“It’s better to burn out than to fade away.” Kurt Cobain -he would have been 52 today. Hard to think… his alternative music was evocative and inspiring for a youth in a post Thatcher/Reagan world.
February 9, 2019
Pantechnicon Man
Marcus Motorcyclist – lead singer of folk rock musician troupe Mumford & Sons enjoys Triumphs old and new. His distinctive raspy voice is a perfect accompaniment to the upbeat music that husband performs. Lookin’ cool MM!
February 3, 2019
Heartbeat
The Day The Music Died – Sixty years ago today a small aircraft took off from Mason City Iowa flying into winter conditions with poor visibility and crashing near Clear Lake killing all on board. Of course this was Buddy Holly 22, Richie Valens 17, and JP Richardson (The Big Bopper) 28; as well as the pilot.
Waylon Jennings gave his seat up on the flight to Richardson.
In regards to Buddy and his love of motorcycles; here in Jennings’ words:
“They loved Marlon Brando in ‘The Wild One,’ and when they got to Dallas…they decided on the spur of the moment to buy motorcycles and drive back home on them.” Waylon recalled. “They took a cab into the city and walked into a Harley-Davidson shop. They had their eyes on a trio of 74-inchers, but the proprietor didn’t think they had any money and treated them like a bunch of bums. ‘Hell, you boys couldn’t even begin to handle the payments on that.
Then they went over to Miller’s Motorcycles, which specialized in English bikes. There, Joe B (Maudlin, the Crickets’ then-bass player), and J.I. (Allison, the drummer) bought a Triumph each, a TR6 and Thunderbird, respectively, while Buddy picked out a maroon and black Ariel Cyclone, with a high compression 650cc Huntsmaster engine. They paid cash, bought matching Levi jackets and peaked caps with wings on them, and rode home through a thunderstorm.”
January 14, 2019
Learn to Fly
Fifty Foo Fighter – Drummer and front man Dave Grohl celebrates his fiftieth birthday today. As well as heavy garage rock he’s also an ardent biker. His compositions are perfect music for a road trip. Highway soundtrack.
Tom Rowland Photography
December 21, 2018
The Edge of the World
Jagged Little Pill – Canadian American singer songwriter Alanis Morissette poses at an overlook near Big Sur California with a hazy Pacific melting into the hazy west. Her black Bonneville is a suitable ride for PCH Highway 1 with its endless twists, turns and open views along one of the prime roads in the world.
December 9, 2018
My hat’s off to you…
Old Folk Rock Curmudgeon- we went to see Richard Thompson perform at the historic venue Thalia Hall in the Pilsen neighborhood. A good set with a sampling of rock pieces interspersed by the technical guitar virtuoso work he’s also known for. Midway through the gig he sang his most widely known ballad: Vincent Black Lightning 1952. The story of ne’er do well James and his red headed gal, Molly. Wonderful stuff!
October 9, 2018
Instant Karma!
Imagine – John Lennon would have been 78 today. “Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.“
September 14, 2018
Don’t lose your pillion!
Hang On! Make sure your lassie keeps a good hold of you!
It reminds me of an old folk song we sang at school:
TURN THE GLASSES OVER
I’ve been to Haarlem, I’ve been to Dover,
I’ve traveled this wide world all over.
Over, over, three times over.
Drink all the brandywine and turn the glasses over.
Sailing east, sailing west,
Sailing over the ocean.
Oh, you’d better watch out when the boat begins to rock,
Or you’ll lose your girl in the ocean.
September 4, 2018
Survivor
The Eye of the Tiger –
“Risin’ up, back on the street
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance, now I’m back on my feet
Just a man and his will to survive
So many times, it happens too fast
You trade your passion for glory
Don’t lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive
It’s the eye of the tiger, it’s the thrill of the fight
Risin’ up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night
And he’s watchin’ us all with the eye of the tiger”
August 16, 2018
Michigan Music Ma’am’s
Like a Prayer- the Queen of Pop reached the age of 60 today. Madonna has spent the last several decades rewriting the lyrical content and reinventing a visual style in the music industry. Here she pouts in true Vogue style with a BSA .
Today also sadly saw the passing of the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, whose voice sang across the ages from the social unrest of the Sixties, The Blues Brothers in Reagan’s 80’s, to Obama’s inauguration in 2009. R-E-S-P-E-C-T
August 14, 2018
Audrey tooth
You’ll be a Dentist – one of the great musical pieces in Little Shop of Horrors is comedian Steve Martin, whose birthday it is today (73), as the psychopath oral pain specialist Orin Scrivello. “Now Spit!”
July 13, 2018
I’m gonna miss you so
Bye Bye Birdie – Norton Atlas provides are very apt machine for Ann Margaret and Jesse Pearson in the titular sixties musical comedy. Portraying Kim MacAfee, the movies teenage protagonist and Conrad Birdie,the heartthrob crooner, respectively the characters get up to all sorts of period Hollywood high jinx. Another Norton “650 Manxman” was also used.
July 12, 2018
Silver Dream Racer
Break a Leg! Period post seventies shenanigans as singer David Essex and the late great racing driver James Hunt lad it up on a Triumph T-140. Hunt broke his leg skiing thwarting a possible comeback in 80′ with McLaren.
May 11, 2018
Two out of Three ain’t Bad
Meatloaf! – for old time sake I picked up this overplayed album from the eighties. Classic and theatrical. Perfect foot stompin’ dashboard slappin’ music when you’re stuck in Friday evening Lake Shore Drive traffic – water on the drivin’ side…
March 1, 2018
Synthesizer Scoot
ELP – Prog Rock piano and keyboard master Keith Emerson astride his aped Norton Commando clad in full leathers. Forming the group The Nice he developed a mix of classic, rock, jazz, blues, and boogie-woogie amongst others first on a Hammond organ and later on a Moog. I would hope he took musical inspiration whilst hating around on his black motorcycle.
