Something new…can you believe it?!  Here’s a tribute to my favorite band.

QUEEN

Share / Bookmark

Hello Everyone,

Hope all is well.

In church yesterday, the priest reflected on a gospel reading which focused on the idea of building a house on rock as opposed to sand. Building a house on rock, as you might expect, is labor intensive, time-consuming and just difficult. Building on sand would be considered a shortcut as it would be faster, easier and cheaper to construct. However, when the wind, rains and storms have their way, the house on sand would succumb but the house on rock….

Although the priest was directing his metaphor toward christian life, I was thinking how that applied  to every area aspect of our existence. Relationships, lifestyle choices, careers, buying decisions, etc., benefit from this mindset.  Shortcuts serve a purpose and have their place but all too often  are based on instant gratification and we sometimes suffer regret at the hands of our decisions. I certainly have made a few of those mistakes. Ok, enough preaching.

I want to wish everyone a happy, healthy and fun summer.

Have a good day.

All the Best,
John

PS
I will be releasing a new video this week that I hope you’ll enjoy.

Share / Bookmark

The first time I heard ‘Vision of Love’ I said ‘wow’. This girl’s going to be a star. It didn’t take a musical genius to figure that out. Mariah Carey has since sky-rocketed to superstardom as a singer and songwriter. She recently passed Elvis as having the most number ones of any solo artist.

Ok, here’s my first problem with Ms. Carey. Like so many Hip-Hop/R&B singers, a genre recently adopted by Mariah, they seem more concerned with vocal aerobics than a focus on melody and lyrics (do I sound old or what?). The inflections and breathy moments seem calculated, not born from any emotion grounded in the heart of the song. I’d rather listen to Jay-Z or Barbra Streisand who I believe. Whether they’ve wrote the song or are interpreting it, there’s a difference between something felt and something forced.

I believe that Mariah  lip-synched her song on American Idol Wednesday which made for a one-dimensional performance. Also, she seemed to be conducting herself as she ’sang’ which was a little distracting.  Mariah has a great voice and seemingly warm, generous personality but for someone recognized as one of the greatest singers in the world, to lip-synch, was very dissappointing.

Maybe she was sick. Maybe she was sad. Maybe she didn’t want to spoil the release of her new album with a performance that couldn’t duplicate what she did in the studio. I don’t know. What I do know is that the greatest singers in the world, sing or stay home.

Thanks for reading.

Have a great weekend.

All the Best,
John

Share / Bookmark

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.  I look forward to sharing new music with you soon.

All the Best,
John 

Share / Bookmark

I just received an email from a music business resource wishing me well in 2008. Included was this link to a video to help inspire his readers to accomplish great things next year:

http://www.maniacworld.com/Phone-Salesman-Amazes-Crowd.html

I was moved to tears.

In some way, we’re all a lump of coal….

All the Best,
John

Share / Bookmark

Hello everyone,

Unfortunately, not much was accomplished this month. The new tune is still a work in progress though I do expect it to be ready for the real studio soon. The next Queen cover will be Bicycle Race which is as much fun to sing as it is to listen to. I’ll post Somebody to Love soon.

By the way, the title of this post, When October Goes, is a song written by Barry Manilow (music) and Johnny Mercer (lyrics).

Thanks for reading.

Have a great day.

Share / Bookmark

Just saw Jon, Richie and the gang at the new Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. Wow! Great show from a great band. The stage & light show was minimal and seemed like the boys wanted it that way. Judging from the adoration of the crowd, it was only the music and Jon’s ability to charm an audience that really mattered.

I was unfamiliar with a couple of tunes from his latest release Lost Highway but it made for a good mix of old and new.

Daughtry opened the concert and although the sound was muddy he rocked. Chris’ voice and presence were strong and the band performed well. I think Chris is on his way to lasting 25+ years.

Here’s one of Bon Jovi’s classic tunes and my fav recorded at Wembley Stadium in 1995. Enjoy!

Click the button below to buy Bon Jovi music on iTunes!

Share / Bookmark

In my book, the best American singer/songwriter ever is Billy Joel.  Billy’s songs were stories with faces and places that you could see attached to melodies you could hum in your sleep. His lyrics were insightful, playful and smart. Combine all this with the master production talents of Phil Ramone and you have an iconic musician whose music will be enjoyed forever…

Click the button below to buy music from Billy Joel on iTunes!

Share / Bookmark

Surfing YouTube last night, I came across  a classic performance that me laugh and long for a different time. The Rat Pack era with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and the gang was truly a special time in the history of entertainment. They were funny, charasmatic and an incredibly talented bunch of guys. Every night was a party and everyone was welcome.

For those of you not too familiar with the Rat Pack or the fortunate few who’d like to be reminded of this great era, here’s are a few videos from those magical nights…

Part 1

Part 2

Share / Bookmark

The classic rock band STYX was a favorite of mine growing up in the early 80’s. I loved Renegade, Blue Collar Man & Lady among others but Come Sail Away was my favorite.

I sang this song many times as the lead singer of the cover band No Canadian Coins. I was attending St John Fisher College at the time so I changed the the lyric “I think of childhood friends and the dreams we had”  to ” I think of college friends…..”

Here’s a video of Come Sail Away performed by the great Dennis DeYoung and STYX. Enjoy!

 Click the button below to buy music from STYX on iTunes!

Share / Bookmark