This website is part of the South African Rock Encyclopedia
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Playlist Archives.
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Podcasts
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Benjy Mudie talks to Ian Anderson (22MB)
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| You say it's your birthday... |
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September 1
Greg Errico - Sly & The Family Stone - 1946
September 2
Mik Kaminski - Electric Light Orchestra - 1951
September 3
Steve Jones - Sex Pistols - 1955
Donald Brewer - Grand Funk Railroad - 1948
Eric Bell - Thin Lizzy - 1947
George Biondi - Steppenwolf - 1945
Al Jardine - Beach Boys - 1942
September 4
Dweezil Zappa - 1969
September 6
Roger Waters - Pink Floyd - 1944
Dave Bargeron - Blood, Sweat & Tears - 1942
September 7
Chrissie Hynde - Pretenders - 1951
Buddy Holly - 1936
September 8
Brian Cole - Association - 1942
Ben Orr - Cars - 1947
Kelly Groucutt - Electric Light Orchestra - 1945
Dean Daughtry - Atlanta Rhythm Section - 1946
September 9
Dave Stewart - Eurythmics - 1952
Doug Ingle - Iron Butterfly - 1946
Billy Preston - 1946
Otis Redding - 1941
September 10
Jose Feliciano - 1945
Joe Perry - Aerosmith - 1950
Danny Hutton - Three Dog Night - 1942
September 11
Tommy Shaw - Styx - 1953
Mickey Hart - Grateful Dead - 1943
September 12
Neal Peart - Rush - 1952
Liam Gallagher -Oasis - 1972
September 13
Peter Cetera - Chicago - 1944
David Clayton-Thomas - Blood Sweat & Tears - 1941
Randy Jones - Village People - 1952
Dave Quincy - Manfred Mann's Earth Band - 1939
Steve Gaines - Lynyrd Skynyrd- 1949
September 14
Steve Berlin - Los Lobos - 1955
September 15
Lee Dorman - Iron Butterfly - 1945
September 16
Bernard Calvert - Hollies - 1943
B.B. King - 1925
September 17
Fee Waybill - Tubes - 1950
September 18
Kerry Livgren - Kansas - 1949
September 19
"Mama" Cass Elliot - 1934
Brian Epstein - Beatles manager - 1934
Bill Medley - Righteous Brothers - 1940
September 20
Chuck Panozzo - Styx - 1947
September 21
Don Felder - Eagles - 1947
Leonard Cohen - 1934
Don Preston - Mothers of Invention - 1932
Moon Zappa - 1967
September 21
Don Felder - Eagles - 1947
Leonard Cohen - 1934
Don Preston - Mothers of Invention - 1932
Moon Zappa - 1967
September 22
Joan Jett - 1961
David Coverdale - Whitesnake - 1949
September 23
Ray Charles - 1930
Bruce Springsteen - 1949
September 24
Linda McCartney - 1941
September 26
Cesar Rosas - Los Lobos - 1954
Craig Chaquico - Jefferson Starship - 1954
Olivia Newton-John - 1948
September 27
Randy Bachman - Bachman Turner Overdrive - 1943
Don Cornelius - Soul Train - 1936
Meat Loaf - 1947
September 28
Nick St. Nicholas - Steppenwolf - 1943
September 29
Jerry Lee Lewis - 1935
Mark Farner - Grand Funk Railroad - 1948
Mike Pinera - Iron Butterfly - 1948
Courtesy of
About ClassicRock
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Benjy says...
Hi Rock of Ages fans, listeners and rock fanatics alike,
Welcome to the September edition of the newsletter and firstly I must apologise for the lengthy delay in communicating with you. I have recently taken on a lecturing position at Damelin, teaching media and music business to the enquiring minds of our youth and prep work for the courses have eaten into my leisure time. Nonetheless one should not complain!
In the newsletter this week ... new album reviews of Disturbed, Uriah Heep, Neil Diamond (yes that one!), Tab Benoit, Gary Moore....news from the wacky unpredictable world of rock, gig info, upcoming specials, rock birthdays and a new feature - Benjy's Megaphone which results in me venting, ranting, kicking and screaming about issues that affect rock music....so shall we get on with it?
Benjy's Megaphone
You know...ever since a chubby, baby faced Bill Haley smoothed down his kiss curl, strapped on an electric guitar and belted out "Rock around the clock" rock music has been under attack as a scapegoat and target for the social ills of society by the 'establishment'. Remember Ed Sullivan instructing the TV cameras not to film a youthful Elvis below the waist lest it pervert and corrupt the minds of Young America - that same paragon of virtue, Sullivan, tried to get Jim Morrison to change the line "girl we couldn't get much higher" (Jim agreed and then went ahead with the original line live - The Doors were banned from the show)....The Beatles banned and their records burned by the truckload when Lennon nonchalantly mentioned that they were bigger than Jesus; Judas Priest on trial after being accused that their music drove 2 young teenagers to commit suicide with the same accusation aimed at Ozzy; Marilyn Manson's vilification by the mainstream media as the inspiration behind the Columbine massacre. Jimi too sexual, Bowie too camp, The Stones too offensive, KISS stands for 'kids in Satan's service', AC/DC means bisexual ... and the list goes on and on.....
and now here in the land of the sun what do we get? ... a clearly mentally unbalanced teenager in Krugersdorp wearing an outfit and a mask, said to resemble that of metallers Slipknot, and armed with samurai swords goes on a murderous rampage and infamously writes himself into the crime history books...they trot out various religious and psychology 'experts' who pontificate about how rock music, and specifically metal, are corrupting our youth and turning them into extras from Nightmare on Elm Street! Little mention of course about the parents not ever going into his room, allowing him to accumulate a collection of these nasty little swords and the mother saying well 'I meant to take them away', scant analysis on the fact that the school's educators were alarmed by his written work which revealed, through his musings' that he was unstable; and his 'friends' who knew what he was planning and told no-one...all the warning signs were there that here was a young man who was mentally ill and need treatment for his unfortunate illness....no, no, no - let's blame rock music for his psychosis....give me a break!!.........Now I'm not defending Slipknot, I'm not a fan of their music but if their tunes, in the words of the Rockit Scientist, my fellow Rockfest DJ Leon Economides, 'fire your jets' then fine, that's your choice. As for their image, looking as they do, extras from a B grade horror flick, well in my opinion they are no more scarier than a vintage 70's Alice Cooper. It's comic book stuff and not to be taken seriously. I'm not saying that there are no negative influences in rock music, there are, but then you'll find that in other cultural forms like film, art, television, etc (The Exorcist on cable TV anyone? - have you seen some of the stuff that they show!)...not to mention pornography, abuse, violent crime and the biggest killer of them all - war.
It's not lyrics and music that kill people - people kill people!...and we, as parents, teachers, etc, etc have a responsibility to monitor what our young offspring hear see and do. Would I allow a pre-teen or early teen to listen/dress/behave like bands like Slipknot? No way!...they are not in the position age wise to understand that it is not real, that it's make believe. When they are older they can make that educated choice to listen to it if they want - same goes for violent movies, books, etc, etc, etc. We can't abrogate our responsibilities and then when something happens look around for the nearest convenient target i.e. rock music...and the thing about 'the devil made me do it'? hahaha that just cracks me up - last time I looked the devil had a fork not a Fender! Agree? Disagree? Email me at rockofages@icon.co.za
Disclaimer
The rants, raves, speculations, opinions, statements, mental meanderings, dyslexic commentary and dodgy ramblings are the author's alone and do not in any way represent the views of either the staff or management of 1485AM Radio Today. Nor for that matter those of Pieter de Villers, Jacob Zuma, Kevin Pieterson, Bob Mugabe or Brangelina. NB No one was burned at the stake during the drafting of this piece.
This week's special - 1973 ... Rock's greatest year?
Most self respecting rock fans have a favourite year, for some it's 1968's The Summer of love...1976's Punk explosion, the heavy rock fiesta of 1970 or the hair glam rock of 1990...however most pundits rate 1973 as the year when rock really came together in a storm of classic albums, it seemed that every week an absolute gem was released....so this coming Monday, 1st September, we'll take a glide down rock's memory lane as the first instalment of a 3 part series, exploring the Greatest Year in Rock - 1973 - here's some of what you can expect to hear:
Free - Heartbreaker...Blue Oyster Cult - Tyranny and mutation...Pink Floyd - Dark side of the moon...David Bowie - Aladdin Sane...Golden Earring - Moontan...ZZ Top - Tres Hombres...Budgie - Never turn your back on a friend....Genesis - Selling England by the pound...and many more...
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| Genesis |
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| Deep Purple |
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| Budgie |
Rock Of Ages Recommends
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| Uriah Heep - Wake The Sleeper |
Nearly 40 years on and the 'Heep are still rocking'. Granted they are a long way away from their glorious David Byron heyday and there have been a few dodgy albums along the way, most notably in the late 80's/early 90's but you just have to raise a pint to a band that live the rock 'n' roll motto: "Never say die". The great news is that their new album "Wake the sleeper" (Universal Music) **** is in my opinion the best Uriah Heep album for two decades and ranks up there with "Look at yourself" and "The Magician's Birthday". Packed with barnstorming rockers like "Overload", "Tears of the world" and the incredible title opener, this album rocks from start to finish. With founder member Mick Box still crankin' the six string to new heights and vocalist Bernie Shaw's pipes in full roar, Uriah Heep prove once and for all that age has nothing to do with the ability to rock...if anything this album makes mincemeat of the current crop of rock releases.....
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| Disturbed - Indestructible |
In saying that however I am mucho impressed with Disturbed's "Indestructible" album! Metal has been having a siesta of recent years but has recently been shrugging off it's slothful ways and returning to first gear. "Indestructible" (Warner Music/Gallo Africa) ***½ has it all - bone crunching guitar riffs, thundering drums, punch-in-the-air choruses that linger long after the song has ended. Tracks like "Inside the fire", "Deciever" and "Perfect insanity" will have metal fans leaping around doing that air guitar thing and throwing Ronnie James Dio hand signs that metal boys 'n ' girls do when they really get pumped up! ...get it! ....
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| Sieges Even - Paramount |
Leon Economides turned me on to a prog rock band called Sieges Even recently so I went and got their new album "Paramount" (SPV/Inside Out) **** and what a gem it has turned out to be, an indeed one album that is constantly on replay in my car. Intelligent progressive rock with metal undertones not too dissimilar to Rush, Porcupine Tree and my fave prog band, Riverside. A stunning balance of gentle acoustic interludes, consummate musicianship and gargantuan rock. Check out "When Alpha and Omega collide" and "Eyes wide open" for an exciting listening experience - highly recommended...
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| Jack Hammer - Highway 13 |
You know what I love about Jack Hammer? ... It's simple, unfettered, honest to goodness rock music - just like Mamma used to like. No technological gimmickry, no 'look-what-a flash-player-I-am', no insipid image conscious pop bulls**t - Just great songs, played with passion and commitment. Their new album "Highway 13" (Independent - available from Jack Hammer) **** is made for summer days, either chilling at home with your fave intoxicant or cruising down the freeway with the sound cranked up. You can groove along to "Mr Midnight" and "Stay at the wheel" or indulge yourself with the beauty of "Eden's lost" and "Carmelita". South African Music Lifetime Achievement recipient, Piet Botha, is the real deal, an authentic rock survivor who is the closest thing we have to Dylan, Neil Young and Tom Waits - an artist whose voice and songs are like a fine wine or a pair of favourite leather boots ....
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| Neil Diamond - Home Before Dark |
speaking of survivors, when Sony Music tossed me a copy of the new Neil Diamond album "Home before dark" *** I was like 'excuse me dude - Neil Diamond? ...on Rock of Ages?... art thou bereft of thine senses?' I mean I was not a "Crackling Rosie / Song sung blue" type of guy,y ou know what I mean? But hey was I surprised!!. Mega producer and American music icon, Rick Rubin, has worked the same kind of magic that he did with the late Johnny Cash...stripping back Diamond's sound to the bare minimum and allowing his voice and songs to shine he has created an modern day acoustic masterpiece. With help from some of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers, Neil Diamond has reinvented himself as an Americana music icon, check out "Don't go there", "Another day" and 'Pretty Amazing Grace".
Reviews next time round....Paul E Flynn, éVoid, Boulevard Blues Band, Scars on Broadway, Pebbleman and more......
Ratings:
***** Volcanic....not to be missed.
**** Seismic....highly recommended...buy it!
*** Aftershock....solid effort.
** Damp squib really!
* Do I need to explain this?
Rock Of Ages News
COSMIC QUEEN
Queen + Paul Rodgers are to release their first album on September 15. It's to be called 'The Cosmos Rocks'.
DOUBLE CLASH LIVE
The Clash are to release 'The Clash Live At Shea Stadium' CD and 'The Clash Live: Revolution Rock' DVD on October 6. The former was recorded at the famous New York venue in October 1982, when the band opened for The Who, while the latter features rare and previously unseen live performances and interviews.
LOST HENDRIX ALBUM FOUND
A lost Jimi Hendrix album, recorded with Stephen Stills, has just been unearthed. Discovered by Stills, this is being prepared for release.
'DC TURN BLACK IN OCTOBER
AC/DC will officially release new album 'Black Ice' through Columbia on October 20. This is to be preceded by the single 'Rock 'N' Roll Train' on August 28.
GENESIS BOX UP GABRIEL ERA
Genesis are to issue 13-disc box set in mid-November. Titled 'Genesis: 1970-1975', it will have seven CDs and six DVDs from that era, and is to include rare and previously unreleased material.
METALLICA COFF UP
Metallica are to release a special 'coffin' edition of new album 'Death Magnetic'. Available only through the band's website, this will include a disc of demos, a behind-the-scenes DVD chronicling the making of the album, a T-shirt, a flag, guitar picks, a poster, plus a Metallica credit card with a code redeemable for a download of a 'special European show happening in September'.
BONHAM JAMES WITH PAGE, JONES
Drummer Jason Bonham is to leave Foreigner at the end of August. No news yet on a replacement. Meanwhile, Bonham has apparently been jamming with Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones.
KISS IN VANS
Kiss have teamed up with VANS to launch a series of shoes and T-shirts. The first will be available from mid-September, and celebrates the 30th anniversary of the day when the four members of Kiss simultaneously released solo albums.
ALLMANS SUE
The Allman Brothers are suing Universal for $10 million, alleging unpaid royalties. The band claim that Universal 'refuses to pay [the] plaintiffs at the correct royalty rate for its digital exploitation of the Capricorn masters. UMG incurs practically no expenses or risks in connection with the masters, particularly with respect to licensing other companies such as Apple to create and distribute digital downloads ... yet UMG reaps millions of dollars every year from such exploitation'.
MARILLION OFFER CASH PRIZE
Marillion are offering a prize of $5000 to one lucky fan. Here's what you do: download for free a special edit of new single 'Whatever Is Wrong With You' at www.whateveriswrongwithyou.com - then create a video for it. The upload this to youtube. The video must be called 'Marillion - Whatever Is Wrong With You'. The contest will run until the end of the 'Happiness Is The Road Tour 2008', and on December 1 the person with the video getting the most views will win $5000.
MAGNETIC TRACK LISTING
Metallica have confirmed the track listing for their new album 'Death Magnetic', due out in mid-September. It is: 'That Was Just Your Life', 'The End Of The Line', 'Broken, Beat & Scarred', 'The Day That Never Comes', 'All Nightmare Long', 'Cyanide', 'The Unforgiven III', 'The Judas Kiss', 'Suicide & Redemption' and 'My Apocalypse'.
UNIVERSAL STONES
The Rolling Stones have signed to Universal, who will not only release new product from the legendary band, but also have the rights to their back catalogue from 1971 onwards.
Live Gigs
Boulevard Blues Band
7th September Kirstenbosch Winter Festival, Cape Town
13th Savignon Blanc 'n' Blues Festival, Cape Town
14th Bertie's Mooring, Gordon's Bay
20th Fogey's, Muizenberg
24th Bertie's Mooring, Gordon's Bay
25th Winemakers Guild
26th Whale Festival, Hermanus
27th Gecko Bar, Hermanus
28th Bertie's Mooring, Gordon's Bay
NB If you want to be listed on the Rock of Ages Gig Guide please send your dates, at least a week in advance to rockofages@icon.co.za
Rock of Ages presents "Footstomping Music"
Order this album directly from the Rock of Ages website. Click on www.rock.co.za/rockofages for details.
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| Rock Of Ages Presents Footstomping Music |
Track List
- Grand Funk Railroad - Footstomping Music
- Deep Purple - Burn
- Uriah Heep - Look at yourself
- Black Sabbath - Sweat Leaf
- Thin Lizzy - Chinatown
- Robin Trower - Too rolling stoned
- Mountain - Never in my life
- Wishbone Ash - Blowin' free
- Foghat - I just wanna make love to you
- Budgie - Baby, please don't go
- Santana - Toussaint l'Overture
- Alice Cooper - Muscle of love
- Nazareth - Go down fighting
- Blue Oyster Cult - The Red & the Black
- Lynyrd Skynyrd - Gimme back my bullets
- Free - The Hunter
- Taste - What's goin' on
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Buy this 'Footstomping Music' CD direct from Rock Of Ages
Keep the rock real...
Benjy
Contact Rock of Ages
Email: benjy@rock.co.za
Frequencies: 1485AM -Johannesburg and nationally on DSTV Audio Channel 169
Website: www.rock.co.za/rockofages
Snail mail: PO Box 782022, Sandton 2146
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Your Host
| Benjy Mudie |
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| Then |
Now |
Benjy Mudie is a self confessed 'rockaholic' with little chance of recovery ... a music obsessive whose entire life has been spent in search of the lost chord ... from discovering Jimi's "Are you experienced" at 13, he has constantly devoured music through lp's, singles, tapes, cds, dvds, books, magazines, film, concerts, radio, tv and the internet. His entire working life has also been music related: from running a record store and later joining WEA Records in the mid 70's through to his 21 year A&R/Marketing stint at Tusk Music where he signed some of the biggest names in South African rock and pop. Since 1999 he has been nurturing new talent at his indie label Fresh Music and reissuing classic albums as part of it's ongoing Retro series ... To say that 'music is his first love' (to paraphrase John Miles's classic song) is somewhat understated.
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