I post a weekly diary of historical notes, arts & science items, foreign news (often receiving little notice in the US) and whimsical pieces from the outside world that I often feature in "Cheers & Jeers".
OK, you've been warned - here is this week's tomfoolery material that I posted.
CHEERS to Bill and Michael in PWM, our Laramie, Wyoming-based friend Irish Patti and ...... well, each of you at Cheers and Jeers. Have a fabulous weekend .... and week ahead. In addition, Happy Father’s Day to all whom it may apply to.
ART NOTES — an exhibition entitled Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists — the first major exhibition of artwork by Native women (over 115 artists from the United States and Canada) spanning over 1,000 years — will be at the Minneapolis, Minnesota Institute of Art through August 18th.
In Minneapolis through Aug 18thCHEERS to a vacation away last weekend …. it was so good, I will be doing the same the following weekend. Hence …
PROGRAMMING NOTE — there will neither be a Friday Cheers & Jeers posting, nor a Sunday Odds & Ends wrap-up diary on the following weekend (though I will be posting a long-form Top Comments diary on Thursday, June 20th). Returning for the end of June.
THE RIGHT WING in the European nation of Estonia— which opposes liberal democracy, immigration, gay rights, et al — having taken to wearing pins with a pink blob to show their opposition.
THURSDAY's CHILD is named Cheeto the Cat— whom the UC Davis physics department is asking the student body not to feed, due to his increasing weight and squirrels eating the excess food.
Cheeto the CatIN a RECENT POLL of mine, one of the choices for Who Lost the Week? was Amnesty International— and this managerial essay gives some background.
YOUR WEEKEND READ is this essay by the nonpareil Adam Serwer about the internal right-wing debate about democracy vs. the loss of power, with the Hungarian president Viktor Orbán as a role model.
A BUMPER STICKER that I recently saw near my office (and cannot find for sale on-line, so it perhaps is unique?):
“In a world of Kellyannes …. Be a Sally” (Yates, I am assuming).
FRIDAY's CHILD is named Walter the Cat— an English kitteh who is among the three finalists in the Hero Cat competition in Great Britain — as he senses when to wake up a diabetic woman (when her blood sugar gets low) from her sleep.
Walter the Hero CatBRAIN TEASER - try this Quiz of the Week's News from the BBC.
THIS COMING SUNDAY I will feature Odds & Ends - a wrap-up diary of my postings, circa noon Eastern (9 AM Pacific). I hope you'll vote in the "Who Lost the Week Fortnight?!?" poll (a mirror image of the one Bill posts here). Dang, there are already bushel baskets of misfits lined-up for your review (such as a former Michigan State dean, Kellyanne Conway, Linda Fairstein, Duncan Hunter, Cuba Gooding Jr. and opioid-maker Insys) .... and the week's not over yet.
Reader-Suggested MOTHER-DAUGHTER? from Audri— TV star Arlene Francis (a long-time ”What’s My Line?” panelist) ………...
Arlene Francis (1907-2001)… and the Academy Award winner, Dame Helen Mirren. Whaddya think?
Helen Mirren (born 1945)........... and finally, for a song of the week ........considering that (a) their days as hitmakers passed several decades ago, (b) their manager sold the rights to their early albums for a fraction of what they would later be worth, (c) have had a revolving door with personnel, in part because (d) at least six bandmembers have died prematurely: this year, Canned Heat will celebrate its 54th anniversary as a blues band. If nothing else: you gotta admire the tenacity of its drummer/bandleader in carrying on.
They began in Los Angeles in 1965 as a group of vintage blues album collectors; most notably the heavy-set lead singer Bob 'The Bear' Hite and the painfully-shy, clinically depressed (yet phenomenally-talented) Alan Wilson on guitar/harmonica. Even their name came from their work: the 1928 Tommy Johnson tune "Canned Heat Blues" referred to a nickname for Sterno.
After early personnel changes, the band appeared at the 1967 Monterey Pop festival, and released its 1967 debut album with lead guitarist Henry Vestine as well as Larry Taylor on bass. After the first album, drummer Frank Cook was replaced on drums by Mexico City native Adolfo de la Parra - known as Fito - with Cook later joining the band Pacific Gas & Electric.
And that lineup of Hite, Wilson, de la Parra, Taylor ... and with either Henry Vestine (or Harvey Mandel) on guitar ... became the classic lineup for the rest of the 1960's and early 1970's. The band also featured performances with blues legend John Lee Hooker (on the subsequent Hooker 'n Heat album).
They began with spirited covers of blues classics like "Bullfrog Blues" and Rollin' & Tumblin ... as the band's own early compositions were fairly derivative: On the Road Again which borrowed from bluesman Floyd Jones, plus Going Up the Country from a 1920's Henry Thomas song, and Bob Hite's Amphetamine Annie - an early example of an anti-drug song - was deeply inspired by Albert King.
The band achieved success in their first early albums, and were stars at the Woodstock Festival fifty years ago this summer. But in a sign of things to come: guitarist Henry Vestine and bassist Larry Taylor had some notable rows; one causing Vestine to leave the band just before Woodstock - with Harvey Mandel replacing him both at Woodstock and for just over a year. Pictured is the Classic line-up #1 of Wilson, Hite, Vestine, de la Parra and Taylor.
Classic lineup #1: de la Parra/Taylor on rightMy favorite album of theirs followed: Future Blues - with unusually tight versions of more original songs the band would stretch out live - as well as a strong ecological message from Alan Wilson and the new guitar sound of Harvey Mandel. This proved to be the Classic lineup #2’s high-water-mark.
Within a year, the troubled Alan Wilson was dead (at age 27) from an overdose of barbiturates (unclear if an accident or a suicide) and Larry Taylor (along with Harvey Mandel) left to join John Mayall's band. With Taylor's departure, Henry Vestine returned along with newcomers Joel Scott Hill and bassist Antonio de la Barreda. This marked the end of the Classic lineup #2, and the band was to come upon hard times - including having to sell their album rights to settle a huge amount of debt.
One break the band had, according to drummer Fito de la Parra in his excellent book Living the Blues which had a third printing in 2009 - management scheduled an Australian tour when they could have earned more (and incurred far less cost) staying in the US. But it endeared the band to Australian audiences at a time when not many top US bands played there - and they tided the band over during some lean times in the future.
And there were to be some lean times, as numerous personnel changes began to take hold. Lead singer Bob (The Bear) Hite died in 1981 of a heart attack, and guitarist Henry Vestine died in 1997 of respiratory failure. Over the years, other members (such as Joel Scott Hill, Robert Lucas and Antonio de la Barreda) have also died, leaving a touch of melancholy. But drummer de la Parra has kept the band alive all of these years, and with a song like "Harley-Davidson Blues", the band has a big following at biker conventions, and music festivals in general.
Beginning in 2010, the band’s lineup (besides long-time drummer de la Parra) included two other Woodstock bandmates: bassist Larry Taylor as well as guitarist Harvey Mandel, until Mandel had to leave due to health problems. The band's current lineup (besides long-time drummer de la Parra and bassist Taylor) includes guitarists Dale Spalding and John Paulus.
"Don't forget to boogie!" has long been the band's motto and — after nearly fifty-four years (including some upcoming tour dates, two of which commemorate their Woodstock 50th anniversary appearance) — they've surely lived up to it.
Fito de la Parra (at left), Larry Taylor (right)My favorite song of theirs was a cover version of the Wilbert Harrison song Let's Work Together from their 1970 "Future Blues" album. This live performance has the Classic line-up #2 (including the late Alan Wilson on slide guitar and late vocalist Bob Hite).
Together we stand Divided we fall Come on now people, let's get on the ball
Make someone happy Make someone smile Let's all work together and Make life worthwhile
Let's work together Come on, come on Let's work together You know together we will stand Every boy, girl, woman and man
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