Rock Of Ages

Benjy says...

Greetings classic rock fans,

After 3 weeks of live broadcasts in Durban, Cape Town and Joburg it's great to back in my own studio again, bringing you the best in all things rock! It was great to meet so many of you at the gigs, Nick and I thank you for taking the time to come and rock with us. Thanks too to the bands that played: Red House (Durban); The Mochines (Cape Town) and Jim Neversink (Joburg), the staff of CD Wherehouse and the 'techies' at the SABC in Joburg and Cape Town (Hannes and Keith) for setting up the live broadcasts......

Firstly some ROA news; this coming week's show of the 22nd will be the last live show of the year as I am off on holiday on the 24th until 10th January 2006. However, not to fear - I have prerecorded the shows of the 29th December and the 5th January so you will still get your weekly fix of rock. The first live show of the New Year will be the 12th January ......

This week's special will be "Over the hills and far away", part 2 of the mighty Led Zeppelin legacy concentrating on the more acoustic side of the band's work as well as some rarely played rock 'n blues tunes ....... Also next week we will be playing tracks from the Top 20 Rock Albums of 2005, as chosen by myself, CDW's Richard Filmer and my producer Nick Mons as well as highlighting the best classic rock reissues of the year. I would love to hear your choice of rock albums that did it for you so feel free to email me.

Rock of Ages recommends

Already one year into non 'Beatledom' and with a budding successful solo career in the making, George Harrison responded to Indian raga master and friend Ravi Shanker's plea to help him to do something about the unfolding tragedy in Bangladesh. Within a short space of time George roped in the likes of Bob Dylan, Leon Russell, Ringo, an ailing Eric Clapton, various members of Badfinger and a host of top notch session musos and put together a benefit concert, suitably titled "The Concert for Bangladesh". Now released as a remixed 2 cd set with a bonus previously unreleased Dylan track the album has stood the test of time with sterling performances by his Royal Bobness on "A hard rain's gonna fall" and "Just like a woman" plus the evergreen "Mr Tambourine man". George hooks up with the artist previously known as 'god' for a rampant "Wah Wah" and a handful of Fab Four classics like "While my guitar gently weeps" and "Something" whilst the stellar cast romp abandonly through "Jumping Jack Flash" and "My sweet Lord". ... Definitely one for the Xmas stocking

Love them or hate them The Darkness gave British music and rock in general a swift, sharp kick in the goolies with the release of 2003's "Permission to land". Against all the odds the band captured the imagination of air guitar aficionados worldwide with their combination of classic rock riffs, infuriatingly singalong hooks and an arrogant, flashy but extremely versatile vocalist with perhaps the worst dress sense in rock history. With rumours of 'writers block','internal conflicts','second album nerves', 'overhype' and the sacking of co-writer and bassist Frankie Poullaine it was a wonder that The Darkness managed to survive never mind release a new album. So just how does "One way ticket to hell ... and back" stand up to rock credential scrutiny? Well although there is nothing as immediately hooky as "I believe in a thing called love" and "Growing on me" the general writing and playing is less riff-orientated and more song driven with tracks like the below-the-belt (or is that above-the-hip?) "Knockers" and the title track ... and Justin Hawkins is still wailing like a scalded cat in true rock diva style. Whilst it isn't in my Top 20 albums of the year "One way ticket to hell ... and back" is a solid balls-to-the-wall rock album that grows on one with every listen .... and it sure as hell beats anything by the so called 'punk rock' and 'doom and gloom' bands of the day!

Classic Rock Grammy nominations

Bruce Springsteen - Devils & Dust (album and single)
Song of the Year
Best Solo Rock Performance
Best Rock Song
Best Contemporary Folk Album
Best Long Form Music Video

Paul McCartney - Chaos & Creation In the Backyard
Album of the Year
Best Pop Vocal Album
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance - "Fine Line"

Robert Plant - Mighty Rearranger
Best Solo Rock Performance - "Shine It All Around"
Best Hard Rock Performance - "Tin Pan Valley"

Neil Young - Prairie Wind
Best Solo Rock Performance - "The Painter"
Best Rock Album

Les Paul - American Made World Played
Best Pop Instrumental Performance - "Caravan"
Best Rock Instrumental Performance - "69 Freedom Special"

Eric Clapton - Back Home
Best Solo Rock Performance - "Revolution"

Rolling Stones - A Bigger Bang
Best Rock Album

Competitions

Dire Straits

Throughout December we will be running both an on-air and email competition to celebrate the release of the new Dire Straits album "Private Investigations - The Best of Dire Straits". Up for grabs over the next few weeks will be 6 copies of the album and 6 "On The Night" DVD's so stay tuned!

Click here to enter.

Rock on until next Thursday...

Benjy

Rock of Ages is brought to you by CD Wherehouse
- where the obsessed unite.

Contact Rock of Ages

Email: click here
Snail mail:
PO Box 782022, Sandton 2146
Studio phone: 089-1102003
Richard Filmer @ CDW

Disclaimer:
The views, opinions, rants, raves and ramblings expressed on this website are the author's own and in no way reflect the views of Radio 2000 or the SABC.

Latest Playlist

Win a Dire Straits CD, 'Private Investigations - The Best Of Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler' and a DVD of 'On The Night', courtesy of Universal Music ... we have 6 sets to give away.

Click here to enter.

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Evanescence vocalist Amy Lee is suing former manager Dennis Rider, claiming not only professional negligence, but also sexual assault and battery. These allegations are being strongly denied by Rider.

Together Again???
Did this year's Cream reunion concerts make you wish they had never broken up? Did Pink Floyd and The Who appearing at Live 8 make you nostalgic? Would you like to see Genesis or the Alice Cooper Group get back together? How about The Band or Led Zeppelin? Tell us which of these band reunions you'd most like to see happen ... email me.

Live Gigs

No gig news at present

CLASSIC ROCK BIRTHDAYS

While you're celebrating the festive holidays, don't forget to hoist a glass to the classic rockers who were born in the last month of the year.

December 17
Paul Butterfield (1942-1987)
Paul Rodgers (Free, Bad Company) (1949)

December 18
Sam Andrew (Big Brother & the Holding Company)
Chas Chandler (The Animals) (1938-1996)
Keith Richards (Rolling Stones) (1943)

December 19
Alvin Lee (Ten Years After) (1944)

December 20
Bobby Colomby (Blood Sweat & Tears) (1944)
Peter Criss (Kiss) (1945)

December 21
Frank Zappa (Mothers Of Invention) (1940-1993)

December 22
James Gurley (Big Brother & the Holding Company)
Barry Jenkins (The Animals) (1944)
Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick) (1946)

December 23
Ron Bushy (Iron Butterfly) (1945)
Luther Grosvenor (Mott the Hoople) (1946)
Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane) (1940)

December 24
Jan Akkerman (Focus) (1946)

December 25
Noel Redding (Jimi Hendrix Experience) (1945-2003)

December 26
Phil Spector (1940)

December 27
Larry Byrom (Steppenwolf) (1948)
Mick Jones (Foreigner) (1944)
David Knopfler (Dire Straits) (1952)
Mike Pinder (Moody Blues) (1941)
Pete Quaife (The Kinks) (1943)

December 28
Alex Chilton (Box Tops) (1950)
Edgar Winter (Edgar Winter Group) (1946)

December 29
Cozy Powell (Black Sabbath) (1947-1998)
Marianne Faithfull (1946)
Ray Thomas (Moody Blues) (1941)

December 30
Jeff Lynne (Electric Light Orchestra) (1947)
Felix Pappalardi (Mountain) (1939-1983)

December 31
Burton Cummings (The Guess Who) (1947)
Tom Hamilton (Aerosmith) (1951)
Andy Summers (Police) (1942)
George Thorogood (1951)

Full List of December rock birthdays is here.

"Benjy says..." Archive

Stay tuned every Thursday 8-12pm for the best in classic rock on RADIO 2000.

Your Host

Benjy Mudie

Then	Now

Benjy Mudie was inducted into the South African Rock Hall Of Fame on 14th August 2002. Of Scottish origin, Mudie started out in the music industry working in record shops. He later became the A&R man for WEA records, signing such luminaries as Lesley Rae Dowling, Baxtop and Falling Mirror. He has ventured briefly into the realms of songwriting, getting co-writing credit for Little Sister's song 'You Got My Heart', but it is mainly for his running of record labels, notably Tusk and more recently Fresh and Retro Fresh that he is honoured. With these labels he has tirelessly dedicated himself to putting South African music out there, showing an unshaking belief in the quality of SA music.

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Rock Of Ages is brought to you by Compact Disc Wherehouse.

Branches:
Sandton City
The Zone, Rosebank
Gateway, Durban
The Waterfront, Cape Town.

"Looking for that rock album?"
Talk to Richard Filmer at CD Wherehouse.