Adios, WFNX: They Made Growing Up In Eastern Massachusetts Exponentially Less Boring

Posted May 16, 2012 by borntorockandroll
Categories: Uncategorized

Tags: , , , ,

News broke today that WFNX, a Boston radio institution over the last three decades, will be going off the air tomorrow at 7 PM.  Rumor has it they’ll be switching over to a Spanish-language format (didn’t D.C.’s WHFS do the same thing a few years ago?).  Naturally, they were bought up by Clear Channel.

Without ‘FNX, we’d have never been turned on to Oasis, Redd Kross, Green Day, the Pixies, Love & Rockets, Nirvana, Too Much Joy, The Figgs, Stone Roses, Blur, the La’s, Teenage Fanclub, and pretty much every other new band worth their salt from the late ’80s to the mid ’90s… usually while driving around whiling away the hours, all hopped up on coffee.  Hell, we even heard our own band once on Juanita the Scene Queen’s Sunday night local music show – to say that was a thrill would be a gross understatement.

But perhaps the most fun (and also most frustrating) thing about ‘FNX (and all alternative radio, such is – was? – the nature of the beast) was that they’d just glom onto some of the most ridiculous shit you’ve ever heard and play the holy hell out of it for a week, a month, or an entire summer.  Most of the time, it sucked (we’re talking about you, Catherine Wheel and Soho) but every now and then, they’d uncover a true Nugget-in-the-making.

So thank you for shaping our tastes, 101.7.  And more importantly, thanks for putting Ratcat and Ned’s Atomic Dustbin in our musical vocabulary.

Donald “Duck” Dunn, 1941-2012: He Turned Goat Piss Into Gasoline

Posted May 13, 2012 by borntorockandroll
Categories: Uncategorized

Tags: , , , ,

Donald “Duck” Dunn, bassist for Booker T. & the MGs, the Mar-Keys, the Stax house band, the Blues Brothers, and session man extraordinaire, died in his sleep last night in Tokyo after playing two shows with his musical compadre of 50 years, Steve Cropper.  Duck was one of the key architects of modern soul music, probably the finest bass player who ever lived, and – based solely on the fact that he smoked a pipe modeled after his own head – a complete fucking character.

We went to Memphis a month ago and made the pilgrimage to the Stax Museum of American Soul Music.  Duck’s grooves permeated the walls.  That the marquee out front right now probably reads “In Loving Memory, Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn” just…  sucks.  What a loss.

Duck Dunn was a giant.  R.I.P.

Now dig:

Duck’s debut – “Last Night”, the Mar-Keys, 1961:

Booker T. & The MGs, 1968.

With Otis, Norway, 1967:

“Green Onions”, Paris, 1968 :

The greatest video clip we’ve ever seen – “Time Is Tight”, Oakland, 1970:

And, lest we forget, Donald “Duck” Dunn – thespian:

UPDATE (we suspected it because we were there the day Andrew Love got the same treatment):

“I’m gonna die gonna die one day ’cause I’m goin’ and goin’ and goin’ this way” R.I.P., Adam Yauch

Posted May 4, 2012 by borntorockandroll
Categories: Uncategorized

Tags: , ,

Image

The impact these guys had on this 15 year old male in 1987 was incalculable and still resonates today with both our Brooklyn address and penchant for canned beer.

Adam Yauch, dead at 47 from cancer.  What a gutpunch.

M.C. for what I AM and do
the A is for Adam and the lyrics; true
so as pray and hope and the message is sent
and I AM living in the dreams that I have dreamt
because I’m down with the three the unstoppable three
me and Adam and D. were born to M.C.
and my body and soul and mind are pure
not polluted or diluted or damaged beyond cure
just lyrics from I to you recited
arrested, bailed but cuffed and indicted
enter the arena as I take center stage
the lights set low and the night has come of age
take the microphone in hand as that I am a professional
speak my knowledge to the crowd and the ed. is special
for I AM a bard but not the last one
I’m my own king and this is my castle
dwell in realms of now but vidi those of the past
seen a glimpse from ahead and I don’t think it’s gonna last
and you can bet your ass

I drop the L. when I’m skiing
I’m smoking and peaking
I put the skis on the roof almost every single weekend
can’t stop the mindfuck when it’s rolling along
can’t stop the smooth runnin’s when the shit’s running strong
broke my bindings the lion with wings
preaching his word in the B. Boy sing
I AM one with myself as I turn to The
I prefer the dreams to reality
I prefer my life don’t need no other man’s wife
don’t need no crazy lifestyle with stress and strife
but it’s good to have turn to be a king for a day
or for a week or for a year or for a year in a day
come what may

I’m fishing with my boat and I’m fishing for trout
mix the Bass Ale with the Guiness Stout
fishing for a line inside my brain
and looking out at the world through my window pane
every day has many colors cuz the glass is stained
everything has changed but remains the same
so once again the mirror raised and I see myself as clear as day
and I AM going to the limits of my ultimate destiny
feeling as though Somebody were testing me
He who sees the end from the beginning of time
looking forward through all the ages is, was and always shall be
check the prophetic sections of the pages

He goes by the name of Disco Dave

Namaste, M.C.A.

Davy Jones, 1945-2012: The Guys React

Posted February 29, 2012 by borntorockandroll
Categories: Uncategorized

Tags: , , , ,

Micky Dolenz:

I am in a state of shock; Davy and I grew up together and shared in the unique success of what became The Monkees phenomena. The time we worked together and had together is something I’ll never forget. He was the brother I never had and this leaves a gigantic hole in my heart. The memories have and will last a lifetime. My condolences go out to his family.

Our Man Thorkelson:

It is with great sadness that I reflect on the sudden passing of my long-time friend and fellow-adventurer, David Jones.
His talent will be much missed; his gifts will be with us always. My deepest sympathy to Jessica and the rest of his family.
Adios, to the Manchester Cowboy.
Peace and love, Peter T.

Michael Nesmith:

All the lovely people. Where do they all come from?

So many lovely and heartfelt messages of condolence and sympathy, I don’t know what to say, except my sincere thank you to all. I share and appreciate your feelings.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here.

While it is jarring, and sometimes seems unjust, or strange, this transition we call dying and death is a constant in the mortal experience that we know almost nothing about. I am of the mind that it is a transition and I carry with me a certainty of the continuity of existence. While I don’t exactly know what happens in these times, there is an ongoing sense of life that reaches in my mind out far beyond the near horizons of mortality and into the reaches of infinity.

That David has stepped beyond my view causes me the sadness that it does many of you. I will miss him, but I won’t abandon him to mortality. I will think of him as existing within the animating life that insures existence. I will think of him and his family with that gentle regard in spite of all the contrary appearances on the mortal plane.

David’s spirit and soul live well in my heart, among all the lovely people, who remember with me the good times, and the healing times, that were created for so many, including us.

I have fond memories. I wish him safe travels.

Davy Jones, R.I.P.

Posted February 29, 2012 by borntorockandroll
Categories: Uncategorized

Tags: ,

We here at BTRNR are absolutely gutted…  more later.

Peter Tork, Septuagenarian

Posted February 13, 2012 by borntorockandroll
Categories: Uncategorized

Tags: ,

You read that right – Our Man Thorkelson hits the big 7-0 today!  Very happy birthday wishes to the first Monkee to hit his seventies (as opposed to hitting the ’70s… see the above pic for that) and let’s hope hope that Pete and his younger compadres do it all over again in ’12, because last year’s 45th Anniversary Tour was by far the most accomplished show they’ve ever put together… not to mention the finest gigs we’ve seen in a couple of years.

So in honor of all things Tork, here’s “Do I Have To Do This All Over Again” from ’68′s HEAD.

 


Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.