The untraditional Xmas

Hello to all
I recently (as of friday) had a very untraditonal Xmas. Why you may ask ? Well my father who turned 80 this past July and despite having a slight stroke in 2002 and taking heart medication is fairly healthy for his age.
Last Tuesday he had extreme case of lower stomach pain. So much so he had to be taken to the emergency room at the local hospital(which is about four blocks) by an ambulance.
The first time I saw him in the emergency room he was curled up on the gurney clutching his stomach and complaing and cursing. Now my father doesn't curse all the time (he does some) and is a fairly easy going guy but he was giving the nurses and doctors a hard time. After a CT scan and Xray they discovered that his lower intestines or bowels were obstructed.
The solution then was to pump his stomach which involves sticking a tube down your nose and throat into the stomach.
At first he wouldn't have it no he said just take me home and get me something to eat I'll be ok and he also believed that it would cause cancer(a larynscopy was done to his uncle and his cancer was already in the later stages.)He was being stubborn and obstinate about it.
The doctor, my mother, and I assured him that this wouldn't be if he'd just cooperate finally he said Ok. I didn't see this procedure but from the sound it wasn't pleasant.
They pumped his stomach for about six hours and got alot and I mean ALOT of fluid out of it. The doctor after studying the scans and x rays suggested that not only was the lower intestine blocked it was "twisted" like a hose. They'd never seen it before in man of this age and he'd never had any surgery in his stomach.They'd have to send him to Memorial Hospital in Springfield,Il for potential surgery.
About ten pm after being in the emergency room for nine hours he was transported to Memorial Hospital. The surgeons and staff looked at him more closely and suggested that they would continue to pump his stomach until morning and maybe only have to do a laproscopy to check and see if would clear itself up.
My mother and I left the hospital thinking that it would be better in the morning we got two blocks from the hospital and the cell phone rang.
The surgeon decided to do the laproscopy that night and possibly operate on his lower intestines. So back to the hospital we went and they prepared him for surgery.
The surgeons were extremely nice and I got the impression they were really concerened about this obstruction and that it couldn't wait until morning.
There was scar tissue wrapping around his small intestine and causing him all that pain.They made an incision below his belly button took out the intesting cut out the "kink" and sewed it back together and put it back.We waited in the surgery waiting room for about three hours and around four am the surgeon came in and told us my father would be OK !
If the surgeons didn't do this he'd either gotten gange green or perrinitis or could have died. I'm very glad that they were vigilant about this problem and treated it as life threating.
He spent five days in the hospital recuperating and I knew he was feeling well when he was joking around with the nursing staff and doctors.
So I'm very thankful to the surgeons at Memorial Hospital in Springfield Il. They are very skilled and nice people and would highly recommend them any day.
Although, it was an untraditional Xmas it would ensure traditional and uneventful ones to come.
A very big THANK YOU and Congratulations to the surgeons and staff at Memorial Hospitial in Springfield, Illinois.

The Return of the Mac and other thoughts.

Hello to all
well after nearly two weeks of hand wringing and kvetching I've repaired my Mac. Now this repair just required a new hard drive which one can pick up for about $70 at Best Buy (which is what I did). However, when your unemployed but getting a smaller weekly paycheck $70 seems like alot of money. Thanks to my friend Matt who helped me with half that amount my G5 Macintosh is running today. Matt is a friend who I met when I worked at Borders and I've known him now for over ten years.
We've been good friends for most of the ten years but there were times when we didn't agree or something was said by either of us (probably me) that caused us to disagree. It was realized in time that the friendship should continue on and it did.
When I met him he seemed like a nice enough guy at the time and I thought that we'd work together and eventually grow apart. But that didn't happen despite the physical distance between us (He's live in Alaska, Florida, Idaho, Maine, New Hampshire, Wyoming) we've gotten close with every phone call, email and visit.
Like alot of people in this world he's a child of divorce and the circumstances in the divorce I won't go into at length but let's just say his parents parting wasn't a pleasant one. Despite this he has a pleasant personality and is probably one of the nicest and most honest hard working person you'd ever want to meet.
So before I get to long winded here lets all stop for a moment and remember those friends who mean alot to you and let them know how much they are appreciated.

John Hughes, michael Jackson, The Beatles

Well one of the idols of my youth died the other day John Hughes. He was known for his direction of The Breakfast Club, Ferris Buellers Day Off, Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles.Recently, he directed those Home Alone and Beethoven movies which were Ok but not as good as his previous work.

Ot seems like everyday someone who I identified with in the past is well...past. I realize that as you get older people who are
famous that you identified with do get older and die however Gerogre Burns and Bob Hope lived to be 100 and Harry Morgan is 94 years old ( Col Potter on MASH) as far as I know he's in decent health and hopefully will also live to be 100.

However, There are the surprises I can recall when people didn't think for a minute that people such as John Candy, Chris Farley, and yes even Michael Jackson would die or even die suddenly. . I guess we shouldexpect people to pass away "suddenly" but it is always difficult to grasp this until it happens.

I guess one just has to keep in mind that everyday is fleeting and that there may not be too many more tomorrows.

Another note on the passing of time the Beatles album Abbey Road turned 40 today and it was at the forefront of music at its time. I think it was one of the first albums that used a synth instead of an organ or piano. I've heard that it was so delicate that the other members of the Beatles would have to wait for Paul to set it up and play the parts for the album. This caused alot of tension so maybe we should be blaming it and not Yoko?
Anyway, the Abbey Road album is worth listening too from beginning to end on this date forty years later.
Until next week ?
GETOUTOFMYHEAD!

I actually went to something on a friday night

Hello everyone
I went to the Sonic Youth concert on friday night which is unusual because I've always been a "homebody". The concert was free (I did have to pay for the metrolink ride there) It was part of the Budweiser Live on The Levee series and played on stage under the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. I'm not a big fan of Sonic Youth although I do know some of their songs and I think their biggest influence/ audience is pot smokers. Anyway, I decided to go and listen to them. I was glad to see several age groups there from the "old" people like myself to youngsters who probably never owned a 45 single (record). T Before the show started a guy approached the microphone and announced that there was a lost child needed to be found but as soon as he announced it she was found by the soundboard. He said to her that "she's just helping them get the sound for the band up to perfection." With the child found the show was going to start at 7:30 the band appeared at 7:45 but they are from the NYC area so being fashionable late is normal for them

. Thurston Moore founder and sometimes lead singer announced that "we are the sonic youth" after that they began playing. They recently released a new Cd an I believe they played alot of their new material from it. The band isn't the type to stop and say for our next song we will play etc they just play from one song into another.

Kim Gordon sang a song and I did see some people leave with a disgusted look on their face guess they were expecting a band like The Fray or maybe David Gray ? Overall, the crowd remained interested in the songs. I was kind of concerned about those standing in front of the stage they just did that stood there. Back in the day (I sound old) that area would have been moshing, crowd surfing or even pogoing I would have liked to at least see pogoing.

During a break Moore asked if it was always this beautiful here (highs in the 80's low humidity) the crowd laughed because it usually isn't this pleasant in the middle of July. He said they(band) were thinking of relocating and wondered if there was any room in the arch for rent.

I wondered to myself about the ages of the members of the band. I know they started around 1980 with Moore and Gordon at least in their twenties and by now approaching or at their fifties. I checked up on their ages on Wikipedia. Thurston Moore is going to turn 51 next saturday and Kim Gordon who I guessed to be fifty is actually fifty six almost sixty years old. She didn't seem to be slowing down with her skills on the guitar or stage persona.

They played a solid show despite it being free and the fans not being hardcore Sonic Youth followers.

The one thing that I didn't like is at the end of their encore set their p.a. system was shut off and a song by Flyleaf started playing and the fireworks show started. I think those that planned this should have given them some extra time to finish and take a bow before blasting lame pop and fireworks.

Until next time.

GETOUTOFMYHEAD

Here is an added bonus some video I shot on my phone.

When will the tribute end ?

When will the tribute(s) end to the deceased king of pop. I realize that he was a "icon" in the music industry and still had alot of fans despite releasing only one album in the past ten years or so(more recent work were compilations) .
However, I think there should be a time limit to how long the media can pay tribute too him. In my opinion two weeks is about long enough although the fascination with the King of Rock Elvis Presley passing away has yet to go away and he's been dead for 30 years. The media is worried about how Michael's kids are going to grow up without their father. They should avoid MJ's dad because from what MJ said wasn't a pleasant influence on their father.
Lisa Marie grew up without her father and she doesn't seem all that affected by it unless you count her marrying MJ and Nicholas Cage and releasing a few horrible albums. I'm certain that the children that MJ had will grow up to be semi-well adjusted despite their lineage. One of them might actually have a talent for music or something related to music? The best thing they could do is either get away from the music business altogether or become a producer or a label owner.

HELLO Its good to be back good to be back.

Hi everyone
I am back on the "nets' and I'm going to get back into blogging about what is going on in music today and even yesterday. Because not remembering the past is a sad thing.
THANKS
GMACD.

Merry Xmas from John & Ono

This is one of the few Xmas songs that I truly enjoy even though
it isn't really an Xmas song.

The Decline of music and its beginnings.

I've been thinking lately about the music industry and its problems. Sales of Cd's are down in every major retailer and space for the product has also been slashed. Some might think that it is because of the downloading of music that replaced the sale of the Cd.
I think that it can be traced all the way back to the days of the cassette tape and the Sony Walkman. Before the invention of the Walkman there were records and stereo systems when a new record was released fans of a particular band would get together and listen to it. In some cases it was an excuse to sit around and smoke illegal substances(I'm talking to the Pink Floyd fans). It was in a sense a social scene where like minded individuals would listen to the record and get to know the music and each other.
I guess that's why I still hold onto my records and turntable maybe sometime in the future when the economy becomes really bad we will all get together and listen to records that were either newly released or released many years ago.
Until next time
GETOUTOFMYHEAD!

THE END

Well, since not alot of people have been reading my blog and I don't have the "nets" at my humble abode yet I am going to end this blog for awhile. I appreciate the few comments I received from family. However, I am going to create a new blog that mixes my passions of music and art what it will be called and when it will appear is to be determined. Until next time this is THE END

Well it is happening in the music world again what was popular once is now popular with the kids who were young or weren't even born yet. I am talking about RickRoll which is a renewed interest in the singer Rick Astley's one hit "Never Gonna Give You Up" for some odd reason it has become the song of protest for those who are against the Scientologist movement. It is also being used on YouTube in a number of odd ways. The
LA Times that explains it further. Anyway, it proves my theory that being a one hit wonder in music is better than being an enduring artist because people will always remember you fondly even if they hated your music at the time. The evidence is there look at all the former 80's bands like Flock of Seagulls, Quiet Riot, Poison touring the lower end of the club circuit they sell out every time and the people love them. It doesn't matter if the original band plays together as long as it has at least one original member who owns the name. I admit I was a fan of Astley's hit and got some flak for listening to it not too long ago but maybe I'm just ahead of what is culturally cool and don't realize it sometimes.
Well until next time

GETOUTOFMYHEAD!

The Grammys or as some call it the Gimmie"s and a way to fix them

Well the Grammys were sunday and surprise not alot of people watched it. Unfortunately, at one time the grammys were a big deal and this being the 50th anniversary of them it should have matttered more. I willl give the grammy judges credit for choosing Amy Winehouse giving her a total of five . I have listened to her album Back in Black ever since it came out and have yet to grow tired of it. Which is weird because I'm not much on female singers as some of my friends.
The Grammy's continued the tradition of "WHAT THE @#!%? by giving best album to Herbie Hancock who is a jazz artist and not a very good one either. It should have gone to Winehouse or at least Kayne West who both have had a up and down year professionally and personally.
In the past the Grammys gave the best album for hard rock to Jethro Thull in 89' when it should have been Metallica and of course the infamous naming of Milli Vanillin in 1990 when they found out the they didn't even sing they gave the grammys back. Then in 2001 they named Steeley Dan best album overshadowing the more popular Eminem, Radiohead. How could we fix these past oversights one may ask?

I propose that the Grammys hire myself, my brother in law Bryan blogger of Benvelont Order of Mustacioed Men to distinguish the winners every year and give the awards to the proper musicians. Of course I would be bias towards Oasis and he would be towards Tom Waits but still the two of us are more "in tune" with the music media. We could even do it in a week at the end of the year and still come up with a better list than those in charge now.

Well that is all I have to say for now until next time

GETOUTOFMYHEAD

Musicians who die before their prime (or after).

The news wasn't good for Quiet Riot fans on Monday the lead singer Kevin Dubrow had died of unknown causes. I think it was the rock n roll grim reaper harvesting former rock stars.
People will shake their heads about the brilliance of Dubrow dying while not exactly in his musical prime and he had been known to abuse alcohol and drugs in the past so why is his death suddenly mysterious?
Some brilliant musicians who died before their prime were Nick Drake who made four albums which no one ever paid much attention to in the early 70's. He died on an overdose of prescription anti depressants whether he did it on purpose or accidental is truly unknown.. Another musician was Jeff Buckley who was the son of a musician that died while in his prime (Tim Buckley) but his downfall wasn't drugs as his father it was drowning in the Mississippi River which could have been accidental from drinking too much.
These musicians were not alone in being overlooked the music labels and the public tend to dictate what becomes popular and what isn't.
Brittney Spears, Courtney Love should have burned out awhile ago because they too have trouble with alcohol, drugs, and other problems in their life. Recently, Amy Winehouse who is a fairly good singer but a troubled one has been in the news for her personal life too. For some odd reason people are interested in how many times they have been to rehab, jail, or some other trivial information instead of the music they make.
Then we can shake our heads and cry if a musician dies before his/her prime and not mourn someone who was a has been.

Until next time

GETOUTOFMYHEAD!

Music as of late.

About Me

While I'm still writing on a rented computer I feel the need to post anyway. In my own life I have found a job, an apartment, and won't have to keep living with my parents. Perhaps, I will get my own internet connection and this blog can once again be weekly.

Former band members of the music world reunite and make more money.

There seems to be a trend in the music scene former band members are reuniting for one reason or another whether it is money, memories, or just because that solo career isn't taking off as it was first thought a number of bands have decided that it wasn't so bad to play music together.
It started almost a year ago the band Audioslave called it quits they were made up of Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) and former members of Rage Against the Machine. The original members of RATM are getting back together with Zack De La Rocha and only playing dates not a tour but one off performances in various cities. I personally think that RATM isn't much of a band but a place for Zack D to scream his lungs out and voice his skewed political ideals. If they were truly Raging against any machine be it political, social, or economic they would be a self supported entity and not part of the Warner Music Group. The reunion bug has bitten other recent bands that called it quits The Smashing Pumpkins who "reunited" although the only two original members are Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlin they played a series of dates in various cities and released a new Cd. I heard the other day though that Jimmy Chamberlin is having health problems so the tour may have to be postponed. another , band that recently called it quits was The Verve who were famous for their song "Bittersweet Symphony" which they didn't make a dime off of because it contained a symphonic sample from the Rolling Stones hit " The First Time," this was one of the many reasons why they quit that and Richard Ashcroft the lead singer couldn't get along with Nick McCabe the bass player amongst other reasons. Now they are getting back together and playing gigs in the United Kingdom.
Ashcroft tried to go solo with a few releases but they just didn't sell I own his first one "Alone with Everybody" and it sounds like he is trying to hard to impress maybe after a lackluster effort at a solo career he has realized that a band isn't that bad of an idea.

Bands from thirty years ago aren't immune to the reunion bug either. The surviving members of Led Zepplin were to get together in England for a one off performance of their material minus John Bonham who died from too much whiskey. However, the performance was cancelled because Jimmy Page the guitarist broke his finger. The death of John Bonham cut short the life of one of the biggest bands of the seventies and the surviving members decided that it wasn't worth it to go on without the drummer. Now they are trying to recreate something that they were and aren't today.

The Eagles Don Henley and Glenn Frey they are a band that I always enjoyed as a young child/man and was disappointed that I never saw them perform live. However, I never expected to see them get together because when asked in 1980 if they would ever do a reunion Don Henley stated "When hell freezes over," well as we all know fourteen years later they got back together for the MTV Unplugged sessions which was OK but I didn't think they would seriously consider a reunion tour.


They did and it was called the Farewell tours I and II which ran through the late nineties into the year two thousand. I thought well they must have gotten it out of their system but low and behold they decided to record new material and release exclusively at of all places Wal-Mart which I think is just wrong. It always seemed that the Eagles were all about thumbing their nose at the corporate goons that run record labels they refused for years to reunite because they knew it would just money making effort for the labels.? Did they actually miss playing music with one another or was it because Glenn Frey hasn't had a solo hit since 85' and Don Henley's last hit was in 89'. Don Henley finally released a solo disc after eleven years and it sounded like something you'd hear on a soft rock station and it didn't sell that well either.

Finally bands who have refused to reunite for any amount of money, memories, are Abba and the Smiths . It was reported a few years ago that the members of Abba were offered a billion dollars to reunite for just a few shows. The leader and other band members declined saying that it wouldn't be the same and shallow to do so. The Smiths who were fronted by Morrissey. They were offered the same type of deal to reunite however, Morrissey was sued by the drummer for royalties that he didn't receive and he won and Morrissey said that the Smiths would have to reunite after either him or the drummer died. Johnny Marr has joined Modest Mouse and improved their sound with his guitar playing so the Smiths don't look to be reuniting for any amount of money, memories, or lack of a successful solo career.

Until next time....

GETOUTOFMYHEAD!

Still writing on a rented computer but trying not to let it get me down.

Hello to all
I 'm still writing on a rented computer but have been paying more attention to the music scene as of late. I could write about Brittney losing custody of her kids but I think enough has been written about that.

One of the Hanson brother of that fine little ditty from '97 "called "Hmmm bop" was hospitalized for an emblolsim in his heart. He's 26 and shouldn't be having heart trouble yet should he ? Maybe it is payback for all of the times he uttered that dreadful tune.

Sharon Osbourne (Ozzy's wife) is apparently in a feud with Courtney Love after calling her a "has been" well I'm certainly glad Sharon pointed this out to all of us because her husband was somewhat of a has been several times in the past. The Osbournes show put his name back out there and sparked interest in his up and down music career. It even caused their daughter Kelly to think she could sing too. We all remember the cover of the Madonna song "Papa don't preach" horrible and now I understand that Kelly is on Broadway doing the singing in the play "Chicago"? One more reason for me not to attend a Broadway Show in NYC.

I've been reading the new "Q" magazine and it lists the greatest guitar players of our time and features them on the cover and features and article on their favorite influences and songs.
They are Jimmy Page, Johnny Marr, Joe Perry, Dave Grohl, Matt Bellamy and Jack White to name a few. I agree with a couple of the selections of Johnny Marr played in the Smiths and is currently with Modest Mouse , Matt Bellamy the lead singer and guitarist of Muse , Jimmy Page the soul of Led Zepplin and Joe Perry the soul of Aerosmith.
I don't understand why they picked Dave Grohl who was and is kind of a drummer and Jack White while talented(I enjoy the white stripes) isn't the most talented of the bunch. Still it is a great articles and magazine and worth the $9.25 us dollar price.


Not much else to write so I will stop this for now and until the next time ?

GETOUTOFMYHEAD!

Still writing on a rented computer (sigh)

Well it has been almost a month since I wrote on here. Once again I have nothing prepared so maybe this will be a good column ?
The MTV Video Awards took place this week in Las Vegas NV and the show was hosted by Sarah Silverman (why?) who made a joke about Brittney Spears kids being the cutest two accidents in the world. She should talk she is dating Jimmy Kimmel and if they ever have kids I shudder to think about what they will look like.
Later during the ceremony Brittney Spears appeared for the first time since 2002 on stage and she looked like a 25yr old mother of two out of shape and at times she didn't even seem to sing or dance much. Other stars in the audience said that MTV set her up to fail and if they did so what she was a phony from the beginning anyway.
Kayne West said he doesn't like MTV and told them to play a video however he still takes the paycheck that he gets from them for appearing.

The White Stripes have cancelled their upcoming tour dates. The reason is the drummer Meg White has acute anxiety and is unable to perform. Why she is anxious over something that she has done for several years is unusual. While she isn't the world's greatest drummer how hard can it be to keep a beat ? I like the White Stripes and don't know why she cannot hold up her end of the deal.
Maybe, Jack should invest in a drum machine at least it can perform every night without fail unless it is unplugged.

The Phil Spector trial has been going on for awhile now and the evidence doesn't look like good even after five years of waiting for the trial his history with guns, women and drugs are leading him to a long prison term. Too bad Spector was a real sound genius in the sixties. Seems that many geniuses have flawed personalities that sometimes lead to their undoing.

The Austin City Limits Musical Festival happens this month and I still haven't been able to make it to one of these. The festival is held in September and showcases bands from country-pop-alternative and the uncatagorical. Watch PBS sometime and the show Austin City Limits you can see great live performances by some artists that you may know or discover a new one.

Until next time

GETOUTOFMYHEAD!

Writing on a rented computer.

As I sit here in the public library writing on a rented computer I am reminded as to why I bought a G5 and hooked up to the internet. One reason is that it was so much easier because I had all day or week to come up with something now it is 106 minutes and counting. The public in public library can also be annoying there are some young children right now who don't understand or respect the sancticty of a library and are making it difficult for me to keep my big mouth shut.

Anyway, to the music scene I don't have alot of written material prepared but I will distill what I have been hearing hear and there.

On a 105.7 the Point an "alternative station" in St. Louis Mo, that used to be cool until they were bought by the clear channel conglomerate about ten years ago. The Point reported that Brittney Spears was seen with Peter Criss who if you all remember had a deplorable show a year or so ago where he made things disappear. Too bad he cannot do the same for the former Ms. Federline. Criss has been seen with Heather Locklear and other better looking women in Hollywood. Maybe he will catch a really bad form of VD and be blinded by it or meanwhile Kevin Federline is looking like parent of the year compared to his former misses.

I was in a major retail establishment that sells books and music recently and tried in vain to listen to the new Smashing Pumpkins Cd, Zeitgeist the cd stations were all broken except one and when I did listen to it I was of course disappointed.
Sounds like Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin with some studio musicians playing the rest of the songs and trying to go back to 1994. A bit of advice to Billy Corgan, either reform the band or just forget it completely. I'm certain that he has enough cash to keep him in razors to contiually shave his receding hairline.

The Violent Femmes who had the one trick song "Blister in the Sun" and rode that tune for a good fifteen years have decided to sue each other. It was announced today that the bass player is suing the lead singer over royalties owed to him from their first disc. Their one hit was used recently in a Wendy's commercial and alot of fans were repulsed by the use of it. I myself used to enjoy the Violent Femmes but eventually realized they only knew three chords and there are musicians who are more talented then the dimbulbs who make up the Violent Femmes.

Finally, the Warped Tour took place in St. Louis this week, it was August and if you know anything about this part of the country it gets really HOT and HUMID.People went to this travelling music/ fashion show and sweated it out over an entire day. Some of the bands complained about the heat and humidity one band I think was from Denver complained that it was 185 degrees outside when it fact it was a cool 104. If they can't stand the heat from other areas of the country then why do they tour?
I'm sure that if they suffer from the heat and have to seek medical treatment the amount of money paid too them will certainly be worth the work. Try working in the hot sun without health insurance and for low wages sometime if they don't like performing.

Enough said

Until next time????

GETOUTOFMYHEAD!

Currently on a summer hiatus.

Hello to anyone who happens to stumble onto this blog. I haven't abandoned it completely, I currently don't have internet access and the library only gives one so much time. I haven't had a chance to peruse the music scene since my quick exit from my apartment for three years.However, be certain that my blog will return and I think that I will write it a bit differently than previous editions.

Soundtrack of Generation X, Reunions, Recording, Problems, Guitars

Soundtrack of Generation X

The soundtrack for a movie about the grunge band Nirvana titled "Kurt Cobain: About A Son" has been determined. The movie will be released sometime at the end of this year. Bands that will be included in the soundtrack are Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Melvins,, The Butthole Surfers, Mudhoney, Leadbelly, and Bad Brains all are bands that influenced Nirvana. The film also features a rare interview with Kurt Cobain.
Death Cab for Cutie lead singer Ben Gibbard has put together an original score for the film with Steven FIsk titled "Overture." Below is a list of the proposed soundtrack.

Steve Fisk & Benjamin Gibbard - "Overture"
Half Japanese - "Put Some Sugar On It"
"Never Intended" (interview clip)
The Vaseline's - "Son Of A Gun"
Arlo Guthrie - "Motorcycle Song"
Scratch Acid - "Owner's Lament"
The Melvins - "Eye Flys"
Mudhoney - "Touch Me I'm Sick""
Punk Rock" (interview clip)
"Car Radio" (interview clip)
Bad Brains - "Banned In D.C.
"Iggy Pop - "The Passenger"
Creedence Clearwater Revival - "Up Around The Bend"
Lead Belly - "The Bourgeois Blues"
Butthole Surfers - "Graveyard"
R.E.M. - "New Orleans Instrumental No. 1"
"Hardcore Was Dead" (interview clip)
David Bowie - "The Man Who Sold The World"
"The Limelight" (interview clip)
Ben Gibbard - "Indian Summer"
Mark Lanegan - "Museum"

Who is imitating.......

The english cover band UB40 is suing Paris Hilton for allegedly using their 1990 hit "Kingston Town" in her single "Stars are Blind." The song written by UB40 reached number four and Paris's single reached number five last year. Paris won't be sued directly because she was recently dropped from her label (this is the least of her problems now) .
The band plans to use musicologists and information from the internet to prove the similarities of the single. UB40 are famous for their covers of famous and not so famous songs their biggest hit was a cover of Neil Diamond's 1968 hit "Red Red Wine" which was #1 on the Billboard Charts in the US in 1988. I would like to know how a cover band can sue someone for stealing from them if Paris's record label didn't get permission from the band . If it is an original composition then they have a case if not then they don't.

Marilyn Manson he claims that the band My Chemical Romance are ripping him off. He recently stated "I'm embarrassed to be me because these people are doing a really pitiful, sad, shallow version of what I've done." The critique comes just as Marilyn and MCR are to share a stage at Britain's Download Festival in Donnington Park. MCR will perform on Friday and Manson will perform on Saturday.
Manson's claim that My Chemical Romance are ripping him off are ridiculous because he has been ripping off Bowie, Alice Cooper and others who came before him. Sales of his work hasn't been stellar since his Cd "Jesus Christ Superstar" which was despised by those in the religious right for his mocking of Christ and the Bible. It was also cited as an influence on the students who committed the Columbine High School shootings a few years ago. This controversy fueled his celebrity and he hasn't had much success since. We all know that controversy sells and when your no longer controversial then you don't sell as much of whatever it may be.

Reunions

The britpop band Blur are planning a return to the music scene. The original plan was to enter the studio this summer but other projects amongst the original band members has delayed the start until November. The lineup will feature Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James, and Dave Rowntree all original members of the band. Damon Albarn took time off from the band to form "Gorillaz" in 1999 and went on to release three discs with the cartoon inspired band. Alex James also took time out to write and do a column for the english music magazine "Q". Graham Coxon left in 2003 during the recording of "Think Tank" because he simply didn't like the direction the band was going and went on to have a somewhat successful solo career. Dave Rowntree bought a farm in the english countryside and emulated fellow drummer Bill Berry of REM who became a farmer after leaving the band.


The B-52's are finishing up work on their new disc in their hometown of Athens, Georgia fifteen years after the release of "Good Stuff' in 1992. They took some time off after the success of the "Cosmic Thing" and "Good Stuff" tours that ran from 1989-1992. They admitted after the consecutive tours they were a little burned out and had some in and outs taking awhile for things to fall into place. There are eleven tracks on the new disc and just like previous B-52's material will contain alot of danceable pop. Post-production of the album is expected soon and they plan to release it sometime next year. They do need a label to release it on and they are looking for one. They also plan a tour of the US and Europe this summer and a full concert schedule when the disc is released.


Victoria Beckham once known as Posh Spice says a Spice Girls reunion will "definitely" happen in the coming months. She said this while presenting an award at the Glamor Awards ceremony in the United Kingdom last week. "We'll see what turns out, between you and me I definitely hope this will happen." A plan for the girls to play six huge gigs at the end of this year in London, Tokyo, Las Vegas and accompanied by a greatest hits compilation. Melanie C has come out against the idea but I believe that the amount of money to be made off of reunion tours will override her reluctance given her recent lack of solo success.

Crowded House played a packed private lunch hour show in Los Angeles on Thursday at the 200 capacity Hotel Cafe. The New Zealand based band reunited early this year and plan to release a disc in July titled "Time on Earth." The performance was a warm up for their upcoming tour and at times the set seemed like they were in someone's living room jam session. The band members joked about recent hangovers and the sound of horns honking during the afternoon gridlock traffic during their set at the small club. They played eight songs which included four of their new tracks from "Time on Earth" and the well loved classics of "Private Universe," "Fall At Your Feet,"Locked Out," and "Don't Dream It's Over." Lead singer Neil Finn thanked the lunchtime crowd for attending their performance and said "if anyone is going to get in trouble for being away from work, we'll write notes for you...saying F@%K You" and added a laugh.

Rage Against The Machine launched a mysterious countdown clocks on their website recently. The site give no information on what they are for however, some fans claim to have cracked the meaning. If users set the internal clocks on their computers forward to the deadline it reveals the sites meaning. The website is registered to Live Nation Worldwide Inc. who own the Alpine Music Theatre in East Troy Wi where the band will be playing a show. The second countdown ends on Aug 24th if the same procedure is followed it will reveal where the bands next show is to be performed.

Tales of Merchandising

Wilco has issued a statement on their website defending the licensing of songs from "Sky Blue Sky" for the advertising of Volkswagen. Fans of the band have been critical of this decision however the band states on the site that they did this to get their music out, they were paid for it, and many members of the band drive VW's. This isn't the first time Wilco has licensed their work several songs have been licensed for commercials and films world wide. Recently a song was featured in a spot for Telefonica Mobile in Spain and Jeff Tweedy will also play the voice of god in an upcoming episode of Comedy Centrals cartoon "Lil Bush"
The decline of radio airplay and the surge of downloading a band's work for just one song has played a factor not only with Wilco but other bands on ways to promote their work through t.v. commercials and other alternative methods.

A pair of sneakers that are to be issued by New Balance are inspired by the band Joy Division. The shoes will feature artwork from the bands 1979 album "Unknown Pleasures." Distinctive ripples will appear on the sole and the tongue and have an embossed "Fact 10" as a nod to the band's label Factory Records.
Joy Division will also be the subject of a film titled "Control" and directed by Anton Corbijin a dutch artist who is known for his work photographing the band and directing the video "Atmosphere" for the band shortly after the death of lead singer Ian Curtis. Corbijin has also worked with the band U2, "Joshua Tree" Depeche Mode "Violator", and most recently the artwork for The Killer's on the disc "Sam's Town"

In the Studio

U2 are working with Brian Eno again they are writing a new album in Morocco as a follow up to their 2004 disc "How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb." They have been joined by Eno and Daniel Lanois both have produced their most important and popular recordings. An online posting by Bono explained how the sessions were going, " We have no plans for the music yet we're just going to make it until we can't put it out" drummer Larry Mullen Jr said this was the first time that the band has worked with the two producers in a song writing capacity and have found it to be different and liberating.

No Doubt are planning on working on a new disc and will begin in a studio next month. It will be their first disc in six years, three members of the band Tony Kanal, Adrian Young, and Tom Dumont are going to lay down some tracks while waiting for their lead singer to finish up her solo tour which ends this fall. The band has been together since 1987 and decided to take a break from being band in 2004. Tony Kanal has said that the break has been pretty long and they are ready to work together again.

Legal Matters

The Phil Spector trial continues in Los Angeles. On Tuesday the jurors were shown the bloody revolver found at the feet of actress Lana Clarkson on the night of Feb 3, 2003. A bureau that was next to Clarkson's body slumped in a chair in the foyer of Spector's mansion contained a snub nosed Colt Cobra revolver with dried blood on the handle and barrel it is unregistered but believed to be owned by Spector.
Prosecutor Pat Dixon had detective Mark Liilenfield show the revolver to the jury and then went on to show photographs of a purse hanging from Clarkson's right shoulder her right hand rested on the purse this led them to believe that her death wasn't a suicide but a homicide.
The prosecution maintains that Spector killed Clarkson and they reinforced their claim of his fondness for guns with photographs of a small arsenal containing two fully loaded blue steel revolvers, an unloaded 12 gauge pump shotgun and several rounds of ammunition and that the incident as a romantic evening gone awry. When police arrived on the night in question the mansion was dark and there were lit candles, a bottle of tequila and brandy in the living room coffee table and Spector's briefcase and a foil packet of Viagra that contained two empty slots.
The defense attorney Bradley Brunon maintained during cross examination of the detective that the crime scene was contaminated and asked Lillenfeld whether he was aware that a rape test performed on Clarkson later came back as negative. He replied "No" and Brunon asked if the detective had any evidence that Spector took the Viagra again he replied" No, I don't." The defense resumed their line of questioning of the crime scene asking if there had been alot of touching of the revolver in question Lillenfeld answered that there wasn't. If convicted Spector will spend fifteen years in prision for murdering Clarkson he is currently sixty seven and seems to have had his share of mental problems in the past.


R Kelly's recent disc "Double Up" landed at # 1 on June 5th and the disc sold 386,000 copies according to Soundscan. This coincided with the fifth anniversary of Kelly's indictment on child pornography charges on June 5, 2002. A trial date has yet to be determined and Kelly has remained free even though he was indicted on 21 counts of child pornography by a grand jury in Cook County. The charges stem from a sex tape that has been circulated on the internet featuring a man who looks like Kelly having sex with a teenage girl. Whether he will ever stand trial for the charges wasn't known at this time.

Problems

Lilly Allen says that touring has turned her into an alcoholic The 22 year old pop singer who is the daughter of english actor/comedian Keith Allen and film producer Allison Owen debuted her disc "Alright Stil" with the single "Smile" which hasn't received alot of airplay in the USA but reached number 1 in the UK in July of 2006.
She has had a difficult few months feuding with other artists such as Lady Soverign who called her a "chav" (an english derogatory term for a fake or fashion slave) and feuding with Cheryl Tweedy from rival pop girl group Girls Aloud and she has also had to cancel dates in the United States due to lack of interest and her current problem.
Allen said "The constant touring promotes an unhealthy lifestyle and that she needs to get into the studio to work the follow up to her debut disc "Alright." She explains that" I'm an alcoholic now. It's not good and that's why I want to get back to the studio. I've actually pulled myself aside and said it will kill me if I keep it up. I've got to stop abusing myself because as far as I'm concerned every loon hates me now." She is scheduled to play the Glastonbury festival later this month. Sounds like she may not make it if she cannot overcome her problem of booze and feuding with other artists.

Perhaps, Ms. Allen should join Richie Sambora who recently checked into Wednesday for an undisclosed problem and asked that the public respect him and his family's privacy. It isn't known if his entering rehab will interfere with the release of the Bon Jovi disc titled "Lost Highway" that debuts on June 19th. The band are scheduled to appear on the "Today" show on that date and later play a concert in London on June 24th. A more extensive tour is planned for 2008.

In Closing

I've decided to close this column in a public service announcement form. You should try to take the time to learn a musical instrument during your lifetime.
I played the trombone as a child and became pretty good at it but of course I gave it up as I got older. I have always been interested in music and have known some musicians in the past but never picked up another instrument until recently.
A guitar owned by a friend of mine was sitting around collecting dust and not being played it is a Hohner (pictured) it was manufactured in the 1960's and Hohner is more known for their making of harmonicas.
It is a bit out of tune but it is a beautiful instrument and I've been trying to and have learned some chords rather quickly. It has provided me with quite a few hours of enjoyment and is very theraputic. Whether I'm trying to learn a new chord or just strumming it all of my troubles seem secondary. Even if your not musically inclined I challenge you to pick up an instrument that you always wished to play and learn how to play it. It might be difficult at first but nothing worth doing is easy.
You won't be sorry I assure you.
Thanks
Until next week

GETOUTOFMYHEAD!

A Reunion and a Rebuttal, and a Possible breakup

A Reunion

The Police kicked off their reunion tour on May 28th at General Motors Place in Vancouver British Columbia before a sold out crowd of 20,000 people. This in response to a band that hasn't publicly played together in over twenty years. The show was opened by Fiction Plane a group led by Sting's son Joe Sumner.
The Police opened their show with "Message in a bottle" many fans in the audience stood up and sang along while some were feeling the nostalgia of the moment others weren't even born when the song was released.
Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland followed up with a six minute rendition of "Synchronicity" a track from their 1982 album by the same name.
The Police have scheduled a tour of 21 gigs in the US that include stops in Los Angeles, Las Vegas,Seattle, New Orleans, and New York. Their stops in Canada include Montreal, Edmonton, and Toronto. They will also perform in South America, Europe, and finish up in Australia in early 2008. The Police are hoping to rival the Rolling Stones and U2 tours of late and join other bands that have had reunion tours such as The Eagles, Genesis, and the yet to reform Van Halen.

A Rebuttal

An unexpected critic of the show offered up his opinion of the first show. It was Stewart Copeland The Police's drummer said "the concert was unbelievably lame and the singer jumps like a petulant pansy" and the drummer is making "complete hash, and who knows what the guitarist is doing" said Copeland . The show started off rough for Copeland who tripped while walking on stage unintentionally striking a gong on his drum set. He didn't hear Sumners opening riff to "Message in a Bottle" and Sting didn't hear Copeland's drum intro. "We are half a bar out of sync with each other and Andy is in Idaho" said the drummer. They quickly recovered even though Sting got his footwork wrong as he leapt into the air to signal the end a shamble of the song "Synchronicity II." After the concert no fists flew backstage the three members of the band fell into each others arms laughing hysterically a different result from their heyday when fists flew.
Should the Police stay together for the tour they are scheduled to play and record a performance for MTV's "Unplugged" series. The series debuted in 1989 four years after the break up of the Police and Sting recorded a session as a solo artist in 1991. They will perform acoustically on July 13th at a yet to be named Miami Florida venue.

Music Notes

Prince will perform at the Macy's department store in Minneapolis on July 7th to celebrate the day his new fragrance 3121 debuts. The performance is expected to draw 1,400 fans and includes a ticket to a private show on the eighth floor of the building and one ticket to his performance that evening at the Target Center.
The cost of the package is $250 plus service fees and went on sale on Friday at Macy's in Minneapolis. Further details are posted on the purple one's website.

Johnny Borrell the front man of the english band Razorlight has recorded a solar powered song for the charity Friends of Earth. The track "Funeral Blues" that features the lead singer and a violinist highlights the solutions for climate change. The song was recorded at the Premises in Hoxton, London which is powered by 18 solar panels. The track is available on Britain's Radio 1 station and will be available for free download over the next two weeks.

The new disc by the White Stripes has been leaked by a Chicago radio station DJ Electra at Q101 and Jack White is really angry about it. The station played the disc in its entirety and was obviously instantly bootlegged placed on internet file sharing sites. Jack White called the radio station from Spain and scolded the dj and asked if she was sorry for what she had done. She wrote on her blog that someone had given a copy of the entire disc and they were excited about playing it. The whole experience was an hour long love fest for the White Stripes, and that Jack shouldn't be angry because it is believed to be a terrific disc.


Andrew Lloyd Webber wants to work with Eminem on a possible future collaboration. The composer admits that he doesn't know the rapper too well. But he has often spoken about his appreciation of the rap superstar and has even met with him, he says that Eminem is "very intelligent." Webber has written such hits as Cats, Phantom of the Opera, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.


There had been speculation that Gerard Way lead singer of My Chemical Romance had married because a ring appeared on his left hand recently. He said it was only a friendship ring but announced his engagement on June 1 during an interview on MTV 2.

George Michael has donated the piano that John Lennon used to compose "Imagine" to Virginia Tech University. A spokesman for Michael said that "Georges's deepest wish is to imagine a world with peace and without violence." Virginia Tech University is where a gunman killed 33 students in April. In other related George Michael news the singer cancelled a concert in Prague because of an accident involving two of the trucks that carried special sections of the stage. A large part of the stage podium remained trapped under a truck and it wasn't possible to replace it. No further details of the accident were given and it isn't known when the concert will be rescheduled.

Further Rehab

Bo Diddley was released from Creighton University Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska he returned to his Gainesville, Fl home by private jet. He was transported to Shands Rehab Hospital to begin further speech and occupational therapy. He will spend two weeks at the facility and will continue his therapy as an outpatient. Get well wishes from fans around the world poured in as well as messages from Chuck Berry, Elvis Costello and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top.

Brittney Spears has posted an open letter on her website to her fans detailing her descent into madness back in February. She said that she had " truly hit rock bottom," and that she wasn't suffering from depression or alcohol but she was running around like a bad kid with ADD. She also stated that she "had a manager from a long time ago come in and try to direct me and my life after I got my divorce," referring to her on-off again manager Larry Rudolph. She went on to further state that she was overwhelmed and in shock from the divorce and admits that she was just "lost." She said that her life is both "crazy and surreal" and she is "truly blessed " thanks to her children and finished the letter saying " I just hope this letter made some of you think a little bit more of me and where I'm coming from."
At one time she was a somewhat bankable pop sta. However, her novelty quickly wore off and her music never really changed with the scene. Her first marriage of 55 hours to Jason A. Alexander and her second marriage to Kevin Federline a backup dancer who she had two children with. Then her descent into alcohol and late night parties and subsequent rehab proved that she is a former pop star looking for attention.

Legal Blotter

Five weeks into the Phil Spector trial the jury continues to hear the physical evidence of the night that Lana Clarkson died. The coroner Dr. Louis Pena testified that the barrel of the gun may have been forced into Lana Clarkson's mouth bruising her tongue before she was fatally shot. He stated that the bruise was "very unique and is consistent with blunt-force trauma." He also testified that there are bruises on Clarkson's right arm and wrist.
Clarkson had been experiencing chronic headaches had been prescribed two drugs that are generally taken for depression. He called her death a homicide and described her as a hopeful person with no history of depression or suicide attempts according to his research. Pena cited evidence that she hadn't been putting her affairs in order as some people do before a suicide. "She died with a purse on her shoulder in a strangers home, which isn't typical of someone taking their own life." Jurors were then shown graphic photos of the crime scene and the damage done to Clarkson's face, and inside of her mouth. One juror looked away and Clarkson's mother and sister were obviously not present for this part of the prosecution. The defense maintains that on Feb 3, 2003 Clarkson took her own life and Spector had nothing to do with it.


Rapper Young Jeezy( Jay Jenkins) was arrested at an Atlanta Ga strip club on Thursday. Jeezy was there with his sister and her friends when an altercation occurred around 3 am. Off duty police officers working security at the club called for backup from the county police and they responded. The officers reported that there wasn't any physical confrontation it was all verbal and confrontational because some of the group didn't want to leave. Jeezy was later booked on a disorderly conduct charge at the DeKalb county jail and released.

A possible breakup?

According to Liv Tyler her father Steven Tyler lead singer of the band Aerosmith is considering leaving. His reason is that the other members don't seem to appreciate him. However, it hasn't been confirmed that Tyler is actually leaving the band. He recently recovered from throat surgery to correct a popped blood vessel. He and his wife clothing designer Teresa Tyler of 18 years divorced in January of 2006 citing personal problems as the reason for the divorce.

My Corner

I'd like to end this entry on a happy and somewhat nostalgic tone. The Beatles album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" came out exactly forty years ago on June 1, 1967 Although, I wasn't alive when the original came out it has always been a favorite of mine. The record confused alot of people because of its psychedelic content and was considered high technology because it was stereophonic. It set a pattern for bands of the future to emulate and learn from and influenced not only pop music but all forms. If you have the opportunity I strongly advise you to listen to the original record from the beginning to the end and imagine what it must have sounded like for the first time in 1967.

Until next week

GETOUTOFMYHEAD!

Spice Girls Reunion ? Method Man Arrested, Paula falls straight down.

Reunions?

The reunion of the Spice Girls may not take place after all it was reported that they would get together for a concert with a venue to be yet announced around Christmas and be paid $2 million each. Melanie Chislholm formerly known as Sporty Spice has been rumored to oppose the idea because she wants to concentrate on her solo career. Mel C has four discs her most recently titled "This Time" and released a cover of the "Bow Wow Wow" song " I want candy" last month and is only available in the United KIngdom. Melanie C's solo career has been similar to such forgettable artists such as Robyn, Geri Halliwell (formerly Ginger Spice), and Natalie Imburlia ("Torn"). Early reviews indicate that she shows some promise on the new disc overall it is lacks substantial effort. Rejoining the group for only a short time might give her solo career a boost.

Portishead are planning to reunite and will play their first live show since 1997 at All Tomorrow's Parties a festival which celebrates music, art, and media. The event will take place in Minehead, England from Dec 7-9, 2007 and the group will curate " A Nightmare Before Christmas" display.
The band says that they have chosen different artists to work with and are looking forward too it. In February of this year the band made a surprise appearance at Mr. Wolf's a noodle in Bristol, England where they played an acoustic set previewing new material. The band was founded by Beth Gibbons, Geoff Barrow, Adrian Utley , classified as a "trip-hop" band where they use live jazz samples in order to maintain a lo-fi sound. The group are from Bristol and debuted in 1994 with "Dummy" and the single "Sour Times" they followed up with their second disc "Portishead" and the single "All Mine". They collaborated in 1999 with Tom Jones on his disc "Reload."


Simon and Garfunkel were recently honored by the Library of Congress and received the Gershwin Award which is given to outstanding American musical talents in the popular song genre. A concert was performed Wednesday with Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, Lady Black Mamzabo also performed with Simon their first collaborations since 1999. SImon said of Garfunkel " My dear friend and partner in arguments." before starting with their 1970 studio album " Bridge Over Troubled Water," and "Celia." James Taylor also made an appearance during the concert and sang "Still Crazy After All These Years," another hit by the pair of honorees. Stevie Wonder closed out the show with Simon the gospel group The Dixie Hummingbirds did a version of "Loves Me Like a Rock." The concert will be broadcast on PBS television starting
June 27th.

Music Notes

Lily Allen is going to do a duet with Deborah Harry of Blondie did a version of "Heart of Glass" on the Today Show on May 25th and Harry's group Blondie did "Call Me" and three of their own songs. Deborah Harry is to release a solo album on August 7th titled "Necessary Evil," if you'd like to hear an advanced track from the disc it is streaming on myspace.com/debbieharry.


American Idol's days maybe numbered the 30.7 million people who watched Jordin Sparks in this years season finale was a sharp drop from the 36.4 million who saw Taylor Hicks in last years finale. The factors that are contributing to the decline are a lackluster group of contestants and a general disinterest of viewers and the law's of TV gravity.


Amy Winehouse who's top ten single "Rehab" won best contemporary song Thursday at Britain's Ivor Novello Song writing Awards presented at the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters.
The awards are named after Ivor Novello who composed the popular songs "Keep the Home Fires Burning,"and "We'll Gather Lilacs." WInehouse thanked the crowd and said " I didn't even have time to get drunk-I've only been here 15 minutes." said Winehouse who is known for her high speed personality and has a reputation for smoking and drinking. She recently married boyfriend Blake Fielder-Civil in Miami,Florida. She said it was sudden "but that's the way I am," and "I've married the best man in the world."

A new advertising campaign for the shoe company Doc Martens has been halted. The print ads depicted deceased rock legends Kurt Cobain, Joe Strummer, Joey Ramone, and Sid Vicious wearing the Airwair line while sitting on a cloud wearing all white except the black boots.
The tag line in the corner reads "Dr. Martens Forever." The image of Kurt Cobain without the approval oby Cobain's widow Courtney Love. Her publicists filed to put a stop to the depiction of her late husband and Dr. Marten's not wanting to face a public relations embarrassment put an stop to the ads and apologized. "Dr. Martens is very sorry for any offense that has been caused but the public images showing dead rock star icons wearing Dr. Marten boots" according to a company press release. The advertising agency that created the images wanted to communicate to the consumer that Dr. Martens were made to last and the images were legally purchased from Corbis a worldwide stock photo company.


Noel Gallagher of Oasis has made up with the Scissor Sisters and lead singer Ana Matronic. He reportedly called the band's music "music for squares."
During a backstage meeting at the Brit Awards Matronic said " We share the same security company, so when I heard they were hanging around backstage I marched straight up to Noel and pinched him on the cheek. and gave him a big hug. If someone says something bad about the Scissor Sisters I don't engage them in an argument but try to kill them with kindness and make them love me." Noel referred to Matronic as a "top bird" to a mutual friend and he was very nice as was Liam. Maybe the Gallagher brothers have finally softened up after all these years or else they have been misquoted as they had been in the past.


Ozzy Osbourne was awarded the first star in Birmingham, England's new walk of fame on Broad street outside of the city's National Indoor Arena where he is to perform on July 6th. He previously received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame in 2002. He commented that having a star in his hometown made him happy " I have a star in Hollywood on their Walk of Fame but having a star in my hometown means so much more to me. A personal thank you goes out to Lord Mayor Randal Brew." Future stars are to be given to actors,comedians, and musicians who come from Birmingham and the public are asked to get involved and vote for the stars they'd like to see honored.

An Iggy Pop inspired children's garden has won a silver medal at the Chelsea Flower show. The Lust for Life Garden features an arc of water that moves rhythmically to the beat of "Lust for Life" the song that he is best known for. Iggy said " It's awesome the Lust For Life Garden won a silver medal. It's great to know my music reaches so many people and inspires, I'm honored the Children Society's garden is inspired by my music and I wholeheartedly support the work they do-they rock." According to the the London Daily Mirror the garden will later be dismantled and rebuilt within one of the the charities project for disadvantaged children.

Legal Woes

Method Man(b. Clifford Smith) of the Wu-Tang Clan was arrested last week in Brooklyn, NY after a police officer noticed the registration of his 2005 Lincoln Navigator had expired. The officer also claims to smell marijuana smoke coming from the vehicle once it was stopped. Upon further investigation the officer found two blunts and other drug paraphernalia. The New York Post reported that Method had 28 grams of the drug in his possession before being taken into custody. He was charged with unlawful and criminal possession and driving uninspected vehicle.

Injured list

Paula Abdul fell while trying to avoid stepping on one of her Chihuahuas breaking her nose and fracturing her toe. She was slightly bruised but wasn't hospitalized for her injuries and the dog was unharmed. She was able to make it to Wednesday's American Idol Finale. Abdul has suffered a variety of unusual injuries, in 2004 she contracted a fungal infection while getting a manicure at a salon and had to have her right thumbnail removed. In 2005 she revealed that she suffers from a rare neurological disorder called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRP) that causes chronic pain, and in April 2006 she filed a police report claiming she suffered back injuries and a concussion when she was thrown into a wall at a club by a fellow partygoer.

Bo Diddley who suffered a stroke on May 19th during a performance in Council Bluffs, Iowa is out of intensive care Monday and walking around at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha Nebraska. He is awaiting his lead doctor's permission to go back to his home in Gainesville, Florida whether he will be transferred by medivac or private jet remains to be determined. The stroke affected the left side of Diddley's brain and he has trouble with speaking and recognizing words but is slowly improving and has little or no physical limitations. He has had a history of diabetes and hypertension factors that contributed to the stroke.

That is all I can write for this week I still have alot more to report but will save it for next week until then

GETOUTOFMYHEAD !