Nevermind – the seminal album from the Seattle band that broke the mold and ushered in an angst ridden style and desensibility for the end years of a tired Twentieth Century. It turns 25 today. Kurt, Krist and Dave became a voice for the disenfranchised Gen X. I would turn it up to ’10’ and lie on the floor when getting home from my first ‘real’ job after collage.
1966 Chrysler Newport in the garage of this ‘grunge’ band.
Born in the USA – 67 years ago today! New Jerseys voice and son: Bruce Springsteen who gave a pulse to the working mans plight in the Heartland. He’s enjoyed Triumphs since he was teen with a new guitar.
The Leader of the Pack –
Mm–“Is she really going out with him?
“Well, there she is, Let’s ask her”
“Betty, is that Jimmy’s ring you’re wearing?”
“Mm-hm”
“Gee, it must be great riding with him”
“Is he picking you up after school today?”
“Mm-mm”
“By the way, where did you meet him?”
Bad Girl band composed of two pairs of New York sisters who in the sixties recorded this hit about teenage love and tragedy. The revving engine is some kind of English racer and the album cover has a biker aboard a big Matchless single.
Freddie Mercury- today he would have been seventy, impossible to fathom; forever seen as that exuberant performer who stole the worlds attention at Wembley in ’85 for LiveAid. I remember when this video would come on Top of the Pops and the big motorcycle playing a pivotal role in his leathered persona was impressive to an eight year old.
I gotta be cool, relax, get hip
And get on my track’s
Take a back seat, hitch-hike
And take a long ride on my motorbike
Until I’m ready (Ready Freddie)
Crazy little thing called love
Blow your own Trumpet – an illustrators version of some internal combustion instrument. Taking the exhaust via sissy-bar piping to a flute-like horn. Kiwi artist is Kelvin Mann who creates a kind of Heath Robinson quirk.
LSD – There’s a road I’d like to tell you about, lives in my home town
Lake Shore Drive the road is called and it’ll take you up or down
From rags on up to riches fifteen minutes you can fly
Pretty blue lights along the way, help you right on by
And the blue lights shining with a heavenly grace, help you right on by
And there ain’t no road just like it
Anywhere I found
Running south on Lake Shore Drive heading into town
Just slippin’ on by on LSD, Friday night trouble bound
And it starts up north from Hollywood, water on the driving side
Concrete mountains rearing up, throwing shadows just about five
Sometimes you can smell the green if your mind is feeling fine
There ain’t no finer place to be, than running Lake Shore Drive
And there’s no peace of mind, or place you see, than riding on Lake Shore Drive
And there ain’t no road just like it
Anywhere I found
Running south on Lake Shore drive heading into town
Just slicking on by on LSD, Friday night trouble bound
And it’s Friday night and you’re looking clean
Too early to start the rounds
A ten minute ride from the Gold Coast back make sure you’re pleasure bound
And it’s four o’clock in the morning and all of the people have gone away
Just you and your mind and Lake Shore Drive, tomorrow is another day
And the sunshine’s fine in the morning time, tomorrow is another day
And there ain’t no road just like it
Anywhere I found
Running south on Lake Shore drive heading into town
Just snaking on by on LSD, Friday night trouble bound.
Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah 1971
The Fireplace – Brian May’s guitar, was made by him and his father Harold back in the sixties. It has created, with the magical touches of a musical maestro, some of the greatest sounds of the late Twentieth Century.
The Old Lady – her secrets were revealed during a full nut & bolt restoration. The tremolo arm is sprung by a pair of motorcycle valve springs from a 1928 Panther.
Happy Birthday Brian! 69 today!
Boots made for Riding – record producer Mickie Most takes singer Nancy Sinatra on his BSA Shooting Star. Aptly named single the registration on the number plate signifies a’69 or ’70 model. She was in London to record The Highway Song.
Former Nirvana drummer and current Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl thrashes a mean beat and growls a roaring vocal. Grunge fashion takes on white Johnson Motors t-shirt with a hint of Triumph. Good driving music. Can’t believe the seminal Nevermind album is 25. Sheesh where’d the time go?
Taking their name after the cult classic Roger Corman 1966 B-Movie starring Peter Fonda this rocker group use the cafe racer as the equivalent to US Hells Angels choppers. This photo line-up has a bevy of BSA’s, Nortons and Triumphs. Clip-ons, quiffs, leathers and attitude. The middle Moto with ape hangers is …?
Multi instrumentalist Mike Oldfield is 63 today. Haunting music that stretches from windswept hills along the edge of Wales, to airy flights by birds unknown, and a growing ensemble of guitars and percussion climaxing in Tubular Bells.
“Bikes have been one of my greatest inspirations in music”. Though now residing full time and isolation in the Bahamas, his previous English residences always allowed for countryside rides to free his creative spirit.
60’s hippy folkster Donovan is 70 today. The original Mellow Yellow. To celebrate here is a nonagrid of Meriden machines.
Strider- that’s Robert Plants hound sitting across the tank of this old motorcycle at the bands welsh retreat in rural Gwynedd.
“There ain’t no companion like a blue-eyed Merle,”
Joshua Tree National Monument- quite a lovely road through the desert surrounded by Henry Moore-like rock formations and the sentinel Yucca that give the park its name.
Pink Floyd’s immortal words: another brick in a wall. Before the pasted billboards advertisements were directly painted onto the brickwork of buildings. Spalling chips add to a weatherbeaten appearance, a powerful message scripted across the running bond.
P.S.
It has been pointed out that this is a 2-Stroke such as a Jawa. Or it could be the German TWN Triumph… So kids; if you’re asked to paint an advertising mural, get your imagery correct!
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