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Bringing Back Analog in Music…

Is the rise of the digital machine really a cause for celebration?… This music artist in me believes not… especially when it comes to musical instruments…

Give me my analog tube amplifiers and my screaming ‘steel’ stringed guitar opposed to digital devices, for any live stage or studio experience.

This article covers the existence and the rise of the (digital) machine as it’s associated with the musician. It’s something to consider to say the least…

Jam On!
Ron-

Source (By: Gary Cooper / via:www.musicinstrumentnews.co.uk)

“I’m no Luddite and I doubt many of MIN’s readers are, either, but equally, I am not yet ready to surrender control of either my car or my sound system to robots which seem to have more in common with 1960s Japanese horror movies than Robbie from Forbidden Planet…”

… Read more about this article here:
https://www.musicinstrumentnews.co.uk/2016/11/21/really-sure-rise-machines/

Vanilla Fudge, the Original Cover Song Artists…

Playing cover songs is in itself a artistic technique… However, some will argue that playing cover tunes your ‘own way’ is truly a real art form.

Take for instance the Vanilla Fudge band from the 60s… Now these guys really knew how to twist a cover tune. Considered one of the originators of rock covers, Fudge had an uncanny knack of taking a song and making it actually so unique that it became a tune of its own.

I remember not being a big fan of Sonny and Cher… but after hearing their rendition of ‘Bang Bang’ Vanilla Fudge just knocked my socks off with a take on this tune that… well, just made it better!

Anyway… the article below gives credence to which I speak and hopefully will provide you with a great flashback and for the millenniums a new appreciation for twisting cover songs.

Jam On!
-Ron

(via credit: post by Mitchell Cohen @ web.musicaficionado.com)

Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore admitted as much to Guitar World: “We loved Vanilla Fudge—they were our heroes. They used to play London’s Speakeasy and all the hippies used to go there to hang out.… They played eight-minute songs, with dynamics… The whole group was ahead of its time. So, initially, we wanted to be a Vanilla Fudge clone.” And Bill Bruford says that on the first Yes album the group “made the whole lot sound like a cross between Vanilla Fudge and the Beach Boys.”

The Real Truth Behind The Lyrics In “Hotel California”—It’s Not What You Think!

OK, you no doubt find ‘Hotel California’ by the Eagles a very over played song on the airwaves. We’ll anyway, I do! – But, even though this song gets a ton of air play it certainly goes down as one of the top most misunderstood rock lyrical tunes ever…

Anyway, this article mentions a quote from Don Henley that sheds some truth behind the song… check it out.

Jam On!
– Ron

(via: Society of Rock .com)

“On a dark desert highway…” It’s one of the most interpreted songs in the history of rock n’ roll. Classic “Hotel California.” Many people have argued, debated and researched what the true meaning behind this song actually is. A common belief is that the song is about purgatory…

Fireworks in Your Brain on Music…

It probably goes with saying… playing music stimulates our brain. This article goes further into describing the difference between listening to music and actually playing it.

When we ‘jam’ our brains light-up with inter-related connections that enhance most every activity and function… including fine motor skills that invoke both hemispheres of the brain.

Jam On!
– Ron

Enjoy this video…

(via: Anita Collins: TED-Ed Original lessons)

When you listen to music, multiple areas of your brain become engaged and active. But when you actually play an instrument, that activity becomes more like a full-body brain workout. What’s going on?…

See the Video and Read More Here…

https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-playing-an-instrument-benefits-your-brain-anita-collins

Ed Sheeran’s Song Sued Over ‘Let’s Get It On’…

When you consider most rock and country chords are the same basic 1,3,5 or 1,4,5 structures, it’s a wonder everyone hasn’t sued ‘everyone’!

Now, maybe you hear the ‘very’ similarities to Ed Sheeran’s song, Thinking Out Loud… to that of Marvin Gay’s decades old song, Let’s get it on… but I don’t!

I mean, there are a ton of songs on the marketplace that resemble each other to a certain degree, yet in this case I can’t find a very close resemblance thereof.

Anyway, I feel the poor guy [Ed] is being bothered [again] for no reason what-so-ever. Oh well, when you’re at the top you’re fair game. We’ll see, as it was tossed out the first round…

Jam On!
– Ron

Sergi Alexander/WireImage – via Colin Stutz for billboard.com

… The family of Gaye’s co-writer on the track, Ed Townsend, is pursuing legal action against Sheeran for lifting the the melody, harmony and rhythm from “Let’s Get It On” for his own song.

This is the second such accusation against Sheehan…

Ringo Starr Against Digital, For Supporting Opening Acts…

In this article, Ringo Starr brings up some interesting facts. His first fact is really relative to his up-bringing in the ‘pre-digital’ music world. I can see his point to some degree, yet, this is the latest age we are living in and one must adjust.

Ringo’s second point was covered in one of our earlier blog post… It deals with the issue of ‘Pay to Play’. Now, you may already know that many venues these days, especially in highly competitive locals’, require bands to actually pay to gig live. Now, Ringo brings home to roost his take and complaint on how opening acts are treated these days… you might find it an interesting read…

Jam On!
-Ron

Photo credit: www.mirror.co.uk / via:https://societyofrock.com

When asked about the conditions that new bands face when opening for certain artists such as Ringo Starr himself. “I go crazy, because if you want to open for a well-known band you have to pay; management makes you pay. Who is giving back? I did a Ringo tour once and had a local band at every gig open for us just to give them exposure. Nobody is helping anybody.”…

Read more about Ringo Star’s disposition here:

https://societyofrock.com/ringo-starr-expresses-outrage-in-regards-to-the-bands-that-open-for-him/

Making Your Own Music Video…

Music videos have been around for a few decades now… However, attempts to make your entertainment vids fast and easy continue to earn its stride.

Musical.ly is the first real social network that has reached an audience, young as small humans to the oldest of wisdom-hood.

Potentially, musical.ly will allow the younger and older generations to generate content in ways that they can’t produce as easily on their own. It is democratizing content creation by providing the resources (i.e., filters, control over video speed, access to professional audio) to make fun and entertaining content.

I may not be the best at layin’-down super guitar chops, yet, even I can create something fun without understanding a lot of post-production-editing skills.

You may find this ‘app’ worth looking into if you are considering a quick video about your musician self or with your band.

Jam On!
-Ron

Click the image to visit the https://musical.ly site and grab the App…

Bass Player Stranded in Tour Van…

Sometimes good ol’-fashioned parody deserves some place within the musician network. If you’ve been on tour before, you know that it’s important to keep your sanity by fooling around and playing fun pranks on each other.

Now, this article (below) claims more of a ‘tongue and cheek’ mention of a tour prank… akin to the Onion News.

In any case, many of us can totally relate to the lightheartedness of this matter.

Oh this poor bass player. (hehe)

Jam On!
– Ron

(via https://thehardtimes.net)

After 20 minutes of searching the venue for the van’s owners, Nunez and a few onlookers decided to take action. “We knew we had to act fast,” she said. “We tried to talk to him, but he seemed disoriented and would not stop looking at his phone…

Read and Enjoy it Here:
https://thehardtimes.net/2016/06/24/irresponsible-musicians-leave-bassist-hot-van/

A Farewell to Aerosmith…

Recently (as of the date of this blog post) guitarist Joe Perry mentioned that the band, Aerosmith, had been tossing around the idea of reaching a time where a farewell tour was in order.

Wow, can you believe it’s been 47 years at this point? Another rock band legend has reached the proverbial milestone. Like many (considered) old-timer rockers, The Aerosmith boys have apparently found this moment in their career to consider ‘wrapping it up’ for their touring and studio album work.

It also appears that Steven Tyler has started another music genre direction… a solo country singer. Yep believe it or not (or you may already know it by now). Here’s a link to his first (solo) venture into country… (it’s not bad). Maybe it’s also a way for him to save his voice for the fore-see-able future.

Jam On!
-Ron

Go Here to see Steven sing country…

And more on the Aerosmith Farewell Tour…

(via: press release of Aerosmith Farewell Tour from Society of Rock .com)

There are no dates currently in mind for when Aerosmith will hit the road for the final time, and if you’re worried about being able to snag tickets to what’s sure to be one of the greatest farewell tours rock and roll has ever seen, never fear: Steven assures us that while this is the end for Aerosmith, the farewell tour will “probably last forever”.

Johnny Cash and June Carter Walking the Line…

For the first time the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) is dedicating an entire day to the legacies of “The First Family” of Country Music with a curatorial talk, an instrument spotlight, a themed menu at Café Allegro, a MIMQuiz with prizes, and more on June 25.

Johnny Cash and June Carter has provided a great ride for us musicians to enjoy their contribution to music. So many of us have covered a Johnny Cash tune with many musical variances… from rock to punk.

This press release (below) discusses the event that will take place a the MIM in Phoenix and what to expect if you drop by…

(btw… MIM displays more than 6,500 instruments collected from around 200 of the world’s countries and territories).

Jam On!
-Ron

(via: Musical Instrument Museum Organization)

Johnny Cash’s marriage to June Carter Cash represents a union of musical influences that have truly shaped American music for nearly a century. The Carter Family has served as a standard foundation for American folk and country music since their historic recording sessions in Bristol, Tennessee, in 1927. Johnny Cash is one of the most iconic musical personalities…