Redbeard’s Blog

ZZ Top- Lagrange- Castle Donington, Derbyshire UK 8-17-85

One of the priceless pieces of twenty-five years of rock history at Q102 Dallas/Ft Worth  was a tape cartridge that I had dubbed from a cassette containing a live medley of ZZ Top's encore of "Lagrange" which had closed their headlining show…

Van Halen- Women and Children First- Eddie & Alex Van Halen, David Lee Roth

It always seemed that the Van Halen 1980 third album, "Women and Children First" , suffered from "middle child syndrome". David Lee Roth, bass player/ harmony singer Michael Anthony, drummer Alex Van Halen, and fretmeister Eddie Van Halen remind us of a time 45 years ago when Van Halen was establishing itself as America's premiere hard rock band with songs "And the Cradle Will Rock" and "Everybody Wants Some!".
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Bad Company- Straight Shooter- Paul Rodgers, late Mick Ralphs, Simon Kirke

Bad Company had elbowed their way to the forefront of the rock world by the late March 1975 release of their second album, "Straight Shooter" ,avoiding the sophomore jinx with timeless songs "Good Lovin' Gone Bad","Feel Like Makin' Love", and "Shooting Star". But as my guests Paul Rodgers, Mick Ralphs, and Simon Kirke share here, strange things can happen eventually when that much success is achieved that quickly in lives so young.
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Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young- Deja Vu 55th Anniversary

"In the Studio" : David, Stephen, Graham, and Neil of Crosby, Stills, Nash , and Young with Redbeard for "Deja Vu" .

Bad Company- Shooting Star- Dallas/Ft.Worth 7-10-13

Bad Company really impressed on their Summer 2013 40th Anniversary Tour, and here is irrefutable evidence, as this live performance of "Shooting Star" originally found on their second album, Straight Shooter  , came straight off the concert mixing console the night of July 10 in Dallas

Lynyrd Skynyrd- Nuthin’ Fancy- the late Gary Rossington, Leon Wilkeson, Ed King

"Nuthin' Fancy" indicated a creative well running low for Lynyrd Skynyrd which would only worsen soon on "Gimme Back My Bullets".  No doubt the non-stop pace of nearly constant touring partly was to blame, but there was something darker and even more sinister which no one outside the band knew, nor anyone in it would admit. This tour had casualties...United once again in Eternity, Gary Rossington, Leon Wilkeson, & Ed King played it like they felt it here In the Studio.

Cry of Love- On the Hunt- New York City 8-93

As we prepare to honor Southern Rock pioneers Lynyrd Skynyrd on the fiftieth anniversary of Nuthin' Fancy next week, here is an example of their long shadow cast two decades later with an uncanny cover of that album's "On the Hunt" by Carolina…

Eddie Money- Everybody Rock’n’Roll the Place- 1979

Here is Eddie Money raising the roof on the 1979 tour with "Everybody Rock'n'Roll the Place".
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Billy Joel- Glass Houses

Billy Joel "Glass Houses"  has sold over ten million copies, stayed at #1 for six consecutive weeks, was the 4th-best seller for the entire year 1980, and won Billy Joel a Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Billy Joel joins me In the Studio.

Badfinger- Straight Up- the late Joey Molland & Mike Gibbins

It was over fifty years ago that US audiences were introduced through a Paul McCartney song,"Come and Get It", to a little-known English band The Iveys, soon to be rechristened Badfinger and to become second only to The Beatles in sales on the Apple Records label.