Lemmings

Golly. Has anyone else noticed that the 40th anniversary of Woodstock approaches? In case you know not of what I write, here is a helpful link to a Wikipedia entry about this legendary event. Go along now. Shoo.

OK, now that we cognoscenti are alone together, can we talk? Am I the only one who finds all this Woodstock hyperbole a bit tiresome? Yes, I realize all the bands were unerringly great and there wasn't a bad seat in the house. But the bit that burrows under my skin is how attendees and historians trumpet the non-violent nature of the event.

Yes, 400,000 people hung out in the mud for three days and didn't kill each other. Could this have had anything to do with the pharmaceuticals then in vogue? I submit this rhetorical question: How would Woodstock have transpired had crystal been the drug du jour?

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Thank you, Les Paul.



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July 31 marked the end of the fiscal year here at Feverland. During August we close up shop to cook the books, enjoy some quiet time with the animals, and ride the rides without standing in those long lines with the hoi polloi. We also use the break to assess the musical hits and misses of the prior twelve months.

Now, every year we lament hundreds of criminally overlooked releases. We shake our heads ruefully, but then we pound down a shot of single-malt, slam the empty glass on the bar, and move on.

Every now and then, though, there'll be one that really sticks in our craw. Such as: Rocco Deluca. He's a blues-rock dobro player with a wide-ranging and expressive voice. His first release came out a few years ago surrounded by a whole lot of hype, including the enthusiastic backing of Kiefer Sutherland. Remember? Neither did I until I looked it up.

The follow-up emerged about six months ago. It was produced by one Daniel Lanois, which allows for this connection:

You'll recall Chris Whitley's fantastic debut album, 'Living With the Law.' It was produced by Lanois associate Malcolm Burn, and it still stands as one of the great updates to the blues rock sound.

This reporter suggests that Rocco Deluca's latest is, in its way, an update of 'Living With the Law' and deserves the same accolades. Here we have an official-release music video of his (and evidently Kiefer is still a fan). Oh, and you gotta visit YouTube for this, as embedding is not available for some undoubtedly pointless reason.

Rocco Deluca & The Burden