Mailbag

From: John David Souther
Subject: Re: Re-Black Rose

I'm truly grateful for the response to this piece of work.
BTW that was jazz legend Donald Byrd on fluegelhorn solo on Midnight Prowl, the great Stanley Clarke plays the bass viol solo on Silver Blue. Charles Veal wept the violin solo on Doors Swing Open.

Monster guitar guns Joe Walsh, Lowell George, Waddy Wachtel, and Danny Kortchmar all solo.

biggest thanks to producer Peter Asher for wrangling the cats into cohesion
JD

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From: Peter Asher
Subject: RE: Re-Black Rose

Thanks to everyone for all the "Black Rose" attention. JD is not only one of my very favourite singers and writers but also one of my oldest and dearest friends and I am very proud of the work we did together on this record all those years ago. And equally happy that we still get to hang out together, drink martinis together, stay in each other's guest rooms and even sing the occasional Everly Brothers oldie in harmony.

By the way, to the best of my recollection (I do not have the credits in front of me) on "Midnight Prowl" it was not Jerry Hey playing trumpet but rather Donald Byrd playing flugelhorn. I remember the session well - I was a big fan and Donald did a series of amazing takes for us to choose between.

Peter

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Subject: Re: Re-Black Rose

Hey Bob
Just saw your original post
and comments on J.D.
Couldn't agree more on the kudos for Black Rose. An incredible record, in an era of pretty damn fine music.
Production( yeah Peter) and
players...top notch, and more importantly, inspired.
J.D, of course, provided a stellar batch of tunes, and sang his ass off...As many have noted, WE all got it !!
It's JD..
He was and still is, the real deal..Go see him, if you're fortunate enough to have the chance..
Quick story...
At the A1A Songwriters Festival in January, standing in the wings with Jackson..
We're both shaking our heads and grinning...JD's onstage, positively killin' it
while fighting a NASTY case of the flu..Jackson turns to me and says
"shit...I don't sing like that when I'm healthy !"
And he's still creating great music...
Thanks again Bob.
And to the previous posters,
a big AMEN !

Jeff Hanna

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From: Jon Allen
Subject: Re: Statue

Hi Bob,

I co-manage Smith & Thell (I'm NYC based and on cc is Anders Johansson, my partner who based in Stockholm). Thanks for listening and putting attention on their music and talent. "Statue" is a song, based on Maria (the "Smith" of Smith & Thell) and her experience after the tragic loss of both parents when she was only 13. "I needed love, but got a doctor" is indeed a real powerful line, but even more powerful with the real life context. The song and video have only been available outside of Scandinavia for about 7 weeks, so you nailed it when you guessed all the plays have mostly been in Scandi. This song (like all their music) was produced by Victor Thell (who is the other half of the duo) and written by him and Maria. Here is some unreleased music for you to check out. Thanks again.

https://soundcloud.com/buddyallenmgmt/sets/smith-thell-unreleased-music/s-lb6CR

Cheers.
Jon

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Subject: TOM PETTY ON SIRIUS

Hey Bob,

I recently read a Tom Petty autobiography, not the Warren Zanes one, and it was poorly written: a pretty bad book.

But, wait easter eggs awaited! At the back of the book were Petty's favs from his Sirius FM radio show.

I threw them into a Spotify playlist if you or anyone else was interested.

https://play.spotify.com/user/project72oo/playlist/2cZpZ3AWVgV2EAhyb4lGcI

Regards,

Justin Brown, NZ

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Subject: Re: Mailbag

I'm wondering what Blair W. Carrigan is saying? From the way he worded his letter, is he implying that Rush supposedly was influenced to write "Spirit of the Radio" after hearing UFO's "When It's Time To Rock"? Or the other way around? "Spirit of the Radio" was released in 1980. "When It's Time To Rock" was released in 1983. That song was also written by Phil Mogg and Paul Chapman, the guitarist who replaced Michael Schenker after he left the band. So it would seem that UFO lifted the idea from Rush.

Regardless, it brings up a cool concert memory.

I saw Rush and UFO several times through the 70's. The only time I remember seeing them together ('remember' being the operative word) was when UFO was opening for Rush on their "Farewell to Kings" tour. That was an epic show. Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. We had spent a day or two in line (remember when you had to do that?) and purchased 11th row seats.

However, 2 or 3 weeks or so prior to the show, UFO's guitar hero, Michael Schenker, had disappeared. It was big news on rock radio in L.A. Where did Michael disappear to? Was he dead or alive? Nobody seemed to know. UFO kept touring, having secured Paul Chapman to replace him. We were so bummed. We were huge Schenker fans and we didn't want a substitute. Both KLOS and KMET had been talking about it almost daily leading up to the show, and then the day before the concert came word that Schenker had been located in some bar in a small town in Germany. Apparently he needed a break and just decided to take one without telling anyone what he was doing or where he was going. Wild… but the word was that he would be coming back to the band. My friends and I were ecstatic at the news. The only question in our mind was whether he would make it 1/2 way around the world in time for our show. When the lights went out and UFO took the stage in darkness, the crowd could still see Schenker's white Flying V guitar come walking on stage and the place went abso-fucking-lutely nuts. UFO played a blistering set that had the place going crazy. I thought that topping UFO would be near impossible…

… but then Rush did just that. They were amazing. Absolutely blew me and my friends away. One of the best double bills that I think I've ever seen, and I've seen a boatload of 'em.

That's one of the things I love about your blog. You bring back some great memories. Thanks.

Charlie Imes

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From: Brian Keith
Subject: Re: Uber Pool

I started driving for Uber three weeks ago because my business that was successful for 15 years (recruiting mfg workers), suddenly wasn't succesful anymore (linkedin & indeed & a hundred other reasons) ..It didn't take too long to figure out that with the fares in chicago being charged @ $1.70 base + .90 cents per mile + .20 cents per minute, that after Uber's 25% cut and the realization that operating a vehicle is estimated by people who know these things to be about .58 cents per mile, that I'm practically paying Uber for the privelege of working for them, or more generously, being allowed by Uber to borrow money from tomorrow as I put over 1000 miles a week on my 20,000 car so I can make $500-$700 a week to pay at least some of my bills while I watch my savings dwindle as work on getting my house in sell ready condition so the wife and I can massively downgrade the modest life we're become accustomed to.?

Oh, well I thought, at least this isn't permanent, just something to do til I figure out another way to make a living.

After a couple weeks I get a message from Uber congratulating me. I've driven enough to be entrusted with taking Uber Pool requests. Oh boy, what the hell is UberPOOL? I google it and the reviews from drivers and riders alike were not good. Drivers make less per ride most of the time and many riders don't understand what they are signing up for and punish the drivers with bad reviews when they find out they can't make stops or change their destination. The riders save a bundle and like you say, most of the time, especially in the suburbs. they ride alone. It's like winning a (very) small lottery. When they do get matched, it's like losing. They get a peek at the?struggle to find strange addresses, waiting for passengers and their travel time doubles and you guessed it, they punish us with a bad rating, which by the way will get us suspended if our accumulated rating hits below 4.6 out of a maximum 5.0. ALSO, hardly anyone tips. It's about a 20:1 ratio. Millenials especially, seem hell bent on abolishing the concept if tipping entirely.

I found it interesting that all of your driver's told you their sad story. I've been thinking I'm going to need to come up with a good sob story of my own, or perhaps put a picture of a random cancer baby on my dashboard to remind riders I'm a human being and perhaps get them to shove a dollar my way as they exit their five dollar thirty minute ride.

Brian

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From: Jon Gordon
Subject: Re: Uber Pool

Hi Bob,

Long time reader (huge fan), first time commenter. Just thought I'd alert you to one thing about Uber Pool. Several months ago I took an Uber here in LA, from Hollywood to Silver Lake. I struck up a conversation with the driver, asked her how she liked driving for Uber. Turned out she drives for both Uber and Lyft - said it was the only way for her to make ends meet. Anyway, she told me she doesn't pick up Pool passengers anymore, not after the two bad experiences she had. One involved a passenger she picked up who was abusive to the original passenger, and while enough to dissuade me from using Pool, it was the second story she told me which I found really scary. She recounted how she picked up a young woman who had selected Pool and while they were on the way to the woman's destination, she picked up 3 men who (obviously) ordered a Pool car. A few blocks after dropping the young woman off at her house, the guys asked the driver if she could drop them off at a supermarket they just passed rather than their original destination. She thought it was weird, but I guess driving an Uber in LA you see all sorts of weird stuff. A few days later, she gets a call from the police asking to talk to her. Apparently, the guys went back to the house the woman was dropped off at and broke in. Thankfully the woman had a dog who apparently did a number on the guys but.......

"Wait a minute," I interupted, listening to all this in horror, "if you picked these guys up, one of them had to have an Uber account linked to their personal information, right?!" Oh yes. Animals and idiots she tells me. They catch the guys based on that and her testimony. She had to testify at the trial. It all sounded awful. After those two episodes she said she was done with Pool.

Anyway, while it's hopefully the exception to the rule, whenever I hear anyone talking about Uber Pool, I almost feel responsible to share that story.

Thanks for putting your voice out there.

Jon

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From: Rob Glaser
Subject: RE: Saturday Night At Nobu

Bob,

This is the classic lefsetz post.

Poignant. Incisive. Right on the edge of 1970s-era Woody Allen nebbish self-pitying but not going over (much).

I do think I'm different than you Bob. Visiting places like the Nobu scene you describe can be fun, like going to the Zoo. But not in a way that makes me want to be someone other than who I am. Just like going to the Zoo doesn't make me want to be an Elephant.

Your piece definitely reminds me of two things I learned in my 40s that I wished I'd better understood in my 20s or 30s:

1. The essential truth of the great Lily Tomlin line: "The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat."
2. Everyone dies in the end, and you can't take it with you. It's what you do in the middle to find meaning and create enduring value that matters.

After my ex-wife (with whom I get along with great now as we jointly raise 3 terrific kids) moved out 5 years ago, I got a great bumper sticker to remind me how I wanted to live the rest of my life: "My karma ran over my dogma."

It's still on my car.

Rob

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From: Dan Millen
Subject: Re: Mailbag

Bob
In regards to Sean Mormelo's hate filled invective:

I I don't brag about this or publicize it much because it's personal but I am a decorated combat veteran of operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm with a Southwest Asia combat medal / dual Oakleaf cluster, several Army achievement medals to my name and served very proudly - so while he's certainly free to express his opinion and I thank him for his service, mine is as follows:

He can eat a big bag of dicks.

America belongs to every American. Period.

Peace and Love,

Dan Millen
www.rockonconcerts.com
www.thunderroadclub.com

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From: BERTON AVERRE
Subject: Re: Mailbag

Bob, I'd like to respond to Sean Mormelo if I could.

Dear Mr. Mormelo,

First of all, I'm very sorry for the loss of your friend, and I'm aware that rings hollow, but I mean it. In this scary time, we get numb to stories like terrorist attacks, and we lose sight of the fact that every single person murdered is leaving behind loved ones, and is to be mourned. I'm sorry you have had to experience the pain and anger firsthand, and not at the remove of the rest of us not yet touched by the senseless slaughter.

I basically disagree with everything you say. Which means to many people of your political stripe that you can (and will) disregard anything I say. One of the saddest aspects of modern America is how we've been manipulated by politically motivated media into not listening to the other side. I hope you will continue to read.

You say, "This is MY country." Excuse me, but you're wrong. It's OUR country. I'm 62, and have lived in the United States my whole life. As hard as it may be for you to believe, the "hellhole" that is California is American, every bit as American as whichever state you live in. Which makes me 100% as American as you. There may be aspects of modern culture that rub you the wrong way, scare you, infuriate you. But when people like you and me disagree so strongly on so many things, there's only one reasonable way to settle issues, if we want to continue to call ourselves a democracy. Majority rules. Even if you hate it. Even if it makes you shout "Fuck You!" five times in one email.

It's possible you agree with a lot of people on the right who say that gay marriage is wrong. A solid majority of Americans don't have a problem with it. You feel safer carrying guns (apparently, a lot of them). I feel less safe the more people on the street packing. And a solid majority of Americans, like me, wants it to be harder for people to arm themselves to the teeth, not easier. You might agree with the current Republican candidate that we'd be safer lumping all Muslims into one category, and getting them out of our country. A solid majority of Americans disagree with him, and so with you.

In the Sixties, the right wing came up with a charming slogan: "America: Love it or Leave it." How would you feel if I, after citing the fact that more Americans agree with me than with you, said, "You don't like it? Leave!" No worries, I'm not going to say that. I don't have the right to dictate your beliefs, anymore than you have the right to dictate mine. If you can get a majority of Americans to agree with you, I'll have to lump it. When I've had to do that (so often) in the past, it was at times quite a bitter lump to swallow. But you know what I never said about my political opponents? "They're not Americans. This isn't their country." And I won't accept your saying it to me. It's not right, factually or morally.

In L.A., it's nigh on impossible to pass a bond measure, because most people have been sold on the inane message that being against any and all taxes is a workable plan. So we've got perhaps the worst airport of any major city in this country, and little to no hope of its being improved. It pisses me off no end: I think it's a classic case of stupid, shortsighted, unenlightened self-interest screwing things up for everybody. But if my fellow residents vote down the bond measures, I have to accept it. There's no percentage in me trying to shout down the multitudes. And there's really no percentage in me getting my guts in a permanent twist over it.

I think (no matter how hippy trippy it may sound to you) trying to live together in peace makes a whole lot more sense than retiring to our respective corners and screaming epithets at each other. And it's the best way to change things for the better, because it's pretty much the only way. If you want me to come around to your way of thinking (even on guns), saying "Fuck you, you're not a real American" isn't a persuasive argument. Saying, "Who cares what people like you think?!" won't work, either. I swear to you, if both sides made an honest attempt to listen to each other, we'd find a lot more common ground that you'd imagine. Those shitburgers in the media exhorting us to hate and fear each other might end up out their jobs, but that would be a bonus, wouldn't it?

Yours in the Hopes of a Better America,

Berton Averre

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