Jim's First Ten

Secret Museum Files

The gods of fate have sent Jim and I on a mondo vision quest to deepest darkest Utah. If you see our wives, tell them we’ll be back next Sunday.

Kelly Clement’s Celtic and Beyond (one of two or three KTAO 101.9 programs worthy of your attention) played a block of Mellow Candle a few weeks back. How many other DJs can make that claim? Tune in Wednesdays 7 to 10 p.m. MST (streaming at ktao.com), and request your favorite Christy Moore, Horslips or Frankie Kennedy songs from The Man himself at: CelticAndBeyond@ktao.com
-Michael Mooney

Here’s Jim on his breakthrough year, 1975-

Diary of a Rock Fan

I started out just keeping the concert ticket stubs from shows I attended. At sixteen years there is no master plan about maintaining a record of anything, let alone the concerts you’ve witnessed. After about twenty-five stubs I began to document the shows in a small spiral notebook. Lately, I’ve wished that I kept a record of every book I read from the same date onward as that first concert- not out of vanity, but I have this vague notion now that, maybe if I could go back and review everything I’ve listened to and read, a pattern will emerge, some insight into what makes me tick, and help me to assemble and make sense out of my own personal puzzle. I know that’s asking an awful lot from a simple list of an evening’s entertainment through the years. The philosopher, wild game hunter, and occasional guitarist Ted Nugent said it best: “You’re born at point A, you’re going to die at point B, in between just kick ass.” Here’s where point A starts for me:

1.) Bad Company/ Maggie Bell

May 29, 1975 The Spectrum, Philadelphia

Bad Company on their first headlining tour played this enormous hockey/basketball arena. A near sell-out crowd, 17,000 in attendance, dance concert format. A huge pyramid stack of amps on either side of the stage. Bad Company kicked ass; Maggie Bell had good pipes, dull songs. I would’ve gotten down here sooner for my first gig, but didn’t have a driver’s license. I knew I would be back to this big airplane hanger and it’s exciting, dangerous vibe, and felt like I’d finally found my tribe after wandering in the desert for sixteen years.

2.) Lynyrd Skynyrd/ Elvin Bishop/ Wet Willie
June 19, 1975 The Spectrum

Elvin & Wet were decent enough, but no real magic during their sets. Skynyrd came out firing with their triple guitar attack and never let up. Free Bird was all it was meant to be.

3.) Yes/ Ace
July 23, 1975 Spectrum

I have no idea why a pub-rock band was opening for Prog superstars Yes. A great stage design by Roger Dean wrapped around the band members like a snake. The set mostly consisted of Relayer; Gates of Delirium featuring Patrick Moraz on keyboards was tremendous. I met the Hare Krishnas for the first time in the parking lot.

4.) Allman Brothers Band/ Muddy Waters
Sept. 18, 1975 Spectrum

Old Muddy sat on a stool in front of 18,000 and did his thing; the crowd dug him. The Allmans were touring on Win, Lose or Draw; Chuck Leavell’s signature tune Jessica among the highlights. Dickey Betts was in fine form.

5.) Aerosmith/ REO Speedwagon/ Ted Nugent
Oct. 5, 1975 Spectrum

Ted opened with his ten-minute-plus symphony Hibernation that took the paint off the walls. REO was just another faceless rock band. Aerosmith kicked tail with all the nuggets from Toys in the Attic.

6.) Blackmore’s Rainbow/ Argent
Nov. 15, 1975 Tower Theater, Philadelphia

Argent had a few FM radio staples that went down well. First solo tour for ex Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. Great drum solo by Cozy Powell. No Deep Purple songs. There was a huge rainbow above the musicians on stage that changed colors. Numerous problems with said rainbow (causing feedback from stage amps) stopped the show several times as the always-grumpy Blackmore stormed off with band in tow. The concertgoers booed lead singer Ronnie James Dio- five feet tall including platform boots; he was the only one left onstage.

7.) Allman Brothers Band/ Grinderswitch
Nov. 27, 1975 Madison Square Garden, N.Y.C.

Thanksgiving show at the Garden- rabid New York faithful out in force. Gregg opened with his standard greeting: “We’re gonna play everything we know”, which whipped the crowd into a frenzy before one note had been played. Great gig. One of the members of our road party had to be at work by 6 AM, and sadly we had to catch the last train back to Trenton. We left during Whipping Post. Very painful memory: the morgue-like silence of Penn Station as the Allmans wailed away upstairs haunts me to this day.

8.) The Who/ Toots & The Maytals
December 15, 1975 Spectrum

Toots literally got bottled off the stage, so intent were The Who fanatics to see their heroes. This was the final night of their North American tour and they uncorked a gem. An unbelievable laser show came alive during the Tommy medley half way through the set. Townshend had seven identical Les Paul guitars lined up on stands right behind him; he didn’t wait until the finale to start trashing them. Blazing sound, all the classics, and a righteous mauling of the drums by Keith Moon at the end. The amount of pure magic flowing from the stage was staggering. The band had 18,000 in the palms of their hands from the first note until the last chord faded away.

9.) Foghat/ Leslie West/ Artful Dodger
Dec. 18, 1975 Spectrum

Leslie rocked with Mississippi Queen, but this was Foghat’s night. Slow Ride, Fool for the City and a lot of smoking guitar.

10.) Bruce Springsteen & The E Street band
Dec. 29, 1975 Tower Theater

This was Springsteen at his best. Philly has always been one of his strongholds, and this was a very hard ticket to get. Born To Run had come out in September, and they played the whole damn thing, plus oldies like Quarter to Three. Loose and wild on stage just doing whatever he felt like. Superb.
-Jim Webb

Taos Radio; Top Gigs 2008; John Byrne- R.I.P.

Secret Museum Correspondence

KTAO's Fogies Revealed

Who Are These Guys?

December 21, 2008

Michael Mooney & Jim Webb
mooney@taosnet.com
webbjuice@comcast.net

We got mail
Top Gigs 2008
John “Sean” Byrne R.I.P.

Hi Jim & Mike:

I've been enjoying your discussions on the Horse Fly. Now I believe there is hope that there might be some like-minded music fans out there and I don't need to slash my wrists or vomit whenever I put on KTAO. Jim, my ADD almost got in the way of my noticing that you had compiled a worst music list starting off with Billy Squier who is from my home town Wellesley, Massachusetts. I thought you liked him! Jonathan Richman of The Modern Lovers grew up in the next town off of Route 9 where "it is bleak and nearly dying" and brought redemption to the whole area.

Well anyhow. What can be done to improve Taos music? I’ll do my part and continue to email KTAO anytime they play a song that I approve of. I heard Beck and Radiohead one day and couldn't believe my ears. Also, Nancy S. had some teenage girls on her show and one of them mentioned the term "freak folk" which Nancy had never heard, and one of the girls liked The Strokes. In Nancy's favor she showed an openness to learn.

So I emailed her with my suggested songs, among them Holly Golightly with The Greenhornes’ There is an End.

I've been hearing talk of this summer of love celebration next year, so once again I emailed KTAO and suggested that they should bring Roky Erickson of 13th Floor Elevators to Taos.
Roky holds an important place in music history, and is functional again. I saw him play in Dallas and it wasn't just old people there. Roky can still sing and scream. Also, Cyril Jordan of the Flamin' Groovies has a new band Magic Christian. They are on myspace and playing all over. Cyril Jordan will reunite with Roy Loney at Ponderosa Stomp in Spring '09.

Mike, I will add the Sonics (who are playing again) to the list of bands that should come here.If you know of any musicians of the garage rock vein or promoters can you put me in touch with them? If my husband can find some people to play with here, he won't need to travel away to play music. There is a Taos Music myspace but it isn't updated often.

Best Regards,
Milissa
(Garage/Punk fan who moved to Taos in June)

Hi Milissa, and welcome to Taos.

It seems there are just a few of us Rock fans around these parts or, I should say, Rock as I understand it. I personally know maybe 6 of them. If others exist, they're probably holed up in their casitas cos there's nothing to do around here. There’ve been a few attempts over the years to liven up the Taos music scene (I mean those that don't include the word 'solar’), most-notably by Mondo Marc. He had a free form program on KTAO for a few months, then moved over to 'The Mountain.' I think it's gone now. I never tuned in, and suspect he was only trying to impress (educate?) the kids anyway- Christ knows, there's nothing on the airwaves here for them- but he did walk the talk. I think he was also involved with a weekly Roller Disco something or other at the Family Center, so I know the guy’s heart is in the right place.

I listen to Air America or KRZA once in a while, but only in the car. There's an AM station based in Red River that plays the most bizarre mix of ancient rock 'n' roll and 70s disco hits. Almost like pirate radio- no on-air personalities and the range is extremely limited (once you leave Questa it vanishes)- but if you like your Silver Connection with a Little Richard chaser, see if you can find it next time you're up that way. It's brilliant. Otherwise, unless you’re a fan of ‘progressive’ talk radio (I am), or regional Spanish music (I am), you're left with four local stations (and that's a lot for a town this size) that, with the exception of certain local specialties like Kelly Clement’s Celtic program or Roots and Wires (plus a few syndicated shows), insist on almost exclusively playing crap.

Hippie Marc also tried his hand here at concert promotion, as did I. He brought in Daniel Lanois and did okay, apparently (he’s got experience.) I tried to book Calexico into the TCA, and got Will Oldham instead. Twelve bucks at the door. Brightblack and Faun Fables opened, 70 people showed up and witnessed a weird, great show. I lost my shirt. My mistake was trying to pander (just a little) to the typical Taos audience, and having the nerve to schedule a concert on a Wednesday in April (and probably not promoting it properly.)

Good luck with your K-Taos campaign, but as long as Brad is at the helm, I doubt the basic format will ever change. It’s his so he can do what he wants. Hockmeyer used to have garage sales of all the CD promos he was sent and never played. I got tons of great cheap stuff from him. One time, though, I spotted a Jackie Leven cd that I thought was tailor-made for his playlist. I put it right in his hand and said, "Brad, you have to keep this one- it's perfect for you, and as brilliant as any Van Morrison LP you can name. Jackie's better than Sting!" He told me he'd definitely give the disc a spin, and then put it back in the sale box when he thought I wasn't looking. The last time I listened to KTAO was one afternoon several years ago. Paddy Mac was doing the 5 o'clock celebrity birthday roundup. When he pronounced Ernie Isley's last name with a short i, that was the last straw for me.

If your husband has any luck locating like-minded musicians in Taos let me know. I searched for years and only found Blues, Country/Americana or Jam band dudes. There are some very good players here, but NOBODY rocks. If they don’t want to, fine, except I believe that many do. Maybe they don’t think anyone wants it, which is a poor reason for not doing something.

In my opinion, the only way to remedy the dearth of good music is to keep on demanding it publicly. That's part of our mission for the Horse Fly. Maybe there ARE others out there. If so, we’d like to hear from them.
-Michael Mooney

Mike -
A quick look back at some of the best shows I saw in 2008:

1.) X
Santa Fe Brewery

A smokin' set from that little 'ole punk band from LA that had the full Secret Museum staff in attendance. Billy Zoom's guitar still bites, John & Exene's vocals still have the passion. They restored my belief in why rock music matters.

2.) Steely Dan
Sandia Resort & Casino, ABQ

An unbelievably tight group in a great outdoor setting- Ray Charles would've enjoyed their r n' b sound that included horns and backing singers. I'm ashamed at myself for not checking them out earlier.

3.) Bruce Dunlap / Claudia Villela
Gig Performance Space, Santa Fe

Guitarist Bruce Dunlap is Santa Fe's best-kept secret. This turned into a magical evening when Brazilian singer Villela appeared unannounced. Melodic guitar maestro Dunlap walks the jazz improv high wire without a net as good as anyone. His cat and mouse game with Villela's vocal's was superb.

4.) Lyle Lovett and His Large Band
Paolo Solieri, Santa Fe

This turned into an old time revival meeting. A full Baptist Choir from ABQ was added to the Large Band on several Gospel numbers. The mix also included a large helping of country and bluegrass, served up by the always-entertaining Lovett as MC, bandleader, vocalist, guitarist and chief storyteller.

5.) The Who

Wachovia Center, Philadelphia

A solid show that provided a great retrospective of their classics from the last 40 plus years. Daltry and Townshend are now both over sixty. I hope this isn’t the last time I see them.

6.) Blue Oyster Cult
Camel Rock Casino

Nice to see a band that's been around awhile and not simply going through the motions for a paycheck. Original axe man Buck Dharma and vocalist Eric Bloom are still in the group, pounding the highways and visiting state fairs and casinos with their trademark intensity.

7.) Blue Cheer
Launchpad, ABQ

Still loud n' proud. The ultimate in old school crunching guitar riffs, with basic four on the floor drumming. A bit one dimensional (I know that's the point), but fun.

8.) Asia
Big Rock Casino, Espanola

It was a bit surreal to find oneself in a parking lot behind a bowling alley in Espanola, watching ex-members of Yes, King Crimson and Emerson, Lake and Palmer play. The highlight was seeing drummer virtuoso Carl Palmer straining with every ounce of his lifeforce to play the simple disco shuffle on Video Killed The Radio Star.

9.) Wynton Marsalis & The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra
Kiva Auditorium

Traditional jazz in the big band Ellingtonian style. A lot of great soloists, chief among them trumpeter Marsalis.

10.) Nguyen Lee
Gig Performance Space, Santa Fe

Vietnamese-born guitarist Nguyen Le performed in a rare solo setting on electric guitar with evocative backing tracks from his laptop. The intimate Gig Performance Space created a perfect atmosphere for his music; Bruce Dunlap joined him at the end of his set in a freeform jam session.


This was a tough list to compile, a lot of good shows got left off including: Donovan, Guy Clark, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Sugarland. I only hope 2009 is as good.
-Jim Webb


Jim-

Of all the no-hit/one-hit wonders from the First Psychedelic Era, only San Jose’s Count Five made no attempt to disguise the fact that they were kids. And unlike peers The Music Machine, Standells, Syndicate of Sound, Seeds, Chocolate Watchband, or even Love and The Elevators, you’ll hear no pseudo-Jaggerisms in the vocals of John Byrne, who truly captured the restless teenage spirit of 1966. I’m not just talking Psychotic Reaction either. The common complaint about the Five is that they never had another song to equal their acknowledged classic. But who does? And although Count Five’s sole album was recorded, in a mad rush, to capitalize on the hit, it contains a wealth of surprisingly good original material (plus, oddly, two Who covers), all of it composed or co-written by Byrne. Regarding the frequently cited Yardbirds rip-off claims, I don’t buy it. It’s one song, for Chrissakes. And as Byrne himself said, “If you look at the records, the Yardbirds never came close to the popularity of Psychotic Reaction. I like the Yardbirds, but they did not influence Psychotic Reaction” (the Yardbirds biggest U.S. hit -by a wide margin- was For Your Love. It peaked at #6 in June of ’65 with the colossal strength of CBS behind it. Psychotic Reaction made it to #5 in October ’66 on the tiny Double Shot label. So there.)

It kills me every time I see Kenn Ellner listed as the singer for Count Five. He WAS the singer until Byrne joined the group, and his dad did manage them (very well, too, it would seem.) But Ellner only sings the two Who songs on the Psychotic Reaction LP, and little else. It’s not difficult to tell his vocals from John Byrne’s in terms of quality and color. I think John is a great singer. While he sounds nothing like the young Dave Davies, there’s a similar glee in his voice. It’s as if he, like Dave, can’t believe his luck at the opportunity to sing in a recording studio. In Byrne’s case, though, that luck ran out quickly.

It’s true that Count Five turned down over $1,000,000 (1966 dollars) in bookings in order to return to college and avoid Selective Service. John, an Irish citizen with no Draft concerns, pulled the plug on the group. His music career was over. It upsets me to think of him stuck behind some desk in the accounting department at Montgomery Ward. He should have been out there rocking with Mouse, Butch, Roy and Ken. Thank Uncle Sam.

John “Sean” Byrne died of cirrhosis complications in San Jose on December 15. He was 61.
-Michael Mooney