Friday 30 November 2012

CAPTAIN BEEFHEART DVD REVIEW

http://www.ytsejam.com/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=2178


Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band - The Lost Broadcasts (DVD)


2012 Gozno Multimedia 

Don Van Vliet, aka Captain Beefheart has always been a man of mystery. A childhood friend and protégé of Frank Zappa, he is one of the few avant garde artist that literally has an insane fanbase, ones that seek out whatever rare material they can find, including long deleted vinyl albums that may never see the light of day as a proper CD release & his array of artwork. His obscurity has only heightened intrigue, going into hiding in the 1980's, later being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, and sadly passing away in 2010 at the age of 69.

One of the rarest factions from Beefheart are videos in some form or another. Although hisGrow Fins box set featured a handful of early visual material on CD-ROM and few live bootleg CDs have shown up, so rare is it that we get to see him in his this raw form. Showcasing him and The Magic Band raising hell on Germen TV, is The Lost BroadcastsDVD. What might otherwise be seen by many as an odd performance, is true Beefheart, making a ruckus in the confines of the thirty minute show, running from an over three minute bass solo through various performance antics of the Captain including his psychopathic mannerisms, spaced out poetry, blues infused howling and soprano sax wailing.

The band themselves are off the heels of Clear Spot and Spotlight Kid albums, and you can tell that everybody including the cameraman is almost clueless into what is going on, but that was always the spontaneity of Captain Beefheart's live shows. Still though, it's a rare look into one of rock's most extreme cult artists - It might only be for Beefheart completeists, most of his fans are.

I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AN ADMIRER OF YOKO ONO, BUT THIS HAS TO BE A JOKE? (Thanks to Max for sending it)


Yoko Ono designs John Lennon tribute LED jockstrap
Photo: Opening Ceremony
Yoko Ono has designed a new fashion range inspired by her late husband John Lennon.

The collection for Opening Ceremony features designs based on a collection of 'Fashions For Men' drawings she exchanged with the former Beatle as a wedding gift in 1969,Vanity Fair reports.

The sketches showed men's clothes that, In Ono's words, "emphasiz[ed] his very sexy bod". The 18-piece collection features an LED jockstrap, trousers with a hand stitched over the crotch, a pair of boots with a handy receptacle for holding incense in and a jumper with strategically placed nipple holes. Prices for the items start at $75 (£46) to $750 (£460). Paperback books containing Ono’s sketches will also be on sale for $30 (£18) each.

Other items designed for Lennon, including 'underwear fashioned from a rigid mask' and 'pants attached to a long lion’s tail in the rear' sadly failed to make it into the collection. ?

Yoko Ono is set to curate next years' Meltdown Festival at London's Southbank Centre which takes place from June 14-23. The music and arts event has previously been headed by David Bowie, Patti Smith and Jarvis Cocker. 

The artist recently thanked Paul McCartney for saying she that she didn't split up The Beatles. Ono has long been held responsible for the demise of the Fab Four, and thanked McCartney for finally putting the issue to rest, calling him a "brave man" after he said the group was already breaking up before she got together with Lennon. 

Read on...

'RECORD YOUR CALL' ARE BACK


Now, I don't usually use the Gonzo Daily to blatantly endorse goods and/or services from a company that isn't related to Gonzo Multimedia, but in this case I shall make an exception. Yesterday I wrote about how the company that I use to record all my interviews was upgrading their website, and therefore had not been available when I wanted to interview Michael Des Barres the other day. Almost as an afterthought, I e-mailed their customer service asking how long I could expect them to be out of action.

Imagine how pleased I was to receive an e-mail late yesterday afternoon informing me that they were back online. A few minutes later the telephone rang, and it was a friendly geezer from the company, phoning to tell me the same thing, but also to make sure that I was happy with the service, and understood all the improvements that they had made.

In a world of illiterate emails, and totally inaudible call centres in Utar Pradesh, I am not used to such kindness and consideration from a company - ESPECIALLY not a company who only charge 10p a minute for their services. It was most welcome, and this is why I am giving them a shameless and unsolicited plug here today.





ABWH: Dutch Review

http://www.progopinion.blogspot.com/


Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe - 
Live at the NEC 1989 (2010) 

Label: Gonzo Media Group 
Band Site: www.yesworld.com 
Running Time : 64:46 + 71:55 
Reviewer : Henk Vermeulen 
Rating:   
(out of 5 JoJo's)


This stability in terms of staffing is not a predicate that applies to Yes, with some understatement may be called a euphemism. From its founding in 1968 until now at least fifteen musicians were part of the Yes-family.Despite these changes, the band to survive. Handsome, because there were often conflicts which even led the founders, Chris Squire and Jon Anderson, frequently quarreled with each other are. 
In 1989 there was a dispute in which the founders again faced each particular about whom the name 'Yes "could bear. A court ruling meant that the group of Squire (plus Tony Kaye, Trevor Rabin, Alan White) Yes allowed to call themselves. The paradox is that the legally official Yes-formation in this period never released an album while the other group that did untitled be among the few original name "Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe '(ABWH). A classic Yes-product which after some disappointing albums finally a dominant and reborn Jon Anderson was heard, flanked by his convincing playing companions: all Yes-musicians at heart. 
What the album historical value indicates that the texts largely on relativistic way about the history of the band, whereby the eternally positive attitude Anderson heartwarming (there is no doubt who the positivist name Yes invented). Listen to the text of the goosebumps giving wallhanger 'Quartet' and you know what I mean. "ABWH 'belongs to me why the top 5 of best Yes albums: what a paradox! 
A month after the release the band went on tour, "An Evening of Yes Music Plus'. Of that tour was in 1994 by the King Biscuit Flower Hour illustrious label a double album released with a concert from 1989 Mountain View, mainly consisting Yes classics supplemented with some tracks from "ABWH. One month later they gave a concert at the legendary theater NEC in Birmingham with a recording that was made here on the table. This edition also includes a DVD with unnecessary 'behind the scene' private recordings score Colbeck. 
I am somewhat ambivalent about this issue. Two extra songs after ("All Good People" and "Starship Trooper") adds nothing to the edition of 1994.Addition of missing 'ABWH the radiant and bandbiografische' Quartet 'and' Themes' polluted by an exhibitionist, unnecessary duel between Levin and Bruford. Even the best live performance of 'Close to the Edge' ever - mind you - can not compensate. positive side host Tony Levin, Squire exemplary replace during the execution of the classics, despite the absence of the typical string-slabs as we know from Squire. 
Despite the critical remarks should this album, not only because of its historical value but also because of the beautiful design with interesting background, not lacking in the collection of the enthusiast. The added value is especially formed by the stimulus to the heavily underrated studio album ABWH go re listening. Henk Vermeulen (11-2012) 

Personnel: 
Jon Anderson - vocals 
Bill Bruford - drums 
Steve Howe - guitars 
Rick Wakeman - keyboards 
With: 
Julian Colbeck - keyboards 
Tony Levin - bass 
Milton McDonald - guitars 

Discography: 
Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (1989) 
An Evening of Yes Music Plus (1994) 
Live at the NEC Oct. 24th 1989 (2010)


CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO:


THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem


Rob Ayling writes: 

"Thom the World poet, is an old mate of mine from way back in my history. Even pre-dating Voiceprint, when I was running "Otter Songs" and Tom's poetry tapes and guest appearences with Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth, Mother Gong are well known and highly regarded. It just felt right to include a daily poem from Thom on our Gonzo blog and when I approached him to do so, he replied with in seconds!!! Thom is a great talent and just wants to spread poetry, light and positive energy across the globe. If we at Gonzo can help him do that - why not? why not indeed!!" (The wondrous poetpic is by Jack McCabe, who I hope forgives me for scribbling all over it with Photoshop)

BY THE LIGHT OF BURNING BUDDHISTS


eye can see an Independent Tibet.
by the camps of refugees in Turkey - the face of New Syria
camped in Tahrir Square - the future of Egypt
even here - OCCUPY/Tea Parties petition democracy
this started long before Tiananmen Square
Julia Butterfly living in one tree /and thereby saving that tree
you-walking down city streets for peace, gently, harmonically, birthing the new
We Are People. This is what we do-these arms are made for huddles and cuddles
on the territory of our only bodies. Our defense is free speech (and freedom of assembly)
So we set Bradley Manning and Julian Assange free. We read and support Wikileaks and OCCUPY
We write and sing and meditate and ring in the new! We call on you as human, too -
to cease walls,wars,words of conflict. These are astonishing times - ancient as well!
Alignment with harmonics threads our common purpose. Trust in this intrinsic
Everywhere-awakenings! Our small world sings. We know the words!
it is a call - an invocation - enchantment - to step away from all that falls
into a new you - a "we"of community! RISE!


Two More Self-Immolations

2012-11-29
The number of Tibetans burning themselves in protest against Chinese rule has risen to 89.

AFP
Tibetan in India unveil a banner with images of those who self-immolated during a protest rally in Siliguri city, Nov. 28, 2012.
Two more Tibetans have burned themselves to death in protest against Chinese rule in Tibetan-populated areas, sources said Thursday as a U.S.-based human rights group said the increasing burning protests highlight a failure of the Chinese authorities to address Tibetan grievances.

The latest burnings by two men in Gansu province brings the self-immolation toll to 89 so far, with 27 occurring this month alone.

THE MOVE REVIEW

http://www.musicwaves.fr/frmChronique.aspx?pro_id=9134



Album: The Lost Broadcasts - Group: The Move
DVD of Rock appeared in 2012 under the labelGonzo Multimedia

With the series "Lost Broadcasts" , Gonzo Multimedia seems to have found the mother lode. Indeed, the archives of Radio Bremen and some other German tv all seem to be an inexhaustible reservoir of images and recordings of rehearsals combos more or less known. For this new volume, the British band The Move, which has a back in the spotlight, 40 years after its separation in favor of Electric Light Orchestra under the leadership of Jeff Lynne. We do not retrace here the history of the formation, which is the main weapon was the inescapable hit "Blackberry Way" in 1968, and gained a reputation thanks to some outrageous outfits and stage performances. The DVD presented here consists of two different recordings of the group on the set of German TV quoted in the introduction, separated 10 years apart (1969 and 1979). Like to add to the piecemeal approach of the object, the 11 tracks do not follow the chronological order of interventions. To be more exact, it is more than 9 titles, "Ella James" entitled to 2 doses, the first being interrupted by Roy Wood, and "Down On The Bay" receiving a broadcast on a colored background animated having been performed in front of a blue background.

The group presents itself in different formations, the quartet taken in 1969 and 1979 for quintet, Jeff Lynne making its appearance in the line-up while Roy Wood and Bev are Beavan only to participate in the total catch. The main interest of this paper is mainly to show that training has touched several musical styles, which may explain the fact that it has failed to settle permanently in the British rock scene despite the success of "Blackberry Way". Eyeing to Beatles songs to great shots harmonies ("Blackberry Way", "Fire Brigade", "Wild Tiger Woman"), including elements Folk ("Carly" and flute), swinging a big rock that task interference the slide ("When Alice Comes Back To Farm"), working in a Heavy-Psychedelic Rock, dark and heavy ("Brontosaurus"), flirting with the progressive with 2 pianos ("The Words Of Aaron"), or switching to a Rock'n'Roll aggressive border Hard ("Ella James"), it is difficult to find a guiding light to the artistic process of The Move. although handicapped by shaky shots wearing the retina, " The Lost Broadcasts "is still figure historical document highlighting the artistic freedom of a time when musicians were not to be easily locked into tight spaces.
The Move does not necessarily become essential that the group was not able to be at the time, but at least avoid an oversight that its qualities and experiments not deserve. Chronicle written byLoloceltic the 05.11. 2012 
The Lost Broadcasts
DVD - £9.99

Thursday 29 November 2012

THE ROLLING STONES/MUDDY WATERS: Can Blue Men Play the Whites?


I rather like BBC iPlayer.  Recently it’s shown several music related programmes that I would otherwise have been forced to buy, or at the very least try to blag, in order to write about them in these hallowed pages. For those of you who are not regulars, although the vast majority of what appears on the Gonzo Daily has some relevance towards music, films or books released by Gonzo Multimedia, sometimes I pull rank, claim editorial privilege, and write about various music, book or film related subjects which have nothing to do with our parent company whatsoever, but which interest me, and I hope will interest the Gonzo readership.

A lot has written about this newly released DVD of a 1981 concert by Muddy Waters during which the Rolling Stones and various other luminaries took the stage.  It has been heralded as an artefact of an event of quite some historical significance, so my mother-in-law, Prudence the dog, the orange cat and I sat down to watch it. Like all these things, it turned out to be both more and less impressive that we had been led to believe.

First of all, let’s get the cultural context bit out of the way.  This has been portrayed as one of the grand old men of the blues communing with his spiritual grandchildren who act as acolytes as the aforementioned ‘grand old man’ somehow invokes the spirit of the Houngan who met Robert Johnson at the crossroads, and spreads the magic of the blues far and wide to a new generation. 

Well, it’s not like that at all.

First of all, Muddy Waters (real name McKinley Morganfield) was only 65, which makes him younger than any of the Rolling Stones are now (although I have to admit this is a real-world 65, which is considerably different to a western world rock aristocracy, complete with Botox, nips and tucks and whatever other magic plastic surgeons, personal trainers and dieticians can provide).  Secondly, the Rolling Stones were roughly 40 at the time, and approaching middle-age, and with their best days creatively quite a long way behind them. Thirdly, although the event has been portrayed as being more or less spontaneous, the presence of quite a sophisticated TV crew would seem to contradict this.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  There are moments in this DVD which are truly thrilling.  Hoochie Coochie Man and Manish Boy do hit the intensity of blues ecstasy that Dr John has been trying, and failing, to achieve for years.  There is a genuine warmth between Muddy Waters and Mick Jagger who seem to be very fond of each other and Muddy Waters’ band augmented by Messrs. Richards and Wood cook up a demonic gumbo which is truly inspirational.

Unfortunately this takes place about a third of the way through the DVD and things go downhill from then on.  Muddy Waters breaks is spell  that he has cast by inviting three more guests – Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, and a very drunk Lefty Dizz – on to the stage, and the whole thing becomes black showbiz almost instantaneously, and is horribly reminiscent of one of the more irritating segments of the Cosby Show. Somehow, Muddy Waters’ band (who weren’t actually terribly good, but have a generous dollop of whatever the musical equivalent of genus loci is, are shunted off and replaced by the cream of Chicago’s session musicians who can play significantly better but who have about as much soul and integrity as a New Labour party political broadcast.  Buddy Guy, looking somewhat like a TV evangelist in an unflattering white suit, plays some fantastic guitar, and you can see why when deciding to form Cream in 1966, the young Eric Clapton had modelled his modus operandi on him.  Junior Wells is very professional but looks like a black Norman Wisdom.  I don’t think that it is racist to say that he was wearing a ridiculous hat.  Lefty Dizz played and sang with flashes of brilliance, but was so drunk that most of it was self-indulgent fret-wanking.  Whereas Muddy Waters’ band had played off each other organically, with two exceptions most of the all-star band were trying to outdo each other, which was a great pity.  The two exceptions were – surprisingly – Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood who just looked pleased to be there.  Keith in particular played some understated and elegant guitar, and Ronnie Wood did his best.

The interesting thing was seeing how out of place Mick Jagger was. At the time the Rolling Stones were one of the biggest stadium rock bands in the world, and it is obvious that Mick Jagger’s on stage movements had been honed to look their best on a huge stage in front of an audience of tens of thousands. On a tiny stage in an intimate blues club he looked out of place, uncomfortable, and – at first, at least – more than slightly ridiculous.   The fact that he was wearing a bright red track suit was a rare fashion faux pas from somebody who has usually looked eminently stylish over the last half-a-century.

It is difficult to know how to put this next paragraph without being, or at least without seeming to be, offensive.  But I will try.  Let me say as a disclaimer that I have no political axe to grind, and that I am not meaning to offend anyone black or white; but despite having spent decades pretending to be black, Mick Jagger was just not as good at it as the natives.  He strutted and pouted, doing his best Tina Turner impersonation, but next to Junior Wells, who despite the ridiculous hat, did have a natural sense of rhythm, and was doing the same pouting and posturing as Jagger, poor young Michael Philip from the London School of Economics just looked silly.  My youngest step-daughter, a few years ago, had a boyfriend from Eastern Europe and the two of us would spend happy evenings getting mildly drunk and playing Command and Conquer together.  As any devotees of this really rather good video game series will know, some of the main characters are Russian, and come out with the most appalling Slavic clichés.  I asked Ivan whether he found these clichés offensive.  After all, I said, I would find an English video games character and wore a bowler hat and said “Spiffing, top hole, old chap” all the time offensive to me as an Englishman.  The trouble is, Ivan and I were both drunk at the time, and I can’t remember his answer. I thought of him this evening, while we watched Mick Jagger desperately trying to be black on stage with Muddy Waters, and wondered whether any red-bloodied young negro would find Jagger’s desperate aping of his culture just as offensive.  I really wouldn’t be surprised.

Another thing which was painfully obvious was that Muddy Waters was not much better at being a sidesman to Mick Jagger than Mick Jagger was fulfilling the same role to the man who was, after all, his mentor. There was obviously great love and respect between them, and occasionally, like on the closing song Champagne and Reefer they meshed perfectly and it really gelled.  But most of the time, it didn’t, and one felt mildly relieved when Jagger left the stage and went to sit down in the audience.

Now, as regular readers will no doubt know, I love the Rolling Stones, or at least the first two versions of them.  They were at their best when they had a truly inventive virtuoso on lead guitar.  Brian Jones was a genius, and Mick Taylor was – and is – my favourite lead guitar player.  Ronnie Wood just cannot compare to them, and never has been able to. The fact that he has lasted 37 years with the band as against Jones’ seven, and Taylor’s five does I think explain his role within the Rolling Stones.  He is not there as a musician. He is there as a peacemaker.  He stops Mick and Keith wanting to kill each other too often, and he acts as a discreet liaison between the front line and the rhythm section.  Visually and musically he is a foil for both Mick and Keith.  But he’s no genius, he’s no virtuoso, and the band have never been the same since he joined.  I would love to have seen the concert that I watched this evening if Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy et al had been joined on stage by Mick, Keith, and either/or psychopathic and doomed Brian Jones, or the elegantly brutal Mick Taylor. Then the music produced during this classic concert would truly have been invocatory and extraordinary, rather than just entertaining.

One of the things that so many reviewers have brought up whilst discussing this DVD is the old, irritating, and more than slightly racist question: can white men play the blues?  On the basis of this DVD, some of them certainly can, just as some black men can try to upstage each other or be irritatingly drunk buffoons.  A curate’s egg, but one that has made a tasty omelette. 

GONG AT SHEPHERD'S BUSH (via Rob the Cheesemeister)



Gong set list Shepherds Bush

1. Intro tape One by One
2. 757 (occupy)
3. Radio Gnome
4. Tic Toc
5. Pussy
6. Escape Control Delete
7. Tropical Fish / Selene
8. Flute Salad
9. Oily Way
10. Outer Temple
11. Inner Temple
12. Goddess Invocation
13. Om Riff / Master Builder
14. Change The World
15. I Bin Stoned / O Mother
16. Zeroid
17. Opium
18. Dynamite

19. Can't Kill Me

At Montserrat
DVD - £7.99

Live At The Uncon 2006
DVD - £12.99

Live In Tokyo 
CD - £7.99

I'am Your Egg
CD - £7.99

Histories & Mysteries Of Planet Gong
DCD - £11.99

25th Birthday 
CD - £9.99

THE MOVE: Review



The Move

Lost Broadcasts DVD

Review by G. W. Hill

There are good and bad sides to this DVD. The good side is that it’s cool to get this performances from such an important band. I mean, without The Move, there probably would never have been an Electric Light Orchestra. Some of the music here sounds a lot like ELO. The rest of this sounds more like pretty run of the mill psychedelia – not bad by any means, but not all that Earth shattering. This is pretty short and just consists of a hodge podge of performances (several versions of each song in some cases). It would be nice if they ran together differently. There are a number of bits that seem to fit together, like they are from one show. It would have made more sense to arrange the set that way – especially because some of these are in black and white. Still, this is a cool set and even if you have to skip around to watch it the way it should have been arranged, it’s good to have this.

ABWH: French Review (Translated)

http://www.musicwaves.fr/frmChronique.aspx?pro_id=9056


Album: Live At The NEC October 24th 1989 - Group: Anderson Bruford Wakeman & Howe
CD + DVD of Progressive Rock released in 2012 under the labelGonzo Multimedia

In the early '80s, Yes crosses many turbulence that cause the departure of key founding members. In 1988, three expelled or resigned find Jon Anderson to reform a larger group 'yessien' the Yes consensual period. Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman & Howe released their eponymous album and single in June 1989 and go on a world tour 5 months. The purpose of this column is a live recording made on October 24th at the NEC Birmingham. If you jump on this box to DVD hoping you enjoy images together, you will be disappointed because here is the DVD is the bonus and it contains a short film of 26 minutes.
This short video filmed by Julian Colbeck , also credited with keyboards, shows the backstage tour and does little more value to this package. A note to the flow of said enclosure, an error in the list of tracks transferred to the jacket and the booklet (inversion of the last three tracks on the CD 2). 's first CD (and show the fact) that begins with a medley provides an overview of the directory mentioned this evening, since it is composed of excerpts from "Time And A Word" from the album of the same name ( Yes 1970), "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" derived from " 90125 "( Yes 1983) and "Teakbois" from the eponymous album Anderson Bruford Wakeman & Howe . Following the concert includes four compositions ABW & H, nine titles Yes (picks in "Fragile", "Close To The Edge" and "The Yes Album"), plus a keyboard solo from Wakeman and duo / low battery Levin / Bruford .
Protagonists being other than musicians Yes , interpretations are close to the original versions. We really seem to hear a live performance of Yes And Friends , and the fact that the jacket has only four surnames were, within a few months, another group does not alter the case: ABW & H was only Yes bis time to settle some differences with the owners name. This live testimony of a misdemeanor in the epic 'yessienne' is an interesting object, even if it lacks the images to make the full happiness of the listener. We may prefer the DVD entitled "An Evening Of Yes Music Plus". Chronicle written by Peter Hackett on 19.11.2012
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO:

LONG DISTANCE INFORMATION WON'T YOU PLEASE RECORD MY CALL


I have a problem. I have never been able to link up a tape recorder/data recorder/computer to my telephone, and so until recently I have had a terrible time trying to record telephone calls, which is - as I am sure that you can imagine - quite a problem when I am a journalist. Then I discovered http://www.recordyourcall.co.uk/ who are bloody fantastic, surprisingly cheap, and via whom I have done all my interviews for Gonzo Daily, and the newly launched Gonzo Weekly.

Yesterday I was due to speak to Michael Des Barres about his fabbo new Christmas single , so I picked up the telephone at the appointed time, and rang him via those jolly nice 'Record Your Call' people, only to find that.......


...the service is offline at the moment, and no-one seems to know when it will be resumed. I eventually found another (more expensive) service, but too late to speak to Michael.

I have written to RYC asking when they will be back online, and I hope it will be soon, because I not only want to speak to Michael, but also to Judy Dyble and various other luminarys of Gonzoworld. So keep yer fingers crossed.

THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem


Rob Ayling writes: 

"Thom the World poet, is an old mate of mine from way back in my history. Even pre-dating Voiceprint, when I was running "Otter Songs" and Tom's poetry tapes and guest appearences with Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth, Mother Gong are well known and highly regarded. It just felt right to include a daily poem from Thom on our Gonzo blog and when I approached him to do so, he replied with in seconds!!! Thom is a great talent and just wants to spread poetry, light and positive energy across the globe. If we at Gonzo can help him do that - why not? why not indeed!!" (The wondrous poetpic is by Jack McCabe, who I hope forgives me for scribbling all over it with Photoshop)


RATHER SAVE THEN INVEST (in birds, bees, polar bears)

Seed Banks need be started.Circuses for solely human acrobats.
Let there be wild spaces where we do not enter(not even for scientific purposes
only then can a new penicillin have time to evolve,mutate and emerge
Take our hands off the bulldozer/leave ancient groves alone
(they are not better for our administration/which often translates as mutilation)
and they have survived for centuries on their own.Give up our space station
and all those satellites.They will not work if earth is bruised and broken
Focus upon the needs of now,in this environment .that is so threatened
by our existence as consumption and pollution.100% recycling!
Devise ways to degrade that plastic choking our oceans!
Oil and gas and fracking and nuclear fusion need give way
to wind and wave and other sustainable solutions.Value comes from being valued.
We value paper money more than forests.Metal coins more than the earth they came from.
Change your mind!Listen to your body!Inside you-rivers(blood)circulates(heart pumps)
This gift requires air and love and water.Deny it once,and death is certain.Same for our borrowed planet
Love those birds and bees and polar bears and elephants.Open the zoos of your mind
and set yourself free!

Wednesday 28 November 2012

THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem


Rob Ayling writes: 

"Thom the World poet, is an old mate of mine from way back in my history. Even pre-dating Voiceprint, when I was running "Otter Songs" and Tom's poetry tapes and guest appearences with Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth, Mother Gong are well known and highly regarded. It just felt right to include a daily poem from Thom on our Gonzo blog and when I approached him to do so, he replied with in seconds!!! Thom is a great talent and just wants to spread poetry, light and positive energy across the globe. If we at Gonzo can help him do that - why not? why not indeed!!" (The wondrous poetpic is by Jack McCabe, who I hope forgives me for scribbling all over it with Photoshop)

JIMI HENDRIX'S BIRTHDAY


Every year,we gather @Brad's
for a pot luck/campfire and a music jam
File:Jimi Hendrix 1967.png2012 sees a Full Moon and Jupiter shine
while we are inside improvising
Folk come in from Happy Jacks
i hand them poetry(they hand it back)
They have come to join in a living sound track
So its up to the standing microphone
Drummer girl has hands on drums
Brad on guitar with Jimi riffs
JC on guitar electronics
and we are Jimi's Children now
He birthed us in the white blues
(starshine in an Age of Cloud)
Guitars and smiles weave communities
of those addicted to harmonies/and we
will always remember him
every time-with improvising
To be born happens in every awakening
Jimi is with us-just keep on jammin!

RICK WAKEMAN IN THE DAILY EXPRESS

This brief bit of gossip in the Daily Express tells us nothing that we didn't already already know about Rick's reimagining of Journey to the Centre of the Earth but contains the best conjunctivitis joke EVER!!!!!!!

Day & Night

RICK WAKEMAN RETURNS TO CENTRE OF THE EARTH

Rick Wakeman is struggling to keep up with the fast pace in technological change

Rick Wakeman is struggling to keep up with the fast pace in technological change
Friday November 23,2012

By Lizzie Catt, Lisa Higgins and Jack Teague









AFTER rediscovering the long-lostmusical score for his concept album Journey To The Centre Of The Earth in a waterlogged box, Rick Wakeman has re-recorded it.
But in the 30 years since he last saw the score the keyboard wizard has failed to keep up with the times.
“My son asked me if I had an iPad,” he told us. “Yeah, only when I’ve got conjunctivitis.”
Rick, 63, whose re-recording of Journey has been released this week as a special fan pack with Classic Rock magazine, explains: “Playing lots of keyboards at the same time is what I was brought up with.
“My kids range from 27 up to 40-odd. Put a new iPad in front of them and they don’t even need to look at the instructions. Put me in front of a pinball machine and I can knock spots off 'em – they don’t get it!”
Read on...

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO:

Caped Crusader by Dan Wooding
Book - £14.99

In The Nick of Time
CD - £9.99

Video Vaults
6DVD box - £85.00

Live at Lugano
- £12.99

Past, Present and Future
3CD - £9.99

Always With You
CD - £9.99

Christmas Variations 
CD - £7.99

The Burning 
CD - £9.99

Cirque Surreal 
CD - £7.99

Aspirant Sunrise 
CD - £7.99

Aspirant Sunset 
CD - £7.99

Aspirant Sunshadows 
CD - £7.99

Gole 
CD - £9.99

White Rock II
CD - £7.99

Tribute
CD - £7.99

Almost Live In Europe 
CD - £7.99

Out Of The Blue 
CD - £7.99

Fields Of Green 
CD - £7.99

Out There 
CD - £7.99

1984
CD - £9.99

Cost Of Living 
CD - £9.99

Journey To The Centre Of The Earth Plus
CD - £7.99

The Mixture
CD - £7.99

Live 
CD - £7.99
...BECAUSE SOME OF US THINK THAT THIS STUFF IS IMPORTANT
What happens when you mix what is - arguably - the world's most interesting record company, with an anarchist manic-depressive rock music historian polymath, and a method of dissemination which means that a daily rock-music magazine can be almost instantaneous?

Most of this blog is related in some way to the music, books and films produced by Gonzo Multimedia, but the editor has a grasshopper mind and so also writes about all sorts of cultural issues which interest him, and which he hopes will interest you as well.