Mozz the Elder - Random Rune 5

A painter paints pictures on canvas.

But musicians paint pictures on silence.

Leopold Stokowski

Classic Song 40 - Lenny Breau "Toronto"

Let's talk about classic music.

Let's talk about Lenny Breau.

When I was a kid, my brother Gord used to play a song

he wrote with his buddy, Joe Irving. Entitled "Firelight

Fairytale", Gord's song featured Joe's vocal and lyric,

to be sure, but the tune's magic came from the style

of acoustic guitar playing and chording that my 

big brother said was inspired by Lenny Breau, 

whom I'd never even heard - or heard of. 

In 1972, I first travelled to Toronto, as one of

200 young, Canadian school kids who were

chosen to attend a 2 week-long conference 

at Newtonbrook Secondary School, in 

beautiful northern Toronto. All

the students were also asked 

to take in a few shows,

including a concert at

the famed Massey 

Hall, featuring

The Toronto

Symphony

Orchestra.

So there I was, in the third row of the stage 

left balcony, waiting for the orchestra to 

begin their program, when, over the 

house PA system, I heard this 

announcement: "And now, 

ladies and gentlemen, 

The Lenny Breau Trio".

Over the polite audience applause, one most likely 

could have heard me exclaiming "Lenny Breau!"

to those around me. I had no idea he was going

to perform before the TSO, so my surprised

outburst was simultaneous with the sight of

 Lenny and his two band mates, waving to

the crowd as they walked to their setup,

which consisted of an upright bass and

a small kit of drums, as well as what

looked to me like a Fender Twin

Reverb amplifier... and Lenny's

six string guitar on a stand.

Once the trio was ready, he leaned into his

microphone and said "We'd like to start 

with a little number I call "Tu-ning".

What followed was a sunshower of guitar 

harmonics, unlike anything I'd ever heard. 

From that moment, until the end of their set,

I was suspended in some kind of out-of-body

universe, where all that mattered was Lenny's

incredible guitar mastery, performed in perfect 

sympathy with his two equally adept sidemen.

Time seemed to stand still, as I osmosed every

nuance that Lenny and his mates coaxed from

their complex, simply astounding repertoire.

I have no recollection of anything the Toronto

Symphony Orchestra played, although I assume

it was a stellar, world class classical performance.

All I remember, to this very day, is how

profoundly Lenny Breau's inimitable 

performance influenced me, and

gave me a dazzling glimpse 

into the rarefied world of 

guitar playing mastery.

Ladies and gentlemen,

may I present to you

Lenny Breau, solo!

But first, warm your hands over the fire.

Mozz the Elder

www.vapormusic.com

Classic Song 39 - The Woodshed Orchestra "Geddy Lee"

This just in...

So here I am, checking emails, and up pops a 

link from my buddy, Lorne 'Gump' Wheaton,

sending me to rushisaband.com (a great Rush

fan ephemera site). Once there, I'm greeted by

a totally uplifting and heartening video/song

tribute to Rush, featuring former Rheostatic,

Dave Clark's The Woodshed Orchestra.

With lyrics like these,

Geddy Lee is a Canadian National Treasure
playing the bass in the greatest rock band ever

All around the world people flock 

to see our Geddy Lee play

"Limelight" and 

"Twenty One Twelve"

and "Tom Sawyer"

"Geddy Lee"'s spontaneous klezmer arrangement

and uproarious 'live' recording and video duly

honour the man that, with his two buddies,

has changed the face of progressive rock.

The best part of this song and video is that 

the majority of the participant artists look

like they were born long after 2112 was

recorded, let alone Limelight and Tom

Sawyer. That's the most heartening

thing, to me, about "Geddy Lee".

The torch has been passed.

A new generation of Rush fans - 

inventive artists in their own right - 

have paid homage, and in shining

yet another bright spotlight on 

Messrs Lee, Lifeson and Peart,

they, too bask in the afterglow.

Congratulations to Dave Clark

and his Woodshed Orchestra

for making magic 

AND my day.

Here's "Geddy Lee",

(available in Spanish, 

German and Italian 

versions, too).

Mozz the Elder

www.vapormusic.com

Classic Album 1 - Pink Floyd "The Wall"

The other day, I was bemoaning the often repeated 

opinion that there are very few, complete albums, 

new or vintage, that merit the adjective 'classic'.

The Beatles' "Revolver" is surely deserved of classic status,

with nary a drop of musical filler in its to-the-brim brew.

The Rolling Stones' "Beggars Banquet" answered all 

post - "...Satanic Majesties..." requests for more fruits 

from their rock, rhythm and blues and country roots.

The Band's sophomore album is generally regarded as 

another complete, musical thought, with song after

song that speak of, and to, old myths and truths,
played as one by the five Band members.

Van Morrison's Astral Weeks is a timeless journey of 

both musical and spiritual discovery, with more soul

per song than just about any album, before or since.

For us proggers, certainly Yes' Close To The Edge

pretty well confirmed the theory, postulated at the

time of their previous release, Fragile, that Yes 

was the greatest prog rock ensemble ever.

But the LP I'm featuring for this inaugural posting 

of a complete, Classic Album is none of the above.

Ladies and gentlemen, would you please hoist 

your flutes, shot glasses, bottles, pints and 

mugs in a toast to the undeniable, dark 

genius that is Roger Waters, and his 

and his band's 'everlast-erpiece', 

The Wall.

I could offer up and let you sample a few, gossipy tidbits,

gleaned directly from the mouth of The Wall's producer, 

Toronto's Bob Ezrin, since I had occasion on two occasions 

to speak to Bob about his legendary involvement (read: 

battle) with the unyielding control freak, also known as 

Pink Floyd's main composer, lyricist, bassist 

and mastermind, George Roger Waters.

But I'd rather shut the fuck up and let you experience 

Pink Floyd's final, epic release of the 70s: "The Wall".

Here it is, in its entirety, contained on one, 

hour-and-a-half long Youtube video post,

following a couple of my OTHER fave

walls - all of which are hidden in plain

sight, within the city limits of Rome.

Mozz the Elder

www.vapormusic.com

Classic Song 38 - Fleetwood Mac "Albatross"

Let's talk about how one classic song influences another.

For instance, I've always noticed strong similarities

between The Beatles' "Sun King" and Fleetwood 

Mac's "Albatross", which was released as a 

single in January, 1969. That's about nine 

months before John, Paul, George and 

the luckiest drummer in history 

released Abbey Road.

I'm not saying that The Fab Four intentionally

copied some of the most identifiable aspects

of "Albatross", and refashioned them in

their own magical musical imagery, but 

it is certainly interesting to hear both 

songs, one after the other, as you now 

can, by checking out the two videos,

embedded at the end of today's blog.

Until the vocals begin in "Sun King", 

(at the 54 second mark) its instrumental 

intro shares the same key, the same two 

chord song structure and the same main 

guitar sound, played by Lennon (as an 

homage to Mac's mystical Peter Green?).

Have a look and listen to the two videos

and decide if you, too, are of the mind

 that The Beatles copied Fleetwood Mac.

I'm still trying to figure out whose visual style

 I ripped off, when I captured the following pic, 

during a spring 2009 Luv Shack getaway.

Mozz the Elder

www.vapormusic.com

Mozz the Elder - Random Rune 4

I think my melodies are superior to my lyrics.

When I'm dead, I want to be remembered as 

a musician of some worth and substance.

Freddie Mercury

Classic Song 37 - The Cowsills "Indian Lake"

Let's talk about musical influences.

Not mine, but those of the late Freddie Mercury.

Back in October of '83, I spent a few great weeks

at the old Record Plant recording studios in LA 

(before the complex burned down, obviously).

I was hired by Capitol Records to add stacked group 

vocals to about a dozen Alfie Zappacosta bedtracks, 

which had been cut a couple of months or so 

before that by Alf and Ed Thacker at 

Metalworks, back in Toronto.

Once I arrived at LAX, I cabbed straight to the

infamous Sunset Marquis, where I'd be staying

until my job was done. Having already been at the 

Marquis for a few months, Alfie welcomed me to

his home-away-from-home, as well as beautiful, 

downtown LA with a drink from the minibar.

He then decided my hair was far too normal 

looking. He totally mussed up, then covered 

my hair with hairspray(!!), and sat me in

front of a large mirror. I looked like

a narc... with Sting's 80s hairdo.

So when I first met Freddie, John, Roger and 

Brian of Queen, I felt like a small time, provincial, 

wannabe-rockstar tourist... withering in the presence 

of one of my favourite groups, as they arrived - one by 

one - in identical white stretch limos, and were instantly 

whisked inside the 'Plant', and down the long hallway to 

their studio... which was right next to Alfie's mix room. 

As they approached their studio doorway, I had a chance 

to say hi and make their acquaintance, just before they all 

disappeared for the rest of the day and night, recording 

various vocal and instrumental overdubs for their 

in-progress and soon-to-be-released 

tenth album, The Works.

As it turned out, I spoke with Brian, John and Roger

 numerous times after that, either inside the Record Plant 

walls or at the restaurant next door. I'd usually see bassist, 

John Deacon, in the little commissary, on the phone to his 

wife in England (as they'd just had a baby, I believe). I 

spoke with Brian May (and his keyboard programmer, 

Torontonian, Fred Mandel) about his multi-Vox AC30 

guitar rig, which was visible through the open studio 

doorway. I never met Mack, their producer, but I did 

yack with drummer, Roger Taylor quite often, as he 

spent a lot of his downtime, mastering his enviable 

pinball skills, and didn't seem to mind being 

quizzed by a narc with a bad Sting hairdo.

Unfortunately, I only spoke with Freddie once,

when he greeted me, as I was walking past him 

(and his two identical bodyguards), in the long 

and winding, old Record Plant hallway.

He said, "Lovely day, isn't it"?

I replied, "Sure is, man".

His twin bodyguards stood their silent ground, 

as I totally forgot to ask Freddie the question 

that's been plaguing my mind, ever since:

"Were you influenced, vocally, by The Cowsills,

whose dense, multi-part group vocal arrangements 

on hits like "Hair", "The Rain, The Park, & Other 

Things", not to mention "Indian Lake", sound at

times to me like templates for your stunning, 

often one-man group vocals for "Killer 

Queen", "Bohemian Rhapsody" and 

countless other Queen songs?" 

Though it's probably a good thing I didn't 

ask him my burning question, I still have this

most likely misguided notion that Freddie 

WAS, indeed, inspired by The Cowsills.

I mean, I've yet to be proven wrong.

Here's "Indian Lake", featuring the vocals 

of pretty well the entire Cowsills family.

But first, here's me and Bob Rock, 

back in October of 2008, at the 

CBC Studios in Toronto.

Mozz the Elder

www.vapormusic.com