Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo So what are ya listening to tonight?

John:
I have the original on DVD...great movie. Haven't even seen the new one!

Oh yeah, that's a great movie, too. I need to check that out on DVD. Ya know, the SCI-FI Channel should do all those late 50's early 60's movies. Last night they played, Frankenfish? How about Buck Rodgers and Flash Gordon? Probably wouldn't hurt to see if those are out there on Google or EBAY, now that I think about it. (that thing they call the Internet is kinda like...cool)

What am I listening to tonight? Don't ask!!

The kids are having a friend over for the night, and he brought his little stereo "Radio" with 2.2" "Worsenbose" no-range drivers that the only thing driven is me!...to insanity!! The kids are playing X-box thru the main system, so the racket from that is in equal competition with the little radio turned up to eleven.

The littlest one is in her room with her TV up unreasonably loud to drown out the din!!

And Grandma is in the sewingroom with her headphones on so she has no idea what she's missing!!

.....and I'm not about to disturb her, or the additional sonic distortion whould be neigh unrecognizable!!

What am I listening to tonight?

Don't ask!

Just got Eric Burdon's new CD "Soul of a Man' will give it a listening tonight.

Crank it up!!!!!

Got the kids a new flat panel for the end of the breakfast bar and stuck the X-box to it.

Got me back control of the main system!! Put on my ol' favorite: "Fender 50th anniversary" guitar CD and let 'er fly while doin' some more fine tuning of the system!!

Gettin better all the time!!

Yeah!!

So I'm here at my ConFuser watching a couple of DVD's tonight. Looks and sounds great with the 21" LCD and the M3ti's. The wife has to get up early tomorrow so I didn't want to bother her with the main system.

The discs I'm watching are "The Kids are Alright," which is the seminal Who documentary, and the "Led Zeppelin DVD," specifically disc 1 which is a concert from late 1969 before Led Zeppelin became LED ZEPPELIN. And once again I am entranced and blown away.

I really am hard pressed to find 2 other groups that flat out RAWK the way these did back in the day. Whether it is with the wry (almost smirking) wit of The Who or the "naughty schoolboy" antics of LZ they both just walked out on stage and parted your hair. Even through grainy film and 35 years they both grab you by the short hairs and punch you in the gut. Un-f*ck8ing-believable.

I've always had an affinity for The Who. I grew up with them as my guide through adolescence. Whether it be the "F-You" statement of "My Generation," the furtive idolatry of "Pictures of Lily," or the wallflower uneasiness of "I Can't Explain" the always seemed to tell me that they too had been there. Later I came to understand that the genius of the band was that they took Pete's rantings simple or pretentious for face value and simply played the hell out oth them. Just flat out RAWK-UHN-ROWUHL. And that is the beauty of The Who as far as I'm concerned. Fragile, uncertain center wrapped in a bash-you-over-the-head flat out balls to the wall hardcore shell. No one has EVER made NOISE like The Who. Just watch the "My Generation" track from the Monterey Pop Festival, or any of the "Tommy" tracks from Woodstock. One of my all time faves is "A Quck One(While He's Away) from "The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus." By the 'Stones own admission the RNR Circus was held from release for 30-plus years becasue they were so thoroughly outplayed by The Who. It's an amazing glimple at the pre-worldwide-fame Who at their early peak.

The concert on disc 1 of the LZ DVD again shows a band at their early, pre-megastardom peak. It was filmed in 1969 a couple of months after the release of "Led Zeppelin II." Watch the crowd closely and you will witness the birth of "head banging" as the kids in the front row literally start doing just that on the edge of the stage. I can only imagine the effect of a band, right at the tail end of the Woodstock era, just coming out with all knobs "turned to eleven" and just flat out nailing your balls to the wall like that. No concepts, no peace and love, just "whang whang bidibidibidi grrrrrrrrooooowwwwlllll all I want is to get in your pants tonight." The quintessential naughy schoolboys. I'm captivated by their easy familiarity onstage and by the sheer aggresiveness of their playing. Also, I defy you to find an exemplar of rock drumming eclipsing that of Bonzo in this concert. None exists. End of story.

Anyway, there's my bloviation for the evening. G'night.

Mark,
I am with you re: The Who and Led Zep. That 1969 Led Zep concert just blows me away every time I watch it. It's amazing to see how good they were that early in their careers. I am grateful for growing up with these bands around. Being in my forties now and able to look back on all the concerts I attended over the years. Wow!l There will be a huge void in rock when some of these old bands decide to pack it in. BTW, the only drummer that comes close to John Bonham is Neil Peart of Rush. Both were influenced by Buddy Rich (the world's greatest drummer).
Cheers,
Shaun

Keith Moon was pretty good, too!

The first drummer that actually caught my attention was Cubby(sp?)on the original "Mickey Mouse Club" in the 50s!

For such a little guy he really put on quite a show!
Rich.