This weekend marks the anniversary of the Bob Dylan release “Bringing it All Back Home“. It was Dylan’s first electric rock album and it totally would freak out the patrons at the Newport Folk Festival that would be held in June. One side of the album was just Dylan ala folksinger, the flip side was Dylan with a full on electric band backing him. 1965 will always be the year that Dylan went “Electric”. It turned out to be a turning point in Bob Dylan the protest singer’s career. By June of that year, Dylan had been toying with the idea of performing electric for his fans in Newport, the fans had a mixed reaction to this move, many booed him others thought it was pretty cool. Actually it was more spontaneous than it may have seemed at the time. Dylan was hearing a lot of remarks that disrespected what the Butterfield Blues Band was doing at the festival. People backstage, including Pete Seeger and festival organizer Alan Lomax didn’t think the electric blues of Butterfield was right for the event. Dylan didn’t like that attitude much and he got together with several of Butterfield’s band and rehearsed in a house the night before his performance. When Dylan came out to perform, the band blasted away and the audience reeled back in horror. Some of it had to do with the short set, some of the boos were because the sound quality was bad, and most of it was because they wanted Bob the protest folk singer, not the rock start Bob. Eventually the album Bringing it all back home made believers of everyone and Dylan went on to a great career. The day the album came out, March 26th 1965, Dylan attended a record release party in LA. Later that night he went down to the strip and sat in with the Byrds at Ciro’s nightclub. Dylan added harmonica to the band’s performance of his song, “All I Really Want to Do”. I think it was the Byrds more than anything that convinced Dylan to go electric. The hit Mr. Tamborine Man proved that Dylan’s songs could be amped up and still make perfect sense, maybe make even more sense. This Saturday we’ll jump on some of that 1965 transition Bob Dylan, and we’ll play some of the Byrds as well. We’ll also clear the decks for Chicago, Canned Heat and Clapton w/John Mayall. Joe Cocker, the Stones and Hendrix will all be part of the “happening”. Join me this Saturday 7-10am for Say You Want a Revolution.

Dylan at Newport 1965

I spoke Joe Elliot , vocalist and founding member of the band Def Leppard. We talked about the tour with Heart and what we can expect when they hit the Sleeptrain amphitheater in September. Also, what projects turn him on, what the new Live CD Mirrorball is like and some of the other things like a cartoon series, and coffee table book that are in the works. Check it out below.

A talk with Mr. Joe Elliot

def leppard

I’m sure Phil Collen of Def Lep is tired of being confused with Phil Collins, the singer/drummer who just retired. Collen is the guitarist for Def Lep, and maybe one of the most UNDER rated 80’s guitarist.  He linked up with Def Lep during the recording sessions for Pyromania, and has been with the band ever since.  He & Steve Clark (RIP) were known as the “Terror Twins” because of their amazing dual guitar work.  Phil is an excellent technical guitarist, who was able to take the studio demands of producer Mutt Lange, and painstakingly create some awesome guitar legacies. I love to watch him play…and oddly enough, my path has crossed with Phil’s a few times over the years…pictured, sharing some “tea” at Abbey Rd in 1999. –and NO, he won’t sing Su-su-sudio for ya…

“Trower just gets better with age, like a good wine,” my buddy Dana said to me last night at the Boardwalk, between songs.  And it’s true–I’ve seen Robin Trower a few times in the last 25 years, and his seasoned licks are still mighty tasty. He looks like a college English professor, but when Trower straps on that Strat, he makes it speak–in bends, and crisp bites,  wah-wah warbles, and harmonic delays…all laid over a trance groove.  It was an impressive show at the Boardwalk–the room sounded GOOD, not TOO loud..the 400 or so in the crowd were into the groove, shouting out like a rock revival session. I cut out soon after the encore started–I’d heard the 4 tunes from “Bridge of Sighs” that I wanted to experience–but I can imagine seeing Trower again.  He’ll probably be playing & touring til the last…(photo by Carl Lender)

Our show is called say you want a Revolution, Saturday mornings. A reference of course to the Beatles song of the same name, a reference to what was going on in our world in the 60s. Well guess what.. Revolution is again in the air, in a hundred ways and and a hundred different places. Every few decades, the oppressed, out of desperation, push back against the “Man”. I wish success to those struggling for freedom and a better life. This Saturday’s Revolution will celebrate the freedom of Rock and Roll, Lou Reed style, we’ll put together a set from Rod Stewart’s early solo career, when he really was a true rocker. He blended folk, rock, blues and acoustic music better than most. Canned Heat will drop by for some hard scrabbled blues, CSN will blend their voices to just take you away, and the Beatles and Stones will jump in from time to time. That’s the Revolution…It’s the spirit of the 60s, may the spirit live forever. Have a far-out weekend.

Here is the line-up for the rest of the week..

Weds.   Class reunion of 1978

Thurs.   The Police

Fri.       Take 2…covers, demos, live and acoustic versions.

Plus I will have tickets to Eric Clapton every single day..ummm, eat that!

It was on this day in 1964 that the Beatles made their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show… and rock and roll would never be the same.  72 million viewers, at that time the largest audience in the history of American television, tuned in that night and witnessed the beginning of The British Invasion.  One of my favorite rock docs is now on DVD, called The Beatles:  The First US Visit by the pioneering Maysles brothers.  Albert and David Maysles (who also shot Gimme Shelter) were given extraordinary access to the Beatles during their first trip here in February of 1964… on trains, in dressing rooms, hotels, and in front of the press.  The performance segments alone are a knockout for Beatles fans.  It was a more innocent time.. but it was plenty exciting, and brother, it was magic.

Now it gets a little more intense.  Round Two action Wednesday features Rush vs. The Eagles in a marquee matchup.  Looks like Led Zeppelin will continue their march to the final, and AC DC would have to be a big favorite as well.  I could be wrong, but the dark horse pairing that could light a fire among voters is Stevie Ray Vaughan against The Who.  Roger Daltrey is already taking out a full page ad saying “But Stevie’s Dead!”  If the SRV fans didn’t burn themselves out in Round One, they could be trouble,  Double Trouble.  I can tell you there are five busloads of Texas fans checking in now at the Courtyard by Marriott.. and they’re not smiling.

Rush fans took no prisoners… and ripped the heart out of last year’s defending Superbrawl Champions, and sent Pink Floyd packing in a stunning Round One upset. Floyd was busy planning their parade route… while Rush invited their fans to Brew It Up for the fabulous food spread.  What other explanation could there be?  Queen survived a scare from Kiss, the boys from El Cerrito, CCR took out Eric Clapton handily… and AC DC got into the second round by a single vote!   In the remainder of Round One Tuesday, Aerosmith will battle the Stones, the Beatles take on U2… and sparks will fly when Santana partisans have to deal with motivated  Stevie Ray Vaughan fans.  Don’t miss a moment….

The New York memorabilia collector who just sold the white suit John Lennon wore on the cover of Abbey Road for $46,000, might have to cough up nearly half the proceeds.  The collector, who also works as a psychic, is reportedly more than $21,000 behind in rent on his apartment, so you could see what’s next.  Yeah, his landlord has sued the Connecticut gallery that handled the sale… so he can get paid.  Wait a second… you’re a PSYCHIC? And you didn’t’ you see this comin?  Hilarious.

luxuryinsider photo