three years and that he had been replaced by a look a like. Beatles fans everywhere looked for clues that were left intentionally in lyrics, record covers and pictures that would reveal the truth about the hoax.

The idea that Paul McCartney was dead for three years surfaced during the release of Abbey Road in September of 1969. The first indications of the hoax were printed in two Midwestern College newspapers (Iowa’s Drake University Times-Delphic and Northern Illinois University’s Northern Star). Russel Gibb, a Detroit radio jock for WKNR FM read about the story in the college newspaper articles and invented new "clues" for listeners. Listeners called the radio station and claimed to be able to hear secret messages by playing Revolution #9 and other songs backwards. A walrus is a Greek symbol for death. In the song Glass Onion, John Lennon sings, "well here’s another clues for you all, the walrus is Paul," which connected Paul to his "death".

According to one myth. Paul left the recording studio in anger, following a fight with the rest of the group. Paul stormed out of the studio, jumped into his car and sped off (I Buried P…). All of the clues point to a car accident that reportedly happened prior to Paul leaving the studio in anger. On November 10, 1966 a British newspaper reported that on Wednesday morning at five o’clock someone was involved in a car accident, according to the newspaper the accident was so bad that the body could not be identified in any way. In A Day In The Life, John Lennon sings, "he blew his mind out in a car, he didn’t notice that the light had changed, a crowd of people stood and stared, they’d seen his face before, nobody was really sure if he was from the house of god (in the song god sounds like Paul)(I Buried P…)

Many visual clues were on the Abbey Road LP. The media began reporting the joke as a fact as soon as it was released. The rumors began to grow larger. In October of 1969 McCartney himself made a public appearance in which he stated the breaking up of The Beatles. In a 1970 Rolling Stone interview with John Lennon, Lennon was asked if any of the hidden clues were supposed to have any meaning. Lennon replied, "No. That was bull. The whole thing was made up."

The Beatles enjoyed attention. They were jokers; maybe they were just having a little fun with their fans. Some people today still believe that Paul is dead because of the many convincing clues. No evidence shows that any of the members were behind the hoax. No one can prove that it did or didn’t happen. The fact of the matter is that Paul is alive today. He is currently married to an ex-model. He is touring the concert world. And he is still a Living legend.

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Groupie !!

Madonna Goes Back To Her Roots With Confessions On A Dance Floor

By Seb Jarakian

By now you've probably heard of the Abba Gimme, Gimme, Gimme sampling dance
club monster hit Hung Up and probably wondering if the rest of the new Madonna
album Confessions On A Dance Floor is any good. Well it's definitely good and has a
string of very nicely produced tracks by the Les Rhytmes Digitales mastermind, Stuart
Price, as well as a couple of other producers on the album. In Fact if you happen to
have the Les Rhytmes Digitales Darkdancer album you'll notice some similarities. The
similarities of the early 1980's sound that was present on Darkdancer and which is
present on Confessions On A Dance Floor.

Of course the album gets right into the beats with Hung Up the best single off of the
album. Hung Up has an infectious repetitive beat that makes you want to get up and
dance. It's catchy and definitely the strongest single off of Confessions On A Dance
Floor. The next big track is Sorry which is going to be the next single off of the album.
Sorry is almost as good as Hung Up but lacks a little. I assume it's lacking the sample.
Also, other good tracks on the album are Jump, Let It Will Be and Forbidden Love. The
entire album is a continuous mix so as to have the feel of a DJ mix at a club. It is called
Confessions On A Dance Floor after all.

Overall this is a great album but not Madonna's best. I assume she's getting tired of
recording and finding the next sound. Perhaps she should release a remix album of her
past hits. Or maybe release another Immaculate Collection. Confessions On A Dance
Floor has it's moments so it's still worth checking out.

Seb Jarakian is the owner of Musync http://www.musync.com a music research and
licensing company based in San Francisco California. Seb's client list includes: Google,
Microsoft XBOX, Esurance, Clorox, VISA and Adidas. Seb also owns and updates Best
Playlists http://www.BestPlaylists.com and Beatzblog http://www.Beatzblog.com - Two
blogs about electronic music and Apple's iTunes/iPod technologies.

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The Beatles: Never Equaled in the Life of Music

By Bryon Best

Being a child of the 60’s has its rewards as well as its shortcomings one might venture to say. Growing up in that turbulent time made for some, an era of revolution and protest, for others it was just plain confusion. So many social issues were in the pot boiling, ready to become a pressure cooker and explode into total civil unrest. The war in Vietnam, the civil rights movement, the assassination of three men who would become the iconic foreheads of not one but several generations, were all part of the America of the 60’s. But something else was much a part of America at that time as well. Music was becoming a platform for voicing opinion on the social issues of the times, more so then ever before in our history. And in the middle of the Music, pushing to a head that which young Americans were seeing as a social revolution, were the Beatles.

Not American in origin, but adopted by a culture, forging what might be perceived as a new way of approaching life, by nurturing and solidifying social acceptance of protest through the medium of music. Granted the Beatles weren’t the first group to cultivate the power of music to voice a political view or speak out against social ills, but the approach they groomed, became the soap box of a generation of not just protest but philosophical thinking as well. Dealing more with personal issues then outright protest of social problems, the Beatles Music captured the hearts and minds of millions of people if not for a life time, then only for a moment in trying to see inside the songs that tweaked the heart.

Here 25 years after the assignation of Beatle John Lennon, it gives pause to think about the contribution made by the Fab Four from Liverpool. How many lives have been touched, changed forever by listening to a simple song like “Let it be”, “All You Need Is Love” or “We Can Work it out”. John Lennon and Paul McCartney both accomplished poets and songwriters, pointed out through their song the need for new ways of thinking. They brought us into the music and gave us the courage to have a dream, without fear. A dream of a bright new future, that brings with it a world more suited to peace, and kindness among all men, regardless of race color or creed.

In coming to America, the Beatles; John, Paul, George and Ringo, brought on an American Revolution of sorts through music, with never a shortage of issues to write songs about they spear headed the way for many bands and artists to follow. Parents of the 60’s hated them, because of the following by young people into a different social climate. As those parents of the 60’s became the grandparents of the 70’s, a change of heart was taking place and meaning streamed forth from the new lyrics that were the Beatles songs of the era. They were at first a mighty wedge driven in the social differences of the times, only to become a sort of glue that held tight the fabric of a nation looking to heal itself from the ravages of war and unrest.

For over a decade the Beatles were in the thick music not only in the United States but around the world, where their message of peace and love was adopted by the peoples of many nations needing to heal some wound.

Lennon’s death came on December 8, 1980, and George Harrison died of illness almost 21 years to the day after John was assassinated. Only two remain and they have gone their separate ways accomplishing many things in great careers, yet fans around the world will always remember them, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr as the Beatles, never equaled in the life of music

At Beatles Classics.com we remember the Beatles
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Green Day: Punk Rock Masters Taming Mainstream Radio Their Way

Before they got together as Green Day, Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool were merely three extraordinary hopefuls hoping and looking for their big break. The trio has no formal training and got their ‘practice’ from playing for free at punk clubs on Gilman Street in Berkeley, California. Out on the streets is where the 3 talented individuals got their big break – they turned from punk rock’s most unlikely success story to a remarkable band with a series of chart-topping hits. Together, they sold more than 10 million albums and won a Grammy Award in the process. It’s been a long journey for the trio who started out singing out in the streets.

Both Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt were born in Rodeo, California in 1972 and have been fabulous childhood friends since the age of 10. At the age of 14, they carefully put together their first band, Sweet Children.

They recorded their first EP as Green Day, 1,000 hours, in 2 days flat and in the meantime, Dirnt graduated and Armstrong dropped out of high school. A local indie label “Lookout!” released Green Day’s debut album – at this time, Green Day recorded the album with their first drummer, Al Sobrante. Al Sobrante soon quit the band. Dirnt and Armstrong found a friend in Tre Cool (Frank Edwin Wright III) who as been a drummer with “Lookout!” since the age of 12. Together, Armstrong, Dirnt and Cool released the group’s second album, Kerplunk.

Green Day didn’t burst into the entertainment scene without followers and fans. That’s because Green Day, before the release of their albums, EARNED their following by driving their renovated bookmobile from coast to coast, crashing in their friends’ places and organizing mini-concerts for their fans. When they reprised their debut, Dookie, Green Day already have a throng of fans and followers. To say the very least, Green Day made immaturity and malcontent cool all over again. Their songs on picking scabs, pyromania….won the hearts of followers and fans who can tune in to the content and felt the pain and stress in the songs. The re-release of ‘Dookie’ took the world by storm because they sold more than 10 million copies in the U.S. alone and they won a Grammy in 1994 for “Best Alternative Music Performance”.

Green Day proves to critics that they are here to stay and refuse to be a one-hit (or even one-album wonders). With their next album, Insomniac, and in their latest album, Nimrod, they stayed steadfast to the punk philosophy. They maintain that being naughty is sometimes nice – even when you’re married and have kids.

What makes the songs from Green Day so wildly popular is the fact it’s easy for anyone to identify with the lyrics. They reintroduced anger and exuberance in a very offbeat and un-rhythmic sort of way. They have, what people will call, the finger-in-your-face attitudes. The sort of staying power Green Day has shown through their songs, it’s not hard to imagine why we say that Green Day won’t be making its way out of the scene any day soon – not today, not Green Day.

Dean Erickson. Journalist, and web site builder Dean Erickson lives in Texas. He is the owner and co-editor of http://www.all-green-day.info on which you will find a longer, more detailed version of this article.

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The Rolling Stones

By Chad Koch

1. You Can't Always Get What You Want

2. Only Rock 'n Roll

3. Get Off My Cloud

4. She's A Rainbow

5. Under My Thumb

6. It's All Over Now

7. Don't Stop

8. Happy

9. The Last Time


1. You Can't Always Get What You Want

Mere days after their release of "Beggar's Banquet" in 1968, the band pulled together a real-life circus of a show. Designed as a television spectacle consisting of real circus performers, and some top rock acts of the day. Jethro Tull, The Who and Eric Clapton were in attendance, as were lions, trapeze artists, John Lennon and Yoko Ono. The kind of show you might only now see on the very best of David Letterman.

The idea was to produce a unique showcase, but the footage was eventually shelved and hidden away for nearly 3 decades due to what was deemed sub-standard performances. It was not shown publicly for 27 years, except for brief excerpts in home videos. The Who's performance of "A Quick One" was used in their own film/career documentary, "The Kids Are Alright". The true landmark of the show for The Rolling Stones was it was Brian Jones' last performance with the band.

2. Only Rock 'n Roll

Before the Rolling Stones had galvanized their name as the World Greatest Rock & Roll Band in the late '60s, they had already laid a handsome claim to the title. The Beatles had paved the way for the British Invasion, but the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, hard-pounding blues-infused rock and roll that now defines the genre. Mick Jagger might be a tiny little man by many standards, but with no question he is the biggest front man to ever grace a rock stage. Wild. Macho. Campy. Sexy. He created the role of the rockstar.

3. Get Off My Cloud

To nightcap their hugely successful 1969 North American tour, the band planned a large, free concert in San Francisco similar to a successful concert they had done in London's Hyde Park earlier that summer. But between permit denials, greed and a last-minute change of venue, the event spiraled from what was potentially a West Coast Woodstock to a jumbled chaotic mess.

Things turned for the worse with their bad choice of security, the biker gang the "Hell's Angels", contributing to a day-long sideshow of brutal violence and truly bad vibes. By the time the Stones took the stage that evening, things had already come undone with a dramatic stabbing of spectator by one of the Hell's Angels. The stabbing was captured on film in the documentary, "Gimme Shelter".

4. She's A Rainbow

The band's longtime acquaintance with law enforcement started with an infamous 'pissing' incident in March of 1965. Bill Wyman needed to use the restroom at a gas station, but was refused admittance and told to promptly vacate the premises. Mick Jagger and Brian Jones joined Bill in pissing against a wall, and the Rolling Stones' image as bad boys was firmly established. In a remarkable show of solidarity and opportunism, which was not to be repeated, all five-band members showed up at court, several weeks later.

5. Under My Thumb

How can you be the next Keith Richards? Well, asides from several obvious personal decisions, to get his legendary sound, first you're going to need to go out and get yourself a Fender Telecaster. Keith plays in open G tuning with his own customized 5-string version. Take your low E string off the guitar and then tune it low to high as GDGBD. You can always tune the low E string to D as well if you're not into removing the sixth string. Keith sums up his approach with a simple phrase that only he could truly relate, "5 strings, 3 fingers, and one ***hole." There's no one like Keith Richards.

6. It's All Over Now

The famous tongue and lip design and countless variations of such has graced countless official and unofficial Rolling Stones memorabilia and products since it first appeared when the band formed "Rolling Stones Records" in 1971. Credit for the creation of the original design has been mistakenly given to several people over the years. Many have stated that Andy Warhol was the originator. He did design two album covers for the band, but not the tongue design. In 1995, Billboard Magazine printed that it was from the mind of Ruby Mazur. Discovering their mistake, they later corrected their statement, identifying Mazur as the designer of the first official variation of the tongue design. With further research later that year, Billboard definitely uncovered that the original classic design came from John Pasch. Two years later, Mick Jagger confirmed that Pasch was the originator of the fabled logo.

7. Don't Stop

Rolling Stones museum, anyone? Former Rolling Stones member, Bill Wyman operates a restaurant entitled, "Sticky Fingers" in the well-to-do Kensington section of London. The food is nothing to write home about, unless you consider the cuisine at the Hard Rock Café something to die for. The prices are so-so, no more than the one-two punch inflicted by Planet Hollywood fare. What's special here is that the whole place is a shrine the legendary rockers. Jam-packed with posters, magazine covers, guitars, gold discs and the like. Most of time, as you might imagine, you'll be enjoying the soothing sounds of Stones tune while you munch your fish and chips.

8. Happy

If you never get a chance to stand live in the crowd and soak the sound waves as they emit straight from the wall of loud speakers, then the next best chance at the excitement is one many films made from their various shows. Perhaps the most famous is from their 1972 North American tour. Titled, "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Rolling Stones", unfortunately the screening of it can prove difficult. Originally released in Quadraphonic sound, the original soundtrack, record as it is on the film in an unusual manner requires considerable labor to view properly. The effort is occasionally undertaken, as it was done in a September 1996 screening at New York's Lincoln Center. Hmmm, maybe it would be easier to just see them live after all.

9. The Last Time

Is this their last world tour? They've been fielding that question ever since they were first asked it way back in 1966. Mick Jagger turned 59 this past July 26th and Keith Richards turns 59 on December 18th. Jagger will be 60 by the time they wrap up their European tour, perhaps that's old enough to retire, but we're betting that they'll be back as long as they're around. Why stop now?

To read more articles by Chad, please visit the American Pop Culture Encyclopedia at: http://www.americanpopcultureencyclopedia.com.

If you would like to read this article, or others like it, on American Pop Culture Encyclopedia:
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Tupac Shakur - A Short Biography - African American Entertainer

p>Tupac Shakur - A Short Biography - African American Entertainer
By Michael Cooper

Tupac Shakur was a very influential person in 20th century USA. He was born on
June 16, 1971 in Brooklyn New York, and died on September 13, 1996 in Las Vegas
Nevada (unknown author, no title, no page, letter code C). But his family moved
around a lot while he was a kid (Bastin, J.D.). He eventually ended up in the
Bay Area California alone and spent his first two years there homeless (unknown
author, no title, n.p., letter code D). He grew up with only his mom and loved
her very much. He even wrote a song called Dear Mama to his mom and thanked her
for how she tried her best at raising him.

His public career started when he joined the seminal Bay Area rap ensemble
(u.a., “original area,” n.p.). He started as a tour dancer but then started
rapping live (u.a., “original area,” n.p.). From there he released a couple
albums and then was offered to be in some movies. He became friends with a
couple of popular rap artists like Snoop Doggy Dogg and Dr. Dre (Placid n.p.).
He made some songs and music videos with them that made it big on the Billboard
charts. This really helped his popularity. He released a double CD with the
songs on it and a lot of his own songs and sold millions of copies (u.a., n.t.,
n.p. letter code D) More people were influenced to buy his CD. People listened
to the music and did what he said he did. So Tupac was influencing all of these
people.

Tupac was rich and famous now. He was showing off his own style now and didn’t
need his popular friends. This is the time that many people saw the real Tupac
and loved him. He was now very influential to fans. They wanted to be just like
him. He starred in more movies and could be who he really was. He did a lot of
interviews that showed his beliefs. He said self esteem and self respect was
very important and said “I feel as though I am a shining prince just like
Malcolm and feel that all of us are shining princes, and if we live like shining
princes, then whatever we want can be ours. Anything.” (Patrick, Tony, n.p.) And
when he says all of us, he means all men. He also said he doesn’t care if
someone is white or black. And no one can be judged by their skin. “So just
because it’s Black don’t mean it’s cool, and just because it’s White don’t mean
it’s evil.”(Patrick, Tony n.p.) If he judged a man, he judged them by what they
do to or how they treat others. Tupac wasn’t racis!
t against any body. And he showed that. I’ve seen him treat everyone equal that
I see him with on TV or even on movies. This is an influence because since
people want to be like him, they will follow his beliefs. And if Tupac believes
in non-racism, then the people will believe in that too.

This is a big difference from him and other rap artists. A lot of others are
racist to different people, and the different people then don’t like him, don’t
listen to his music, don’t see his movies, and aren’t influenced by him. Almost
all races listen to Tupac’s music. I’ve known Mexican, White, Black, Asian,
Indian, and even Pakistani people who listened to his music and are influenced
and are moved by him. I’ve even saw a show in Singapore about music here and a
Singaporean kid said he listens to Tupac.

Tupac has a lot of self-values that he follows. He even said it’s hard
sometimes, but he keeps it up. He said “To me it’s really troubling because I
look over what’s successful - Marky Mark, Hammer, Vanilla Ice, New Kids on the
Block selling twenty-two million copies, and I want that so badly, but I can’t
do that. I would be wrong to do that, knowing what I know and having the brain
that I have, for me to even go and write some simple shit would be wrong even
though I would get paid and I would get more people's money.” (Patrick, Tony,
n.p.) This means that Tupac has a strong will and values. He resisted the
temptation to write some easy rhyming words and get peoples money. He instead
followed his values and worked up to his potential.

He says he also believes in Karma (Bastin, J.D., n.p.). That what comes around
goes around. And he said he believes in reincarnation too. He wants to be a good
man in this life, because he said he knew he was going to die soon (Bastin,
J.D., n.p.) and wanted to be ready for the next life. The reason Tupac gives for
the reason he makes his music is not only for the money, but so people would
know what it was like for him growing up. He also wanted to be remembered. He
said “I would rather leave something so that when people pick up 2Pacalypse Now
or any of my other albums in 1999, they'll go, 'Damn! Brothers had it hard back
in the day, but brothers were working it out.” (Patrick, Tony, n.p.)

He said his music is spiritual: a little like gospels, but with a different idea
in mind. And that his music was not meant to be danced to, but just to be
listened to. His music was for the strong willed (Patrick, Tony, n.p.). He shows
his hard life through his music “Which celebrates violent defiance of a society
viewed as largely racist and lethal” (Patrick, Tony, n.p.).

I think Tupac influenced most of the people that listen to his music. People
start to dress like him and talk like him if they see him on music videos
singing his newest song. They could also listen to the things that Tupac says he
does, and then do those things themselves. I hope his values and beliefs in a
non-racial world also influence people. He does say some bad things, but he did
spend eleven and a half months in a maximum-security jail for something he
claims he never did and says that he was framed for (Placid, Sylvester n.p.). He
also spent two years of his life homeless (u.a., n.t., n.p. letter code D) and
grew up having it hard to fit in(u.a., n.t, n.p., letter code B). Tupac was not
a normal man, but he was still trying to send a good message to the youth’s that
listened and still do listen to his music.

He also influenced many future and present rap artists. Biggie Smallz for
example sounded just like Tupac, and used the same voice tones as Tupac. I’ve
also heard about five other songs that steal the backgrounds to Tupac’s songs.
And if there are that many imitators now, there will definitely be a lot in the
future.

One of the reasons he was so influential is because he showed his real self to
the world through interviews, music videos, movies, his music, and his poetry.
He showed his views on the world unlike most other rap artists. Another reason
is because people liked his views and liked his non-racial ways. People liked
the way he sung about real subjects. Not like the others who sing about nothing
much, and then get all the money they can. Also his unique style of mixing new
sounds for a new beat really separated his music from others. He didn’t use
traditional beats that people get tired of. He added a twist to rap and hip-hop
music all together. And brought a lot of people to like that.

“Tupac was one of raps most controversial and influential performers” (“tupac”
n.p.). “Tupac Amaur Shakur left a distinct impact on American culture that is
still being shown today” (u.a., n.t., n.p. letter code D) He was one of the most
influential persons in the 20th century America. And I believe he will be
remembered and loved by a lot for years to come. He has served and will serve as
a role model for younger kids growing up today.

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The Beatles

By Chad Koch

BLACK AND WHITE

MAINSTAY

MARKET SHARE

CALL/RESPONSE

THE QUIET BEATLE

I’M HAPPY JUST TO DANCE WITH HER

ELEANOR RIGBY

SALVATION

STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER

BLACK AND WHITE




BLACK AND WHITE


Are the Beatles still relevant these days? After decades of varying music, does the fab four still wield influence and power? True modern music has taken many forms that didn’t readily exist when the Beatles were in their prime, but it doesn’t take much to look at today’s indie rock scene to seen where their mark has remained strong. Take in obvious Beatle-influenced acts like Blur or Oasis or even listen to the garage revved sounds of bands like The Hives, The Strokes, Elastica, The White Stripes and the Darkness and then revisit the White Album and you may be surprised at how little things have really changed.



MAINSTAY


Of all time, the Beatles place third in top album sales with a total combination of 39 gold and platinum albums. By comparison, Barbara Streisand has 46 and Elvis was way out in front with 80.



MARKET SHARE


While Elvis may have had more albums go platinum or gold, it still doesn’t mean he sold more albums than the Beatles. For example, in recent history, The Beatles ‘1’ album has sold around 23 million copies, while ‘Elvis 30 #1 Hits’ has only garnered 9 million sales. Norah Jones did about that much with her ‘Come Away with Me’ album. It just goes to show you that the Beatles have a fanbase with staying power. Their music has withstood the test of time better than any other band in history.



CALL/RESPONSE


Asides for solid musical talent and song writing, the Beatles stellar success can be attributed to the band possessing three very strong voices. This fact allowed them to build strong harmonies, often with call/response and alternating viewpoints.



THE QUIET BEATLE


George Harrison has often been referred to as the “quiet Beatle”, but he was the first to leave his mark after the Beatles disbanded. He released a hit single in 1970 called, “My Sweet Lord” which went to Number One. However the success was overshadowed six years later when a court ruling found Harrison guilty of “subconscious plagiarism”. The song in question was the Chiffons’ song, “He’s So Fine”.



I’M HAPPY JUST TO DANCE WITH YOU


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ELEANOR RIGBY


A truly sad and lonely song, the song Eleanor Rigby relates the tale of a woman who cleans a church and Father Mackenzie who gives sermons there. Fittingly so, the story conveys Eleanor’s tale as she cleans up after a wedding, a ceremony she could only wish to be a participant in. Each night she gets dressed but has no place to go. She longs for the embrace of the man she spends her days with, Father Mackenzie. He meanwhile suffers the plight that no one is moved by his words, despite is status. Even though they share a special unifying bond, Eleanor and Father Mackenzie are locked away from each other due to convention and formality. The institution of their situation which binds them simultaneously and eternally keeps them apart. Somberly, Eleanor’s tale ends with her death and she is laid to rest ‘with her name’ in the church. She dies alone, leaving no lineage behind her.



SALVATION


“Strawberry Fields” was named for a real place, Strawberry Field, a children’s home run by the Salvation Army in Liverpool, in John Lennon’s childhood neighborhood. The original Victorian building was demolished in the late 60’s, but the site is still a Salvation Army Children’s Home and still carries the name Strawberry Field. John sent a large donation to them before his death and in return there is a building there called “Lennon Hall”. Yoko Ono continues to send them donations.



STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER


The famed Strawberry Fields in New York’s Central Park was given that name in 1981, following John Lennon’s untimely death. The 2.5 acre section of park is sited at 72nd street, directly across Central Park West from the Dakota Building where John and Yoko lived. John Lennon was gunned down by Mark Chapman, a man who had lingered for days around Lennon’s apartment. Chapman had just hours earlier asked Lennon for his autograph and confessed he heard voices in his head telling him to kill the beloved musician. John Lennon was 40 years old when he died on the night of December 8th, 1980.



BORN TO BE WILD


Their music was grew out of need. The world was looking for it and the Beatles responded. The youth of America made rock and roll what it is today.

“America had teenagers and everywhere else just had people” – John Lennon

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John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Mitch Mitchell - Yer Blues

Google Video Search is AWESOME . I'm a BIG Lennon Fan but never saw this before.


John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Mitch Mitchell - Yer Blues

Originally filmed in December 1968, "The Rock and Roll Circus" was originally intended to be released as a television special. The special was filmed over two nights and featured not only the Rolling Stones but The Who, Jethro Tull (with future Black Sabbath guitarist Tommy Iommi filling in for the recently departed Mick Abrahams), Marianne Faithful and an all-star jam featuring John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and Mitch Micthell.

50 Cent Bio

G-Units 50 Cent , was born 6th of July 1976 is a New York State
rapper that uprose to spectacular grandness inside the
entertainment collective in 2003... Curtis Jackson incarcerated
and much more. Quite easily, 50cent has become the greatest
artist since Slim, as well 50 Cent's album also has Dr.Dre. 50
Cent and G-unit have a clothing company Gunit Clothing and 50
cents music producing, Curtis Jackson will be around for a long
time. G-Units 50 Cent released his first major album Get Rich Or
Die Tryin in december 2003; it sported the single PIMP.
Naturally produced by Marshall Mathers and Dr. Dre. watch disco
inferno 50 cent could not gain mainstream exposure till he was
discovered by Slim.

With G-Units 50 Cent fearless bravado, Banks catchy lyrical
proclamations, and the Southern drawl of David Brown, the watch
50 cent disco inferno video excitement component alone have
placed young Buck atop the hip hop game. Fifty like others
before him like Jay Z, by launching his first Clothing Company.
The foremost main line consists Jeans emblazoned G-Unit
logotypes. 50 Cent has took after the steps of his compatriate
Em who has lately diversified into clothing with his Shady Ltd
range.

Already a staple on any urban floor worth its salt, this Dr. Dre
produced hip-hop monster from the Eminem protégé is sure to
cement his rep as one of the scene's most exciting new talents
as well as shoot a cursory glance at all those rappers merely
coasting on their rhyming laurels. Taken from the 2003 album,
'Get Rich or Die Tryin''. The title track is backed with four
non-LP tracks, 'In Da Club' (Instrumental, Enhanced Video) &
'Wanksta' (Soundtrack Version, Enhanced Video). Interscope. 2003.

http://gunit-50cent.com

50 Cent

More so than any other music since the blues, hip-hop is all
about stories. And its stories are both criminal minded and
grand, making them enthralling and unbelievable, but also making
them only as interesting and convincing as the teller. That's
why, despite being blackballed by the industry, without a
major-label recording contract, heads still gravitated to
Jamaica, Queens' realest son, 50 Cent, like the planets to the
sun. 50 Cent, born Curtis Jackson 26 years ago, is the real
deal, the genuine article. He's a man of the streets, intimately
familiar with its codes and its violence, but still, 50, an
incredibly intelligent and deliberate man, holds himself with a
regal air as if above the pettiness which surrounds him. Born
into a notorious Queens drug dynasty during the late '70s, 50
Cent lost those closest to him at an early age. Raised without a
father, 50's mother, whose name carried weight in the street
(hint, hint, dummies), was found dead under mysterious
circumstances before he could hit his teens. The orphaned youth
was taken in by his grandparents, who provided for 50. But his
desire for things would drive him to the block.

Unfortunately, caught up in industry limbo, there wasn't much
JMJ could do for 50. The platinum hitmakers Trackmasters took
notice of 50 and signed him to Columbia Records in 1999. He
turned out 36 songs in this short period, which resulted in
"Power Of A Dollar," an unreleased masterpiece that Blaze
Magazine judged a classic. In April of '00, 50 was shot 9 times,
including a .9mm bullet to the face, in front of his
grandmothers house in Queens. He spent the next few months in
recovery while Columbia Records dropped him from the label. He
banged out track after track, despite no income or backing, with
his new business partner and friend Sha Money XL. They released
the red, white and blue bootleg, "50 Cent Is the Future,"
revisiting material by Jay-Z and even Rapheal Saadiq.

Not since the summer of '94, when radio would play absolutely
anything Notorious B.I.G. related, has hip-hop seen buzz like
this. The CD featured only one new track, "Wanksta," which was
certainly not intended for radio, but the streets couldn't wait
for the official single and within weeks "Wanksta" became New
York's most requested record. He's coming with over ten
incredible tracks stashed from last spring and newly recorded
winners courtesy of Eminem, who's really cut his production
teeth of late, and hip-hop's greatest, highest-selling producer
Dr. Dre. Promising an LP of the caliber of rap classics like
"Illmatic," "Ready to Die," and "Reasonable Doubt," 50 Cent's
debut promises to set the pace for hip-hop in coming years. The
product of his unrelenting drive, talent and, frankly, his
real-ness, 50's official first album promises to do for him just
what it says.

http://gunit-50cent.com

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The 60's in Retrospect

Well, this past week was definitely a "journey through the past"
for many of us who watched the PBS specials featuring highlights
from the 60's. Kicking off with "No Direction Home", a
documentary about Bob Dylan, helped set the scene for
what was to come. Rare glimpses into the life and times of this
private and self-effacing man were a special treat for me.
Joan Baez made the comment that "it goes down real deep"
for those of us who are fans of Dylan. This is very true and
sometimes hard to explain to others who don't share the
sentiment. But, one thing is certain, as musicians and
songwriters, we can all learn something from him. What stands
out most prominently about Bob Dylan in my mind, is the fact
that he is always true to himself and doesn't let anyone put him
in a box. When others wanted him to carry their torch or
lead their cause, he stayed on course and followed his
own path. He knew who he was and as a result many more people
benefited from hearing his music and message. Bob Dylan carried
his own torch and it proved to be brighter and stronger
than all the others who came before him.

Wednesday night presented "The Best of the Beatles" which was
actually a play on words - "Best" referring to Pete Best,
the former drummer of the Beatles. It was interesting to hear
this familiar story told again through the eyes of Pete Best
himself. A gracious man, you couldn't help feeling his regret
for having missed out on being a part of the most famous band in
rock n' roll history. But can you imagine if the group had been
John, Paul, George and Pete? Naah... I don't think so.

Revolution and anarchy finished off the week. We saw the
idealism of the 60's turn into disillusionment by the end of the
decade. After years of struggling for peace, hopes were
exacerbated by the assassinations of Bobby Kennedy and Martin
Luther King. Dropping out, tuning out, increased drug use- all
signs of an unhappy, unhealthy society- now marred the dream.
Some good came out of this time though. Starting with George
Harrison and his relief concert for Bangledesh, efforts
began to be made by musicians to help raise money for people in
need. We saw the formation of "Band Aid", another brainchild of
Bob Dylan, come into existence with the help of Willie
Nelson. It continues to this day to raise money through
annual benefit concerts held on behalf of the many struggling
farmers in our nation. There is so much here to reflect on and
think about! Music and musicians can make a difference.
Some of the important lessons I've learned from famous musicians
and songwriters this week are:

Be real.

Don't compromise.

Put your heart into it.

And always keep your eyes open for opportunities to help others
in need.

By keeping these things in mind, perhaps my own music (and
yours too) can have a part in making the world a better place.

About the author:
FREE Reprint Rights - You may publish this article in your
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Kathy Unruh is a singer/songwriter and webmaster of ABC Learn
Guitar. She has been writing songs and providing guitar
lessons to students of all ages for over 20 years.

The World Is Full Of Great Guitar Solos

Do you have a favourite guitar solo? You know, one that sends a
cold chill down the back of your neck? One, that for some
unknown reason seems to fit the song so perfectly that you
couldn't imagine any other guitar solo being played in that
song? I bet you have a few you could mention. I'm going to list
five all time classic solos that influenced me when I was
starting out. See what you think.

Something by George Harrison - A beautiful solo for a beautiful
song. I heard a story that the final solo used on the Abbey Road
album was actually a mix of a few solos George had recorded.
There is no doubting that he excelled himself on this song. It
just goes to show that sometimes the simplest of licks will
suffice. Thanks for the memories George....

All Right Now by Paul Kossoff - An absolute classic rock solo!!.
A composition within itself you might say. This solo features no
right hand tapping, no full throttle speed licks and no wammy
bar heroics. Instead we have a brilliantly constructed solo with
a definite beginning, middle and end. Check out the way Paul
gently pulls the listener in by using a couple of licks to
introduce the solo and then builds up to a fantastic ending.
This solo is a prime example of how to play a great rock solo.

All Along The Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix - Jimi plays Dylan.
This is probably one of my all time favourites. This is one of
those solos that I really do not want to analyse. I just want to
sit back, listen and enjoy. To be honest, there are many of Jimi
solos I could have included in this but, to me, this one is
simply outstanding. It's one I never, ever tire of listening to.
Each and every time it just blows me away. The whole feeling of
this track is just amazing.

Cliffs Of Dover by Eric Johnson - This is a prime example of
great technique being mixed with a great feel for the music
being played. As with Jimi, there are many Eric Johnson tracks I
could have chosen. I decided on this one because it was the
first thing I ever heard Eric Johnson play. Back in the mid to
late 80's Guitar Player magazine included it as a freebie
flexidisc in one of its issues. I loved it then and I love it
now. If you haven't heard this track check it out as soon as you
can.

I'm Goin' Home by Alvin Lee - A song by helicopter! This is just
plain old rock n' roll from the wonderful Alvin Lee. I've chosen
this one because it was a big favourite of mine when I was first
starting to play. It is raw, exciting, and it makes you want to
play. I remember being knocked out by the sheer speed of Alvin's
fingers when I first heard this one. A gem from one of the
greats.

Obviously there are many great solos I have had to miss from
this list. Who could forget, Django Reinhardt's Nuages, Larry
Carlton's Kid Charlemagne, Elliott Randall's Reeling In The
Years, Brian May's Bohemian Rhapsody, Eddie Van Halen's Beat it,
Albert Lee's Country Boy, Bert Jansch's Angie, David Gilmour's
Comfortably Numb, Jimmy Page's Stairway To Heaven, Steve Vai's
For The Love Of God, Eric Clapton's Sunshine Of Your Love, Brian
Setzer's I Won't Stand In Your Way, Mason Williams' Classical
Gas, Jimi's Little Wing, Chet Atkins' Yakety Axe, Scotty Moore's
That's All Right Mama.....etc...etc....etc.... The list goes on
and on.

The five I chose were important in my early years as a player.
If compiling the same list next week, I might come up with
something completely different. My tastes have changed over the
years and I am sure they will continue to do so.

What five guitar solos would you list and why?

www.jack-sky.com

About the author:
Peter Jones is the Managing Director of Jack Sky Ltd. Based in
the great city of Liverpool, Jack Sky is committed to providing
1st class guitar tutorials to all of its customers. A warm
welcome awaits you at www.jack-sky.com

Bruce Springsteen: The Ultimate Performer

The magical moments of a Bruce Springsteen concert begin seconds
after the lights in the arena, club or theatre go out, you're
staring at the stage knowing that in the next few seconds Bruce
will arrive ready to pour out his heart, sharing his soul night
after night, city after city, concert after concert tour after
tour. The stage lights begin to shine and within a minute or so
the sounds of The Rising, Thunder Road, Badlands or Devils and
Dust are all around you and once again Bruce and each of us are
heading on that special journey that is so special each night.
It's magic in the night, each and every night.

"Experiencing" Bruce Springsteen in concert is part religious
rock and roll, part revival meeting, a journey of joy, passion
and excitement. Be it at Fenway Park with Bruce trying to end
the Curse of the Bambino, the lone spotlight on Bruce singing
Thunder Road simply with Roy Bittan on the piano in 1975 on the
Born to Run tour, the Boss and the Big Man hitting/creating
perfect synergy during Badlands - Bruce Springsteen on the 1978
Darkness Tour, the sheer force of Born in the USA on the
1984-1985 BIUSA Tour, the carnival like start of the 1988 Tunnel
of Love Tour or that unforgettable moment during the Reunion
tour when faith was restored - Bruce was back where he always
belonged - on stage with the E Street Band, Bruce has thrilled
so many of us.

Each of us has our own Bruce experiences, stories that we've
often wanted the opportunity to share with fellow Bruce fans.
Chance encounters with Bruce, traveling to the Holy Mecca Asbury
Park, taking your children/parents to their first Springsteen
concert, meeting strangers who have become lifelong friends or
even marrying fellow Bruce fans - there are countless stories
that can only be told by each of us and we've never had that
chance. Undoubtedly Bruce has moved you. Emotionally,
politically or from a humanitarian perspective. We are calling
out to Bruce from the Jersey Shore, Philly, the backstreets of
Boston, Bruce fans in the UK, Sweden, Spain, Italy, Germany,
Holland, Japan, Brazil, Canada - everywhere and anywhere where
Bruce fans call home.

The journey continues...

About the author:
Lawrence Kirsch and Howard Bloom are lifelong Bruce Springsteen
fans You can contact them at http://www.foryoubruce.com

Bruce Springsteen CDs - Bruce Springsteen DVDs - Bruce Springsteen T-Shirts - Bruce Springsteen Tickets