Three Ramblin’ Questions: premiere

Here’s a new feature here at Ramblin’.  It’s called “Three Ramblin’ Questions.”
OK, it’s not new. I was inspired by blogger Chris “Lefty” Brown.
OK, I stole Lefty Brown’s idea.

In any case, this month marks the 50th anniversary of “Rock and/or Roll,” as a cartoon minister once put it. Rock Around the Clock reached Number 1 on the charts on July 9, 1955.
(Yeah, yeah, I know about “Rocket 88” and all that)

About halfway through the Rock and roll era, one (or two) of my favorite songs about rock and roll came out on Neil Young’s Rust Never Sleeps album. (And neither do I ’cause it’s too darn hot.)

So, please tell me:

1. Will rock and roll ever die, or is rock and roll here to stay?

2. Is it better to burn out, or to fade away?

3. What king or queen of music is gone but not forgotten? (Gone means left this mortal coil, not a downturn in the career.)

BONUS QUESTION: I’ll be doing this feature:

a. Every week, religiously.

b. As the muse strikes.

c. Whenever I’m pressed for time.

RM-Special Music Edition

While my ukulele gently weeps with audio/video. Actually quite good, I think, despite the web address. (Thanks, BG.)
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The great thing about Albany is FREE music in the summertime. So far, we’ve had, among others, Ruben Blades, Mary Wilson and Sam Bush at Alive at Five with Little Feat, Leon Russell, and Terrence Simien still to come. At The Plaza had a two-day BluesFest with Buddy Guy, Shemekia Copeland and many others; and Black 47; Forthcoming: the Lovin’ Spoonful and Grand Funk Railroad with the Edgar Winter Band. I’ve seen NONE of the musicians that have performed so far, and I am not sure if I’ll get the chance to see the artists that are still to come. Nuts.
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I got this e-mail from Amazon touting their “10th Anniversary Hall of Fame musicians, whose CDs have sold the largest number of copies at Amazon.com in the seven years since Amazon began selling music in 1998”. The list is pretty obvious, you’d think:
The Beatles,U2, Norah Jones, Diana Krall are the top 4. 6-10 are Frank Sinatra, Santana, Enya, Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones. The rest of the top 25 you’d all know. But who is it at #5? Eva Cassidy. Eva Cassidy?
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I was having lunch with my friend Mary and we were talking about Van Morrison. I noted that “Jackie Wilson Says” was on St. Dominic’s Preview. She contended otherwise and bet me $5. People, PLEASE don’t bet with me. I can be/have been wrong about a LOT of things in my life, but when I put money up, it just doesn’t happen.
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I received this link with audio of an Itzhak Perlman performance on three strings.
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Rapp on This: Lawyer Paul Rapp, a/k/a Lee Harvey Blotto, the drummer from the legendary Albany band Blotto, always has something sage to say about intellectual property and the arts.
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“Les Paul Celebrating 90th Birthday With New Album”
90 years on this planet and still jammin !
Les Paul is the Inventor of the solid body guitar and muiltitrack recording as well as a master of his instrument. Happy Birthday Les !

Guitar legend Les Paul will celebrate his 90th birthday with his first new studio album since 1978’s “Guitar Monsters,” a collaboration with Chet Atkins. Les Paul & Friends’ “American Made, World Played” is due Aug. 30 via Capitol/EMI.

The album will boast such collaborations as “Love Sneakin’ Up on You” with Sting and Joss Stone, “Fly Like an Eagle” with Steve Miller, Eric Clapton on “Somebody Ease My Troublin’ Mind,” Jeff Beck on “Good News,” ZZ Top’s Billy F. Gibbons on “Bad Case of Lovin’ You” and Buddy Guy, Keith Richards and Rick Derringer on “Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl.”

I only do such blatant commercial plugs when the artist is at least 88.

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