Retro Chicken

Musical legend Al Kooper grew up in Queens and was friends with my father. (If I remember correctly, my dad would tag along when Al went on some of his adventures – he was even at the recording session for the classic hit “Barbara Ann” – Dad, forgive me if I am totally butchering the story). Needless to say, as I got older and interested in music, I heard a lot about my father’s boyhood friend.

Al Kooper’s resume is a virtual whose-who of rock n roll. He played with Bob Dylan (and was in the band when they played 1965 Newport Folk Festival – the “infamous” gig when Bob shocked the folkies by going electric), was one of the founding members of Blood, Sweat and Tears, did the “Super Sessions” with Mike Bloomfield and Stephen Stills, and discovered Lynyrd Skynyrd – among a host of other things.

In this video clip, Al discusses an early session with Bob Dylan.

“Disco Inferno” was a huge hit when I was in elementary school. It was the highest charting release by the Trammps and was featured in the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack (not that I knew this before doing a Google search – “Disco Inferno” was just always “one of those songs”).

Dig the video, so amazingly seventies – great clothes, happy people – everything, and they really do sound great – especially the killer lead vocals.

The “Rain Song” is one of my favorite, if least likely, Led Zeppelin songs. Originally released on the A side of “Houses of the Holy,” it has a long (long) middle section – about six minutes of never ending lush – featuring John Paul Jones on Mellotron*. The first time I heard it I couldn’t figure out how it ended up on a Zeppelin album – until the drum entrance. Once the drums enter you realize you have just experienced one of the greatest moments on vinyl.

I don’t know anything about the performance in the video clip – just that they are older and a live string section has replaced John Paul Jones. The song is still magic, you’ll probably cry when the drums enter.

*I am not an expert, but the Mellotron is an analog keyboard that predates modern day synthesizers. It had tape loops of different instruments, each one activated by a corresponding key on a keyboard. The Beatles used it for “Strawberry Fields,” it is the “flute” on “Stairway to Heaven” and was used throughout the seventies by bands like Zeppelin, Yes, and others.

After a week of posting stuff about King Crimson and other music out on the fringes, I decided it was either something classic like Led Zeppelin or hardcore disco. I went for Zeppelin.

I don’t know if people appreciate the depth that Led Zeppelin had as a band. Aside from the classic rockers and blues jams (like this version of “Since I’ve Been Loving You”), Zeppelin did experimental acoustic music, were innovative geniuses in the studio, and played around with odd time signatures, harmonies, technology and ethnic sounds. A testament to their brilliance is the stark difference between the mastery they demonstrated in the studio and how loose and improvisatory they were live.

Keeping in sync with my current obsession with everything King Crimson, I found this memory posted by Adrian Belew on his blog about one of his last meetings with Frank Zappa. Adrian Belew, who joined King Crimson in the early eighties, was in Zappa’s band in the seventies.

Adrian Belew is also featured in this short documentary about Zappa’s music (probably filmed in the late seventies). In the interview, Zappa is caustic, angry, irreverent, pretentious, petulant, and wonderfully Zappa – just what you would expect.

Aside from his work with King Crimson, Robert Fripp also has a solo career that has spawned some interesting collaborations with an eclectic host of characters, including pop legend David Bowie. Bowie’s ultra-hip single “Fashion,” with accompanying oh-so-eighties video, features wild Fripp interjections (the slick guitar lines are not Fripp, the wild noise and dissonance are).

Like I said in an earlier post, King Crimson has been around since the sixties and has been through a billion changes in the lineup. The incarnation in this video (for the classic and awesome “21st Century Schizoid Man”) features Greg Lake on vocals and bass. Greg Lake went on to super-stardom in the seventies as the “L” in ELP (Emerson, Lake and Palmer) and then as a part of Asia in the eighties (remember them – “Heat of the Moment” – with the dude from Yes on guitar). The vocals are run through a fuzz box, hence the cool sound.

Also dig the hippies.

There is nothing cooler then King Crimson. Always the special project of founding member and guitar legend Robert Fripp, King Crimson bridged the gap between the insane, supreme musicianship, and pop (how they ever found a mainstream audience is just proof that masses of cool people do exists – you just have to know where to find them).

King Crimson went through a number of different incarnations over the years – the one I was introduced to was the 80’s version featuring Fripp, experimental guitar wizard Adrian Belew, Tony Levin (on Stick and bass), and Bill Bruford (drums).

Check them out – Adrian Belew did a lot of work with the Talking Heads, and the influence on his vocals is obvious. But that is where the comparison ends (aside from his pink suit), the odd sounds, complex time signatures and dissonance are classic Crimson.

My buddy Moish is always bugging me about how I need to seriously check out the Boss. I say, “Dude, I am from Jersey, the Boss is in my bones.” But I don’t think he gets it, he wants me cranking Roselita in my car or screaming “Born to Run” or “Nebraska” or any other suitable Bruce classic whenever the spirit moves me.

As shameful as diehard Bruce devotees may find it, I actually think one of Bruce Springsteen’s best performances is his cover of the Edwin Starr classic “War.” I found this clip of Springsteen from the late-80’s – I think he is still with the E Street Band (the drummer sure looks like Max Weinberg) and they pump out this version of “War” with unbridled vigor.

Am I the only person who thinks KC and the Sunshine band rocks? Listen to the grooves in this video – the bass lines are killer and the horn section is so tight. Also dig the great guitar sound. True, the backing vocals are lost in the mix and don’t have the same bang they have in the studio recording – but so what – the band grooves, and this is in spite of what they are wearing (what were people thinking in the 70’s?).

KC and the Sunshine band came out when I was in elementary school and for years I confused KC with magician Doug Henning – go figure.