Nowadays Olive Can't Even Write

On this day in 1971, The Rolling Stones released their 9th UK and 11th US studio album, titled  Sticky Fingers , on their newly founded label, Rolling Stones Records.  Photo courtesy of Wikipedia. Cover by Andy Warhol Recordings technically began in December 1969 at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama, less than a month after the release of their 8th UK and 10th US studio album Let it Bleed . Some of the leftover tracks that were held over from the former, which included " You Gotta Move ", " Brown Sugar ", and " Wild Horses " were originally cut in March and later became the first tracks to be completed. Most of the album's recording was done in the summer and autumn of 1970 and took place at a mobile studio in Stargroves, a manor and estate that was owned by Mick Jagger at the time. The cover was conceived by pop artist Andy Warhol, photographed by Billy Name, and designed by Craig Braun. It sparked some debate as to whose crotch is actu...

Déjà Vu , the hit album by folk rock group Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young has officially been around for 53 years as of today! Released as the second studio album by Crosby, Stills, and Nash and the first as a quartet featuring Neil Young on March 11, 1970, it would go on to become the best selling album of each respective musician's careers with over 8 million sales to date.  Photo taken from Wikipedia . Cover photography by  Tom Gundlefinger. It was recorded at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco, California, where the album underwent a lot of extensive work. Stephen Stills estimates the amount of time spent in the studio to be around 800 hours, in which there were hundreds of different takes on songs and a lot of nitpicking involved. This caused a lot of conflict between the musicians who were already in a dark place at the time. Graham Nash spoke to Music Radar  in an interview, stating: "the mood was different from the first album, which was recorded while ...

 On March 1st, 1973, Pink Floyd released their eighth studio album, titled The Dark Side of the Moon through Harvest Records. It explores concepts such as death, time (of course), mental illness, greed, and conflict, which were inspired by not only the members' experiences navigating life as rockstars, but by former frontman Syd Barrett's experiences and decline as well.  Source: Wikipedia. Cover designed by Storm Thorgerson. The album would go on to become the best-selling album of the '70s, reaching 45 million sales worldwide by 2013. It is certified 14 times platinum in the UK, and charted in the US billboard Top LPs & Tape chart for 972 weeks total. In 2012, it was selected for preservation in the US National Recording Registry due to it's cultural and historical significance. I certainly find it to be one of the best albums of all time. Three cheers for this iconic piece of history! Happy listening!

Today we wish Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason a happy 79th birthday! Mason was born on January 27, 1944, in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. He has been the only constant member of Pink Floyd since its formation in 1965, and in 2018, founded Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets in order to reintroduce Pink Floyd's older material to more fans.  Source: Jorgen Angel/Redferns He's had an eventful 2022, starting with the recording of  "Hey Hey Rise Up"  with Pink Floyd and Andriy Khlyvnyuk of Boom Box on April 8 in support of Ukraine. He completed a North American tour with his Saucerful of Secrets from September 22-October 31, and later collaborated with a plethora of musicians including Ozzy Osbourne, Noddy Holder, and Andy Taylor  on "This Christmas Time" in support of an online global project led by the Cancer Awareness Trust. More information on that here . While there is no current news on what Nick Mason is currently up to, I look forward to finding out ...

January 24, 2022 - Today we celebrate the 70th birthday of Matthew Wilder, known for his hit song, " Break My Stride". Source: Ron Wolfson/Michael Ochs Archives Wilder has been active in the music industry since 1972, starting out as one half of a folk rock duo known as Matthew & Peter. They were based in Greenwich Village, which you may also recognize as a former home of famous musicians such as Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, and John Lennon. He moved to Los Angeles in 1978 to pursue a career singing in commercials, and became a backup vocalist for Bette Midler and Rickie Lee Jones.  Going along with the New Wave movement of the '80s, he released his debut album, I Don't Speak the Language , in 1983, which included his biggest hit, " Break My Stride ".  He released a total of 3 albums throughout his solo career. I Don't Speak the Language (1983), Bouncin' Off the Walls  (1984), and Especially on Birthdays  (2021). In the stretch of 37 years, he became...

Today marks twenty years since former Jethro Tull Keyboardist Dee Palmer changed her name as part of her transition from male to female.  Before joining the band as a full-time member, she worked for them behind the scenes as a composer starting in 1968. She helped to pen the horn and string arrangements on   "Move on Alone" off of the album This Was. She, along with most of the other members, departed the band in 1980. The only remaining members that stayed were Ian Anderson and Martin Barre. Source: Jethro Tull's Official Website She and fellow JT member John Evan formed a band known as Tallis, however, they were not commercially successful and she went back to film scoring and working as a session musician. Palmer, who was also intersex, was born with genital ambiguity. She spent her youth struggling with gender dysphoria as a result, and had had several surgeries (the last one taking place at age 28). Her dysphoria was repressed until after the death of her wife, Magg...

January 18, 2022 - Today we remember session drummer Dallas Taylor, who is best known for his work with Clear Light, Crosby Stills, Nash, & Young, Manassas, and more. He passed away at age 66 due to complications from viral pneumonia and kidney disease. Source: Jeff Allen Dallas Woodrow Taylor Jr. was born on April 7, 1948 in Denver Colorado, but grew up in San Antonio, Texas. As a young adult he found a small bit of success with the psychedelic rock band Clear Light in the late 60s, but found further success with Crosby, Stills, and Nash's debut album, as well as their follow-up with Neil Young, Déjà Vu , alongside bassist Greg Reeves.  He also appeared on Stephen Stills's first three solo albums, ( Stephen Stills , Stephen Stills 2 , and Stills)  as well as Graham Nash's debut solo album, Songs for Beginners .  In 1974,  Taylor played  in a quartet backing Van Morrison at the Montreux Jazz Festival, and played percussion on the Byrds' 1973 reunion album By...

Today we remember Mott the Hoople founder Terence Dale "Buffin" Griffin on the 7th anniversary of his death. Source: Brian Cooke/Redferns Griffin was born on October 24, 1948 in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, England and attended Ross-on-Wye Grammar School with fellow Mott the Hoople member Overend Watts. He played in various local bands around this time, and in 1966, appeared on two singles by Yemm and the Yemen at the age of 18. He also began playing in the Doc Thomas Group that same year, which later became the Shakedown Sound, then Silence, and then Mott the Hoople before becoming the British Lions due to personnel changes over the years. Between the years of 1981 and 1994, Griffin was also a producer, and worked with bands such as Pulp, the Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Carcass, and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Nine years prior to his death, he was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease at the age of 58, and passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of ...

January 10, 2022 - David Robert Jones, known by his stage name of David Bowie, passed away on this day in 2016 due to liver cancer. He had just turned 69 two days beforehand. Source: Masayoshi Sukita Active as a musician from 1962 up until 2016, he started out in a band called the Konrads at age 15. He eventually left the band, citing his frustration with his bandmates' "limited aspirations" and joined the King Bees. Bowie went under his first personal management contract with Leslie Conn, but quit the band in less than a month.  He then joined the Manish Boys for a brief time before joining the Lower Third, where he adopted the stage name of David Bowie to avoid confusion between him and Davy Jones of the Monkees. He penned his first single under the name in 1966, which was " Can't Help Thinking About Me ". He was in one more group, Feathers, before embarking on a solo career, and found commercial success in 1969 with his first hit, " Space Oddity...

Today we celebrate the birthday of James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, who turns 79 today! He started playing guitar at the age of 12, and by 13, had appeared on Huw Wheldon's show, All Your Own in a skiffle quartet. When asked by Wheldon what he wanted to do post graduation, he replied, "I want to do biological research to find a cure for cancer, if it isn't discovered by then." Source: Michael Ochs Archives Page eventually left secondary school (which is like a combination of middle and high school for us American folk) to pursue music full time, but eventually enrolled in Sutton Art College when he kept coming down with infectious mononucleosis. In the late '60s, he joined the Yardbirds, although he was initially reluctant. He was offered Eric Clapton's spot but declined out of loyalty to his friend, but ended up replacing former bassist Paul Samwell-Smith before moving to 2nd lead guitar weeks later.  He joined Led Zeppelin in 1968, whose sound was large...

January 7, 2023 - Today marks 3 years since the death of one of the world's best drummers, Neil Elwood Peart OC. He was 67 years old at the time of his death. Peart has cemented himself in music history as one of the best drummers to have existed during his time with Rush. Although he had gotten his start in adolescence working with various regional bands, it wasn't until he joined Rush in 1974 that he was able to attain his dream of being a full-time musician (although the members did struggle financially for the first few years). Later, in 1983, he became the youngest drummer to be inducted into the Modern Drummer Readers Poll Hall of Fame at the age of 30. Source: The Fordham Ram /Twitter He had a wide range of artists he took inspiration from, such as Pete Thomas, John Bonham, Stewart Copeland, Phil Collins, Buddy Rich, Billy Cobham, Keith Moon, and more. He also influenced countless drummers himself, and along with the other members of Rush, has become a musical hero to ma...

Today we remember Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett, co-founder and former member of Pink Floyd, who would have been 77 years old today.  Source: The Pink Floyd HyperBase /Aubrey Powell As a musician, Barrett was a rather innovative guitarist before the peak of his decline, known for mixing slide guitar with echo using a lighter and delay pedal to create a lot of the sounds present in Pink Floyd's music. In the same vein, he loved exploring different effects, and playing around with distortion, feedback, and dissonance as well. As a vocalist, he sang with a heavy southern English accent, and was often cited as one of the first to do so in rock music. Many artists, such as Paul McCartney, Marc Bolan, the Flaming Lips, David Bowie, have all cited him as an influence on their work.  Barrett was active as a musician for nine years, from 1963 to 1974 before disappearing from the public eye permanently. According to his sister, Rosemary Breen, he dedicated himself to painting and took ...

Source: Michael Putland/Getty Images January 3, 2023 - Today marks the 78th birthday of one of my favorite musicians, Stephen Stills! Mainly known for his work with Crosby, Stills, and Nash, as well as Buffalo Springfield, Stills has made quite the name for himself within the music industry. He's a rather unique guitarist. From soaking strings in barbecue sauce to flipping pickups, he isn't afraid to get a little weird when it comes to experimenting. On top of that, he would use alternate tunings such as E E E E B E and D A D F# A D along with standard tunings. Much of what he's incorporated into his own playing style is drawn from various genres such as rock, folk, country, blues, gospel, and Latin music.  He is also a rather accomplished multi-instrumentalist, with instruments such as the bass, organ, keyboards, banjo, drums, clavinet, and more.  Stills, being one of my personal favorite musicians, is part of the reason why my blog has its name. Taken from the Buffalo Spr...

Today we remember guitarist Larry "Rhino" Reinhardt on the 11th anniversary of his passing.  Source: Michael Putland/Getty Images Reinhardt was mainly known as a member of Iron Butterfly and Captain Beyond, however, he was in numerous bands throughout his career. These include the Load, the Second Coming, the Ryno Band, and Mad Dancer, as well as a solo career. He was active as a musician until 2011, save for the time he temporarily retired from the music industry during the '90s.  Just short of a year after his final album was released, Reinhardt passed away at the age of 63 due to cirrhosis of the liver.  Today is a great day to listen to the music made by this psychedelic and southern rock legend. Are you a fan of his work? Happy listening.

Today we're celebrating the 76th birthday of Edgar Holland Winter, a talented multi-instrumentalist who is mainly known for his material with the Edgar Winter Band (which also included musicians Dan Hartman, Ronnie Montrose, and Chuck Ruff), as well as his involvement with Ringo Starr & His All-Star Band. He has several genres under his belt, including rock, jazz, blues, pop, and soul.  Source: Rich Zimmermann Although I admittedly haven't listened to much of his material, I must give him proper credit for his skill. He's known for blending genres in a way that gives him a lot of freedom without compromising his signature style. He mastered it in a way that many musicians haven't.  With that being said, I would love for someone to send me some music recommendations. What are your favorite song of his? Happy birthday, Edgar! Happy listening!

Today we celebrate the birthday of Mick Jones, co-founder and last remaining original member of Foreigner.  Source: Vintage Guitar Magazine An active guitarist since 1961, Jones has worked with various bands and musicians such as Nero and the Gladiators, Wonderwheel, Spooky Tooth, and the Leslie West Band before co-founding Foreigner with Ian McDonald (formerly of King Crimson). They recruited lead singer Lou Gramm, and he became a primary songwriter alongside Mick Jones, who has songwriting credits on all of their hit songs. Their biggest hit single, which was " I Want to Know What Love Is ", is one of those, as Jones wrote it himself. In the mid '80s, he also started a side career as a producer, working with artists such as Van Halen, Billy Joel, Bad Company, The Cult, and more. He started in 1986 with Van Halen's " 5150 " and ended with the Cult's 2001 album, " Beyond Good and Evil ". He also co-produced all of Foreigner's albums, includ...

December 21, 2022 - Today marks a special holiday for Rush fans - it's international Rush day! In reference to their legendary 1976  album " 2112 ", this unofficial holiday's date makes it a bigger celebration of the album than the its actual release date, as well as a rather popular day for Rush fans all over the world to crack out their albums, merch, and memorabilia. My plans this year will be very much tied with my plans for Yule, but there's no way I could miss a holiday for one of my favorite bands! Source: Wikipedia Although " 2112 " isn't the first album I had heard from them, it played a deeply important part in my discovery of Rush. It became part of my regular rotation of albums in my sophomore year of high school, alongside " Moving Pictures " and their self-titled album. Now, as an adult, I can happily say that none of these albums have left said rotation to this day. I've already pestered my own mom (who is also a fan) abo...

December 12, 2022 - Today marks 19 years since Mick Jagger was officially knighted by the now-King Charles III at Buckingham Palace for 40 years of service to popular music. He was joined by two of his daughters, Karis and Elizabeth, as well as his 92-year-old father.  Although he is not the first musician to receive such high honors, Jagger has made history as one of the most controversial candidates to be considered for it. He has always kept a rebellious image, between his anti-establishment views, drug use, and many romantic and sexual affairs. He referred to the Queen herself as "Chief Witch" and proclaimed that "Anarchy is is the only slight glimmer of hope". Rolling Stones guitarist and fellow songwriter Keith Richards criticized him and called him a sellout for accepting the knighthood. Other musicians, such as David Bowie, also disagreed with his decision to take part in the ceremony. Credit: AFP/Rolling Stone Magazine On top of that, Queen Elizabeth hersel...

42 years ago, on the night December 8, 1980, the world was sent into shock by the unexpected death of John Lennon. Lennon was assassinated by Mark David Chapman, who had him autograph a copy of "Double Fantasy" almost six hours beforehand as he and then-wife Yoko Ono were leaving The Dakota, the apartment complex where they resided, and later returned to at 10:50 PM. As they were entering the building, Chapman shot him a total of four times (twice in the back, twice in the shoulder) at close range. He was rushed to the hospital in the back of a police cruiser and announced dead on arrival at 11:15 PM. Source: AP Photo The following morning, Yoko Ono issued a statement reading "There is no funeral for John. John loved and prayed for the human race. Please do the same for him. Love, Yoko and Sean." Many of the following details covering the aftermath of John Lennon's Death have been highly disputed, as many different versions of the event's timeline as well as...

Today we remember Jim Morrison, who would have been turning 79 today. James Douglas "Jim" Morrison, born December 8, 1943 was a singer and poet. He was best known for his time as the frontman of The Doors starting in 1965 up to his death in 1971 at the age of 27. Due to how close his death was in proximity to other musicians at the time such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Brian Jones, it was his death along with theirs that helped to create and feed into the urban legend of the 27 club. Credit: Michael Ochs Archives Much of his writing was influenced by heavy usage of LSD, with Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek claiming he lived on nothing but canned beans and LSD for several months after graduating college, with the Doors being named after Aldous Huxley's " The Doors of Perception" . Other influences for his music and poetry include a car accident he witnessed as a child on a Native American reservation in the desert, although details are rather fuzzy due to h...