blogovich

Aerosmith looking for new singer as Tyler (rumours persist) is out, or not

Aerosmith is looking for a new singer. Apparently. Then again, last night Tyler appeared with Toxic Twin guitarist Joe Perry to apparently put this kerfuffle to rest. 

Previously, Perry had suggested the hunt was on for a new vocalist. So Canada's National Post newspaper weighed in with possible replacements (though read the comments, the reporter apparently didn't check his facts all that well, not surprisingly. I once saw a Rolling Stones review that called the Stones' Live With Me "Nasty Habits" which is a LYRIC in the song, not the song title; folks, do some research, you're hurting journalism's credibility)

ANYWAY: seems like things are worked out, Tyler's still in. But IF he left, or leaves, I would propose someone who was once rumoured to join Van Halen after Sammy Hagar (thrown out there as Aerosmith's next singer) left. Canada's own Sass Jordan. 

I think she'd be awesome. Great voice, raunchy, Van Halen made a mistake in going to Gary Cherone of Extreme back then, if Sass was indeed available.

Bands who successfully replaced an iconic singer:

Van Halen, once. Hagar replacing David Lee Roth. Not all VH fans accepted it, but VH actually went on to greater commercial (such as it is) success with Hagar. Next time around, not so successful. The Gary Cherone-fronted Van Halen bombed although I will say that, given a chance and several listens, Van Halen 3, the lone Cherone album, is pretty good. Just different.

AC/DC: went from strength to strength when Brian Johnson replaced the dearly departed Bon Scott. Still, there are many who still swear by the Bon years, and arguably lyrically Bon was best for the band. Still, AC/DC soldiers on successfully.

Genesis: ah, I don't really want to get into prog, not in the mood right now, but anyway, they went on to even greater commercial success with Phil Collins up front than when Peter Gabriel led the troops. But essentially two different bands and approaches, aside from the first 2-3 albums with Collins on lead vox. After ...and then there were three, in came the horns, the sound changed forever, more pop, and so be it. I actually like both versions.

King Crimson: yeah, I know, I said I didn't want to get into prog, but, can't think of any other bands at the moment, may update this post or post more on this topic. Anyway, no matter, Crimson IS Robert Fripp and associates, whoever he chooses to collaborate with, though the best vocalist remains Greg Lake, from the amazing first album In The Court of the Crimson King. Lake of course went on to front Emerson, Lake and Palmer.

KISS: this is for my buddy and KISS fan Rajeev. Who would know the difference? They all hide behind paint. Yes, I know Gene and Paul do most of the singing.

Contributions as always welcome.

Ah, forgot one of my favourite bands, DEEP PURPLE. Ian Gillan fronted the so-called classic Mark II version, after Rod Evans (he sang Hush, their big early hit) left. Then came David Coverdale/Glenn Hughes, who battled essentially for lead vocalist role, then Gillan again with the first Mark II reunion, then the forgettable ex-Rainbow and Ritchie Blackmore friend Joe Lynn Turner (OK, one good Purple song, King of Dreams off Slaves and Masters, great track), then back to Gillan after Blackmore left, and Gillan continues to front the band in the 2000s.

Ranking: 1. Gillan. 2. Coverdale when Hughes shuts up and accepts he's the bass player unless he's singing solo. 3. everyone else.

 

Actually, I lied before: Got a mix tape (?!) going - Floyd, Queen, now Santana

Mix tapes? Remember them? Yeah, I have a mix cassette going, taking me away (easily done via music). Shows how old I am. Regarding the mix tape, I mean.

Have A Cigar happened to be playing when I posted the Floyd-related post. Then we went to Spread Your Wings by Queen (off the News of the World album, the one with We Will Rock You etc. on it).

Now we're on Hope You're Feeling Better, from Santana's Abraxas. 

Killer stuff. See ya. Going to go enjoy. Plus, a friend just came over.

Until next time . . . ah, Zappa...Joe's Garage...OK, later . . . 

Maybe I should link you all to my Twitter account? Hmm, maybe not

I've been thinking, since I'm blogging basically as I think these days,(often the best way in my view) that I ought to link all my millions of readers (that's you, too, Rajeev) to my Twitter account since this blog has essentially become Twitter-like.

Quick hits, I mean. But likely almost always more than the 140-character Twitter limit.

Then again, maybe not. Then you might find who I follow, and who follows me, and pass negative judgment.

So we'll keep it this way.

Oh. By the way. I only got into Twitter, reluctantly, for work reasons, via a public-relations friend. Then I quit, she missed me, convinced me to get back, she never Tweets. Honest. And I hardly ever tweet. Just kind of tune in. As I said once before, seriously, folks, who cares about my life? Or yours?

Well, Pink Floyd wins over football

Still got the game on, 7-3 Steelers now over Denver, but got Wish You Were Here (actually, no I don't, I value my privacy) album by Pink Floyd on, Have A Cigar currently playing, and catching up on my newspaper reading.

Might tune back into football full-time later.

TSN, don't get your hopes up. You are STILL not forgiven.

Ah, finally. Monday Night Football

OK, they've finally tuned into football. We missed the first 6 minutes, and a field goal, from the first quarter.

For speeches.

Nice, TSN. You are not forgiven.

C'mon TSN, give us the freaking Monday Night football game instead of speeches

OK, I live in Canada. I accept that hockey is, officially or unofficially (not sure where, exactly, lacrosse sits, seems to depend on what you read or who you talk to) our national sport.

But I want to watch Monday Night Football tonight. Or, at least, check in, see that they're still throwing 6-yard passes on 3rd and 9, and tune out and do something else. Read, whatever, maybe keep the game on as a sort of 'radio'.

But no. TSN is showing the Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremonies which appear to have gone overtime. So we are left to listen to and watch speeches instead of watching action. Look, we know who is getting in. I guess I've just never been one for ceremonies (the Kitchener Rangers' moving tribute to war veterans on Sunday at least one notable exception).

This is not good. And the football game is not even on TSN2. There, we find Los Angeles against Chicago hockey. It's mid-season NFL. It's early season NHL. C'mon!!

Rio is celebrating becoming Olympic host; Toronto the Pan Ams (?!). They're both gonna pay

Rio de Janeiro is celebrating being named host city for the 2016 Olympics. Good for them, and for South America. I have a soft spot for the continent, having spent four wonderful and wouldn't trade them for anything childhood years in Peru.

But what is Rio celebrating? To pull from TIME magazine's Oct. 19 issue, Rio is still reeling from debt incurred from its hosting of the 2007 Pan Ams (which Toronto just 'won' for 2015). Rio estimated it would cost $177 million to host the 2007 Pan Am Games. It cost the city 10 times that.

Shades of Montreal Olympics, 1976, deficits and men having babies? Montreal (and Canadians, by association if not hidden tax fact) just paid that debt off this century. Regular Toronto folks aren't happy, judging by the vast majority of comments directed to the city's largest newspaper, The Star

This even though people like mayor David Miller and former Premier David Peterson (man, I should have gone into politics, get elected once and you're set for life as a figurehead for such projects) are basking in the (alleged) glory of the "victory".

It's estimated it will cost Rio $14 billion to host the 2016 Olympics. The Pan Am Games will of course cost Toronto a pretty penny, and certainly more in the end than any current estimate, though right now some are going on for the infrastructure ride that suggests that needed facilities (which based on history will become unused white elephants) will be the Games' lasting legacy.

Why, oh why, do cities still bid for this nonsense when history repeatedly shows, with a few exceptions (Los Angeles 1984 for one) that it's a descent into debt and white elephant facilities such as has occurred in Sydney and Athens, to name two recent hosts.

All of this for 2-3 weeks of phoney feel-good?

No thanks.

Instead, the solution is simple. Designate all Olympic Games for their birthplace, Athens, and have all countries contribute. As for secondary Games like the Pan Ams and Commonwealth Games, do the same - set them up in an appropriate city, have all contribute, and leave it at that, saving taxpayers a bundle of money.

See, what'd I and SI tell you? Howard just struck out . . . against a lefty

Haahaaa. Just going back and forth for fun with you, dear readers.

Lefty Yankee reliever Damaso Marte just K'd Ryan Howard. 13 strikeouts, a record, for Ryan Howard in the World Series.

 

Well, you know what SI is like on predictions, re Ryan Howard

Howard just jacked one, though Phillies still trail Yanks 7-3 in Game 6 as I write this.

So, let's sort of forget the previous post. Heck, SI writer Phil Taylor recently wrote about his own mag's lousy prediction record in terms of pre-season previews and if si.com's search worked better I'd post it for you. Just trust me.

Anyway, Howard just belted one as we say, so maybe he's out of his slump though it seems way too little, way too late.

Ryan Howard's World Series struggles

Sports Illustrated called it perfectly.

Conspiracy theorists will suggest, of course, that Howard was figuratively doomed after SI put him on its World Series preview cover. SI readers have long discussed the so-called SI cover jinx.

But beyond that, SI was bang-on in its assessment of Howard's prospects against the New York Yankees' lefty-leaning pitching staff including CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte. SI cited Inside Edge, a baseball scouting service, which has statistics showing that since 2008 Howard has hit .169 against curveballs and sliders, breaking stuff, delivered by lefthanders.

Howard came into Game 6 tonight hitting .158 with 12 strikeouts in the World Series.