Cover Story – The Moody Blues’ “In Search of the Lost Chord”, with artwork by Philip Travers

Copyright ©1968, 1972 and 2008 by Philip Travers – All rights reserved.

Subject: In Search of the Lost Chord, a 1968 release (on Deram Records) by The Moody Blues, with cover artwork & design by Philip Travers

After the success of their Days of Future Passed record (featuring the memorable cover artwork by artist David Anstey) in which the band began the transformation from its original, Denny Laine-led pop songcrafting (“Go Now”) to writers of early symphonic rock masterworks such as “Forever (Tuesday) Afternoon” and “Nights in White Satin” – delivered in Decca/Deram Records’ new “Deramic Stereo Sound” – the release of 1968’s In Search of the Lost Chord delivered to fans of the band a record showcasing their new, more experimental and psychedelic leanings.

Mike Pinder’s Mellotron replaced much of the full orchestra from the previous record, and the rest of the band added the popular “psychedelic” instrumentation of the day – sitar and other stringed instruments, flutes, harpsichord, etc. – to fill out the sound and make it more possible to recreate the music in live performances. Pinder also continued introducing listeners to Graeme Edge’s wonderful poems, his readings of which set the mood for the complex and beautiful music and lyrics that would follow (although we do get to hear Edge’s own voice and maniacal laughter during his recitation of the album opener “Departure”).

Songs on this record included fan favorites such as the rocking “Ride My See Saw”, “Legend of a Mind” (a Ray Thomas trippy tribute to Timothy Leary), “Voices in the Sky”, “The Actor” and ending with “the lost chord” itself – “Om” (which went along with the tantric graphics found inside the record’s gatefold cover).

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Are You Canada’s Best Metal Band?

I saw this on Drew Masters’ M.E.A.T. group on Facebook and thought it to be a great opportunity for Canadian metal bands.

Metal Queen Management is sponsoring MQM is also sponsoring this year’s “Best Metal Band” category at the TORONTO INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS (TIMAs). The TIMAs — now in their 4th year — have gained tremendous momentum while remaining true to the goal of creating a new positive community space for independent artists. In 2007, TIMA gave away $30,000 in prizes; this year prizes total over $40,000. The TIMAs have three components: a seminar, music showcases during the summer, and an award show held at The Phoenix Concert Theatre on July 31, 2008.

Canadian Metal Bands are encouraged to sign up for this event, and could win the following:

- MQM management & promotional services for 6 months
- 3-Song Demo with Iguana Recording Studio
(http://www.iguanarecording.com)
- Interviews and features with:
- Heavy Metal Music (http://heavymetalmusic.biz/)
- Caustic Truths (http://www.caustictruths.com)
- Glam Metal (http://www.glam-metal.com)
- Indie Love Radio (http://www.indielove.ca)
- Rock Eruption (http://www.rockeruption.com)
- Photo Packages with:
- Rebel Reviewer Dot Com (http://www.rebelreviewer.com)
- Bonseye Photography (http://www.myspace.com/_bonseye_)
- Party at Rok Boutique with 100 free drink tickets
(http://www.rokboutique.com)

More Info:
http://www.torontoima.com
http://www.MetalQueenMgmt.ca
http://www.MQMusicFest.com

Later

Mark

Odds and Sods: Dylan at Newport in 1965, Hard Rock Cafe’s Memorabilia Site, Top ’80s Metal Moments and More…

I haven’t done a classic Odds and Sods post in awhile so I have a bunch of cool things for you to check out.

The first is video of Bob Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965 when he goes electric. He’s performing “Maggies Farm” in this historic video that is one of the most significant events in rock histroy. Regardless of whether you like Dylan or not you should watch this just to get a sense of what the man is about.

Regardless of what you think about the Hard Rock chain of restaurants and hotels/casinos, the company does own an incredible selection of rock and roll memorabilia but it would cost you a fortune to travel to every location to see it. Luckily they have put together a very cool website where you can check this stuff out from the comfort of your own home. Called the slightly unimaginative Hard Rock Memorabilia Site and located at http://memorabilia.hardrock.com/ you can check out their incredible collection. Unfortunately, you have to install the new Microsoft web software Silverlight to view the site so it’s your call whether you want to go that far or not. Still, a pretty impressive website for the rock hsitory buff.

Steele In Music has a very cool collection of video highlights of some great 80’s Metal Moments in their Sweet 16: Best 80’s Hair Metal Bands that I really enjoyed watching. Featuring everybody from Van Halen and Motley Crue at the US Festival to stunning video of the late, great Randy Rhoads, If you liked hair bands and 80’s metal you will be astounded at some of this stuff. Videos 16 to 9 can be found at http://steeleinmusic.uber.com/metalhair1 and videos 8 to 1 can be found at http://steeleinmusic.uber.com/metalhair2. Very cool stuff.

Speaking of 80’s hair metal bands, a gaggle of them will be performing at this year’s Rocklahoma 2008. A reunited Triumph joins bands like Cinderella, LA Guns, Enuff Z Nuff, Tesla, Night Ranger, Kingdom Come, Warrant, Lynch Mob and more. Man I think I would like to go just to see what the 80s metal babes look like 20 years on!

Finally, Rolling Stone Magazine has an interesting piece on how Walmart wants to pressur the major record labels in allowing them to sell CDs for less than 10 bucks. The piece is called Walmart Wants $10 CDs and describes how the American retail behemoth is treating the major record labels much like it does the rest of its suppliers by demanding price concessions from them to to the fact that they move so much product in their stores. Check out this breakdown of where the money goes on a $15.99 major label CD:

$0.17 Musicians’ unions
$0.80 Packaging/manufacturing
$0.82 Publishing royalties
$0.80 Retail profit
$0.90 Distribution
$1.60 Artists’ royalties
$1.70 Label profit
$2.40 Marketing/promotion
$2.91 Label overhead
$3.89 Retail overhead

An interesting read.

Well that’s it for this edition of Odds and Sods! Talk to you all later.

Mark

The Rock and Roll Report Focus is on Honor By August

Having been around for several years now, the modern, melodic rock band Honor By August has come a long way as they have had their share of fame. As a band, the members of Honor By August (which include Michael Pearsall on guitar, vocals; Evan Field on lead guitar, backing vocals; John Athayde on bass, keyboards, backing vocals; and Brian Shanley on drums, percussion) have shared the stage with bands like the Alternate Routes, Emmett Swimming, Michael Tolcher, as well as bigger names like Hootie and the Blowfish, Howie Day, Hanson, Bon Jovi and many more; and they have played to audiences as large as 20,000 at places like The Verizon Center and FedEx Field in D.C.

Honor By August is currently on tour in support of their 2007 release entitled Drowning Out The Television. The new album is the first for the band with the addition of their 2005 release, the Photographs EP. The 2007 version of Drowning is the second time the band has released the album, with the twelve original songs and new remixes of three of the songs.

Along with Only In Photographs, the song that helped the band win the grand prize in Billboard Magazine’s World Song Contest for the Pop category, the album is full of other songs that could find their way to the radio airwaves. Some of the best songs on the album include: Into The Light, Black and White, and the song that brings the album to a nice close, The Quiet Sky. There are also remixes to the albums’ songs Waking Up, Honesty, and Into The Light.

Other achievements the band has had include: winning the Bon Jovi “Have a Nice Gig” Contest (where they won the opportunity to open for Bon Jovi), winning the BMI/Pulse Audio Battle For The Boat to perform on the 2007 Rock Boat along with Sister Hazel and others, holding the #1 spot at Aware Store with its debut release, and many more accomplishments.

Whatever you do, give Honor By August a chance. And keep on eye out for this band as the future holds much in store for them. You can go to their website at www.honorbyaugust.com and check out their music. You can go to the band’s Myspace account at www.myspace.com/honorbyaugust and check out their profile.

Matheson Kamin

Rock and Roll Report Blitz: Paperback Freud

When I first heard Raise It Up the Flagpole by Stockholm, Sweden’s Paperback Freud and that absolutely demonic laugh in the middle of the song, I immediately wanted to drive my car at high speed with music blaring on the car stereo while flipping the bird to anybody that crossed my path, such is the effect on me of these guys’ embrace of true rock and roll raunch.

There is just something about this band that makes you want to (a) play them at full volume and (b) make sure everybody knows that you are playing them at full volume! Whether it’s the loud, take no prisoners rock and roll of the aforementioned Flagpole or the full-bore, psychotic call to arms of Straight Out of Hell with the killer chorus containing the immortal line of “We give you hell so you can raise it” to the hard rocking melody backing up Call Me Kate, Paperback Freud have all the ingredients that made me fall in love with rock and roll in the first place.

Sweden is rapidly becoming one of my favourite rock and roll nations and Paperback Freud is just proving the point. A cool name, great songs, and a sound that makes you want to drink more than necessary means this band is a keeper. Have a listen to their stuff on their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/paperbackfreud and let me know if you are planning a trip to Sweden anytime soon. I’ll buy the first round.

Later.

Mark

Deep Grooves: Great psyche rock gems unearthed from the Blossom Toes. Grab some acid and get down, baby!

Blossom Toes – We Are Ever So Clean
Blossom Toes – If Only For A Moment
Sunbeam

Thanks to the fine folks at Sunbeam two rare, much-overlooked psychedelic treasures are once again available for all to enjoy. To be sure, Blossom Toes is a band you will never hear too much about, but after listening to these two albums you will wonder why the band’s name isn’t on everyone’s lips. The band has the distinction of putting out a psychedelic album as good as anything The Beatles, Small Faces or The Kinks had done, and then follow it up with an album so heavy Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin could have stolen ideas from it (and probably did).

Unfortunately, the band put out their whimsical, slightly-twee psych-rock album when there was a glut of like-minded music flooding the market and put out their heavier record before the taste of the public had moved towards heavier rock music. Much revered by fans of late ’60’s psych, these two Blossom Toes albums have been much sought after for years by collectors and music zealots who swear Blossom Toes were putting out some of the best music of the ’60’s.

Take a few listens and find out for yourself how right they were!

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Introducing Scott Homewood to the Rock and Roll Report

I am pleased to introduce Scott Homewood to the virtual pages of The Rock and Roll Report. With years of music journalism under his belt and work published in numerous online and print publications, Scott brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Report and I can’t be more excited hosting his first rate writing and I know you will enjoy Scott’s distinctive take on what rocks his world.

We kick off Scott’s contributions here with his review of two long lost gems by British psychedelic rockers Blossom Toes, a name you probably don’t know but after reading Scott’s piece, you will probably want to get.

With Scott joining regular contributors Matheson Kamin and Michael Goldsmith (the author of the weekly series Cover Stories), I am pretty stoked to see where this is all going and now is as good a time as any to begin the process of transforming The Rock and Roll Report into more of an online magazine and less of a blog. In the coming months get ready for yet another change in look for the Report with some new features and new voices that will make a visit to the Report a great way to discover amazing rock and roll you may not be aware of, whether it was created in 2008 or 1968.

As the podcast grows and matures (well mature might not be the best word!) and we start to incorporate more videos from the bands we write about and play, the Rock and Roll Report is finally becoming the site I hoped it would be. As I like to say on Rock and Roll Report Radio, grab a cold drink, a hot squeeze and turn the volume up to 11, this rock and roll ride is just getting warmed up!

Thanks for reading and listening!

Mark Boudreau
Head Ringmaster and Handyman

Rock and Roll Report Radio on CKUT FM Playlist for March 17, 2008

Well it was a slightly boozy St. Patty’s Day show on Rock and Roll Report Radio Monday night on CKUT FM but I managed to both play some great rock and roll and essentially talk WAAAY too much (that was the beer talking I tell ya!). And the photo above is courtesy of friends of The Rock and Roll Report Kat and Sugar from Hot Pink Productions. These girls know how to rock! Anyhow, this is what I played:

Song – Album – Band

1. My Fate – Do It Yourself – Victims of Circumstance
2. A-OK – The Hot Rocks – The Hot Rocks
3. Wild Violets – Unreleased – The Cosmosonics
4. Explode Tonight – Oddball – Heap
5. Complicated Girl – Unreleased – American Anthem
6. RockStar – Tatooed Millionaires – Annex
7. Outta Town – The Fores – The Fores
8. Straight Outta Hell – Paperback Freud – Paperback Freud
9. Porno Queen – Test Drive X 5 – Automan.ca
10. She Is My Drinking Problem – Comeback Special – The Sleepers
11. It Ain’t Easy – Unreleased – A Lick and A Promise
12. Undertaker – Electric – Broken Teeth
13. Built For Speed – Motherload – Big Cock
14. One Beer – Black Angel Band – Black Angel Band

drastic plastic 128kbps Podcast (Link good for one week from date of broadcast)

Thanks for listening!

Later.

Mark

The Rock and Roll Report Focus is on Twinspirits

Take equal parts hard rock and prog-metal and you get a feel for what Italy’s Twinspirits sounds like. This five-piece outfit came together when Daniele Liverani was looking for the next phase of his career as a musician.

Throughout his years of playing music, Daniele has become a virtuoso on both the guitar and the piano. With Twinspirits, he has taken his experience as a keyboard player and has written some of the best melodic metal to be released in a long time.

Although Daniele is the songwriter of the band, he is not the only piece to the puzzle. To fill the part of guitarist, Daniele called upon 20 year old Tommy Ermolli to be the behind the six-string. Tommy has made the most of the 8 years he’s been playing and has more than mastered the instrument. For bassist, Alberto Rigoni fills the part. While being the perfect choice to provide the bass part for the band, Alberto is also a composer in his own right. He has just released an album of his own music. Finding a drummer was a no-brainer. Dario Ciccioni has been playing with Daniele for a decade. When the idea of the band was thought up, Dario was the only choice. The role of vocalist was the one piece to the band that took the most time to fill. But when all was said and done, Danish vocalist Soren Adamsen was the final piece to the puzzle.
It is this group of musicians that have recorded the band’s 2007 release entitled “The Music That Will Heal the World”. Though it is not one, “The Music That Will Heal The World” can be interpreted as being a “concept album” as the songs seem to tell a story.

Some of the songs follow a common thread of war and battle. One of the songs that really follow this theme is “Fire,” a song that has to do with an American soldier that died in battle. Other songs on the album seemed to be tied together with an almost similar theme.

Italy’s Twinspirits has created one of the best albums of hard rock/prog-metal. If you like that style of music, take the time to check out the band’s “The Music That Will Heal The World”.

To check out the band’s music, go to http://www.twinspirits.net/, or go to their MySpace page @ http://www.myspace.com/twinspiritsband .

Matheson Kamin

Rock and Roll Report Radio is on CKUT FM Tonight!

Just a quick reminder that Rock and Roll Report Radio returns to the airwaves of CKUT FM tonight from 10:00 – 11:00 PM EST for more rock and roll fun. Enjoy your 10th green beer as you listen to bands like The Fores, Annex, American Anthem, Automan.ca and Paperback Freud rock your St. Patty’s Day!

Thanks for listening!

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