Category Archives: obit

OBIT: Holly Woodlawn

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holly_1Holly Woodlawn was a movie star back when I was in high school. She was on the cover of the Rolling Stone, an amazing picture I can’t find, but one that certainly mixed up a young person’s head about the possibilities in this world.

When I was in high school we ate up Paul Morrisey’s trashy movies, Flesh and Heat, Dracula and Frankenstein 3D, some of which starred Holly Woodlawn.

When I heard that she’d passed yesterday I recalled the long and ridiculous dialogues she and Joe Dellasandro had in Trash, Holly’s nasal insistence the opposite of glamorous, but at the same time so full of its own sense of value, so real, that it also felt brave and heartening and hugely personal.

Vincent Canby got it right in his review of Trash in the New York Times:

“Holly Woodlawn, especially, is something to behold,” Vincent Canby wrote in his review for The New York Times, “a comic book Mother Courage who fancies herself as Marlene Dietrich but sounds more often like Phil Silvers.”

Which is why her place in rock ‘n’ roll history is cemented by these lines:

Holly came from Miami F-L-A,

Hitchhiked her way across the U.S.A.,

Plucked her eyebrows on the way,

Shaved her legs and then he was a she.

She says Hey babe,

Take a walk on the wild side

Said hey honey

Take a walk on the wild side.

You can read her New York Times obit here. The Rolling Stone obit is here.

 

 

Scott Weiland, RIP

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I guess I gotta do this too.

At my gym I can see the TVs as I work out but can’t hear the audio. So this morning, I see Scott Weiland singing with the caption “Shocking Death” underneath. Sorry to be course, but the Packers’ Hail Mary was more shocking.

I ignored STP after their beginnings as a Pearl Jam ripoff. Reading I’ve done today tells me they got past that, but I was already gone. Once in a while, I’d sample something from a Scott Weiland supergroup, but nothing ever piqued my interest. Played “Vasoline” in a cover band a few years ago and it was kind of fun, but I can’t even remember how it goes.

The only Scott Weiland I ever listened to (and still do) is his appearance on How High The Moon, perhaps my favorite live album ever, from one of my favorite and most underrated bands of all-time, Masters of Reality. Sadly, it’s the weakest track on the album, but after not liking it at all to begin with, it grew on me after about a year or so.

The fact that Chris Goss would think enough of Scott Weiland to bring him on stage gives Scott cred in my book, but, in my world, Goss would be the superstar and Weiland would be the obscure guy.

Another slow one.

I hope my obituary is better than this one.

Obit: Allen Toussaint

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When I was in high school I read a story or stories or stories and references to the legendary Allen Toussaint, who was a major figure in the sound of New Orleans. I remember going to the library and finding a couple of his albums, bringing them home and not getting at all what he was up to. The piano playing was accomplished, but the songs weren’t particularly rockin’ or tuneful. I returned the records, I have no idea which ones they were, and filed Toussaint under overrated.

It wasn’t too much later, however, that I came at New Orleans music from a different angle, a compilation album of tunes from the late 50s and early 60s. All of sudden, reading the fine print, I had the pleasure to discover Toussaint in a different context. Mother in Law and Working in the Coal Mine are novelty tunes, but glorious rockin’ ones at that. Here’s Ernie K Doe’s Mother in Law:

Here’s Devo covering Working in the Coal Mine, which was originally a hit for Lee Dorsey.

The fact is that Toussaint had a long career working with a broad swath of musical talent throughout not only New Orleans’ history but rock’s history as a whole. Alas, he died yesterday, from two heart attacks following a performance in Madrid. You can get more details about his life in this obit at Rolling Stone. A more complete obituary by Ben Sisario is in the New York Times.

I want to call attention to his hugely underrated collaboration with Elvis Costello called The River in Reverse, recorded after Hurricane Katrina devastated Toussaint’s home town. This is a live version of Ascension Day with lots of Toussaint on the piano.

I saw Toussaint in the park near my house a few years ago (turns out to be five). He’s a funny, talkative performer, who worked hard to please the crowd with a set of old hits and newer stuff. I must have been sitting right behind the guy with the camera here, by the way. Sit down!

 

 

 

 

Ornette Coleman is Dead!

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I went to an Ornette Coleman tribute Hal Wilner put on in the park near my house just about one year ago today.

Ornette is a jazz guy, perhaps the most popular of the free jazz players, and a musical giant. What I learned a year ago was that Lou Reed loved Ornette, but then so do many. I remember at poker games in the loft on Lispenard Street I would sometimes put Ornette on as a distraction, but somehow the beauty of his sounds won the day more often than I won the hand.

This one is live from Prince Street in 1970, same neighborhood as the poker (though 10 years earlier), and chosen especially because of the groovy vibe. (That’s Charlie Haden on the bass, Dewey Redman on tenor, and Ed Blackwell on the drums. )

Louis Johnson is Dead.

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Louis Johnson was a bass player in the Brothers Johnson, a soul band my cohort made fun of back in the 70s because of the word Johnson.

Louis Johnson ended up being Michael Jackson’s bass player, which was no doubt a lucrative gig that landed him spots on many giant records.

Louis Johnson died this week, at the age of 60, which is frightening for those of us who wish to be immortal.

Now, after the fact, we can see that Louis Johnson added significant bass to a lot of songs. I can’t get past Strawberry Letter #23, which is an old Shuggie Otis song that the Brothers covered, and made a hit of.

Quincy Jones produced the Brothers Johnson’s Strawberry Letter #23, and, of course, produced all of Michael Jackson’s hits. Louis Johnson was there for all of that.

BB King RIP

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BB King was my gateway to the blues, via his great album Live at the Regal. I saw him live once, at the Academy of Music in New York on a bill with the J. Geils Band in 1973 or so. An amazing show.

I just read on Wikipedia that King’s favorite singer was Frank Sinatra, who similarly died on May 14th.

Sweet Little Angel is a delightful song, full of life and generous good spirits. On a sad day, I get joy, and everything.

Obit: Leonard Nimoy (1931-2015)

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nimoySo Leonard Nimoy was not so much rock’n’roll, but he did release eight (yes, eight) albums.

  1. Leonard Nimoy Presents Mr. Spock’s Music From Outer Space.
  2. Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy
  3. The Way I Feel
  4. The Touch of Leonard Nimoy
  5. The New World of Leonard Nimoy
  6. Space Odyssey
  7. Outer Space/Inner Mind
  8. Highly Illogical

Who knew? Who even heard?

Of course, we all remember William Shatner’s kitchy cover of Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds.

But, the pair also cut a disc together, as you can see. nimoykirk

Still, there is no question of the influence of Star Trek and its characters on us boomers, and the cottage industry it spawned (I watched Next Generation and Voyager in addition to the original series).

There was also some music on the actual original Star Trek show, most of which was awful.

In honor of the life of the esteemed cultural icon, Spock, here is part of what was perhaps the worst episode, with some of the worst music. I do remember watching this when I was 16, and being half embarrassed, while half laughing my ass off.

But, Nimoy was indeed a mensch, as witnessed by his final message/Tweet, earlier in the week: “A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory.”

Irrespective, Live long and prosper, Nimoy. You were a good egg.

OBIT: Bon Scott (February 19, 1980)

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As I have written, there is not a lot of music Diane and I agree upon, but early AC/DC is one.

And, well, those of us here in Remnantland might have our differences in taste and style, but I can promise you all of us loved vocalist Bon Scott, who died 35 years ago yesterday, of what his death certificate said was “death by misadventure.”

I suspect Bon probably had a good laugh about that one somewhere the great beyond (or wherever).

Since A Long Way to the Top (my favorite AC/DC song) has visited here before, let’s filthy and chintzy.