Rick Davies - Supertramp

Rick Davies  1944-2025 R.I.P.

Rick Davies, singer and co-founder of Supertramp, has died The British musician co-founded the rock band Supertramp, which spurred hits like "Give A Little Bit" and "The Logical Song" in the 1970s. NPR

Rick Davies (composer-vocalist-keyboard player for Supertramp) 1944-2025 R.I.P.

read on BB Chronicles obituary here

Rick was from Swindon England you know just up the road from here

another unique talent lost to us

Supertramp - Give a Little Bit (1977)

BB's Album Rankings - Badfinger | 9 albums reviewed | BB Chronicles

BB's Album Rankings - Badfinger

BB Chronicles

Now this is really worth a read and BBChronicles has done a profile of Badfinger

BB's Album Rankings - Badfinger

BB says - "In honour of the much-delayed official release (50 years after recording) of the last original Badfinger album, Head First, in December 2024, rather than just reviewing that long lost album, I'm going to use this opportunity to take a look back at the entire wonderful Badfinger discography, to re-assess and evaluate their music, greatness, and importance in rock history. They've always been a favorite of mine, but their tragic story has always somewhat overshadowed and undermined their talent and musical accomplishments. Badfinger was one of the very first, and probably best ever, power pop band  . . . . . . . "

read on here . . . .

Garth Hudson tribute from BB Chronicles

Reknowned Multi-instrumentalist Garth Hudson (of The Band) (1937-2025) R.I.P.

 This is timely and thought it worth sharing . . . . 

Legendary Canadian Multi-instrumentalist (piano, organ, sax, accordion, etc.) Garth Hudson died recently (Jan. 21, 2025) at a nursing home in Woodstock, NY. He was 87 years old. Garth was best-known as original member and keyboard player (as well as occasional sax and accordion) for The Band. He was the last surviving member of that legendary influential group, first formed in 1957 as The Hawks and was at first the backing band for Ronnie Hawkins through the mid-60's. They gained much recognition when they backed Bob Dylan on his 1966 electric tour, and became known as The Band from then on. Their 1st album as The band was Music From the Big Pink(1968), followed by The Band (1970), both released to great critical and commercial success. I've previously posted many shows and commentaries demonstrating the importance of The Band in rock history. 

Hudson was integral to The Band's sound and style, with his signature Lowrey organ, which he was considered to be the Master of (unlike many other rock organists who preferred the Hammond organ sound, Hudson always used a Lowrey). He was once described by Keyboard magazine (Dec.1983) as "the most brilliant organist in the rock world". Outside of The Band, he was much in-demand as a session musician, and worked on movie soundtracks (Raging Bull, King of Comedy, the Right Stuff, etc.) and with artists such as Emmylou Harris, Van Morrison, Leonard Cohen, Roger Waters, and The Flying Burrito Brothers, as well as on solo albums from his various bandmates. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Band in 1994. He released his only solo album, The Sea to the North in 2001, joined a re-formed Flying Burrito Brothers in 2002, and formed a band with his wife Maud, Best! in 2005. He continued doing session work throughout the 2000's and released an All-Star Canadian tribute to the Band (with Neil Young, Bruce Cockburn, Cowboy,Junkies) in 2010 and Garth played on every track. Garth made his final public performance in Kingston, NY in 2023.  Grth's famous sound and style will be missed, but lives on in all the wonderful recordings of his and The Band's music.

Of Garth's legendary bandmates:

Richard Manuel, died 1983

Rick Danko,  died 1999

Levon Helm, died 2012

Robbie Robertson, died 2023

Previous posts featuring concerts and tributes to The Band can be found here.  

I haven’t posted much from BBChron for a while but they are always worth checking out

Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks - Yes Epics and Classics - 2023-04-16 - Newark, NJ | BBChronicles

Haven’t posted anything from BB for a while and this is nice, great quality and for Yes fans a treat. We loved Yes when they came out with such stars and virtuosos on their beloved instruments of choice with Steve Howe, Chris Squires,  but perhaps it was the uniquely haunting voice of Jon Anderson that made me sit up and take so much notice, that and the fascinating writing. BB says

"The current lineup of legendary progressive rock band Yes (consisting of Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, Billy Sherwood, Jon Davidson, and Jay Schellen) has recently released a new album, Mirror to the Sky, and has received positive reviews as their best album in many years. However, founding member and original longtime vocalist Jon Anderson, considered to be one of the all-time great prog vocalists, has not been a part of the group Yes for nearly 20 years now. But in the hearts and minds of Yes fans the world over, Jon Anderson will always be THE vocalist for Yes. And Jon is still very much interested in carrying on the music of Yes, and now he has teamed up with a talented group of accomplished musicians known as The Band Geeks, and he is currently on tour with them with a show called Yes Epics and Classics featuring Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks. And wow, what a show! Jon has still got it, even at 78 yrs old, his voice sounds great, and the Band Geeks admirably replicate the musical virtuosity of Yes at their peek. And the setlist is spectacular, filled with the band's greatest songs from their peak 70's period, including nearly all of the epic and classic tracks you would want to hear Yes play in concert. It is the greatest setlist ever for a Yes show, and comes in at amazing 2.5 hours They are all here, Yours is No Disgrace, Starship Trooper, Roundabout, Heart of the Sunrise,  Close to the Edge, And You and I, Awaken, and one of my personal faves, Perpetual Change. And there are 2 further epic tracks that were played on alternating nights (rest of setlist same each night), Riual from Tales from Topographic Oceans, and The Gates of Delirium from Relayer. Just sensational. And if you are thinking, yeah, well it's still not the Real Yes, hey, it's pretty darn close, as close as you will get in 2023, and with Jon Anderson fronting, well it's got just as much a claim to the Yes name as the current incarnation of the band. So, the current yes band has a pretty good album out currently, but it doesn't hold a candle to the classics in this show, and it all sounds great. This show is from last month (4/16/23) in New Jersey, and it is a good audience recording. Ritual was the latter part of the shpow epiv played that night, but  have included a bonus track of a recording of Gates of Delirium from the Reading PA show the following week, so that all of the songs they play are represented here (with the addition of the bonus track, the show is nearly 3 hrs long!). Although it is impossible to get a full real reunion of the classic lineup of Yes ever again (Chris Squire and Alan White have died, Bill Bruford has retired from drumming), this may just be the next best thing, at least for dynamite versions of the classic songs."

Tracklist:
Set One
 1. Firebird Suite
 2. Yours Is No Disgrace
 3. Perpetual Change
 4. Close To The Edge
 5. Heart Of The Sunrise
 6. Starship Trooper
 7. Awaken 

Set Two* not available to Mac owners!
 8. And You And I
 9. I've Seen All Good People
10. Ritual
11. Owner Of A Lonely Heart
12. Roundabout
Bonus Track (2023-04-23 - Reading, PA)
13. The Gates of Delirium

Jon Anderson - vocals, guitar, percussion, harp
Richie Castellano - bass, guitar, vocals 
Andy Graziano - guitar, bass, vocals 
Chris Clark - keyboards, vocals 
Robert Kipp - keyboards, guitar, vocals 
Andy Ascolese - drums 
Ann Marie Nacchio - backing vocals on 9, 11 & 12
Rob Schmoll - acoustic guitar on 8 & 9

Jon Anderson - The Band Geeks - BBChron

This is more than listenable and great fun! Very accomplished and believe me Anderson can still sing like he ever could which is more than could be said of many! 

WARNING

*Now what I would say is that I can only download part one of this two file download and thus it is available to PC owners only, I have yet to find any Mac solution to this . . . . .which is a shame but as I haven’t posted anything from BBKron for a while I think have at it you personal computer owners . . .(bloody Microsoft!)

Manassas (Stephen Stills, Chris Hillman and Band) -1972-03-22 - Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Netherlands :: BBChronicles

 MANASSAS

(First gig?!)

Manassas - Stills Hillman etc - BB Chron

This from BB the other day and its really worth a listen and a read up of his notes too

Great quality and from the ‘Dutch Masters Archives' and allegedly the first tour they played so right up there in energy and quality is readiobroadcast so a real treat. Both formats available too (MP3 and FLAC) Thanks was ever BB

Manassas 

(Stephen Stills, Chris Hillman and Band)

1972-03-22

Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Netherlands 

FM Broadcast Recording, Very Good Quality

Tracklist: 
CD1
1. Rock And Roll Woman
2. Bound To Fall
3. Hot Burrito #2
4. It Doesn't Matter
5. Go Back Home
6. Change Partners
7. Know You Got To Run
8. 4 & 20
9. Intro to
10. Bluesman
11. Word Game
12. Do For The Others
13. Move Around
14. Both Of Us (Bound To Lose)
15. Love The One You're With
16. He Was A Friend Of Mine >
CD2
1. Fallen Eagle
2. Hide It So Deep
3. Johnny's Garden
4. Don't Look At My Shadow
5. Sugar Babe
6. Four Days Gone
7. <For What It's Worth.
8. <Song Of Love
9. Rock And Roll Crazies
10. Cuban Bluegrass
11. Jet Set [Sigh]
12. Anyway>
13. The Treasure
14. Find The Cost Of Freedom

Bonus Tracks (1972-04-22 - Dania, FL)
1. So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star
2. Crossroads > Black Queen
3. You're Still On My Mind
4. 49 Bye Byes > For What It's Worth
5. Right Now 
6. Carry On

Manassas is: 
Stephen Stills - vocals, guitar, bottleneck guitar, piano, organ.
Chris Hillman - vocals, guitar, mandolin 
Al Perkins - steel guitar, guitar, vocals 
Calvin "Fuzzy" Samuels - bass 
Paul Harris - organ, tack piano, piano, organ.
Dallas Taylor - drums 
Joe Lala - percussion, vocal

Nice one BB

The Acoustic Guitar Album - A BB Chronicles Compilation - Great Acoustic Guitar Songs!

The Acoustic Guitar Album - BB Chronicles

I always check in on a regular basis with a range of blogs on music and here is a compilation from BB Chronicles who we haven't featured for a while and whilst bound to be contentious ( I guess that's the point!) he has excelled himself here. Being moderately obsessed with the guitar what better way to start the weekend than with a compilation of personal favourites from him here and really worth a read too! (Always actually!)

My Kalamazoo KG14 - 1936

Tracklist: Artist - Song Title (Album-year)

01. America - Riverside (America-1971)

02. Jethro Tull - Life's A Long Song (Living in the Past-1972)

03. Big Star - Watch The Sunrise (#1 Record-1972)

04. Leo Kottke - Busted Bicycle (6 & 12 String Guitars-1969)

05. Fleetwood Mac - Never Going Back Again (Rumours-1977)

06. The Beatles - Blackbird (2018 Mix) (The Beatles-1968)

07. Anthony Phillips-Scottish Suite (ii) Parting Thistle (Private Parts & Pieces II - Back to the Pavilion-1980)

08. Anthony Phillips - God If I Saw Her Now (The Geese and The Ghost-1977)

09. Led Zeppelin - Brn-Yr-Aur (Physical Graffiti-1975)

10. The Grays - Both Belong (Ro Sham Bo-1994)

11. Guitar Trio (Paco de Lucia, Al Di Meola & John McLaughlin)- Midsummer Night (Guitar Trio-1996) 

12. Doobie Brothers - Clear as the Driven Snow (Captain & Me-1973)

13. Ten Years After - I'd Love to Change the World (A Space in Time-1971)

14. Mason Williams - Classical Gas (Acoustic) (Hand Made-1970)

15. ELP - From The Beginning (Trilogy-1972)

16. Blind Faith - Can't Find My Way Home (Blind Faith-1969)

17. Wishbone Ash - Time Was (Openng section) (Argus-1972)

18. Genesis (Steve Hackett) - Horizons (Foxtrot-1972) 

19. The Beatles - Here Comes the Sun (Abbey Road-1969)

20. Heart - Love Alive (Little Queen-1977)

21. Neil Young - The Needle And The Damage Done (Harvest-1972)

22. Yes (Steve Howe) - The Clap (The Yes Album-1971)

My Harmony H162 (1957)

self portrait playing a Harmony Catalina in SARB's bed room

I guess if you listen to one thing today make it the Leo Kotke 'Busted Bicycle' - staggering stuff!