moe.

The band moe. (and yes it is lower case and with a period) has been around for what seems to be forever. There was a time that they were close to being my favorite band. I went to see them every chance I got…seeing them in a park in Truckee, Ca was an amazing concert. But as time went on my interest in the band just seemed to fizzle out…and I am not sure why.

This last week I noticed that the band had a new album out when I was on one of my record store visits, but I passed on buying it.

Then my curiosity got the better of me and I went back to pick it up. I am still listening to it, so I am not going to give it a full review. But I am going to rave over one song, Chromatic Nightmare. Percussionist Jim Loughlin has crafted a prog-rock waltz that sounds to me like Frank Zappa meeting Tim Burton. I know it may not be a great song, but it is the kind of quirky fun I love.

Give it a listen…

01 moe. – Chromatic Nightmare

Book Review: Raisin’ Cain – The Wild and Raucous Story of Johnny Winter

Johnny Winter is mostly a forgotten figure from Seventies rock. Ask the casual music fan about Johnny and they think for a minute and then answer with, “the albino guy?”. But Johnny Winter was such a big deal in the seventies, selling out stadiums and amazing the fans with his lightening quick guitar runs. He has won Grammy awards for producing the albums that announced to the world the return of blues legend Muddy Waters. But in the nineties his fame was on a slow fade. He seemed to not be the same quick flashy guitarist and there were rumors of big time drug and alcohol abuse.

This book came together after many tell all interview sessions with all the major players in the Johnny Winter story (and yes, Johnny is interviewed extensively and he pulls no punches), author Mary Lou Sullivan has written the definitive book on this rock and blues legend. From Johnny’s feelings of being an outsider growing up in Texas as an albino, his struggle to make it in Austin and Houston as a blues musician, his first manager pushing him towards the more profitable blues/rock style of music, his affair with fellow Texan Janis Joplin, jamming with Jimi Hendrix, the male chauvinism, the drugs, the tattoos…it is all here and more. And it makes for a very compelling story. Hollywood just can’t make this shit up.

Johnny pulls no punches with his story and he tends to beat himself over most of his mistakes. He has a childlike quality about him, relying on managers for advice and to manage his money. Unfortunately the manager his choose in the 80’s was a stone cold alcoholic that relied on Johnny’s income to feed his addiction for prostitutes. The manager was embezzling money from his client and making some seriously bad career decisions for Johnny. This went on for years as Johnny was clouded by pharmaceutical drugs that were prescribed to fight anxiety and depression but ultimately just dulled his senses and creativity. It finally took a trusted band member to convince Johnny and his wife to take a close look at the books before the manager was finally let go.

Johnny does not hide his drug use from the reader. Heroin was a way to relieve the pressures of being a rock star. He used until he decided to check himself into rehab. After a few stretches on and off the wagon he was finally able to quit heroin, but only after starting a methadone treatment program…that he stayed on for years. By years, I mean decades. In fact, Mary Lou never lets the reader know if Johnny has ever gotten off methadone.

Johnny is 67 years old, has very bad eyesight (he was born legally blind) and has had some health problems. He has broken his hip twice and now performs sitting down on a stool when his plays on stage. He has been weened off the anxiety and depression medications that caused tremors and his playing is better than it has been in years. With a new manager that actually seems to be looking out for his client Johnny’s career is on an upswing. He continues to tour heavily and he puts out ‘authorized bootlegs’ of classic live shows from his past. I highly recommend checking those out if you have even a passing interest in blues/rock.

This book was simply a joy to read. Kudos to Sullivan for her persistence to track down and interview the man and all the people in his circle. The book gave me new understanding of this guitarist.

4 Out of 5 Stars

Song for the Rough Week Ahead…

Simple, haunting and just a wee bit creepy…just like the world we live in.

The First Time I Ran Away – M. Ward

The first taste from his new album, A Wasteland Companion, due out on April 10.