Beatin’ the bushes for a little culture & diversion
by Tom Neal on August 7th, 2008 • No Comments »
Back in December on this blog, I wrote a post called “Airing It Out” (http://citizenwausau.com/nealistic/2007/12/13/airing-it-out/). In it, I wrote about my weekly radio show (Roundtrip) on WNRB-LP (93.3 FM, Wausau). And in that post I wrote the following about a station I listened to faithfully in Milwaukee back in the late ’60s:
… perhaps my biggest influence was an “underground” radio station from UWM (can’t remember the call letters) that would play anything and everything of an alternative nature. There was a DJ (Bob Reitman) … his show was called “It’s alright Ma, it’s only music.” Here, I had my first taste of Dr. John (the night tripper), the Incredible String Band (who I later saw perform at Woodstock, but that’s another blog), Bob Dylan, the Mothers of Invention, and local acts like the Baroques, the Velvet Whip and the Shag. This show and this station opened up a crazy compendium of delights that “hit radio” could never offer … and I’ve never recovered from the onslaught.
So, this past weekend as I sat in my van below the el-train just off Wabash in downtown Chicago waiting for my 16-year-old son to emerge from Lollapalooza, I surfed the radio and found an interesting sort of underground program (highlighted by Patti Smith doing “Gloria”) and my jaw dropped as I heard the announcer say, “You’re listening to It’s Alright Ma, It’s Only Music on WUWM, Milwaukee.” Needless to say, this really blew my mind (apologies to Eric Burdon). The DJ was the self-same Bob Reitman. Since then, I’ve learned that Reitman has returned to WUWM with the show he hosted there more than 40 years ago.
And, oddly eerily coincidentally, his show airs Thursday nights from 7-9 just like mine does here (but unlike mine, his is also rebroadcast on Saturday nights). I’m thrilled by this time-warpish development, and to celebrate, my show tonight will feature music of the styles and artists that Reitman introduced me to with “It’s alright Ma …”
Join me tonight for a 2-hour trip down my memory lane.
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by Tom Neal on August 1st, 2008 • 2 Comments »
So, here’s the hit list from last night’s special edition of Roundtrip, my radio program on WNRB-LP (93.3 FM Wausau), featuring tunes from the trip to Wyoming my son Ian and I took last week:
Bob Dylan, On the Road Again … no relation to the Willie hit
The Doors, Break on Through (To the Other Side)
The White Stripes, Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn
Velvet Revolver, Big Machine
The Jimmy Rogers All Stars, Gonna Shoot You Right Down (Boom Boom) … Robert Plant vocals, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton guitars (and Page on the Theremin)
Led Zeppelin, Friends
Taste, Blister on the Moon … I think Ian’s band Freedown should do this Rory Gallagher classic!
Queens of the Stone Age, Long Slow Goodbye
Fleetwood Mac, Rattlesnake Shake … in honor of all the “Caution Rattlesnakes” signs we saw on the trip. My favorite was at Devil’s Tower: “Rattlesnakes Stay on Sidewalk” (I’m thinking: if they’re staying on the sidewalk then I’m walking in the tall grass)
Muse, Apocalypse Please … apparently when my daughter Molly heard this last night at home, she was most impressed with her Dad! Good band
Pink Floyd, Lucifer Sam … Syd Barrett paints Buffalo, Wyoming in psychedelic colors
John Lennon, Remember
Oasis, Wonderwall
Weezer, The Angel and the One
David Crosby, Laughing … this was perfect for mountainside cruising!
Small Faces, I Feel Much Better … love the girlie backup singers: “shoop shoop do wahdi wahdi”
The Who, Out in the Street … early stuff featuring one of the best 5-second Townshend guitar solos ever
Audioslave, Doesn’t Remind Me
Queens of the Stone Age, This Lullaby
Peter Gabriel, Intruder
Weezer, I’m the Greatest Man That Ever Lived … this sent Molly totally around the bend last night and I’m becoming a Weezer fan!
Grateful Dead, China Cat Sunflower … you cannot drive out West without listening to the Dead; it’s a law
The Seeds, It’s a Hard Life
Moby Grape, Indifference
By the way, there is no “back way” to walk up to the top of Devil’s Tower like they show in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” … take it from me. And rainbow trout fresh-caught from a mountain lake, fried in a pan, tastes better than any restaurant can offer.
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by Tom Neal on July 31st, 2008 • 4 Comments »
Took a week-long, 2,400-mile road trip to the mountains of Wyoming with my 16-year-old son last week. That’s a lot of time to be sharing cabin space in a van and listening to high-volume music. Our ground rules: 1 CD we both liked, followed by one I like followed by one Ian likes. Ian, who’s the lead guitarist for Wausau band Freedown shares much of my own likes in music, but, naturally, he has his own set of faves and I was exposed to things unknown, with more than a few pleasant surprises.
On tonight’s Roundtrip, my radio show on WNRB-LP (93.3 FM, 7-9), I will feature the hits of the trip … ranging from the Animals to Audioslave, Moby Grape to Muse, The Who to Weezer. I hope you’ll join me tonight and put your mind in the mountains and foothils and plains of the west … and most of all: the road.
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by Tom Neal on July 14th, 2008 • 7 Comments »
On my Roundtrip radio show (WNRB-LP, 93.3 FM, Wausau) this past Thursday night (7-9), it was all about rain.
Starting things off with a couple of soulful numbers:
Buddy Guy, Feels Like Rain
Temptations, I Wish It Would Rain
Then, I just let it pour:
Moby Grape, Sittin’ By the Window … some flower power rain ruminations
Blind Melon, No Rain … saw these guys at Woodstock ‘94 (great tune)
Led Zeppelin, The Rain Song … dedicated to my boy Ian, lead guitarist of Freedown
Tom Waits, Rain Dogs
Lovin’ Spoonful, Rain On the Roof
Beatles, Rain … surely, all listeners were waiting for this one
Peter Gabriel, Red Rain
White Stripes, Red Rain … no relation
Counting Crows, Rain King
Hollies, Bus Stop
Robert Johnson, Come On In My Kitchen … “’cause it’s gone to be raining outdoors”
Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Sky is Crying
Jimi Hendrix Experience, Rainy Day Dream Away … phone request (I was planning to play it anyway)
Jimi Hendrix Experience, Still Raining Still Dreaming … these 2 tunes were made to be together
Rolling Stones, She’s a Rainbow
The Kinks, Rainy Day in June
Traffic, Coloured Rain
Rod Stewart, An Old Raincoat Won’t Ever Let You Down
Counting Crows, Raining in Baltimore
Paul McCartney, Too Much Rain
Grateful Dead, Box of Rain
Bob Dylan, A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall … rain as a metaphor (live version … amazing memorization of 8 minutes worth of lyrics, xlent performance)
Todd Rundgren, Rain … a faithful cover of the Beatles’ number
This was fun. What did I miss?
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by Tom Neal on July 10th, 2008 • No Comments »
Beautiful day today. Sunny, pleasant. Forecast says chance of rain tonight and tomorrow.
But, tonight there’s one place where the rain will be pouring … guaranteed: on your radio from 7pm to 9pm. On my Roundtrip program (WNRB-LP, 93.3 FM, Wausau), I will feature only tunes about rain. From the likes of Bob Dylan, Hendrix, Kinks and many more. Of course, with two hours, I’ll only scratch the surface of the subject; rain is one popular song theme! But there will be some greats in the mix tonight.
I hope you’ll join me.
Oh, and catch my post below about a guitar (etc.) event I’m trying to get going. Maybe you’ll climb aboard for that, too.
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by Tom Neal on July 8th, 2008 • 4 Comments »
Been thinking: I’m one of those people who “plays guitar.” That is, I play at guitar, own guitars, covet guitars, like guitar music, and am always interested in … guitars. And, I know I’m not alone. Now, I’m not necessarily talking about professional, performing, repertoire-toting serious guitar slingers (although I’m not excluding them, either). I’m talking about all those closet guitar people. The ones who play to amuse themselves or abuse their families. We’re people who think you can never have too many guitars. We may not be hot, but we’re dedicated.
I cruise by the 400 Block in Wausau and, on occasion, see guitar people out there playing solo or jamming with friends/strangers. Does my heart good. Sometimes I see Jim Carlson on the 400; he’s a guitar advocate … out there playing, bringing people together, keeping the spirit alive.
So, I’ve been thinking: If you’re a guitar people, would you come out for a large guitar gathering? I mean, a LARGE GUITAR GATHERING! An event where guitar people bring their guitars en masse, to jam, meet, trade tips/riffs, swap, sell, listen, covet, form groups … all those things guitar people just do naturally. I’m talking hundreds and hundreds of guitar people. I’m talking a mass rendition of Louie Louie or All Day and All of the Night.
The air, filled with that distinctive guitar smell … and with the sound of guitars. Lots of ‘em.
How many guitar people do we have in Wausau? In surrounding communities? In the region? The state? What if we put out a mass call to all of them to get together? Free. No strings (oh, yeah … lots of strings).
Is this crazy? Not to guitar people!
Maybe we have the makings of a unique Wausau event with this.
This post is my first tickle to test the waters (mixing metaphors). Let me know if you’re a guitar people. And if you’d go to a guitar event like this.
ON SECOND THOUGHT:
Having mulled this and talked to some folks, the question arises: What about bongo players or African drummers? Harmonica blowers? Saxophonists for that matter? And, of course, people who love to listen. Because I suffer from guitar myopia, I easily overlook these other population segments. But, I see no reason to be elitist and exclude anyone.
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by Tom Neal on June 27th, 2008 • No Comments »
Well, a 2-hour radio show liberally peppered with Kinks’ tunes … can’t be bad. Hope some of you were able to tune (WNRB-LP. 93.3 fm, Wausau) for Roundtrip last night. Here’s what happened:
Kinks, You Really Got Me … their first hit (’64)
Taste, Blister on the Moon … Rory Gallagher’s big “hello” to the rock world
Jimi Hendrix Experience, Little Wing
Velvet Underground, Run Run Run … from the album with the Warhol banana peel cover
Thee Shams, Please Yourself … Midwest rockers in the Iggy/Stones school of rock
Kinks, Powerman … featured on soundtrack for last year’s The Darjeeling Limited
Kinks, Sunny Afternoon … one of the all-time best tunes
Ry Cooder, The Very Thing That Makes You Rich (Makes Me Poor)
Son Volt, Streets That Time Walks
Mahavishnu Orchestra, You Know You Know … a sublime jazz interlude in an otherwise rockish show
Kate Bush, Aerial … laughing with birds
Kinks, Waterloo Sunset … released a couple weeks before Sgt. Pepper
Kinks, Picture Book … one of their billion songs adopted for TV commercials
Nazz, Meridian Leeward … “you look like a person, but you know you’re a pig” Todd Rundgren’s boyhood band
Counting Crows, Hanging Tree
Ray Davies, The Tourist … Kinks’ front man from his album released a couple years ago
Kinks, Have a Cuppa Tea … very British
Paul McCartney, Mr. Bellamy
John Lennon, Remember
George Harrison, Party Seacombe … from his obscure Wonderwall Music album
Kinks, Tired of Waiting for You
Savoy Brown, Stay While the Night is Young
Grateful Dead, Morning Dew
James Gang, Thanks
Kinks, Mister Pleasant … “how is Mrs. Pleasant?”
Check out the Battle of the Bands at Coral Lanes tonight and make big noise for Freedown!
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by Tom Neal on June 26th, 2008 • 5 Comments »
Tonight’s episode of Roundtrip, my 2-hour radio show on WNRB-LP (7-9 p.m., 93.3 fm, Wausau) will feature one of my favorite-ever bands: the Kinks. This group’s cavalcade of hits and lesser-known albums is just packed with anthems, ditties, rave-ups, stories, heroes, villains, animals, riverbanks and streets. So, if you like You Really Got Me, All Day and All of the Night, Apeman, Sunny Afternoon, Lola, Waterloo Sunset, Village Green Preservation Society … heck, all that Kinks’ stuff … listen tonight and be prepared for that sound and that voice to emerge at any moment. I can’t wait.
Almost forgot: the Battle of the Bands culminates Friday night at Coral Lanes. Be there and cheer for Freedown, Wausau’s most interesting young band.
And if you like a bit of country, LeAnn Rimes at Marathon Park on Saturday will be class show to catch. Includes James Otto (”The Biggest Voice in Country Music”) and newcomer Emily West. Be there and help support The Children’s Miracle Network.
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by Tom Neal on June 19th, 2008 • One Comment »
My son Ian’s band … Freedown … will engage in a battle of the bands tonight at Coral Lanes (you know, that place where you can go “pizza bowling” … says so on the sign outside). So, I will do an abbreviated Roundtrip radio show tonight (7-9, WNRB-LP, 93.3 FM, Wausau) to enable me to get over to the Lanes and catch the action. You might enjoy stopping by yourself; it’s great to see young guns carrying the torch of rock forward. Freedown is a very good band, and I’m sure there will be others that will amaze. See you there maybe.
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by Tom Neal on June 16th, 2008 • 2 Comments »
Just had a nice out-of-town long weekend in Milwaukee and only now getting around to posting the song list from this past Thursday night on my Roundtrip show (WNRB-LP, 93.3 FM Wausau). It was a 2-hour show, sort of broken up into a mellower first hour and slap-dash second hour:
Pink Floyd, Fearless … just feels good to hear this one
Robert Plant, Little Hands … from tribute album to Skip Spence (former Moby Grape and Jefferson Airplane high flyer)
Grateful Dead, Help on the Way / Slipknot! … sweet suite
Neil Young, A Man Needs a Maid … pretty intense plea from ol’ Neil
Pete Townshend & Ronnie Lane, Heart to Hold Onto … from Rough Mix, very nice collaboration
Uncle Tupelo, Slate
Counting Crows, Raining in Baltimore … I plan to do a show with nothing but rain songs
Cream, Doing That Scrapyard Thing
Fleetwood Mac, Coming Your Way … Peter Green’s guitar always spooky
Traffic, Giving to You … Steve Winwood and the boys get jazzy
Steve Winwood, Raging Sea … brand-new from ex-Traffic front man
then on to hour #2:
Led Zeppelin, Black Mountain Side … Jimmy Page playing acoustic in DADGAD tuning
Rolling Stones, 2000 Man … “and my kids just don’t understand me at all”
Wilco, I Am Trying to Break Your Heart … Jeff Tweedy in pain
Ray Davies, Is There Life After Breakfast?
Tom Waits, Diamonds and Gold … with Keith Richards on guitar
Canned Heat, So Bad (Life’s in a Tangle)
John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, What’d I Say … young Eric Clapton, old Ray Charles tune
Paul McCartney, How Kind of You … his Chaos album, I think, is one of his best
Nina Simone, Ne Me Quitte Pas … sad as heck, and I don’t even speak French
Kate Bush, Army Dreamers
Steve Miller Band, Kow Kow
James Brown, Doing It to Death
Let me know of any rain songs you think will be good for a rain show. Tune in Thursday night 7-9.
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