A SILVER LINING

A SIGHT TO CHERISH AND BEHOLD
A MOVING VOICE FOR YOUNG OR OLD
AND WHOLESALE MOOD BEREFT OF MOON OR TIDE
FORSAKEN ONCE AND TOSSED AWAY
UNNOTICED AFTER FAMILY FRAY
THE PERIL OF THE PASSION SWEPT ASIDE

WAS THIS NOT TIME FOR BENDED KNEE
WAS THIS NOT IMMORTALITY
WITH GRIEVING MOMENT STOLE FROM CHURCH’S STAND
A BECKON NEVER CARRIED THROUGH
A BURIED SMILE, THE THING TO DO
THE EVER PRESENT ARROGANCE AT HAND…

HE CHORTLES TO THE BARD INSIDE
A FLEETING LOOK AS EVER SNIDE
A MEETING OF THE INNOCENTS TO HORDE
A SENTIMENT AT SHALLOW FLING
FOR WORD MAY CARRY QUITE A STING
AS CANNON, OR AS ARROW, OR AS SWORD…

AS WATER FROM THE FEATHERED GREEN
THE HURT WILL SLIDE AND STAY UNSEEN
THE OUTER LOOK OF STRENGTH BE VAST RENOWN
AND DAYS OF QUEST BE TRODDEN WELL
AVOIDING OF A PRIVATE HELL
THE IMPETUS OF KNOWING BE THE CROWN

IF KNOWLEDGE BE THE MAIN CAPRICE
THEN BLIND PURSUANCE WILL NOT CEASE
THE MORNING OR THE AFTERNOON TO BEAR
WHEN FINAL CALL IS CLOAKED AND DONE
BE JUST IN TIME FOR SETTING SUN
PERHAPS THE DARKNESS WANTS US MORE AWARE…

B.C. MAY 15 / 09

THRICE TOLD TALES

GETTING A BIT LIKE A WELL OILED, WELL RUNNING, CO-ORDINATED MACHINE NOW…I THINK THAT WAS #13…SO HERE IT IS FIVE A.M. AND NOW WE’RE IN SASKATOON. TONIGHT IS TWO OF THREE IN A ROW…AND I’M STILL UP…GOOD GOD, I NEED THOSE HOURS OF SLEEP. BUT AS RICHARD STARKEY ONCE SANG “YOU KNOW IT DON’T COME EASY”…
VALIUM DOESN’T REALLY DO IT ANYMORE…AHH, THAT’S A KINDA STUPID DRUG ANYWAY…IT MELLOWS YOU OUT, BUT YOU’RE NEVER QUITE READY TO PLAY CHESS WITH STEPHEN HAWKING, IF YOU GET MY DRIFT…BODY DRUGS ARE ALL VERY SIMILAR IN THAT CAPACITY. GOES RIGHT BACK AGAIN TO THE HIPPIE DAYS AND THE STONERS VS. THE BEER TRIPPERS. THERE WERE SOME FOLKS BACK THEN THAT DID A LOTTA DRUGS, BUT THEY WERE ALWAYS BODY DRUGS….DUMB, NON-THOUGHT PROVOKING, BODY BUZZ SHIT…YIKES…I DID MY SHARE OF THAT CRAP TOO, BUT NEVER GOT ONE GODDAMNED THING ACCOMPLISHED ON ANY OF IT. HAVE TO ADMIT, THE WHITE LADY HAD A LOT OF “INVOLVEMENT” IN THE WRITING AND MAKING OF #10… BUT AN AWFUL LOT OF THE CREATIVITY WAS FUELED BY PARANOIA…YOU CAN HEAR IT IN THE LYRICS…”SURE LIKE TO BOOGIE AFTER DEATH COMES CALLIN’ “…AND “HAVE A DISEASE FREE SUMMER IN ASIA…” THESE ARE NOT PRETTY LITTLE BOY/GIRL SONGS…JACK RICHARDSON, BLESS HIS HEART, WAS NEVER CRAZY ABOUT #10 I DON’T THINK…HE NEVER SAID SO, BUT I THINK HE WAS WANTIN’ MORE SYRUPY LOVE SONGS CAUSE THEY DID SO WELL ON THE RADIO…AND WE’RE ALL SINGIN’ “WHO MAKES THE MUSIC WHEN YOU DIE…?????”
OH BROTHER.
NOTHER NIGHT, NOTHER SUNRISE, NOTHER SHOW…NOTHER, NOTHER, NOTHER. I’M TOTALLY CONVINCED THAT MOST OF YOU READING THIS NOW COULD NEVER DO WHAT WE’RE DOING IN A MILLION YEARS. I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE MUSICAL PART…I’M TALKING ABOUT THE TOURING PART. ROBBIE ROBERTSON CALLED THE ROAD “A GODDAMNED IMPOSSIBLE WAY OF LIFE…” I GUESS IT CAN BE. IT HAS BEEN FOR ME AT TIMES. AROUND 1973, AFTER #10, I HAD TO SHUT IT DOWN FOR A WHILE…JUST TOO TIRED…”LIE DOWN…LIE DOWN….” IT WAS EVEN DOMINATING MY LYRICS…SURE, I’M TIRED THESE DAYS, BUT I’M NOT DOING ANYTHING TO PUT MY BODY THROUGH THE RINGER. HELL, IF I COULD LIE DOWN LIKE NICKY OR AL OR LIL OR MICK OR JONESY AND JUST SLIP OFF TO SLEEP, I’D BE DOIN’ TEN NIGHTS IN A ROW. TROUBLE IS, I HAVE TO EITHER PILE DRIVE OR TRICK MYSELF TO SLEEP EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. THANK GOD THIS IS THE LAST THREE IN A ROW, CAUSE SLEEP IS STARTING TO SLIP AWAY NOW…INSOMNIA REARS ITS UGLY HEAD, AND I’M IN TROUBLE.
CAN’T HIT THOSE NOTES RIGHT WHEN I DON’T SLEEP. BUT I THINK REGINA WAS ONE OF THE BEST 3 OR 4 YET…NIGHT OFF BEFORE, BIG SLEEP, HOT WATER AND HONEY, RELAXATION, NICE WALK AROUND REGINA RELIVING THAT FIRST MAGICAL SUMMER FOR ME ON THE ROAD, ALL OF THAT…IT MADE FOR SOME GOOD VOCAL NOTES IN THAT BEAUTIFUL BUILDING…I SAID I’D RECALL SOME GREAT MULTI ACT SHOWS FROM THE PAST…HERE’S ONE THAT STICKS OUT IN MY MEMORY AS QUITE A MAGICAL NIGHT…AT LEAST FOR ME…
I WAS STILL 21. RANDY WAS STILL WITH US, SO IT WAS LATE 69 I THINK, NOT SURE. IT WAS ATLANTA AS I RECALL…5 ACTS, THE HEADLINERS AND THE ONES REALLY DRAWING MOST OF THE PEOPLE WERE PAUL REVERE AND THE RAIDERS. NEXT DOWN ON THE BILL WAS KENNY ROGERS…NEXT DOWN ON THE BILL WERE THE GRASS ROOTS…NEXT DOWN ON THE BILL WAS OUR BAND, THE GUESS WHO…AND OPENING THE SHOW WAS TONY JOE WHITE…HE CAME ON FIRST, IN FRONT OF ALL THESE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THERE TO SEE THE RAIDERS AND KENNY AND THE GRASS ROOTS…JUST TONY JOE AND HIS DRUMMER. THE DRUM SET LOOKED LIKE A LITTLE KIT YOU’D GET FOR A KID TO FOOL AROUND ON. TONY CARRIED HIS OWN AMP, GUITAR SLUNG AROUND HIS NECK, AND A HARMONICA ON ONE OF THEM DYLAN HARP NECK GADGETS…DRUMMER SETS HIS BASS DRUM, SNARE AND HIGH HAT DOWN, TONY SETS HIS AMP DOWN, PLUGS IN AND OFF THEY GO…TWO GUYS…MAYBE 15 THOUSAND PEOPLE AT LEAST IN THIS HUGE ARENA…AND IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST 25 MINUTES OF LIVE MUSIC I’VE EVER SEEN TO THIS DAY. AND I HOPE TO MEET TONY JOE WHITE SOMEDAY AND TELL HIM JUST HOW MAGNIFICENT IT REALLY WAS THAT NIGHT. I’VE NOW GOT ALL HIS RECORDINGS, INCLUDING 2 VERSIONS OF “STUD SPIDER” ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVOURITE SWAMP SONGS…GOD, HE WAS JUST MAGNIFICENT THAT NIGHT…TWO GUYS…A TINY AMP…DRUMS, GUITAR, HARP, VOICE…I’VE NEVER FORGOTTEN THAT. IT WAS A LESSON FOR ME ABOUT WHAT TO STRIVE FOR…HE CONNECTED WITH ME THAT NIGHT…CONNECTED WITH MY “SOUL” WHATEVER THAT IS…AND I’VE NEVER FORGOTTEN HOW SPECIAL IT WAS ON SO MANY LEVELS. FIRSTLY, EVEN WHEN THE RAIDERS FINALLY CAME ON WITH THEIR SOLDIER OUTFITS AND GREAT GUITARS AND LIGHTS AND FLASH AND HARMONIES (Good God, they were almost as famous, something like an American Beatles…Mark was on the cover of everything…moreso than Justin B. is today…) I WAS STILL THINKING ABOUT TONY JOE AND THAT DRUMMER…IT TAUGHT ME THE GREATEST LESSON I THINK YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT SHOW BUSINESS….IT’S ABOUT THAT CONNECTION. I’M NOT SAYING TO GO OUT AND “GO TO ANY LENGTHS” TO CONNECT…JESUS, I’VE SEEN SOME EXTREMES…SID VICIOUS USED TO CUT HIMSELF A LOT…THAT GOT SOME PEOPLE’S ATTENTION…WENDY WILLIAMS USED TO SHOVE THE MIKE UP INSIDE HERSELF ON STAGE…THAT TURNED SOME HEADS. BUT I SAW “CONNECTIONS” GALORE IN THE GOLDEN DAYS…THE LAST THROES OF THE HIPPIES…I PLAYED AT SOME SPECTACULAR POP FESTIVALS, SOME OF THE LAST GREAT ONES…SEATTLE WAS ONE OF THOSE…AND NOBODY FILMED IT…SO WHAT…MY HEAD FILMED IT…I CAN LIVE IT AGAIN ANYTIME I CHOOSE, AND BELIEVE ME, I THINK ABOUT THAT ONE A LOT…BUT THAT TONY JOE THING WAS HEAVY, AND SO WAS THE NIGHT WE OPENED FOR THE AIRPLANE IN THE OLD WINNIPEG ARENA. IT WAS 68, SO YOU CAN IMAGINE THE AURA AROUND THE AIRPLANE THAT NIGHT…JESUS…THEY WERE THERE IN WNNIPEG…THE AIRPLANE…I COULDN’T BELIEVE I ACTUALLY TALKED TO JORMA AND GRACIE THAT NIGHT…ABOUT FOUR WORDS TOTAL, BUT IT HAPPENED…AND SO, ON WE GO, THE GUESS WHO, WE’RE SO TIGHT AND POLISHED WE’RE GONNA BLOW THEM RIGHT OFF THE FUCKIN’ STAGE…BOY OH BOY, WE’RE LOADED FOR BEAR…HERE’S OUR CHANCE TO SHOW UP THE BIG GROUP…AND FROM BEING BACKSTAGE ALL TOGETHER BEWEEN SETS FOR A FEW MINUTES, I HAD A CHANCE TO SEE THE PUPILS OF SEVERAL OF THE CAST OF CHARACTERS’ EYES…SO I THINK THERE WAS SOME ALTERATION GOING ON. ANYWAY, ON WE GO, THE GUESS WHO…AND WE’RE REALLY GREAT. WE SING GREAT, WE PLAY GREAT, I’M SWITCHIN’ AROUND FROM KEYS TO FLUTE TO HARMONICA TO GUITAR AND SINGIN’ PRETTY GOOD, AND THE FOUR OF US ARE PRETTY WELL ON OUR GAME…WE COME OFF STAGE PRETTY SMUG INSIDE…
FEW MINUTES LATER OUT GO THE AIRPLANE…THEIR SET STARTS WITH A HIPPIE TYPE JAM WITH JORMA AND JACK JUST SAILING AND SOARING TOGETHER…SPENCER WAS LUCKY TO BE WITH THOSE TWO…AND PAUL’S HAMMERING ON HIS RICK, I THINK IT WAS A RICK…AND THIS GREAT JAM SNEAKS SEAMLESSLY INTO
“ONE PILL MAKES YOU LARGER, AND ONE PILL MAKES YOU SMALL…”
GRACIE SANG THOSE ELEVEN WORDS AND AT THAT MOMENT NOT ONE PERSON IN THAT ARENA HAD ANY MEMORY OF THE GUESS WHO’S PERFORMANCE WHATSOEVER…THE POWER OF THE HIT RECORD, OR THE “RECOGNIZABLE TUNE” HIT ME LIKE A HAMMER IN THE TEMPLE THAT NIGHT. OUR BAND HAD BEEN EXCEPTIONAL…BUT IT DIDN’T MEAN A HILL OF STALE BEANS ONCE THEY LAUNCHED INTO WHITE RABBIT…
I LOVE MY JOB…BUT IT’S NOT EASY. I’M 63 AND I STILL WORK REALLY REALLY HARD AT MAINTAINING A CERTAIN LEVEL OF PRIDE IN WHAT MAKES UP WHAT WE CALL MY “CAREER”. I HAVE MANY FAULTS, BUT ONE OF THEM IS NOT LAZINESS WHEN IT COMES TO THE MUSIC. I IF WERE LAZY I WOULDN’T HAVE A WORLD CLASS COLLECTION OF ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF MANKIND’S MUSIC…
AND IF I WERE LAZY I WOULDN’T HAVE TYPED ALL THIS AT SIX IN THE MORNING WHEN I’M IN THE MIDDLE OF THREE IN A ROW…GOOD LORD…GUESS IT’S TRANQUIL SLEEPS TONIGHT…
THE FROGS ARE GREAT…REALLY GREAT. THEY TRY HARD. NOT ALL BANDS DO, YOU KNOW…THE FROGS TRY HARD…AND ALL SIX OF US BENEFIT, BECAUSE AT THAT POINT IT BECOMES SOMETHING SPECIAL. THESE SHOWS WILL SURVIVE ON VIDEO FOREVER…THAT’S ENORMOUS PRESSURE ON THE SIX OF US EVERY NIGHT, KNOWING OF THAT VIRTUAL IMMORTALITY. JIM MORRISON ONCE SAID “WHEN YOU DIE, WOULD YOUR LIFE BE INTERESTING ENOUGH TO MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT ?”
THE SIX OF US ARE DOING SOMETHING ALMOST EVERY NIGHT THAT HAS BEEN DEEMED BY MANY, SPECIAL ENOUGH TO FREEZE FOREVER.

“THIS IS THE DAWNING OF THE AGE OF GREGARIOUS…”

PEACE INSIDE…BLC