jarvys cafe

Portrait of Dr. Gachet is one of the most revered paintings by Vincent van Gogh.

jarvyscafe@hotmail.com (Jarvy McZeus) — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 11:18:00 -0400

Portrait of Dr. Gachet is one of the most revered paintings by Vincent van Gogh. It depicts Dr. Paul Gachet who took care of Van Gogh during the final months of his life. There are two authenticated versions of the portrait, both painted in June 1890 at Auvers. Both show Doctor sitting at a table and leaning his head on his right arm but they are easily differentiated in color and style. In 1890, the first version fetched a record price of $82.5 million ($75 million, plus a 10 percent buyer's commission) when sold at auction in New York. ps: you can see by my banner, I happen to like this painting very much.

There is a great book about this painting. It’s called

“Portrait of Dr. Gachet: The Story of a Van Gogh Masterpiece"

Only a few weeks before his 1890 suicide, Vincent van Gogh painted a portrait of Paul-Ferdinand Gachet, a local physician the painter had been fruitlessly consulting about his depression. Upon his death, the painting, like much of van Gogh's work, went to his brother, Theo. A few years later, Theo's widow sold it for 300 francs (worth, then, $58). In 1990, a wealthy Japanese businessman paid $82.5 million at a Christie's auction for it and promptly hid it away in a Tokyo warehouse, where it presumably remains to this day.
Cynthia Saltzman traces the painting's provenance through a century of art collecting and cultural politics.

A Comment by Van Gogh:

(if Twitter existed then, this would have DEFINITELY been Vincent’s post)

“I think that we must not count on Dr. Gachet at all. First of all, he is sicker than I am,

I think, or shall we say just as much, so that's that. Now when one blind man leads anotherblind man,

don't they both fall into the ditch?”

Jim Jarmusch Movie About The Stooges Nov.2016

jarvyscafe@hotmail.com (Jarvy McZeus) — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 10:18:00 -0400

This is the band that first made me understand that Rock and Roll was going to be my life. I love this band! I don't remember much when I was 13 years old, but I do remember buying the first Stooges album at the local record store. I had been waiting for the release date as I was a White Panther (the same group of maniacs that managed their brother band, The MC5) and I knew all about the Stooges, but being 13 years old, I had not ever heard their music until that day I bought "The Stooges" album. And you can only imagine what an eye oping experience that was! One other thing that I remember about that day that I had rode my bike to to the record store and came home, locked myself in my room and put the album on, is my older brother banging on my door and telling me to turn it down. I remember him asking me "How can you listen to that? That's not even music! Well each to their own....right? Jim Jarmusch has made a documentary about the Stooges called "Gimme Danger" All I can say is "GO SEE IT!"

Almost every rock musician worth a damn over the last 45 years—and many who aren't—has claimed influence and/or inspiration from the Stooges. It seems odd that there aren't already a dozen documentaries about the Ann Arbor, Michigan group, with their nuclear-grade rock and charismatic, double-jointed übermensch frontman, Iggy Pop. But no. Jim Jarmusch's Gimme Danger is only the second one, and the trailer (view it after the jump) promises a real cool time. An especially entertaining part occurs when Iggy says, "When I was a little boy, the Ford Motor Company, they had a machine that engineered a drop [explosion sound], a mega-klang. I thought we should get some of that in our songs."

A huge fan of the Stooges, Jarmusch filmed eight hours of Iggy—who grew up in a trailer in Ypsilanti, Michigan—talking about the Stooges and himself. Gimme Danger also features some original, previously unheard music that Scott and Ron Asheton made, with Iggy putting vocals over it.

In one segment of the film, Iggy tells Dinah Shore (?!) on her TV show, "I think I helped wipe out the '60s," and anyone who's heard The Stooges, Fun House, and Raw Power can attest to the feeling that this music was ground zero for a new strain of rock rooted in savage lustiness, exhilarating nihilism, and an outrageous will to power. No band had more effectively laid down a mainline to the id than did the Stooges—and nobody's really equaled them in this regard since.

CHECK THESE GUYS OUT!

jarvyscafe@hotmail.com (Jarvy McZeus) — Wed, 12 Aug 2015 21:32:00 -0400

The Biters are a young rock and roll band from Atlanta GA. I recently found them just surfing the web. I started Jarvys Cafe' back in 2006 to pay tribute to Detroit Rock and Roll. As time went by, this blog morphed into just paying tribute to any "Great" rock and roll. Over the years, I have written about many bands that I thought fit that "great R&R description. But you know.....as the years have gone by, I have found fewer and fewer bands that even inspired me enough to write a post. This is the first time I have sat down to write a post in a very long time! And it is not because I haven't looked for new bands, it's just that there seem to be fewer and fewer. I have thought a lot about the fact that I have now listened to and loved rock and roll for over 45 years and asked the question "is it because I am just old, that I think the best rock and roll blossomed in 1965 through 1970". The answer is a resounding "NO"...those were just the best years for the "real deal". That is not to say there haven't been great bands through out the years after 1975 to today. There just plain is "the real deal" and "not the real deal". The Biters are the real deal. It reminded me of when I discovered the Sex Pistols or The Black Crows. You just hear immediately. It brings back all those feelings of my reasons for wanting to play rock and roll when I was 13 years old. CHECK THESE GUYS OUT!

CBGB / The Movie: Jarvy says "worth the price of a ticket"

jarvyscafe@hotmail.com (Jarvy McZeus) — Mon, 7 Oct 2013 00:27:00 -0400

I have been waiting for this movie! WHY???? Because I loved CBGBs, even though I had never stepped a foot inside it, I always wanted to say that I had actually been to CBGBs. WHY???? Because when CBGBs was at it's pinnacle..... a typical calender week would read like.... The Ramones on Wednesday, Blondie on Thursday, Talking Heads on Friday, The Police on Saturday. I mean can you imagine? You would have 5 MAJOR rock and roll acts playing at this little club that had a fire code of like 80 people. And when I say "MAJOR", I mean these were bands that changed the direction of rock and roll.

There was this weird little magazine called "Rock Scene" and it always had stories about CBGBs and the bands that played there. "Rock Scene" was a very strange publication. It was not that easy to find. Usually you have to to buy your copy at a book and magazine store. Rock Scene always had a big portion of the content about the New York City underground rock scene. Which in 1978, "the Underground Rock Scene" became the "Punk Rock Scene". There were great stories about all my favorite bands of the time, like The New York Dolls, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, and then a bunch more bands that I had never heard of....and that started with THE RAMONES.
Rock Scene was a black and white picture magazine edited by prominent rock writer Lisa Robinson (later of Vanity Fair) and her husband Richard Robinson (who produced Lou Reed’s first solo record and the Flamin’ Groovies’Teenage Head). They were a well-known power couple in New York rock circles and had easy access to any and every rocker they wanted to meet. Rock Scene was where you could read about superstar acts like Rod Stewart, Alice Cooper, David Bowie, Queen and Elton John.....BUT WHAT MADE ROCK SCENE GREAT WAS all the new bands that played at CBGBs and Linda Robinson was there every night, taking pictures of and writing about bands like the Ramones, Cherry Vanilla, The New York Dolls, Patti Smith, Richard Hell, Blondie, The Dictators, Suicide, Talking Heads, Iggy, Kim Fowley, the Dead Boys, Willy DeVille, John Cale, etc.
So the movie isn't a great piece of film-making but it does bring back all the old memories of the late 70.s when rock and roll was re-born in the Bowery of NYC.
JARVY SAYS: THIS MOVIE IS WORTH THE PRICE OF ADMISSION. Just for the music , if nothing else.
It's not "Shawshank Redemption" or anything close. But it is a couple of hours of great music
and some funny fuckin' characters. Check It Out!.

Detroit Rock City / If you love rock and roll....you will love this book!

jarvyscafe@hotmail.com (Jarvy McZeus) — Sat, 21 Sep 2013 16:11:00 -0400

DETROIT ROCK CITY /

The Uncensored History of Rock 'n' Roll in America's Loudest City

by: Steve Miller

I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit and was 13 years old when I purchased my copy of The MC5's uncensored version of "Kick Out The Jams". I have written other posts on this blog about being so lucky to have been an impressionable teenager living in Detrot in 1969!

http://jarvyscafe.blogspot.com/2012/04/detroit-rock-and-roll-in-1969.html

This book is an "oral history" of the Detroit Rock Scene. from the 60's all the way through to the new millennium. It's all here.....The MC5, The Stooges, Alice Cooper, Detroit, SRC, Ted Nugent, Bob Seger and many more. Here is a great review of the book that I found on Amazon.

By Suzinne Barrett VINE VOICE on August 23, 2013

Having long been a fan of Iggy and the Stooges and more recently have gotten hip to the under recognized MC5, this book was a natural choice for me. LOVE oral biography format, and Steve Miller's "Detroit Rock City" ranks among the very best. This book grabbed me on page one. Wish the photos were better (they're horribly printed), and a better job could have been done in identifying the players. Same mistake has happened in two other oral biographies I've read and enjoyed. Why not identify each and every voice, and even better give us a picture, even if it's a small one alongside each contribution? Not everybody knows who these people are. Also, if you were a fan of Creem Magazine, this book is a must read. Would have liked more about Creem and Lester Bangs, but various writers from Creem do contribute, like Dave Marsh and Jann Uhelszki. Creem, located in Detroit, offered the very best of rock journalism and music reviews and regularly blew its competitor Rolling Stone out of the water. Rolling Stone kissed a lot of butt, but Creem instead sported an authentic rock and roll attitude and never did.

Been a fairly serious music fan but even still was not aware of a good amount of the bands accounted for here. Much of the music remained central to Detroit and did not cross over to our other cities. The break out stars of the scene obviously were Alice Cooper, Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, Iggy and the Stooges, Bob Seger and Ted Nugent. Alice Cooper received the most airplay with Mitch Ryder not far behind. Much later on, Bob Seger has his moment in the sun with "Night Moves." One of the best stories, told by producer Bob Ezrin, recounts his trip to Alice Cooper and company's abandoned building rehearsal studio/hideout which reads as something out of a Steven King novel! Mitch Ryder, Wayne Kramer (of MC5), Alice Cooper and Iggy and the Stooges tell firsthand of all the craziness. Now, the next step would be a documentary because the stories in the book BEG for one. There was so much talent and energy going down in Detroit in the late 60s and also in the 70s - socially, musically and politically, and it's nothing less than a crying shame that bands like the MC5 saw very little glory for their outstanding efforts. Bad management, cheap and clueless record companies and drug abuse account for these failures. For the record, the MC5 were one of the greatest live acts ever, although that never directly translated to their records. Check them out live on youtube to see what I mean.

Anyway, a wonderful and much needed look at the Detroit rock scene. Over the years, so much attention has been given to the Motown phenomenon, leaving the co-existing rock scene in the dark. This book was seriously overdue.

Mitch Ryder (circa the band called "Detroit")

Iggy and the Stooges (circa the Hollywood hazy daze

The Stooges 1969

The MC5

SRC

ROCK AND ROLL WILL NEVER DIE!!

jarvyscafe@hotmail.com (Jarvy McZeus) — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 09:55:00 -0500

There are going to be hundreds if unknown bands at this year's SWSX......just like every year. And there will be one little band from the San Francisco area that will pull into town in their old beat up van that carries the band and the equipment, who could famous overnight. Ok....not really a possibility, but if it were 1990 and some powerful A&R guy or music manager just happened to stumble into the little bar that THE SOFT WHITE SIXTIES were playing......well it's cool to dream, right? But it's not 1990, it's 2013 and there is no "Record Business" really, iS there? Who could have predicted that a little website call Napster would have started a chain reaction that killed the Record Business? I talk a lot about "the good ole days" here on my blogs (Jarvys Cafe and Cineblax)....and about how the kids today have no idea how amazing it was to go to the record store on allowance day and buy the "Stooges Funhouse", ride home on my bicycle and sit down in front of the family console phonograph and drop the needle on "1970". I really did that and remember it, like it was yesterday. I can still smell the printing of the album cover, after ripping off the cellophane. Reading every liner note while listening to my new album on 10 (because no one else was home). The bad thing about music and the internet is also the good thing. And that is, you would have never heard of The Soft White Sixties" in 1990, (unless that A&R guy did discover them), BUT in 2013, I do know about this great band because of the internet. These guys "get it"! For us "Old" music fans, it is gives us so much hope to come across a band like TSWS. The song "Queen of the Press Club" could have come on the radio in 1966 right after The Who's Substitute or The Count Five's Psychotic Reaction and it would have seemed perfect. Do yourself a favor, check these guys out. TSWS is a GREAT rock and roll band. Just like The Rolling Stones studied their heroes, it's obvious that The Soft White Sixties studied theirs. What is truly amazing though, is that the Stone's heroes were still alive and making music (in their beginnings), but the inspiration for TSWS music is music from 30 and 40 years ago. It is the same music that their grandparents were dancing to.
It is a bands like this one, that are more important than any Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They are the true keepers of the flame. Living proof that Rock and Roll WILL NEVER DIE!!

The Strokes Are Back!

jarvyscafe@hotmail.com (Jarvy McZeus) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 00:59:00 -0500

Well, this is more like it. “One Way Trigger,” the first song we heard from new Strokes album Comedown Machine, was a keyboards-and-falsetto curiosity, but now they’re back with the new “All The Time,” and they suddenly sound like the Strokes again. It’s not like the members of the band are ripping off their younger selves on “All The Time,” but they have tapped back into the ineffable swagger that made those first records such dorm-room staples. “All The Time” is a buzzing and muscular rock song with a deeply satisfying central thrum and just enough vulnerability. We already heard a quick burst of the song, and now the whole thing is below.
From Stereogum

Lenny Kravitz is so AMAZING

jarvyscafe@hotmail.com (Jarvy McZeus) — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 02:19:00 -0400

Have you listened to the new Lenny Kravitz album....."Black and White America"? This is one of the best records that I have ever owned. He is so far ahead of his contemporaries that it is almost laughable. Lenny has never followed the crowd and that is why I have always respected him and his music. There are not many "genuine articles" in today's music world, but Lenny is one of the VERY few. In my opinion this record puts him in the category of Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, and The Reverend Al Green. Black and White America sounds like it could of been recorded at Stax studios in 1972. YOU HAVE TO CHECK THIS RECORD OUT. Jarvy gives B.W.A. a 10 and 1/2!!! It is so great to find a body of work like this from a real artist in the year 2012!!

Jarvy is IN LOVE!!!

jarvyscafe@hotmail.com (Jarvy McZeus) — Mon, 4 Jun 2012 18:28:00 -0400

WOW....I have always liked this guy...BLEU...but I never saw this video of his until today and all I can say is WOW!!! This is such an amazing video because it is not about "Sex", but instead these most beautiful girls stir up something completely past the hormonal part of being "male" and makes you remember what it was like when saw that girl who was your First Love. Sounds corny...I know. But tell me what you think after watching the video "Guys"

One of Rock's Best Kept Secrets / Jellyfish

jarvyscafe@hotmail.com (Jarvy McZeus) — Sun, 20 May 2012 13:11:00 -0400

Jarvy usually has all kinds of stuff to say about the bands that are so great but the "masses" never knew about. Well....in this case I am going to let this video speak for it's self. Never heard of Jellyfish? You are about to. Take a listen my friend!

Birth 0f Joy........and Jarvy IS HAPPY!!

jarvyscafe@hotmail.com (Jarvy McZeus) — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:01:00 -0400

Birth of Joy is a REAL rock and roll band that hails from the Netherlands. From the Blog called "THE SODA SHOP", here is a short review of their new album called "Birth Of Joy"
The band is from the Netherlands and are a 3 piece who describes themselves as a “Power Organ Rock Trio.” Their description of their music is “Pumping drums, raw guitars and a supercharged organ makes Birth of Joy a chemistry you can’t deny.”
The album is a trip back in time to about the late 60′s throughout the mid 70′s. They have a sound that can be compared to The Doors. In fact, the song “Motel Money A Way,” vocalist Kevin Stunnenberg belts out the lyrics like a hyped Jim Morrison. The use of the organ throughout makes for an easy comparison. Listening to them though, they are far from being clones of The Doors. They are more of a garage rock band but play a lot of psychedelic blues. “Drink The Cup” is a more mellow song and light hearted song but does have some belting out towards the end as the song speeds up to come to it’s end. “Make Things Happen” gets a little darker for the band with some deep bass and prominent organ. Kevin has another Jim Morrison episode here and the riffs from his guitars are just as mean. Easily my favorite song on the album. “Monster” takes a close second with it’s fast paced and almost poppy instruments.
The Soda Shop says this album caught them by surprise....well it did me as well.This is what Jarvys Cafe is about...turning you on to great bands like Birth Of Joy!

Jackdaw4 ....Another Great Band You Didn't Know About

jarvyscafe@hotmail.com (Jarvy McZeus) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 17:35:00 -0400

Jackdaw4 is another great English band that's been playing and making albums for a lot of years and no one knows about. But you do know, that is why Jarvys Cafe is here, to turn you on to bands like this. Jackdaw4 should be HUGE! And you know what? their Facebook page has only 600 followers. They should have 600,000!! If you like this go to their webpage and buy some music and the
TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW!
jarvy

Detroit Rock and Roll in 1969

jarvyscafe@hotmail.com (Jarvy McZeus) — Mon, 9 Apr 2012 20:03:00 -0400

The Rock and Roll Band that changed everything for me was called SRC (The Scott Richard Case). I was 14 years old and I saw SRC at a small Catholic school auditorium with about 100 other kids. It was not the first time I had saw a rock band play.....BUT it was the first time I saw real rock and roll played by great musicians. In Kieth Richards biography he talks about hearing Chuck Berry for the first time and how it changed his life.....hearing music that reached down and touched his heart. Never had music done that to him before and that day he knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life! There are not many things that I can remember from when I was that young, but I can remember that night like it was yesterday. Seeing Scott Richards ( the lead singer) in front of that great band was just like seeing The Beatles or The Rolling Stones in a small club for a young English kid......SRC never were anywhere close to having that kind of success, but it wasn't because they weren't as good (THEY WERE)....it has to with management, timing and all the other things that make a great band huge. And it sure doesn't change how they effectrd me, when I saw them play that first time. I feel so lucky to have grown up in the Detroit area in the late 60's and seeing The MC5, The Stooges, Bob Seger, Mich Ryder and Detroit, and Alice Copper by the time I was 16 years old. Talk about timing!!!! Never again will there be a Rock Music Scene like there was here in Detroit in 1969!!!

Butch Walker / They Made a Documentary

jarvyscafe@hotmail.com (Jarvy McZeus) — Sun, 8 Apr 2012 02:32:00 -0400

This is a new documentary about Butch. I have been talking about Butch Walker for years here at Jarvys Cafe.....and now there is an amazing way to understand what I have been trying to say, all this time!

Michael Davis / June 5, 1943 – February 17, 2012.....You Will Be Missed

jarvyscafe@hotmail.com (Jarvy McZeus) — Fri, 9 Mar 2012 04:58:00 -0500

The MC5 were the reason I fell in love with Rock and Roll. When I was 13 years old, when I bought Kick Out The Jams the very first day it was released. When I got home after riding my bicycle back from the record store and dropped the needle on the first cut, Ramblin Rose............it changed my life forever. I was lucky enough to meet and get know Michael later in my life and he was a true gentleman. Always a warm smile and I never heard him say a bad thing about anyone. Below is a statement about Michael's passing from a man that knew him well. And I thought who better to tell us about Michael than a man who embodies rock and roll Iggy Pop.
For me, Michael was the original cool guy. He was a tall, handsome man who looked great on stage with his bass strapped on, and I always admired his poise and showmanship. He played with a fluid, effortless style that rolled under the beat. The lines he played were always distinctive, like somebody singing. He had a lot of positive energy. Michael had a wonderful smile, and a kind of unflappable manner. I never saw him too upset about anything. He was a nice guy, and although he had plenty of attitude, he wasn't a prick about it like so many musicians can be. Check out his playing on Looking At You (Original 'A-Square' Single Version). Especially the bass note he plays just before the end. Wow. He belongs in the Hall Of Fame, along with his whole group, for their contributions to American music and its politics. He was and they were hugely charismatic and influential. Their beliefs and approach had to do with things much larger than music and these things are coming to light more and more today on the world revolutionary stage. There is no band that I know of as dangerous as the MC5 and their manager, John Sinclair. I loved Michael. My condolences to his family, friends, and group and my thanks to him and the MC5 for their generosity and inspiration to me and The Stooges.

Iggy Pop

Jarvys Cafe' is About Music Education!

jarvyscafe@hotmail.com (Jarvy McZeus) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:45:00 -0500

I have been writing in this Blog for over 3 years and I still do not have many readers. One reason is that there are so many choices of blogs to read, that finding an audience is a very difficult task. And number two is that the title of the Blog post usually contains the Artist the Blogger is talking about and titles are a very big part of how Google rates your page.....so if you are talking about Rihanna, then you have a shot of a lot of dumb kids clicking on your link, but if you talk about a great band like Watershed, then forget it, you will be lucky to have 5 people visit your Blog. But you know what, that does not deter Jarvy.......we are going to keep writing and trying to educate people (especially young people) about what GOOD MUSIC really is. Watershed is a band from Columbus Ohio who has been banging out some of the greatest Rock and Roll of the 20th

Century and has been doing it for over 20 years!! Talk about preserverance!!
You must check them out. They have a Brand New Album called "American Muscle" YOUR EDUCATION STARTS HERE!!!

The Redwalls / Another of Rock's Best Kept Secrets

jarvyscafe@hotmail.com (Jarvy McZeus) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 15:53:00 -0500

In this day of digital everything it's rare to find the real deal. As I heard John say in an interview, you don't make records anymore, you assemble them. Well....The Redwalls are thr real deal. The problem is, they made 3 amazing records and never really found success. The biggest break they had was when they were invited to join Oasis on their Summer 2005 UK tour. Chicagoans Logan Baren, his bassist brother Justin started the band in 2001. I would start with their first record "Universal Blues ".... as your introduction to this amazing band. It just pisses me off that the music biz is so fucked up that a band like this never "made it" and then you guys like Justin BEAVER' making millions and kids have no idea whats really good music. It is not all like that....there are young kids who know what the real deal is. And the internet is a place where you can find bands like The Redwalls if you know where to look. Check this out! Logan Baren could be the illegitimate love child of Lennon and Dylan (if that was possible). Jarvy gives all 3 albums 5 stars!
The Redwalls- "Game of Love"
MAD Dragon Records | Myspace Music Videos

Do You Know: BUTCH WALKER?

jarvyscafe@hotmail.com (Jarvy McZeus) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 06:23:00 -0400

If you do not......YOU SHOULD! I have followed Butch Walker's career since I first heard his band called Marvelous 3 in about 2001 (the same year they disbanded). They were what the "press" labeled "Power Pop", but to me it was just good plain ole' Rock and Roll".
Butch Walker grew up in Cartersville, Georgia. Right out of high school, Butch took his band, Byte the Bullet to LA and they were signed to Virgin Records within the year. They changed their name to SouthGang and released two albums, Tainted Angel in 1991 and Group Therapy in 1992. Butch had 2 more bands with record deals, before forming Marvelous 3 and making 3 albums, 2 of them on Elektra records. Starting his solo career in 2002, I had the amazing luck to have seen him play on his first solo tour at Alvins, the Iconic Music Bar on Cass Ave., downtown Detroit....my home town. In fact, there were 2 little bars wich Mitch Ryder loved to play at, when we were home off tour and Alvins was one of them. I think the capacity is about 150....but on many nights that we played there.....I think 150 people alone...were just on the dance floor in front of the stage. Alvins is just one of those places that has the "magic"..it just sounds right, looks right, and most of all "feels right". Anyway....seeing Butch play there with only about 75 people was a once in a lifetime experience.

This first ( Left of Self-Centered ) album and tour was his "Heavy Rock" period and I remember that it was REAL loud....even for me (who stood next to a Marshall amp for 13 years). But it was amazing!!! I remember leaving there, that night thinking how great it was that here were still "Real Rock" bands left on the planet! Butch's second solo effort (Letters in 2004) took a complete 180.....and still is one of my favorite albums of all time. You have to hear this record. If you do not know about this amazing writer, producer, and performer......start with "Letters" for it is a good cross section of what he does. I had not written a post in quite a while and thought...."who should I write about" and I asked myself..."who is your favorite band/musician"? No Hesitation!!! Butch Walker. He has been recognized as a producer (Once named "Producer of the Year" by Rolling Stone), working with everyone from, Weezer, to Avril Lavigne. But as a rock and roll icon....well, it is a crazy world we live in today. The "Music Business" has changed so much from when I was in it, that there really isn't a "Music Business".....not like there once was. And I cannot say if that is a "Good Thing" or a "Bad Thing"....I just know that finding "GREAT" rock and roll, is not like it use to be. Sure...go ahead and say..."Yea, that Jarvy is just an old fart and just likes the music from when he was a kid. But if that's true, then why do young teens love Jimi Hendrix still.....after 40 years! I don't remember hanging posters of Benny Goodman on my wall when I was 14.
Butch Walker has a band again and they are called "The Black Widows". They have done one album and a new one called " I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart" and have a new album coming out August 30th, called "The Spade"
Do yourself a favor......if you "Do Not Know Who Butch Walker" is: FIND OUT!!!!
Jarvy...Aug. 21, 2011

John Lennon Rock God / Lennon and Cheap Trick

jarvyscafe@hotmail.com (Jarvy McZeus) — Wed, 4 May 2011 10:19:00 -0400

I never knew that Rick Nielsen Bun E. Carlos played a track on Lennon's last recording sessions for Double Fantasy. I stumbled across a video on YouTube of this track. The amazing producer Jack Douglas, who produced the last Lennon albums...brought in Rick and Bun E. one day to try something different from the normal band they were using for the tracks. The result is what you see and hear below. It is said that even though John loved the outcome of this session, he thought the sound was to different from the rest of the tracks. Still....you can really understand what a GREAT ROCK VOICE John had....especially when being backed up by Real Rock musicians. As a side note, Tony Levin on bass. Here is the story direct from Rick Nielsen:
As Nielsen remembers it, before Cheap Trick achieved worldwide fame in the 1970s, they first needed to record an actual album and were seeking a rock culture giant to bring the release credibility. “We wanted John Lennon. This was in 1976, and he hadn’t done anything in so long.” But the rising artists got nowhere with that request, and the acclaimed first album was produced by Jack Douglas, a longtime studio master whose work over the years has included classic recordings by Aerosmith, Miles Davis, Alice Cooper and even Lennon, on his comeback album, “Double Fantasy.”
As Lennon hung out in his home at the Dakota in New York, famously tending to his new son, Sean, and making bread, Cheap Trick vaulted to worldwide fame with the stunning success of the triple-platinum “Cheap Trick at Budokan.” When Lennon dusted off his Rickenbacker and exhumed his legendary songwriting skills, he recruited Douglas to work on “Double Fantasy.” Recording commenced in the summer of 1980 in New York, and soon Douglas told Nielsen the sessions were “too studio musician-ish.” Lennon wanted some real, rough-around-the-edges rockers, and Nielsen was thrilled at the chance to record with a true rock legend. Problem was, his wife, Teresa, was about to give birth to their son, Daxx. “We were actually on tour, in Toronto, going to Japan the next day, when we heard about this, and the day of the session was the due date for Daxx. I asked (Teresa) about it, and she said, ‘C’mon, he’s your hero, you have to do it.' So on Aug. 12, we had a baby boy, and I was in Montreal. I smuggled a bunch of Cuban cigars out of Canada and flew into New York, showed up at The Hit Factory. After about an hour of setting up, in walks John Lennon.” After the clumsy introduction, Nielsen realized Lennon was a big Cheap Trick fan and started showing him some of his old tools. “He was playing this old Veleno guitar with dirty strings. He opened this case with an old Rickenbacker in it, and the set list from the Shea Stadium concert was scotch-taped to the back.” Lennon showed him a truly rare instrument, the Mellotron he played on “Strawberry Fields Forever” for soundscapes on “The White Album.” Nielsen was privy to conversation between Lennon and Ono as they planned arrangements for “I’m Moving On.” “She was asking him, ‘Should I do it fast or slow?’ He says, ‘Do it however you (bleeping) want, Mother!” “I’m Losing You” was knocked out in two takes but did not fit with the slicker material throughout the rest of the album and was left off the final printing of “Double Fantasy.” “It never fit with the continuity of the rest of the album. It’s like a lounge band, then this grungy song (“I’m Moving On” with Nielsen and Carlos also was left off). It was sort of embarrassing when people heard we were going to play on the album, then we weren’t on the album.” But the version surfaced on “John Lennon’s Anthology” in 1998, and Cheap Trick recorded a video to accompany the song several years ago. At the end of the session, Nielsen passed around his ill-gotten Cubans. Lennon joked with Carlos, “Hey, Bun E., I’ll see you at the hop,” and also told the Cheap Trick drummer, “I wish (Rick) had played on ‘Cold Turkey.’ Eric choked on that.” The “Eric” is Eric Clapton. “The whole time, it was just guy-to-guy, musician-to-musician,” Nielsen said. “Funny, I never got anything signed by him or anything like that.” Nielsen and Carlos did mention to Lennon the idea of him recording “Cheap Trick” years earlier. “We tell John this, and he says, ‘I would love to have done that.’ We wanted to kill our manager, of course. It was one of those what-if, never-happened things.”
Ain't that the truth!!! I was watching the Beatles Anthology the other night and heard The Beatles version of "Twist and Shout" 1964!!
Listen for yourself....God Love John Lennon!

Celebrate Band On The Run / Paul McCartney at His Best

jarvyscafe@hotmail.com (Jarvy McZeus) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 07:55:00 -0400

Paul's first real band after leaving the greatest rock group in history was a band called "Wings". The GRAMMY winning, smash # 1 album - originally released December of 1973 - yielded the immortal title track and world-wide hit “Jet” becoming Wings’ most successful and celebrated album ever. Paul McCartney personally supervised all aspects of the Band on the Run reissue. The remastering work was done at Abbey Road using the same team who recently remastered the complete Beatles’ catalog. If I had to take only 10 albums to a desert island, this would definitely be on the list!

The "RECORD COMPANIES"

jarvyscafe@hotmail.com (Jarvy McZeus) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 18:01:00 -0400

Here is an amazing commentary about how the record companies came to be and how they were originally just selling furniture (not music). Even in the beginning the rich big company only cared about making money not music. What is really ironic about this video is how in the present, the "Record Companies" have lost their way and now they have been put out of business by the internet and file-sharing. If they were really concerned with the actual "art" and "artist"......maybe they could have survived in some other capacity. Jarvy would like to know ......"WHAT DO YOU THINK?"

The Strokes Have a New Album / Angles

jarvyscafe@hotmail.com (Jarvy McZeus) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 05:34:00 -0400

If you love or hate them, you can't take away the fact that the Strokes are one of the most important bands in rock and roll in the last decade. They have single-handedly kept real rock and roll alive in the new miilineum! (Jarvy's opinion only....of course) But let's really take look at what has happened to not only the "Business of Music", but pop culture itself. In 2001, when The Strokes eponymous album "This is It" was released, the record business was basically dying a slow death. The years Top 10 songs on the Billboard Chart, included; Eve featuring Gwen Stefani , Peaches & Cream, Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya, and Pink - Lady Marmalade, Nelly featuring City Spud , Destiny's Child, and Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliot. That list in it's self could trigger a 3 page post.....but my point here is along come these kids from the NYC art college scene and have capture the masses by playing music that could of come straight out of Andy's Warhol's factory in 1968. As my life has always been about music, I can remember that time so clearly and that the first time I heard the record. It was the first time since I was 18 years, that I actually felt "that feeling" that a great new rock band could provide......and that is knowing that everything was "going to be ok", because you had a new friend. One that would help you through the dark hours....just by putting that piece of vinyl on the turntable and turning it up to 10!! No, they are not the most prolific players, but they understood....what it was really about. Just as The Velvets, The Stooges,The MC5, The New York Dolls, and The Ramones all had. The new record is officially to be released March 22nd, but I had a chance to here an advance copy and "Jarvy's Take" is The Strokes are still the BEST ROCK AND ROLL BAND in America today!!!

Iggy and the Stooges Live On!!

jarvyscafe@hotmail.com (Jarvy McZeus) — Tue, 1 Mar 2011 09:23:00 -0500

In a recent interview with Crawdaddy! magazine, James Williamson talked about rejoining the Stooges, working on Raw Power and Kill City, and mixing and songwriting. He also spoke about the possibility of recording new singles with the Stooges, and said: "We’re continuing to work on new material, even though we haven’t had much time off the road yet. So this is the period when we’re starting to do that. But we have to have new riffs that capture our imagination, and the lyrics have to match that, and finally the performance has to be such that we can feel proud of it. The bar is set pretty high ... we don’t want to release something that’s not up to par with the Stooges material, but I think we can do it."

Iggy and the 70 year old Stooges have released a live version of Raw Power from their sold out World Tour! Amazing!! To see these guys playing their hearts out at "going on 70 years old" is simply INCREDIBLE! Here is a link to the live album and a link to the Limited Deluxe Edition of Raw Power. This 40 year old album is a great lesson for anyone yearning to be educated in the "School of Rock"

Rock is not Dead / Beady Eye Lives!

jarvyscafe@hotmail.com (Jarvy McZeus) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 11:06:00 -0500

Beady Eye was formed by the other three core members of the 1999-2009 incarnation of Oasis, namely singer Liam Gallagher, guitarist Gem Archer, and bassist Andy Bell,who switched back to guitar in Beady Eye, together with live drummer Chris Sharrock, who became a full time member of the new group.Jeff Wootton and Matt Jones will perform live bass and keyboard duties.

The band began writing and recording new material in November 2009,and offered a preview of their upcoming album with the release of "Bring the Light", on 15 November 2010 as a free download. It charted at number sixty-one on the UK Singles Chart, topping the Indie and Rock charts.

This guy Liam.....has single handledly saved rock. He may be a little conceited, but doesn't he deserve to be?

Welcome To My Nightmare II

jarvyscafe@hotmail.com (Jarvy McZeus) — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 01:18:00 -0500

After 35 years it’s a bit risky, some would say desperate, to have a sequel to you’re most successful album. Alice decided the only way for him to recreate the magic of that album was to get together with Dick Wagner and Bob Ezrin. Now it’s the first time Alice, Wagner and Ezrin have all worked together since 1983’s Dada. Dada was a commercial and critical failure at the time, but has come to be regarded as a hidden gem. Alice was noted saying:

It feels great to be working with Bob again and the entire Bigger Picture team have been tremendously supportive. Lightning has struck more than once in the past with Bob’s involvement, so we feel great that we’re onto something really electrifying now that we’re together again. The album we’re crafting is, in some ways, a ‘shriekquel’ to what’s gone before and there’s no better guy to oversee things than Bob.

According to Gail Worley, Alice and Bob Ezrin have already written more than 10 songs for the new album. This includes the ballads “I Am Made of You” and “Something to Remember Me By”. Alice has also written a few tracks with Desmond Child, who brought Alice success in the late 80’s/early 90′s, with the albums Trash and Hey Stoopid.

Possibly the biggest news is that for the first time in over 35 years, Cooper has done three new songs with the original Alice Cooper group. The line-up includes Dennis Dunaway (bass), Neal Smith (drums) and Michael Bruce (guitar). Unfortunately original member Glen Buxton (guitar) died in 1997, so the reunion can not be a complete one. The reunion might have something to do with their possible induction into the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame.

The fact that the original Alice Cooper Band has reunited to record is a long awaited wish for many of us old rockers.....who remember that first AC album "Pretties for You"