Redbeard’s Blog

Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991- Gary Rossington, Leon Wilkeson, Billy Powell, Ed King

Highly significant in their long, colorful history," Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991" was the band's sixth studio album but, more importantly, the first new studio album since 1977's fateful "Street Survivors"; their first since the tragic plane crash that year claimed the lives of three band members; their first to anoint original Lynyrd Skynyrd lead singer Ronnie Van Zant's youngest brother, Johnny, as their permanent singer; the return of original guitarist Ed King, And sadly, "Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991" would be the first album without original guitarist Allen Collins.
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Faces- Ooh La La- Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, Kenney Jones

For what turned out to be The Faces finale "Ooh La La" win 1973, Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, drummer Kenney Jones with a cameo, and the late Ian McLagan face the music here In the Studio.

Chris Whitley- Poison Girl- Dallas 7-91

...the dearly departed Chris Whitley in July 1991 outdoors in Dallas Texas under a tent on the lawn with no stage, no monitors, tiny PA,  accompanied only by several ancient Depression-era guitars and dobro with warped necks going in and out of tune, sharing “Poison Girl” from his debut album Living With the Law.
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REO Speedwagon- You Can Tune a Piano…45th Anniversary- Kevin Cronin, Neal Doughty

When it's the REO Speedwagon brand, you'll be surprised how fresh and tasty forty-five year old "Tuna Fish" is! Kevin Cronin and Neal Doughty of REO are In the Studio with Redbeard.
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Lynyrd Skynyrd- Street Survivors- the late Gary Rossington

The tale of Lynyrd Skynyrd and "Street Survivors"  seems to have been hatched in the vivid imagination of Tennessee Williams, Harper Lee, or William Faulkner, but the characters are so colorful, the childhood bonds so strong, the struggles so personal, the victories so inspiring, and the heartbreak so deep that there is simply no need for hyperbole in telling it. The dearly beloved late co-founder Gary Rossington was my guest In the Studio.

Cry of Love- Peace Pipe- August 1993

With a band named after a Jimi Hendrix album, and  their debut album Brother in 1993 sounding like  Free meets Lynyrd Skynyrd, how could I not love this Carolina band? Great guys too in Cry of Love , including the trueheart guitarist Audley…
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ZZ TOP- Eliminator- Billy Gibbons, the late Frank Beard & Dusty Hill

And yes, the series of clever, campy videos on the upstart MTV video channel in America undoubtedly had much to do with that staggering (15 million just in US) level of popularity for "Eliminator" (truly ironic, since manager Bill Ham had steadfastly kept ZZ Top off of U.S. television until then). But the songwriting, musicianship, modern arranging, and state-of-the-art recording on "Eliminator" which I heard that day was truly extraordinary. Billy Gibbons, Frank Bread, & the late Dusty Hill are my guests In the Studio.

ZZ Top- Sharp Dressed Man- Los Angeles

ZZ Top with the incredibly durable original tres hombres of the late bass player Dusty Hill, drummer Frank Beard, and squankmaster Billy Gibbons taking a turn on the Hollywood red carpet with "Sharp Dressed Man" in concert in the City of Angels.
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Pink Floyd- Dark Side of the Moon- David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Roger Waters

To illustrate how seriously many of the post-British Invasion bands were approaching the rock idiom by early 1973, you need look no further than Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" to see how this progressive rock movement had matured,  with spectacular results both artistically and commercially, confirmed in this fiftieth anniversary classic rock interview by my guests, musical lunar explorers David Gilmour, Roger Waters, and Nick Mason.
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U2- War- Bono,The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen jr

With the rousing martial rhythms from Larry Mullen jr’s drums on the opening to “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, the tortured passion evident in Bono’s voice over The Edge’s stiletto guitar stabs on “New Year’s Day”, and Adam Clayton’s rolling bass on “Surrender” as well as “Two Heats Beat as One”, War  by U2 was a musical proclamation of a serious contender on the unfolding Eighties rock vista. Hear the fortieth anniversary classic rock interview In the Studio.