3 comments Wednesday, January 28, 2009



Last March I did a post called “5 Favorite Bands of All Time, if I absolutely had to pick only 5.” I remember laboring over that for about a week, mostly because it simply felt wrong to post such a list without including The Jam. Since the moment I first saw them on the late (and unbelievably great) TV show Fridays in July of 1980, I was hooked, and I’ve “rediscovered” them at various times in my life more than any other group in the last 28 years or so. They are always there when you need them, and remarkably, their music never sounds antiquated. Their discography is relatively concise, that is they only released 6 full-length albums between 1977 and 1982, but if the saying “all killer – no filler” ever applied to anyone, it’s these 3 incredibly talented Brits. What I’m saying is, if I ever expanded that list to 10 bands, they would make it easily.

Since this is a “punk rock” history lesson, I decided to focus on the band early in their career. Their later, more soulful stuff is equally brilliant, but when I came across this footage of the band doing “In The City” live at The Circus that ran on Tony Wilson’s show in 1977, I knew I had a winner for ya. Check out the very young Poly Styrene sitting in the interviewers chair before Tony gets up to introduce this footage… hopefully I can scare that up before we get to the letter X.

3 comments Friday, January 23, 2009



Arnold Stang
Ken Nordine
John Fucenda
Edward Everett Horton
Boris Karloff

0 comments Wednesday, January 21, 2009



As tempting as it was to go with Icons of Filth, Iron Cross or even the Inca Babies for the letter I, the recent passing of Stooges founding guitarist Ron Asheton sealed the deal; so Iggy and the Stooges it is.

This footage of the band playing at the Cincinnati Pop Festival in 1970 has made its way around ye olde internet to be sure, but if there’s even a chance that someone on earth hasn’t seen it yet, then it’s definitely worth posting here. Rumor has it that a young Stiv Bators gave Iggy the now infamous jar of peanut butter that he saw fit to spread all over himself. That's feasible I guess, after all it is a small world, or more specifically, Ohio is a small state when it came to rock n’ roll 39 years ago.

0 comments Tuesday, January 20, 2009



Today I woke up and there was an intelligent, passionate, eloquent, wonderfully articulate man being sworn into our countries highest office. If I’m dreaming, please don’t wake me up! Is it too soon to start a "Four More Years!" chant?

0 comments Monday, January 19, 2009



Last week Patrick McGoohan, one of the most memorable figures in small screen history, passed away in Los Angeles. He was 80 years old, which somehow seems impossible, if only because the image of him at 40, the age he was while filming the 17 episodes of The Prisoner (which he also wrote, directed and starred in) is so indelibly burned into my brain. The character of “Number 6” became so iconic that it actually haunted McGoohan throughout his career, it seems that one does pay a hefty price for perfection. He did play other roles of course, like the lead in the pre-Prisoner UK series Danger Man, the warden in Escape From Alcatraz, and was there ever a creepier homicidal art dealer than the one he played opposite Richard Pryor in Silver Streak? But it’s that vision of our boy running down the beach in Portmeirion, Wales screaming “I am not a number -–I am a free man!” right before they once again capture him that stays with you forever. But like Martin Luther King who’s birthday we celebrate today; he too is finally free at last.

0 comments Friday, January 16, 2009



At the beginning of last year, I realized that I probably wasn’t reading enough books. I reckoned that now that I wrote a few, I should start reading them again too. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I had stopped reading altogether. I still devour about a dozen magazines every month (including Mojo, which I read from cover to cover no matter how little I care about bands like Fairport Convention, et al) but books, not so much. So I decided to read at least one book a month, and by years end I actually overachieved a bit, as the final number was 13. Yes gentle reader, I also see the gaping hole representing the absence of titles that have anything to do with cars or even car culture, but I promise I’ll right that ship in 2009. My choices may shock some of you, but for those who know me best, I’m sure that the books listed below are par for the course, such as it is.

1) Good Grief: The Story of Charles M. Schulz by Rheta Grimsley Johnson
My mom actually purchased this book for me on a visit to San Francisco back in 1989, I dunno why it took me almost 20 years to pick it up. I’m glad I did though, as Miss Johnson pulls no punches in her Schulz-approved biography of a very complicated man who preferred playing hockey with his friends to jet setting.

2) A Paper Life by Tatum O’Neil
Let me just say that I freakin’ love Tatum O’Neil. Paper Moon, The Bad New Bears and Little Darlings practically shaped my adolescence, and it was really interesting to read about the making of those films from her point of view. Her childhood however, despite winning an Oscar and whatnot, was far from idyllic, as the reader soon figures out. I dare you to read this and not want to punch John McEnroe in the face.

3) Boy Wonder: My Life in Tights by Burt Ward
Holy (insert expletive) readers! This book tried my patience more than most, as Burt Ward, a.k.a. Robin from the mid-60’s Batman TV Series takes you though his life, with much emphasis on his numerous sexual exploits and conquests. He somehow manages to end EVERY GODDAMNED PARAGRAPH with a "Holy (insert adjective or noun)!" that will have you wanting to punch him in the face (or nuts) as well. Somehow this is still worth reading though, if only to better understand the love/hate dynamic between he and co-star Adam West. Holy Hepatitis Batman!

4) That Girl and Phil by Desmond Atholl
Pure campy trash, but if you ever wanted to know what it’s like to run a household that thinks nothing of spending $30,000 a week on fresh-cut flowers, then this is your book.

5) Woody Allen, A Biography by John Baxter
This book is often criticized as being “too ass kissing” or whatever, and it’s true that Baxter obviously holds Woody in high regard, but hey, who doesn’t? I’m reading the supposedly much more "neutral" biography by Eric Lax as we speak, so I’ll let you know what I think about it next year. You have to read at least one book about Woody Allen per year, I'm pretty sure that's even a law in New York state.

6) Diary of a Punk by Mike Hudson
This was a pretty Goddamned-amazing read; in fact I liked it so much that I did a little piece on it in the upcoming Gearhead #18. I set out to seriously interview the ex-Pagans singer, but it ended up more like a conversation between old friends, which was nice. Recommended reading for all aging punk rockers, and autographed copies are available right here.

7) The Replacements: All Over But The Shouting by Jim Walsh
In this Please Kill Me-style tell all, I learned more about The Replacements than I would have thought possible, but I must admit that I enjoyed it thoroughly. Also recommended.

8) Charles Kuralt’s America by Charles Kuralt
I’m a huge fan of the old CBS News “On the Road with Charles Kuralt” segments, and after he died, I read the book of the same name and enjoyed it immensely. That lead to me seek out his other books, most of which can be purchased for a dollar, no kidding. This particular book is especially engaging, because it takes place after he left CBS, and he obviously feels much more comfortable giving his honest opinions about things, and even drops a few “F bombs” along the way for good measure. This definitely left me wanting to read much more about Kuralt and his travels, which, as you can see from the next few books on the list, I did.

9) Charles Kuralt’s American Moments by Charles Kuralt w/ Peter Freundlich
This book, published posthumously, is a collection of short television spots called "An American Moment with Charles Kuralt" that he was working on with Freundlich right before his death in 1997. Some cool and off-the-beaten-path subject matter is explored here, but if you are only going to read one Charles Kuralt book in your life, you should probably start elsewhere.

10) A Life On The Road by Charles Kuralt
The book was fascinating in that it largely dealt with Kuralt’s life before he settled into his “drivin’ a camper around the USA” gig that most people knew him for. War zones, luxury liner hi-jackings and countries under bizarre dictatorships were just a few of the places that CBS sent a young Charles off to report from, and despite the fact that it reads almost like a quixotic spy novel at times, I believe that every word of it is true. This really made the job of being a reporter during the Cold War era seem romantic, as I always suspected that it was.

11) Creem: America’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll Magazine by Robert Matheu and Brian J. Bowe
What can I say? In many ways, no magazine has inspired Gearhead more than Creem did. Looking back, it’s hard to believe that I had a subscription in 1975 (at age 11!) but I knew even then that this was the one magazine that told it like it really was, damn it. Seeing all these articles again, it gave me not only a warm nostalgic feeling, but also a whole new appreciation for artists like Bob Seger, believe it or not. It almost comes down to “if they covered it, it has to be cool” – a philosophy I pray lives in the readers of my own publication. Now in our 16th year, we have to be doing something right, and again, this was a major influence. Also very highly recommended.

12) Stuff White People Like: A Definitive Guide to the Unique Taste of Millions by Christian Lander
Yes, I actually succumbed to reading a book that was on the New York Times best seller list while I was reading it, but hey, this had more “it’s funny because it’s true” moments than I care to admit. My only criticism is that it is so timely that it will only be relevant for a very short period. That is, only until the next wave of trends come along and make this seem antiquated, which they inevitably will. It will most likely retain its humor, but will serve more as a time capsule for pre-Obama America than anything else.

13) Here’s the Story by Maureen McCormick
Start the year with a trashy biography, end the year with a trashy biography I always say. Wow, about all I can tell you about this is that the empty sex and drug abuse that went on in McCormick’s life made her onscreen Brady Bunch brother Barry Williams’ book Growing Up Brady read like Laura Ingalls Wilder. Damn girl!

0 comments Wednesday, January 14, 2009



Formed in 1972 and taking their musical cues more from the Bo Diddleys and Little Richards of the world than the glam rock popular at the time, The Hurriganes (the “g” is intentional, trust me) built quite the cult following in their native Finland throughout the 70’s and well into the 1980’s. Described as “Finland’s answer to Pub Rock” they do have more than a little in common with rockers like Dave Edmunds (which makes them relevant to the punk scene in general) but what struck me about them when my friend Pekka of The Hypnomen laid their classic 1974 disc Roadrunner on me in 2000, was their timeless appeal. Beloved by the Flaming Sideburns and all those who came after, their dedication to real rock and roll, with a mighty dose of hot rod and classic car imagery thrown in for good measure, makes these guys Gearhead-friendly to say the least. Check out this amazing video from God knows when in their long career and tell me you’re not instantly a fan. The Hurriganes just might be the coolest band you’ve never heard of. Oh, and check out the vintage Shell commercial tacked on at the end (or is this entire video a Shell commercial? Who knows?) you’ll be glad you did. Sorry about the audio, that's as loud as it gets.

0 comments Monday, January 12, 2009



Ever wonder why 20 year old Portland Trailblazers center Greg Oden looks likes he's in his sixties? This could be the answer you seek, grasshopper.

0 comments Friday, January 9, 2009



I just found out that Ron Asheton died, damn. As founding member of The Stooges, who literally defined proto-punk and are arguably responsible for rock and roll as we know it today, I gotta say this is a shocker. He was 60, so you could say that he outlasted many of his guitar playin’ peers (Fred “Sonic” Smith and Eddie Hazel come to mind instantly) but I still think it’s way too soon, especially considering that after decades of fans demanding it, The Stooges finally reformed in 2003 and returned to much fanfare. At least ol’ Ron got to relive the glory one last time, not unlike Arthur “Killer” Kane’s last hurrah with the New York Dolls. Life is funny like that sometimes, even in the rock and roll world you can find redemption. He will be missed.

2 comments Wednesday, January 7, 2009



I would imagine that damn near anyone who reads this blog is already familiar with Generation X, so think of this post as more of a celebration of one of the greatest original UK punk bands than a “history lesson.” This footage of the band recording “Kiss Me Deadly” comes from the film D.O.A., which, much like Rude Boy and all criticism aside, I’m just glad that someone had the sense to have a camera rolling. How deeply does this track resonate with me? When I finally made it to London in 2002, I only had one day there in route from Sweden back to the States, but I knew what I had to do. So “two punks” did “choose the risk the subway for a tube to Piccadilly” that day, 25 years after the song was recorded. Billy Idol sure does look young in this clip, but unlike so many of his peers he’s still with us, and considering everything that he's been through, that’s really saying something. Enjoy.

0 comments Monday, January 5, 2009



Why the hell not?! Considering all the crazy shit going on in Oakland these days, he probably could do a better job than Ron Dellums. You stepped up on the court Jack, now step into City Hall. "I make love to pressure" indeed!

0 comments Friday, January 2, 2009



Here's to the Golden State Warriors in 2009... they simply HAVE TO be better than they've been so far this season. We still believe!