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15. 05. 2005 M
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of all... whoever invented the slogan "Heroes of Woodstock" -
should be tortured and quartered and cut into mixed meat. Yep, of course, in 1969, when the legendary Woodstock Festival was happening, I was only 8 years old, and I didn't catch it conciously or even were there at the spot, which became history. But as a longtime music journalist, I presume, I caught up some experiences during the past 22 years, and I dare to say, that there has never been something like so called "Heroes". At these times, there were just some rockbands/acts, who have played a revolutionary music and went for peace and flower power and all that crap, but most of all to get even more popular as they were. First when Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin had died, fans lifted them up to a kinda cult status, and these musicians became legends. There were others of course, - still very much alive in these days, - who shot to fame, thanx to their music and to Woodstock. I'm talking here about people like Carlos Santana and Bob Dylan. And with them came bands like Ten Years After, Canned Heat, Iron Butterfly or Jefferson Starship along on this cult level. Let's be honest, the sparkle of the past has vanished, and some of the musicians of these groups are already flying on cloud 9. Just the music has survived over all these decades not so all the bands. Even Santana went off for quite while. Only a lucky coincident and the right moment brought them back on to the scene. - He became a legend as well as Bob Dylan did, - and most of the artists we haven't heard of for many years. However, a kind of revival run has started over the past one or two years. And they are back on the surface. A little older, maybe a little wiser, but certainly not younger. And like I mentioned before, some of these formations just include only one or maybe two original members of Woodstock times. Nevermind, they are back, very much alive, beyond their midlife crisis, following the motto: old heart gets young again. And.... yes of course, we need cash, don't we?!
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IRON
BUTTERFLY |
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Iron
Butterfly.... uihuihuih... first thought of course - "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida".
And then.... for many people there's nothing more to come. So what?!
The truth is, this was the only big shot of this band. - At least
there are still two orginal members in the band - Lee Dorman on bass
and vocals and Ron Bushy on drums. Jesus wept!!! - The years haven't
passed on them without any traces. The other half of Iron Butterfly is
Larry Rust on keyboards and Charlie Marinkowich on guitar. They are
getting into psychodelic improvisations, showing selfconfidence, - and
yes, take the micky outta themselves, at least whats up to the keyoard
magician. It's him, who gets privileged to perform the cult song
"In-A-Gadda.... etc. etc.... And yes, exactly at this point
there's some movement in the audiance, and the seniors swing their,
partly artifical hips to the beat. But ... no kiddin' there are some
kiddies in the crowd as well, who still have flown with the
angels at the glory Woodstock times. |
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Ten Years After! We remember immidiately Alvin Lee, "Going Home" and "Little Schoolgirl". The last two one's are here tonight. Mr. Lee has chosen to go his own ways already in the seventees. Blime me... I'm not the only one beeing impressed what's happening now. - positively of course. Help me... who would have thought this?!!! Despite the minus, that the name Ten Years After will always be combined with the name of Alvin Lee in eternity, and many fans from the past will never accept anything else and won't go to a gig of the present line up.... - this is Rock'n'Roll pure with a lot of soul and a huge touch of blues. Ric Lee (drums), Leo Lyons (bass), Chick Churchill (keyb.) beeing Woodstock antiques, but visually still looking quite youthful and musically , without any doubt not a second older.... Alvin Lee's place has been adopted by a youngster named Joe Gooch, just 27 years of age. And thanx to this fact - olf freaks even accept him less. But after only a few minutes, it is proved, that this kid is at least ten times better than Mr Lee ever has been. My god, it's a drag, ain't it?! Joe's got only one disadvantage - simply the fact - he ain't Alvin Lee. Because as I said before, Ten Years After unfortunately will always be stuck and connected with the name Alvin Lee by fans. And without him, the band is only half as valid in their talents. Though, I'm not lying.... they are probably 185times as brilliant, as they used to be in the past. I can only advise you - please throw away your prejustice and give 'em a chance, check 'em out and then judge 'em. I promise, you won't regret it. In my personal opinion Ten Years After are one of the very few Oldie-Acts, who really deserve the name Goldies. Two hours of full power, a huge talent, and musical quality of course including "Going Home" and "Little Schoolgirl", and they suck us off and the highpoint is reached. And to be honest, we wouldn't need anymore after that. |
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here 
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this is not the end, but followed by the one and only Jefferson
Starship. Oh shit.... the multiple orgasm stays a dream and won't
happen. Sound problems are put to the local promoters technical
circumstances fault. Funny, - TYA did not seem to have these problems
at all before.... !!! And to be honest with you, I'm not even sure, who's left from Woodstock times within Jefferson Starship. Grace Slick is past tense, and instead we got this young lady, who wasn't even born in the early seventeen. Nice looking, but not as nice singing her parts. Actually did does she at all? I can't hear her voice. There's only one guy, who looks like he comes from the Archeopterix times. Long talk-short sense.... after about 20 minutes of flower power revival ala' Jefferson Starship, I have enough of this and head off, like TYA shortly before me. - |
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in the end, all I can say is; - yep,-
Ten Years After - come back soon, but please without any other
dinos of the Woodstock magic and hippie aura. It's only Rock'n'Roll, not
more - not less..... like..... - yeah - okay like -Ten Years After 2005-.
It's showtime boys! Who needs Woodstock nowadays anyway?!!! |
