Kings Of Chaos

Putting together former Guns N’ Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum and Gilby Clarke with Joe Elliott from Def Leppard, Myles Kennedy from Alter Bridge, Glenn Hughes from Deep Purple, Dave Kushner from Velvet Revolver and Ed Roland from Collective Soul, was a feat of genius.

This collaboration going by the aptly named Kings of Chaos, performed in the Sun City Superbowl this Saturday past, and in Cape Town a week earlier. And I was not going to miss it for the world; the bout of flu that took me by surprise on Thursday was just going to have to wait…

The girls and I cruised on up from Johannesburg to Sun City on Saturday, stopping by a pub on the way that served home-made beer. You could say that drinking beer while nursing a cold, is like having an appetite for destruction, but thankfully the sheer excitement of getting to witness rock royalty, kept me going.

So there was no Axl Rose, but when Myles Kennedy got stuck into Sweet Child O Mine, it was hard to tell he was missing. Myles of Alter Bridge is an awesome vocalist. But let’s not forget Glenn Hughes amazing delivery of the Deep Purple classics, Smoke on the Water and Highway Star and Joe Elliott’s retake of the Def Leppard favorites Animal, Pour Some Sugar On Me and Two Steps Behind. And off course Slash… a guitar god.

When the lounge chairs were pulled up on stage for the acoustic set, the crowd went wild in anticipation. Off course Glenn Hughes and Joe Elliott did not fail to meet expectations. An added bonus was Kings Of Chaos renditions of the Dylan classic Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door, Zeppelin’s Communication Breakdown and Bowie’s All The Young Dudes.

A special mention must got to Ed Roland who sang all my favorite Collective Soul favorites with gusto and aplomb. He’s getting on in years, but is still a superb performer.

For a little over two hours, we were all in rock heaven. South Africa has not been this spoiled for a long time. And then came Myles Kennedy with the closing song Paradise City, and it was over…

Sigh! Oh, to see it all again, and again.

Freshly Played #21: Rare Earth

Written and recorded in 1960 by John D. Loudermilk as a folk song, Tobacco Road failed to make any impression until 1964 when it became a hit for The Nashville Teens. Since then it has been performed by tons of different artists who adapted it to cross various musical genres such as blues, country, punk rock and even metal.

Loudermilk was not a commercially successful singer and had more success writing for others like Eddie Cochran, The Everly Brothers, Chet Atkins, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison and Marianne Faithfull. I’m not sure how many of you remember Sunglasses which was a hit for Tracey Ullman?

While Tobacco Road has been performed by the likes of Jefferson Airplane, David Lee Roth, Lou Rawls, Status Quo, Blues Creation and even Jimi Hendrix, my favorite version is by Rare Earth.

Rare Earth was the first successful all-White band to be signed by Motown. The band has gone through an amazing 30 different members since formation in 1960.

Tobacco Road

 

Interestingly while the lyrics of the song has been adapted by different artists, the opening line has been variously sung as:

• I was born in a bunk
• I was born in a dump
• I was born in a trunk

For Lee-Ann

A few weeks ago I was dancing with some dear friends at their home and this song was played, a couple of times in fact. Now it’s stuck in my head and won’t go away.

That’s not a bad thing though, because I lurv this song by The Monkees. Thanks Lee-Ann.

Daydream Believer

Cheer up, Sleepy Jean.
Oh, what can it mean.
To a daydream believer
And a homecoming queen.

Freshly Played #20: Pearl Jam

Yep, Pearl Jam again. This time, it’s a song with a curious history… and great guitar riffs at the beginning and end.

As I’ve mentioned previously, guitar riffs drive me wild. The riffs at the beginning and end has a striking resemblance to Jimi Hendrix/Stevie Ray Vaughn’s rendition of Little Wing.

Yellow Ledbetter never featured on any of Pearl Jam’s studio albums. It was an outtake from their debut album 10, and was released as a B-side on the released single Jeremy. It did however feature on a B-sides and Rarities album, and their Greatest Hits album.

And it seems that nobody really knows precisely, the lyrics to the song. Lead singer Eddie Vedder is known to change the lyrics at nearly every live performance. Vedder once jokingly replied in response to a question from a live audience, “Wait…you mean there’s lyrics?”

Not surprisingly this lyrical ambiguity has stirred up some ingenuity in elucidation by others – the famous misheard lyrics videos. Catch a load of this:

Mum’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day y’all…

It’s another year away from home, so I’ve been listening to some Mother’s Day compilations online today and thought I’d put together one of my own. Here’s my tribute to all the moms out there.

The White Stripes – I Want To Be The Boy To Warm Your Mother’s Heart

Afro Celt Sound System – Mother

John Lennon – Mother

The Shirelles – Mamma Said

Pink Floyd – Mother

That last one by Pink Floyd is rather cynical, but since I love this song and the band, I hope most mothers will indulge me.

Say It Again Sam

This…

 

A Great Day Starts With Green Day

I get up every weekday morning to the buzz from the alarm clock radio and then switch over immediately to my favorite radio station. Usually I’m accosted by the voice of some deejay trying bravely to tune listeners in at this godforsaken hour, or some annoying radio commercial insert.

But every now and again I’m pleasantly surprised by a great tune from the past. This morning it was Green Day’s American Idiot. This one was not that distant past, but old enough, because I hadn’t listened to any Green Day in a while.

American Idiot is not my favorite Green Day song, but this…

 

If that had woken me up this morning, I swear I would have been playing air guitar jumping up down on my bed. Now pay attention to the lyrics.

Welcome to Paradise

Dear Mother
Cant you hear me whining?
It’s been 3 whole weeks
Since I have left your home
This sudden fear has left me trembling
Cuz now it seems that I am out here on my own
& I’m feelin so alone

Pay attention to the cracked streets & the broken homes
Some call it slums some call it nice
I wanna take you through a wasteland I like to call my home
Welcome to paradise

A gunshot rings out at the station
Another urchin snaps & left dead on his own
It makes me wonder why I’m still here
For some strange reason it’s now feelin like my home
& I’m never gonna go

Pay attention to the cracked streets & the broken homes
Some call it slums some, call it nice
I wanna take you through a wasteland I like to call my home
Welcome to paradise

Dear Mother
Can you hear me laughing?
It’s been 6 whole months
Since I have left your home
It makes me wonder why I’m still here
For some strange reason it’s now feelin like my home
& I’m never never gonna go

Pay attention to the cracked streets & the broken homes
Some call it slums, some call it nice
I wanna take you through a wasteland I like to call my home
Welcome to paradise
Paradise….

Feeling Good

Came across this exquisitely choreographed dance routine to the Michael Buble song Feeling Good, on Facebook recently. It’s performed by a couple known as Duo Flame, who stunned the judges at the Ukraine’s Got Talent show.

Glad I found it on YouTube. Enjoy!

Freshly Played #19: Charlene

I must be turning into a sentimental old fool for digging up this song, but there you have it. I really like I’ve Never Been To Me by Charlene, full name Charlene Marilynn D’Angleo Oliver.

When first released in 1976 it did not make much of an impression, but when a disc jockey on a radio show played it in 1982, it became a hit. A one-hit wonder, off course.

Some of you may remember the song from the opening titles in the hit 1994 film Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, being mimed by a drag queen.

Lyrics: I’ve Never Been To Me

Hey lady, you lady, cursing at your life
You’re a discontented mother and a regimented wife
I’ve no doubt you dream about the things you’ll never do
But, I wish someone had talked to me
Like I wanna talk to you…..

Oh, I’ve been to Georgia and California and anywhere I could run
I took the hand of a preacher man and we made love in the sun
But I ran out of places and friendly faces because I had to be free
I’ve been to paradise but I’ve never been to me

Please lady, please lady, don’t just walk away
‘Cause I have this need to tell you why I’m all alone today
I can see so much of me still living in your eyes
Won’t you share a part of a weary heart that has lived million lies….

Oh, I’ve been to Niece and the Isle of Greece while I’ve sipped champagne on a yacht
I’ve moved like Harlow in Monte Carlo and showed ‘em what I’ve got
I’ve been undressed by kings and I’ve seen some things that a woman ain’t supposed to see
I’ve been to paradise, but I’ve never been to me

Hey, you know what paradise is?
It’s a lie, a fantasy we create about people and places as we’d like them to be
But you know what truth is?
It’s that little baby you’re holding, it’s that man you fought with this morning
The same one you’re going to make love with tonight
That’s truth, that’s love……

Sometimes I’ve been to crying for unborn children that might have made me complete
But I took the sweet life, I never knew I’d be bitter from the sweet
I’ve spent my life exploring the subtle whoring that costs too much to be free
Hey lady……
I’ve been to paradise, (I’ve been to paradise)
But I’ve never been to me

(I’ve been to Georgia and California, and anywhere I could run)
I’ve been to paradise, never been to me
(I’ve been to Neice and the isle of Greece while I’ve sipped champagne on a yacht)
I’ve been to paradise, never been to me
(I’ve been to cryin’ for unborn children that might have made me complete)
I’ve been to paradise, never been to me
(I’ve been to Georgia and California, and anywhere I could run)
I’ve been to paradise, never been to me

Freshly Played #18: Sniff ‘n The Tears

I’ve been playing Driver’s Seat in my car for weeks now, and I never tire of listening to it over and over again. I do believe that it’s just shaded Radar Love as my favorite road song.

Released in 1978 off the album Fickle Heart, it was the only hit for British band Sniff ‘n The Tears. Pity that, because they do sound like a good band.