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Making the Best of a Miserable Existance

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Written by Michael Coen Friday, 11 June 2010 11:46

It's been nine years since my wife and I were in an automobile accident that nearly cost us our lives. It did cost us our lives as we one knew it. Nine years later and somewhere around 300 doctor appointments later, we're still fighting the endless battle of trying to enjoy our lives with these debilitating injuries.

I have a great doctor on the central coast who provided treatment and he made several recommendations as to keeping me from regressing, but then the relentless process of aging keeps coming at me as it does everyone. The symptoms from the neurological damage I sustained in the accident are getting worse as I deal with age related issues.

Now I know why they always check to see if I'm suicidal. Hell, I went from a senior VP position in silicon valley to a status of unemployable (per the state office of disability). I have finally come to terms with the fact that I won't get any better, I just don't want to get any worse.

So I write.

Anyway, I've returned to the SF Bay Area so I can be closer to UCSF Medical Center and Pacific Medical Center. My only hope for any kind of advanced medical help.

Spending time with me can be challenging. Will I hear you? Can I comprehend what I hear? Will I fall? How many times will I stumble (and no I'm not drunk)? How many accidents will I have at the gym today? Will I start shaking to a point where I can't even hold a pen, let alone write? Will my throat swell to the point of choking? It goes on and on.....

So I write.

After publishing "The Langford" and I won an award at the National Independent Excellence Awards. I don't have the capital ($) to market myself but I do have the time. I'll take another shot at an agent and then I'll consider Kimble.

I would appreciate any input you may have.

Thanks,
Michael

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I Wish I was Back in SF

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Written by Michael Coen Sunday, 27 September 2009 19:45

It has been a long hot summer here in Paso Robles. I miss those cool overcast mornings and evenings in SF. I'm pleased that we haven't had more fires. I hope that first rain comes soon and keeps coming after that.

It was a nice evening last night. Some good friends of ours just built a new deck with a nice view. We celebrated the new deck with some wine and music. This guy is one hell of a guitar player. He'll be releasing a new CD soon, which will be all acoustic music. I've already heard a couple of tunes and it's great music. I'll post it once it's released.

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The Music of the Langford

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Written by Michael Coen Friday, 25 September 2009 15:30

If you’ve read “The Langford” you’ll certainly recognize the many references to music. I followed hundreds of bands at the time and to this date I’ve probably seen more than a thousand concerts.

Probably the most important band reference in the book is Pink Floyd. I started listening to Pink Floyd back in the late sixties. However, it wasn’t until the album “Meddle” was released that I became a huge Pink Floyd fan. The Pink Floyd song “Echoes” was the first song that I listened to often. Later I really grew to like the song “One of These Days.”

Then Pink Floyd released “Dark Side of the Moon.” I loved this album. I felt Pink Floyd became one of the best psychedelic bands ever at this point. I listened to Pink Floyd more than any other band while attending high school. Since I was raised around mental illness, I liked the references Pink Floyd made to mental illness in their songs. Pink Floyd continued their success with the release of “Wish You Were Here.” There isn’t a song on the album that I don’t like. Once again Pink Floyd focused on the subject of metal illness when writing the tunes on “Wish You Were Here.”

So, it is with out a doubt, that Pink Floyd is mentioned in my book, more often than any other band.

The Grateful Dead was a band I grew to like better later on in my life. I’ve seen the Grateful Dead somewhere around 80 times and I still don’t consider myself a Deadhead. I actually met Jerry Garcia a few times and he was always very kind. The Grateful Dead was mentioned in the book, primarily due to the free concert I attended not long after I moved to the city. But my roommate loved the Grateful Dead. He was a Deadhead all the way. I did enjoy several Grateful Dead tunes, too many to list. Grateful Dead concerts were always fun. The Grateful Dead had a huge following and I loved to watch the Grateful Dead Hall Dancers.

Another band from SF that I liked was Santana. I loved their first three albums. I loved Santana’s percussions. I am a fan of many Santana songs. But I really liked “Evil Ways,” “Soul Sacrifice,” “Back Magic Woman,” “I Hope You’re Feeling Better” and “Samba Pa Ti.” I saw Santana four times over the years. I don’t know why I didn’t see Santana more often.

Continuing on with SF bands, Hot Tuna was another one of my favorites. I was a fan of Hot Tuna back in the 70s but I grew to like them even more as the years passed by. Hot Tuna never sold out. Jack and Jorma are the core of Hot Tuna, and they have kept country blues alive. Hot Tuna is one of those bands that I get the luxury of seeing in small venues. I hope Hot Tuna continues on for many years to come.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of Jefferson Airplane, even though there was a time I thought Grace Slick was sexy on stage. But after Jorma and Jack left to form Hot Tuna, the Jefferson Airplane was done. Then they formed the Jefferson Starship. The Jefferson Starship was okay and my girlfriend at the time loved them. But the original Jefferson Airplane is part of the original SF Haight Ashbury scene as is the Grateful Dead.
I can’t move away from the SF 60s scene without mentioning Janis Joplin. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Janis Joplin and I never saw her live. I do listen to her music once in a while. Many women I dated back in the 70s loved Janis Joplin so I grew to tolerate and eventually enjoy her music. I felt Janis Joplin would end up being a good blues singer, but she died way too soon.

I was a big Jimi Hendrix fan. I loved the Jimi Hendrix version of “All Along the Watchtower.” I listened to Jimi Hendrix a lot. It was a real bummer when Jimi Hendrix died at such an early age. I always believed that Jimi Hendrix would be a great blues guitarist after he got over the rock n roll era. I never saw Jimi Hendrix in concert. To this day, I hear Jimi Hendrix music at the various parties I attend.

Led Zeppelin. What can I say that you don’t already know? I remember seeing Led Zeppelin in Kezar Stadium (in SF) back in 1971. I predicted in high school that “Stairway to Heaven” would be a hit. I was laughed at, but I laughed last. Led Zeppelin was a band I listened to almost as much as Pink Floyd. I had every Led Zeppelin record. I saw Led Zeppelin three times before Bonzo died. Led Zeppelin was played so much back during the time of The Langford, I had to be careful not to burn out on them.

Another British metal band that I listened to often was Black Sabbath. I enjoyed Ozzy’s vocals and once again they dealt with subjects related to mental illness. I like the Black Sabbath songs “Paranoid,” “Iron Man,” “Children of the Grave,” “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” and “Electric Funeral” to name a few. Black Sabbath music was popular in The Langford. I only saw Black Sabbath twice. I still listen to Black Sabbath today.

Continuing on with British Bands, I really enjoyed the Rolling Stones. The Rolling Stones music was probably played on the radio, more than any other band. The Rolling Stones were always good in concert. As mentioned in the book I first saw the Rolling Stones back in the summer of 1975 at the Cow Palace in SF. My favorite all time Rolling Stones' song is “Sympathy for the Devil.” I’ve seen the Rolling Stones five times and every concert was great. It’s great to see the Rolling Stones still going strong today.

Yes is another band that I listened to frequently over the years. Yes had great musicians and Jon Anderson sang like an angel. Yes is a progressive band. I enjoyed many Yes concerts over the years and they were always very tight concerts. I have no favorite Yes songs. I like them all depending on the mood I’m in. I love Howe’s acoustic pieces, “Mood for a Day” and “The Clap.” Maybe the Yes song “Heart of the Sunrise” is probably the song I listened to the most over the years.

Queen was an okay band. My musician friend Miles, loved the band. I found some Queen tunes to be catchy and enjoyable, but I didn’t care to see Queen live. It’s sad about Queen front man Freddy Mercury. I still listen to Queen once in a while. My wife likes Queen better than I do.

I was never a big David Bowie fan. However I liked a lot of David Bowie songs. I liked an obscure song by David Bowie called “Panic in Detroit.” I also like David Bowie during the “Ziggy Stardust” days. I still listen to “Changes” too. My roommate in The Langford was a huge David Bowie fan. David Bowie was everything to his music scene back then. I never saw David Bowie live.

Deep Purple was a band I listened to often. The Deep Purple song “Smoke on the Water” was overplayed on the radio, but Deep Purple had lots of other good music. I thought the original guitar player for Deep Purple, Ritchie Blackmore was a great guitar player. I only saw Deep Purple once and it was a great show. I was amazed at how much my Japanese friends loved Deep Purple.

I was never a big fan of Elton John but I did listen to some of his early music. My favorite Elton John tunes were “Rocket Man” and “Tiny Dancer.” I worked with a woman who grew up with Elton John. She told me hilarious stories about him as a child. I respect Elton John but I haven’t listened to him much over the past twenty years.

Humble Pie was another band I really enjoyed. The best album Humble Pie ever put out was “Live at the Fillmore East.” I wore that Album out. I only saw Humble Pie once and it was a crazy concert. I was bummed when Peter Frampton left Humble Pie, but for Peter Frampton, it was a good move. I did see Peter Framptom at Winterland right before his Frampton Comes Alive album was released and well the rest is history. I still listen to Peter Frampton once in a while. My wife and I both like the song “Do You Feel Like We Do?”

The Who was a band I loved and still listen to today. I became a fan of The Who after the
“Live at Leeds” album was released. I like almost all of The Who albums and I’ve seen them several times over the years. The Who was a great live band. I think my favorite song by The Who is “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” It sad that half of The Who are dead, but it’s good to see Roger and Pete still playing.

I was never a big fan of Rod Stewart, but most of the women I dated were. So that meant I had to learn to like Rod Stewart. I only saw Rod Stewart once when I was in high school and I worked the concert. That was back when Ronnie Wood was still in his band. Rod Stewart is okay and I like how he pumped new life into some old hits later in his career.

The Allman Brothers Band was mentioned several times in the book. I loved the Allman Brothers Band “Live from the Fillmore East” album. The Allman Brothers Band had several songs I loved, such as “Little Martha,” “One Way Out,” “Whippin’ Post,” “Jessica” and “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed,” to name a few. I’ve seen the Allman Brothers Band several times but I never saw them with Duane Allman. So I missed out on seeing the legend.

I saw ZZ Top for the first time when living in the city. Back then ZZ Top was considered a party band and the radio stations were wearing out Tush and La Grange. ZZ Top is a great band that I saw many times over the years. It’s amazing that the three members of ZZ Top can put out so much great music. Billy Gibbons is a great guitarist too.

Lynryrd Skynyrd is a band I saw twice while I was in high school.  Lynryrd Skynyrd was an opening band that blew away the headliners. Lynryrd Skynyrd had lots of bad luck over the years, losing key members to death. But the Lynryrd Skynyrd song “Freebird” is my all time favorite from the band. Lynryrd Skynyrd was loved by so many people who hung out with me that I heard the rest of their music too much. I probably didn’t listen to a single Lynryrd Skynyrd song from 1980 through 1995. Then I grew to like Lynryrd Skynyrd all over again.

The Guess Who is a band I never saw live, but I enjoyed their pop hits. I think I heard The Guess Who song “American Woman” more than any of the others. But I thought The Guess Who was a good pop band. I heard The Guess Who music often on the radio when I lived at The Langford.

Procol Harum was another band I never saw live, but I enjoyed the music of Procol Harum. Anyone who knows anything about Procol Harum should remember the song “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” I felt I achieved that state many time in my life. Procol Harum had several songs I liked and I still listen to them today.

I saw The Turtles in a bar in Sausalito when I lived at The Langford. Their music led to a night of wild sex. I think the best song The Turtles ever had was, “Happy Together.” I wasn’t a big fan of The Turtles, but that one night they were a ton of fun.

Little Richard was a musician I loved to hear at parties. Little Richard albums were usually played after we were all feeling no pain. Little Richard is credited with helping me get lucky more than a few times. I think my favorite Little Richard song is “Lucille.”

Please note, that this is a small list of bands or music I listen to.

In closing, I must mention Woodstock. I did not attend Woodstock, but I certainly enjoyed the music. Jimi Hendrix, Ten Years After, Santana, Joe Cocker and The Who were my favorite bands from Woodstock. Woodstock cemented my love for music, primarily due to the intent of the music (love-peace-freedom) and the relentless effort to play on despite the rain and too many people.

To have a good idea of the music I followed by the time frame in the book (1975-76), the following list will give you a good idea of these bands and musicians. Most of these bands were either edited out of the book or not there to begin with.

There is a bit of complexity in this list of music. For instance, there is blues, rock, jazz, pop, progressive, folk, country blues, real old music and a little bit of country. All these bands, singers and/or musicians were active prior to 1976.

  • America
  • Beatles
  • John Lennon
  • George Harrison
  • Ringo Starr
  • Paul McCartney
  • Bad Company
  • The Doors
  • Ten Years After
  • Alvin Lee
  • Joe Cocker
  • Badfinger
  • Jeff Beck
  • Elvin Bishop
  • Blind Faith
  • Cream
  • Eric Clapton
  • Boston
  • Booker T and the MGs
  • Roy Buchanan
  • Bryds
  • Jackson Browne
  • Eagles
  • Eric Burdon and the Animals
  • War
  • Paul Butterfield Blues Band
  • JJ Cale
  • Johnny Cash
  • Argent
  • Chambers Brothers
  • Chicago
  • Roy Clark
  • Merle Travis
  • Andres Segovia
  • Louie Armstrong
  • Joe Pass
  • Leo Kottke
  • Carlos Montoya
  • Al Di Meola
  • Chick Corea
  • Bill Cobham
  • Alice Cooper
  • Creedence Clearwater Revival
  • Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
  • The Band
  • Bob Dylan
  • Miles Davis
  • Johnny Winter
  • Edgar Winter
  • Rick Derringer
  • Willie Dixon
  • Bo Diddley
  • Reverend Gary Davis
  • BB King
  • Albert Collins
  • Johnny Copeland
  • Albert King
  • Neil Diamond
    Doobie Brothers
  • Dr. John
  • Patsy Cline
  • Les Paul
  • Hank Williams
  • New Riders of the Purple Sage
  • The Outlaws
  • Donovan
  • Arlo Guthrie
  • Herb Ellis
  • Electric Light Orchestra
  • Jose Feliciano
  • Five Man Electrical Band
  • Fleetwood Mac
  • Dave Mason
  • Focus
  • Heart
  • John Fogerty
  • Foreigner
  • Genesis
  • Danny Gatton
  • Marvin Gaye
  • Roberta Flack
  • Grand Funk Railroad
  • Grassroots
  • Steppenwolf
  • Emmylou Harris
  • John Hooker
  • Lightning Hopkins
  • Muddy Waters
  • Mississippi John Hurt
    Iron Butterfly
  • J. Geils Band
  • Elmore James
  • Etta James
  • Jethro Tull
  • Robert Johnson
  • King Crimson
  • Carole King
  • Emerson, Lake and Palmer
  • Gordon Lightfoot
  • Little Feat
  • Steve Miller Band
  • Charles Mingus
  • Wes Montgomery
  • Thelonious Monk
  • Montrose
  • Moody Blues
  • Mountain
  • Nazareth
  • Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
  • Charlie Parker
  • Jaco Pastorius
  • Art Pepper
  • Peter, Paul and Mary
  • Oscar Peterson
  • PFM
  • Bob Marley
  • Elvis Presley
  • Quicksilver Messenger Service
  • Otis Redding
  • Jimmy Reed
  • Lou Reed
  • Velvet Underground
  • Rare Earth
  • Buddy Rich
  • Todd Rundgren
  • Leon Russell
  • Buddy Miles
  • UFO
  • Bon Seeger
  • Buddy Guy
  • Simon and Garfunkel
  • Carly Simon
  • Sly and the Family Stone
  • Bessie Smith
  • Steeleye Span
  • James Taylor
  • Three Dog Night
  • Traffic
  • Steve Winwood
  • Robin Trower
  • Weather Report
  • Wishbone Ash
  • Stevie Wonder
  • Frank Zappa

Some Additional Comments:

America - I think America was and still is a good band. I still listen to them today. Sandman and Tin Man are two of my favorite songs by America. America also had hits with A Horse with No Name and Ventura Highway. Some of my dates loved this band due to their easy listening sound. I used to throw in the America tape on the way home from a date, especially if we were at a loud concert. You know the drill, get her in the mood.

Beatles – The Beatles were overplayed. I do like several of their songs. I remember smoking pot listening to I Am the Walrus, A Day in the Life, Helter Skelter and the entire Abbey Road album. Oh the LSD, Coke, and so many other illegal drugs associated with some of the Beatles’ later music are almost comical. Even the gay chef at The Langford was a big fan of the Beatles, especially the older tunes like Hard Days Night, Lady Madonna, and She Loves You. My mom loved the song Hey Jude.

John Lennon – John Lennon was cool. I like the songs Instant Karma, Power to the People and Cold Turkey. It’s too bad he left us way too soon.

George Harrison - The most underrated member of the Beatles. All Things Must Pass is a great album. The concert for Bangladesh was a good one too. George Harrison was a great member of the Traveling Wilbury’s too.

Ringo Starr – Ringo is cool. Ringo’s current concert tours are pretty cool too.

Paul McCartney – McCartney was a little too pop for me, but I must admit I do like some of his older solo tunes, such as Maybe I’m Amazed, Let Me Roll It and Jet.

Bad Company – I think Bad Company was a great super group. I’ve enjoyed many Bad Company songs over the years and recently saw Bad Company again during their reunion tour six or so years ago. They still had it going! Wow, Paul Rodgers singing for Queen….. I didn’t see that one coming. Anyway, lots of girls in high school loved the song Are You Ready for Love and we guys loved the song Bad Company, because that’s what we were. I can still remember the look of horror on the parent’s faces when their daughter brought me home to meet them.

The Doors – The Doors released a lot of great music and I’ve heard it so much over the years, but I never tire of it. I got a blow job from my girlfriend in my sophomore year in high school while the neighbor was washing his car and blasting Hello I Love You. He had no idea that oral sex was happening in my car, fifteen feet from him. Also, her father was working on his car in the garage. That added an edge to this little bit of oral sex. Another friend of mine from high school was a huge fan of the song Light My Fire. We played it at his funeral. He was murdered during a drug deal. Finally, LA Woman is a song played over and over by a woman who lived at The Langford. She was edited out of the book. Anyway she was a Stripper and Prostitute with a nice ass and killer breasts. She was really into porn and she even had a pimp, however she called him “an agent.” Get this; she married this really “down to earth straight” dude who moved into The Langford. They moved to Portland Oregon and had six kids. They’re still married today and enjoying their grand kids (Brian says the sex is still damn good too!).

Ten Years After – I’ll never forget Ten Years After at Woodstock. The Ten Years After song I’m Going Home was a show stopper for me. I thought Alvin Leee was on speed or something like that, to play like he did. I still listen to that song today, especially when running. I first saw Ten Years After back in June of 1974. Here’s another crazy story that relates to Ten Years After. I have two brothers who have brain damage, Fragile X. Anyway, the medium functioning brother lived at home when I was still living there during high school. He was prone to seizures, serious ones too. Anyway, I got him to love music, and he’s passionate about heavy metal. I listened to I’m Going Home so much that he started memorizing the words, which says a lot considering he could barely talk. I could whip him into a frenzy (yes, he was hyperactive too), just by putting this song on my “piece of crap” stereo system. I was even getting him to do a little air guitar. Well, one evening after arriving home from a hard night of partying, I went to bed around two and then I hear this loud commotion.  My brother had a seizure but this time his heart stopped! So he’s lying flat on his back on the living room floor as my Dad and Mom are taking turns with CPR. I was standing there with pretty much nothing on, in case I was needed. My parents got his heart going. The very first thing he says as soon as he regained consciousness is: “I’m going home, I’m going home, home to see my babe!” Both of my frantic terror stricken parents made this straight eyebrow look, frowned and then looked up at me shaking their heads. I grinned as they gathered him up and rushed him to the hospital. The lyrics of “I’m Going Home” trailed out the door with them. To this day, 35 years later, I can start the song and my brother will grin and pick it up from there.

Alvin Lee – Alvin Lee, the memorable guitarist for Ten Years After. I really like his “solo” tune called, Bluest Blues. I need to buy his Gibson signature model…. When I can afford it. Someday!

Joe Cocker – Joe Cocker is another memorable performance from Woodstock. I still listen to Joe Cocker today and I’m glad he stayed clean and sober. Joe Cocker was really drunk when I saw him back in the early seventies at Winterland. Golden Earring opened for him. I think Radar Love is a great road song. I like some of Joe Cocker’s recent “covers” too. His voice adds a cool edge to songs.

Badfinger – Badfinger was an okay band. They never made it big especially with the Beatles backing. Too bad a couple of Badfinger members committed suicide. I know I should be telling you I like the tune, Come and Get It. But my favorites were Baby Blue and Day After Day.

Jeff Beck – Jeff Beck is one hell of a great guitar player. Incredibly underrated! If he played anywhere within 300 miles from my house, I’d drive to see him. If you haven’t checked Jeff Beck out, you’re missing out on some great music. Rod Stewart sang in his band at one point, but that’s nothing compared to his solo work. I’ve seen him in concert four times. I even saw him open for Santana. I was so pissed, because many people didn’t know who he was and they just kept talking as if no one was playing. By the third song, people were blown away. He was on fire! I saw him on Ronnie Lane’s Benefit concert tour too. It was amazing seeing Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck on one stage. Hell, the one Jeff Beck song that I find myself humming too many times is Blue Wind. Check him out if you’ve never listened to him. He gives new life to the Charlie Mingus song, Goodbye Pork Pie Hat.

Elvin Bishop – I first saw Elvin Bishop open for Hot Tuna at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds back in 1971. I remember smoking joints and drinking wine from a boda bag at the concert. There was this woman in the concession stand who kept watching me from a distance. She was pretty far away and I was pretty stoned. Later in the concert I got up to see why she was staring at me and it turned out to be my grandma. She was working the concession stand. I didn’t expect this but she was doing it for extra money. She never said a word to my parents. Damn I miss her! I’ve seen Elvin Bishop several times over the years and I’m so glad he stuck with blues.  Every time I think of Elvin Bishop I think of beer, lots of beer! I even saw Elvin Bishop play a free concert at the mid state fair a couple years ago. Someone fired off their gun at his hotel the night before and he was still reeling from that. But he was great. Nothing but blues, damn good show.

Blind Faith – Blind Faith, another short lived super group. I still enjoy the one album they put out. Too bad Rich Grech died.  I remember sitting by the bay in San Francisco, nursing a joint, well maybe a roach, and this guy had this tape blasting from his van. He and his girlfriend were loaded on PCP, acid, or something strong, as they did their Grateful Dead Hall Dancer style of dancing. It was hypnotic to watch. Sometimes when I hear Can’t Find My Way Home, I think of them.

Cream – I listened to Cream a lot back in the late 60s and early 70s. All of their tunes are permanently etched in my brain. Ginger Baker was an underrated drummer. I was at a lot of drug related parties as I was educated on Cream.

Eric Clapton – Eric Clapton. What can I sat here that you don’t already know? I’ve enjoyed Eric Clapton’s music over the years and his concerts were okay. I enjoy Clapton’s blues music the most. From the Cradle is a great album. I’m just glad he got cleaned up before drugs and alcohol claimed his life.

Boston – I first heard Boston while working at a children’s park in San Jose. It took me a while to get used to Boston because the radio’s overplayed More Than a Feeling. I really like the tune “Don’t Look Back.” I did see them live too. Man, talk about hitting the high notes! Once again, this was a band that got me laid in the early years. Women loved this band.

Booker T and the MGs – Green Onions, Hang Em’ High and Melting Pot….  These guys were always fun to listen to. Neil Young actually did one tour where they were his backing band.

Roy Buchanan – Roy Buchanan is one of the greatest unknown guitar players ever. If you haven’t listened to Roy Buchanan, you are missing out. Read the book about Roy Buchanan to get an idea of this lost soul. He supposedly hung himself in a jail cell…… What a waste of gifted talent!

Bryds – The Byrds had great harmonies. I never saw them live, but I enjoyed their music. I used to make my move on a woman when Turn Turn Turn was playing. I could always get away with a tight hugging dance when this tune was playing.

Jackson Browne – Doctor My Eyes. I heard this Jackson Browne song so much I used to hum it unconsciously. But Jackson Browne has lots of good material and he’s a quality guitar player. He also co-wrote the Eagles hit, Take It Easy.

Eagles – I can’t add much here as it relates to The Eagles that you don’t already know. I did visit the original Hotel California in (Toddos Santos) Baja. I was hung over, it was 100 degrees, dead dry heat, and I stumbled in to a bar and asked for a Pacifico. I heard the Eagles music playing, but it wasn’t I finished my beer that I realized where I was. When I left I almost tripped over this drunk guy already asleep in the street under a blazing sun. Damn, life is good.

Eric Burdon and the Animals – I used to listen to the Animals a lot. I loved the song We Gotta Get Out of this Place. Vietnam. Get the hell out of Vietnam. I knew vets who used this as their anthem. Of course, who can forget House of the Rising Sun, a great song to listen to when gambling.

War – War has some hits that I used to play a lot. Slipping in the Darkness was my favorite. But man did the radios overplay Low Rider. I only saw them twice.

Paul Butterfield Blues Band – Many people aren’t aware of Paul Butterfield. You are missing out. They have one song on the Woodstock album, but it doesn’t do them justice.

JJ Cale – I discovered JJ Cale after I realized he wrote After Midnight and Cocaine which Eric Clapton covered. He also wrote; Call Me the Breeze that Lynyrd Skynyrd made into a minor hit. I enjoy listening to JJ Cale when I’m on the road. JJ Cale and Eric Clapton released a good CD a few years ago called Dangerous.

Johnny Cash – Johnny Cash is a legend. I loved listening to Johnny Cash when I was a kid. I have to admit, A Boy Named Sue was the first song that got me turned onto Johnny Cash. Then I went backwards in time and listened to everything in his catalog. I also used to watch his TV show. I really like the last CDs he recorded before he passed away. I liked listening to Johnny Cash when drinking and in a bad or down and out mood. I felt that my girlfriends’ parents felt their daughters Fell Into a Ring of Fire by dating me.

Argent – Hold Your Head Up was my favorite tune from Argent. I heard this song too much in the 70s. I don’t think I heard it through the 80s. But late in the 90s I started listening to it again. At parties back in the 70s, for what ever reason, the men would sing along when this song was played.

Chambers Brothers – The Chambers Brothers’ best tune in my mind is The Time has Come Today. This is a great tune that takes me back to the 70s every time I hear it.

Chicago – The original Chicago Transit Authority is by far my favorite version of the band. The first five albums are the best. I was bummed when Terry Kath died. I guess he was messing with a gun and it went off. 25 or 6 to 4, I’m a Man, Lowdown and so many other great tunes…..

Roy Clark – A great guitar player. I discovered him on He Haw and went backwards from there. One of his most memorable moments in my mind was when he guest starred on the Odd Couple TV show. He broke into this Beethoven piece at the end. I wish they would have played the entire tune.

Merle Travis – My guitar teacher mentioned Merle Travis when I asked about playing finger style. Merle Travis was gifted. I was wishing there was a way I could slow my turn table way down to figure out how this guy play so fast. This guy played with lightening speed.

Andres Segovia – I saw Andres at the Masonic in SF somewhere around 1976. I was into heavy metal, hard rock, blues and all that stuff, including big stage presentations to go along with the rock n roll. We show up at the Masonic, I’m expecting a loud and crazy crowd and a full band. First of all we’re the worse dressed people in the place. Second, there was only a stool onstage. I kept looking for the Marshall stacks, but there were none. Anyway, Andres slowly walks to the stool while applause erupts and then, dead silence. You could hear a pin drop from the other side of the place. Then he started playing. I was thinking holy shit this guy is incredible! I couldn’t figure out how he could memorize all this material. I was blown away. I cheered for him and drew some long stairs from other audience members who were kindly clapping. But the cheers picked up as the concert went on. Andres Segovia is a genius.

Louie Armstrong – My dad listened to Louie Armstrong and I became a fan before I was five. I can remember how my Dad would lay back in his chair at the end of a long day and just listen to his Louie Armstrong record.

Joe Pass – Another recommendation from my guitar teacher. Another guitar genius. I still listen to Joe Pass today (Listen to Mosaic).

Leo Kottke – I have seen Leo Kottke so many times that I’ve memorized most of his humorous stories. I have too many Leo Kottke stories to list here. But here’s one anyway. He was playing at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz at some point back in the mid 70s. He was burning up the strings with one of his blazing songs (I think it was Driving in the Year Nail). Anyway, his A string breaks…. But he doesn’t stop. He played sharp on the E string and flat on the D string, when he’d usually use the A string. He didn’t miss a note. You could tell who the guitar players were in the audience. We all hung our heads in disbelief. Crap! He didn’t miss a note at lightening speed. He even mumbled “Hell I didn’t need it anyway.” I was going to go home and put my guitar in the fireplace and burn it. Long live Leo!

Carlos Montoya – Another recommendation from my guitar teach back in 1968. Another guitar genius!

Al Di Meola – I became of fan of Al Di Meola after I became a fan of Chick Corea’s Return to Forever Band. When I saw Al Di Meola open for Weather Report, it cemented me as a fan. Carlos Santana came on for an encore which made the night that much more memorable.

Chick Corea – Chick Corea and the Return to Forever Band took me towards jazz back in the 70s.

Bill Cobham – A great jazz drummer. I’ve seen him live a couple times and he is great.

Alice Cooper – Okay, so I was a closet Alice Cooper fan. Mental illness and Alice Cooper go together.

Creedence Clearwater Revival – I was listening to Creedence Clearwater Revival from the beginning of their existence. I think I was 12 or 13 when first heard Suzy Q. My mom loved Creedence Clearwater Revival from the point she first heard them. Ramble Tamble is an obscure song that they did that is one of my favorites. I guess it was due to the guitar solo and tongue in cheek lyrics. I heard so much of their stuff in high school that I thought I’d be bored of them by the time I was 25. Not so. There’s something about hearing Born on the Bayou or Run Through the Jungle, or any of their tunes, that make them seem timeless.

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young – I am a fan of all these guys. I have some good memories of seeing them live back in the 70s. Let’s see…. Joe Walsh was there. The Band played too as did Jessie Colin Young. Hell, CSNY didn’t want to stop because the crowd was so great so they replayed a tune or two. I saw them during a reunion tour 8 or nine years ago. It was good, Neil Young and Stephen Still were the highlight of the show I saw.

The Band – The Band is underrated. I like listening to Robbie Robertson’s solo stuff too. This was Bob Dylan’s back up band. I saw them open for CSNY and that was the only time I saw them. It was a great show! I could’ve went to the Last Waltz. Missing this show was one of my worse all time concert blunders!

Bob Dylan – Bob Dylan, in my opinion the best lyricist of all time. I really like all of his later material too. I’ve seen Bob Dylan a half dozen times over the years, but I’ve listened to his albums thousands of times. The Grateful Dead always did a great version of Desolation Row. Hendrix did great with All Along the Watchtower. Johnny Winter scorched new fire into Highway 61.  There is just too much great music to list here. Thanks Bob!

Miles Davis – I can’t remember when I first started listening to Mile Davis. But I was very young and he stuck with me. If I have to do a lot of driving and I listen to a lot of music while driving, at the end of the drive I’ll put Miles Davis on. My favorite is, My Funny Valentine.

Johnny Winter – I’ve seen Johnny Winter several times back in the 70s. He was always great. I think my favorite Johnny Winter concert was at Winterland back in the mid 70s. Johnny Winter had just gotten out of the institution, rehab or what ever it was. Anyway, he played his ass off. It was almost as if he was trying to send a message…. Johnny Winter Lives! Long after the final encore, we in the crowd were still cheering for Johnny Winter. We expected the cops to push us out. But Johnny returned. All of those people in our party kept the drugs and alcohol away from me that night, because I was driving. Hell… I was a pro. I was taking hits in every dark corner of Winterland that you could imagine. By the way we called the place, Johnny Winterland.

Edgar Winter – Johnny Winter’s brother Edgar Winter had some hits too. Who could forget Frankenstein? I was out street racing with one of my best friends. He had an automatic 57 Ford Station Wagon. He had all kinds of crap in this motor that made it wipe out most street machines. Well we met our match with this guy who had a souped up Camero. Frankenstein came on his four track and we finished out joint before we started the race. He rewound the tape and replayed it as we got our asses kicked.

Rick Derringer – Rick Derringer played with Johnny Winter and was pretty good by himself too.

Willie Dixon, Bo Diddley, Reverend Gary Davis, BB King, Albert Collins, Johnny
Copeland, Buddy Guy and Albert King are blues players that I listened to often.

Buddy Guy is the real deal. I’m not going to mention all the times I heard Buddy Guy songs at parties and so on. But a couple years ago on his birthday he played down at the fairgrounds. Being in wine country I had a few before the concert. He kicked ass. He was effortlessly pouring the blues out on all of us. Well at one point in the concert I look over at my wife, she smiles at me and we go to look for Buddy Guy on the stage and he’s standing right in front of us jamming away! In the audience! I was thinking….. when my time comes…. and it will very soon, it would be really nice to have Buddy Guy playing in the background.

Neil Diamond – Okay so he’s pop. But I was a closet Neil Diamond fan. I was doing business with my boss and clients from Ireland. We were real drunk and coming home in a limo. Anyway my Boss starts singing Neil Diamond tunes and we all sang along. All of us knew all the lyrics to each song he tried to sing, Sweet Caroline, Crackling Rosie, I Am I Said, and so on……. How disgusting is that?

Doobie Brothers – The Doobie Brothers came from my hometown and I always enjoyed their music. Most of the biker friends I had were Doobie Brother fans. I’ve seen them a few times in concert and they were always really good.

Dr. John – Dr. John had some great tunes, but I like Right Time Wrong Place the best.

Patsy Cline – What can I say about Patsy Cline that you should already know? I heard her when I was very young, and fell in love with her voice. Patsy Cline’s version of Crazy is unforgettable! It haunts me.

Les Paul – The great Les Paul! I can listen to his playing over and over and never get bored. What a gift he has! A master. A pioneer. We wouldn’t be where we are with guitar music if it weren’t for Les Paul. He has a bar in New York and he still plays. I think he’s somewhere around 90 years old!

Hank Williams – Hank Williams is a country singer I never get tired of. I enjoy listening to his music when I feel lonely.

New Riders of the Purple Sage – A Jerry Garcia spin off. Henry is a great tune as is Panama Red (the name of a baseball team I played with back in the 70s).

The Outlaws – The Outlaws did a famous kegger song, Green Grass and High Tides. I took my wife and very young kids to see them at the end of their highlight years at the fair. I was disappointed. The band was great but the sound system sucked.

Donovan – Donovan takes me back to the flower children days.

Arlo Guthrie – Arlo Guthrie, great folk. Coming into Los Angles, bringing in a couple of keys…. Pot, drugs… uh well…

Herb Ellis – Another great jazz guitarist I loved from my childhood. This guy could play forever if his body would last forever. Wonderful guitar jazz! A master!

Electric Light Orchestra – Okay so ELO was different, but I was into them. Roll Over Beethoven was a great tune, especially after a joint. But I really liked Do Ya. A great women attraction tune.

Jose Feliciano – Jose Feliciano’s version of Light My Fire made me a fan for life. I was driving home late one night back in the early 70s and this tune comes on. I’m thinking what the hell! This guy is damn good. I went and bought his album the next morning.

Five Man Electrical Band – Signs. The only hit from this bad. Tesla made it a hit too. I could relate, but not in church.

Fleetwood Mac – I like the original Fleetwood Mac with Peter Green and Oh Well. But I had to learn to tolerate the newer version to get laid. I saw them with Heart and Peter Frampton back in the 70s. They were all hungry and the show was on fire.

Dave Mason – Laura loved Dave Mason until he yelled at her because she made too many requests of him at a concert we attended. We were in the front row so he heard every request that she demanded to hear. Then I grew to like him. Only You Know and I Know, Feeling Alright, and his work with Traffic, are memorable.

Focus – Focus, Hocus Pocus….. killer song! Gary Hoey does a great guitar solo of this song.

Heart – I like Heart. I like the original Heart music the best. Anne and Nancy are survivors with great musical hearts…..

John Fogerty – Okay, so I liked him best with Creedence Clearwater Revival, but I do like the tune, The Old Man is Up the Road.

Foreigner – Foreigner gave us Double Vision. Damn they also gave us Cold as Ice. But my favorite tune was Juke Box Hero. I’ve seen them a few times and I’m lucky to remember considering the drugs and alcohol.

Genesis – I prefer the original Genesis with Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett. Blood on the Rooftops and A Lamb Lays Down on Broadway. I think it’s really cool what Peter Gabriel does today as it relates to helping other artists. Natacha Atlas is one of them. This guy is great. Red Rain….. Sledgehammer…… In Your Eyes…. and so on.

Danny Gatton – Danny Gatton and his blazing Telecaster. Make no mistakes. This is a guitarist you want to listen to. He killed himself and left us way too soon, but he left us with some great music.

Marvin Gaye – Cool music…… What’s Going On….. Why did his dad have to murder him? Gone way too soon.

Roberta Flack  - More cool music. I love Killing Me Softly. But The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face takes me back to Clint Eastwood and Play Misty for Me.

Grand Funk Railroad – Easy music and lots of fun. People complained about them, but in concert they were a lot of fun. I’m Your Captain or Closer to Home was my all time favorite.

Grassroots – A pop band from the early 70s. I liked several Grassroots songs.

Steppenwolf – My favorite underground band from the late 60s. Born to be Wild!!! Don’t be fooled. They have several other great tunes, Magic Carpet Ride, Ride with Me, Rock Me…… and Goddamn the Pusher Man.

Emmylou Harris – I always loved Emmylou Harris. I love her voice, songs, etc. I really love what she’s doing today and she still looks so damn hot! The Red Dirt Girl album was great. Wrecking Ball was great too. There’s something about the Deeper Well song that eats away at me….. Long may Emmylou run!

John Hooker, Lightning Hopkins, Elmore James, Etta James, Muddy Waters and
Mississippi John Hurt are more blues players I love to listen too. If you’re bored, check these guys out. I use them most for their guitar skills. But I am haunted by the lyrics too.

Iron Butterfly – Innagoddadavida or something like that. I saw them open for Ten Years After the second time I saw Ten Years After and they got booed off stage. I was bummed. People were throwing fruit at them. I was pissed. What the hell happened to respect? It wasn’t that they were playing bad; it was just that the flower children days were long gone.

J. Geils Band – I Must’ve Got Lost and Love Stinks. The last time I saw them they opened for the Rolling Stones. I was bummed that they didn’t keep their sound alive in the bars. They are a damn fine band and lots of fun. The frog jump still kicks ass.

Jethro Tull – I saw Jethro Tull twice in high school. I saw them the night my grandpa died. That is very special to me. They were great even though they were promoting their latest album. Ian Anderson is the best rock flutist ever!

Robert Johnson – The King of the Blues. I always think of the devil when I think of Robert Johnson. There is no supernatural demon tracking us down. It’s us and our bad excuse for our bad behavior….. I’ll be waiting at the Crossroads.

King Crimson – A great progressive band I saw open for Ten Years After, the first time I saw them. They were sick with the flu bug, or it might have been bad drugs, but they were great. Epitaph is one of my favorite tunes by this band.

Carole King – I love Carole King’s voice. Been to Canaan is a song that I never tire of. But she’s had so many hits and she seems like such a wonderful woman, that she’s always welcome on my list of musicians and singers.

Emerson, Lake and Palmer – Lucky Man. I saw the original Journey open for them. Greg Lake is an underrated finger style guitar player. Hell all three of them are great musicians.

Gordon Lightfoot – A great folk singer and writer.

Little Feat – A little known band, but I like them. Feet Don’t Fail Me Now!

Steve Miller Band – Too many good pop songs. The Joker was a song that my friends thought Steve wrote about me.

Charles Mingus, Wes Montgomery and Thelonious Monk, Three jazz players I love to listen to since I was a kid.

Montrose – I saw Ronnie Montrose with Sammy Hagar and became a fan. His solo shows are really good.

Moody Blues – Another great progressive band with lots of great music… including Isn’t Life Strange?

Mountain – Leslie, Felix and Corky. What a great band. Mississippi Queen, their biggest hit.

Nazareth – Nazareth was a great band from the 70s with humorous songs.

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Great folk. They did a great version of the Jerry Jeff Walker song; Mr. Bojangles.

Charlie Parker, Jaco Pastorius and Art Pepper – More great jazz.

Peter, Paul and Mary – Nice “around the campfire” folk.

Oscar Peterson – More Piano jazz.

PFM – I saw PFM at the Boarding House and became a fan.

Bob Marley – I saw Bob Marley at the Boarding House in SF. What a show it was! I was so damn high! There was this thick layer of pot smoke that hung in the air through the entire concert. You didn’t have to light up to get high, just breathe.

Elvis Presley – The King!

Quicksilver Messenger Service – Another SF band. Mojo was my favorite song by Quicksilver.

Otis Redding – Great music, died too young.

Jimmy Reed – Another old great.

Lou Reed & Velvet Underground - Sweet Jane, need I say more. Okay, heroin…. Andy Warhol.

Rare Earth – I really liked their version of Tobacco Road, but my favorite all time song by Rare Earth was I Just Want to Celebrate.

Buddy Rich – A great jazz drummer. I saw him at the Great American Music Hall in SF. He kicked ass.

Todd Rundgren – A great producer and musician.

Leon Russell – Leon Russell. Delta Lady and endless hits. Leon Russell is one of my favorite writers of all time. I saw him in a bar two years ago. I was bummed, because he should be playing for a decent size audience. His set was like a series of hits. I first saw him on a Day on the Green in Oakland with 50,000 fans. 35 years later he’s entertaining 200 fans in a bar. He was married to Mary McCreary, who did backing vocals for Sly and the Family Stone. Make no mistakes Leon Russell is the real deal. This guy played with so many great musicians and had so much of his stuff covered, he should be considered a legend. His song, Delta Lady made me long for a Delta Lady.

Buddy Miles – Drums…. Them Changes. Damn I was sorry to hear about his passing. I love Neil Young’s song, Down by the River. Buddy Miles does a great version of this song. Plus he’s on a great album with Santana.

UFO – UFO… Love to Love. I always think of Cocaine, Crystal, Amphetamines, Speed and Beer when I think of UFO. So many people I knew had addictions to these drugs during the UFO era. I think I saw UFO four times. Twice with Michael Schenker. The most memorable was at Winterland when they opened for Rush. Geddy Lee saved us from getting our ass kicked by one of his body guards. It’s a long story, but it ended without violence.

Bob Seeger – Lots of great songs, Main Street is one of my favorites.

Simon and Garfunkel – Sex, Grass, Wine…. What ever. There’s a Simon and Garfunkel song for every occasion. I kept thinking of Mrs. Robinson every time I had sex with an older woman. I could also soften a date up by putting on Bridge over Troubled Waters.

Carly Simon – Carly Simon was someone I didn’t play when dating. Her music could ruin a date with a distant friend. But I do like her music. You’re So Vain and He’s No Good are two of my favorites.

Sly and the Family Stone – I Want to Take You Higher still takes me higher. Sly and The Family Stone had this remarkable ability to make the audience part of the band during their concerts. Everyone would get into it.

Bessie Smith – I love listening to Bessie when I’m down and out.

Steeleye Span – A great old English folk band. I saw them the night my grandpa died. They opened for Jethro Tull. I visited my grandpa before we left for the concert. He made me promise to go to the concert no matter what happened that night. He died an hour later.  I found out when I returned home to change for the concert. I went as he told me to even though I cried all the way to Oakland. We had a big boda bag of JD (Jack Daniels) as well as pot. Maddy Prior appeared and sang like an angel. We were one of the last to leave that night. There couldn’t have been five cars left in the parking lot when we left. Before leaving we saw this blonde girl crying. Her ride left without her. What was bizarre was that she went to our high school. Small World. I didn’t know her but the ride home we gave her cemented her friendship.

James Taylor – The list wouldn’t be complete without James Taylor. My all time favorite tune from James Taylor is Fire and Rain.

Three Dog Night – Three Dog Night had a bunch of hits. Even though they were pop, I enjoyed their music. We used to get high and sing along to One, Eli’s Coming, Chest Fever, Joy to the World, The Show Must Go On, and the one song we would sing along to when we left a bad party was, Mamma Told Me Not to Come.

Traffic & Steve Winwood – A great band that gave us so many great tunes. I loved Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory. But Dear Mr. Fantasy was our drug song of choice. But, my all time favorite song was; The Low Spark of Them High Heeled Boys. I was getting fed up with shows that relied on stage shows and little talent, so this song struck a chord with me.

Robin Trower – Bridge of Sighs. I saw Robin Trower at a Day on the Green in the Oakland Stadium. He kicked ass. There was so much pot that a huge cloud hung over the stadium. If you didn’t get high you were screwed.

Weather Report – What a great jazz rock band Weather Report was! I went to their concert at Winterland at some point in the early 70s. This is where I became a Jaco Pastorious fan. Lenny White and Al Di Meola opened.

Wishbone Ash – Underrated. I saw Wishbone Ash open for a few bands. They were too good to be an opening band. But they disappeared way too soon.

Stevie Wonder – I liked his stuff in the 70s, especially Higher Ground.

Frank Zappa – Frank Zappa doesn’t belong on the end of this list. He is a genius. One bad Mother!!! Porn, prostitutes, Dynamo Hum, Willie the Pimp, Orgasms, etc. Frank would take anything on. He was one hell of a gifted writer and great guitar player. Extremely intelligent too, don’t eat the yellow snow….. You can’t beat his sense of humor.

Even this isn’t a comprehensive list of the music I followed at the time I lived at The Langford. Hopefully it’ll give younger people a list of musicians, singers, etc. to check out when they get bored with whatever they’re listening to. This list would be ten times longer if I listed all the bands I listen to today. Don’t forget classical too. I could list a ton of classical that I enjoy……….Enjoy!

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