And How It Intertwines With Our Lives
Last week I was riding in my brother Paul's big Ford truck literally on the back forty of his farm in Ontario. It had been snowing a little bit before and we didn't think we'd get stuck. Guess what? The Ford couldn't help but get stuck. The GM Avalanche my brother had before rolling it and totalling it, would have got through that snow like nothin'.
But while we were stuck some great tunes came on the radio from a classic rock station called "The Dock". The song Bad Company by Bad Company came on and it took me back to when my brother Paul and I were teenagers partying our asses off in the 70's.
That moment listening to that tune brought us together. The groove and textures and riffs of solid blues oriented rock were created in a way today's music does not. Whether you like it or not I don't really care. That song was done in the early 70's. I have put up concert footage of Bad Company doing that song in 1974 in Long Beach, California.
But I think about what it took to come up with songs like that. They didn't worry about creating it for a mass audience so they could be multi-millionaires. They made these songs for them, and whether they thought they had any merit in their eyes and ears. They created greatness in my books.
Combining blues and rock with a twist never sounded so good! And the small town's where my brother lives have two great classic rock stations. Yet, I live in London,Ontario that has 367,000 people and don't really have a classic rock station anymore. too bad.
So thank you to "The Bull" and " The Dock" for great old rock stations. Today's music will never stand the test of time and I guess it's not meant to. Today's musicians have had a hard time living up to the standards of yesteryear's music. Maybe that's why they are highly influenced by it and sample it.
The bar was set by musicians who are 60 and older now.
But it's songs like Bad Company that bonded my brother and me, and were created by musicians who cared more about making great music than anything else. I recently came across a book by Ken Scott a well known recording engineer back in the 60's and 70's who recorded some of the greatest music by the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Bowie and The Stones.
I read a little of the book on Amazon.com and it showed me and others what it took to make such creative music by people like John Lennon, David Gilmour and Jagger. Even for people who are just rabid fans of old rock and musicians, this book will give you new insight into how your favorite players recorded in the studio, and the weird and creative ways they used equipment to come out with the great music before us.
That great rock music brought my brother and me together even more, even though we have not talked to each other much in many years. It was like were were back to the 70's all over again. That brought us together in so many ways. if you have a relative or friend you haven't seen in along time, but had a love of music, send them a line or a great classic rock tune and rebuild a relationship.
It's not much but you would be surprised at what can happen to get friendships or a brother and you back together. Even a business relationship back on a solid footing. Who knows?
The music was definitely a big part of it for me and my brother. And so was getting stuck in the back forty of my brother's farm. Then his friend Larry just happened to text him and my brother Paul said to go get his tractor and get us out. I love it!
We went back to my brothers farm house in front of a roaring fire with his friend and fellow farmer Larry, and had a few beers in front of my Dad's old woodstove my brother got from him.
What's your music story?
But I implore you to get back in contact with a brother, a friend or acquaintance and tell the tale only music can. I'll have a link to the Ken Scott book here as well. And I've included some footage of Bad Company in Long Beach in 1974. I think you'll like the live version of the tune better.
So where ever your road takes you, make old rock and good friends a part of it. The super long link below is to the Ken Scott book. I don't care if you're just a fan or a musician, you'll learn so much and understand rock and roll even more.
And thank's to my brother Paul. I love ya man.
Mark
http://www.amazon.com/Abbey-Road-Ziggy-Stardust--record/dp/0739078585/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364508264&sr=1-1&keywords=ken+scott+abbey+road+to+ziggy+stardust
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