February 25, 2012

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
GEORGE HARRISON AND FRIENDS...Concert For Bangla Desh (1971)
(CD, vinyl, DVD, Allmusic review)
On the anniversary of the birth of George Harrison "The Concert For Bangla Desh" is today's Album of the Day. This concert and album have always been given high praise, but I'm gonna get realistic here...only some of this concert should be given high praise. Side 1 is Ravi Shankar playing his sitar music for around 20 minutes so naturally you just automatically skip to Side 2. Now the concert should be given high praise with outstanding performances from George, Billy Preston, Ringo Starr and Leon Russell. Then we reach Side 5, which is all Bob Dylan. I know Dylan has been put on this high pedestal that even he is uncomfortable with and that I will anger some folks with this, but Side 5 is a major snooze fest, Dylans vocals are painful. Side 6 has the band coming back on stage and they finish it off with a spectacular version of "Bangla Desh." The album is definitely recommended, just beware that Side 1 and Side 5 can be avoided and you will have been entertained indeed by the other 4 sides.

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR FEBRUARY 25
Dennis Diken from The Smithereens is 55; Mike Peters from The Alarm is 53; Richard Liles, formerly with 3 Doors Down, is 39;

ON THIS DATE
1943 George Harrison is born in Liverpool, England. Harrison died in 2001
1963 VeeJay Records releases "Please Please Me" by the Beatles in the U.S. It does nothing
1981 At the Grammys: Billy Joel-Glass Houses Best Rock Vocal Performance, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band-“Against The Wind” Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal
1985 U2 begin their first U.S. tour. That same night Sting performed his first solo gig in New York City
1986 At the 28th Grammys: Don Henley-“The Boys Of Summer” Best Rock Male Vocal Performance
1992 At the 34th Grammys: Bonnie Raitt-"Luck Of The Draw" Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo and “Something To Talk About” Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female
1990 At the 40th Grammys: The Wallflowers-"One Headlight" Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance By A Group. That same evening Roy Orbision is inducted into the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
2008 Eddie Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli appear on the Oprah Winfrey Show. The topic: their failed marriage
2011 Vince Neil of Motley Crue is released from jail after serving 10 days of a 15 day sentence stemming from an arrest of drunken driving on the Las Vegas strip June 27, 2010
2011 Suze Rotolo, artist and girlfriend of singer Bob Dylan, who was his lyrical muse when he came to prominence in the early 1960s, died in New York at age 67

ROCKLINE with Bob Coburn
Monday, February 27 DARK NEW DAY 11:30 PM Eastern/8:30 Pacific Listen here
Wednesday, February 29 JOE SATRIANI 11:30 PM Eastern/8:30 Pacific Listen here
Does your local rock station carry Rockline? Find out here

Check out this weeks "The Rock Show" with Michael David, where the rock music does all the talkin'. This week we listen to some great JAMS, the Vintage Vinyl Vault is "Harvest" from Neil Young and we'll go on My Musical Journey. You can download the zip file here