Music movies to savor

Music legends Ray Charles and Johnny Cash have been the subjects of a pair of blockbuster movies, drawing huge audiences into theaters. Jamie Foxx earned a Grammy Award for his lead role in Ray, while Joachim Phoenix has been acclaimed by critics for his portrayal of Cash in Walk the Line.

Those are just two recent examples of must-see films featuring pop music. Actually, Hollywood has been courting the rock 'n' roll audience since the mid-fifties.

In case you missed them, here are a baker's dozen music-related films you should check out.

The Girl Can't Help It- While this wasn't the first movie to feature rock 'n' roll music, (that would be Blackboard Jungle) it was in color, something which wasn't always guaranteed in 1956. You get stage performances from Little Richard, Fats Domino, Gene Vincent and The Platters. Little Richard would be the star of the show, if it weren't for the ample talents of Jayne Mansfield.

Yellow Submarine- Many critics and fans point to A Hard Day's Night, the Beatles' first film, as their greatest cinematic achievement since it virtually invented the modern rock video. But, 1969's animated feature is a bigger trip. A psychedelic adventure pitting John, Paul, George and Ringo against the Blue Meanies, Yellow Submarine features 15 classic songs in a visual and sonic treat for all ages.
That Thing You Do!- Written and directed by Tom Hanks, this flick is an entertaining romp through the short lifespan of the fictitious "Wonders." The Wonders form, get their one national hit, tour and break-up in a period of months and take us along for the ride.

La Bamba and The Buddy Holly Story- These films have the same tragic ending: the deaths of Ritchie Valens and Holly in an Iowa plane crash in 1959 which also claimed the life of the Big Bopper. La Bamba stars Lou Diamond Phillips in the title role while Gary Busey does a commendable job portraying Holly. Lots of great music in both films, as you'd expect.

Gimme Shelter- Documentary of the Rolling Stones free performance at Altamont Speedway at the end of 1969. While August's Woodstock featured peace-loving hippies, this film shows the chaos of a concert with the Hells Angels motorcycle club in charge of security. We go from peace and love to mayhem in three short months.

This Is Spinal Tap- Get ready to laugh. This parody takes the myths and legends of the rock star lifestyle and gives it a Monty Python-like twist. You'll swear it was all true.

Don't Look Back- D. A. Pennebaker's documentary of Bob Dylan's 1965 tour of Great Britain is a gem. Black & white film just adds to the mystique. Dylan aficionados and music fans in general are lucky to have this film from an era when rock wasn't seriously documented.

The Doors- As they say, Val Kilmer is Jim Morrison in this trippy no holes barred story of the L. A. based Doors, their rise to fame and their eventual immortality (musically, anyway). The supporting cast is less believable, but it's a great flick and soundtrack nonetheless. The film helped launch yet another Doors revival.

Jailhouse Rock- Elvis made over thirty feature films. Most were average, many forgettable and some noteworthy, but Jailhouse Rock was his first. If you can't watch dozens of films, start here, when Elvis was at his potent, raw best.

Mayor of Sunset Strip- This quirky film spotlights Rodney Bingenheimer, a little man who had a big impact on rock 'n' roll and became known by the title of this film. A pop star impresario, you'll be amazed by Rodney's exploits while feeling a little sorry for him as well.

Runners-up- You can't overlook the Who's The Kids Are Alright and Pink Floyd's The Wall, but you have to stop somewhere.

So, dim the lights. Let's watch a movie.

Dylan lets the music talk

The place: Memorial Gardens, Sault St. Marie, Ontario, Canada. The date: Aug. 25, 1992. The occasion: Music icon Bob Dylan is about to perform for an enthusiastic crowd, including my wife Sue and me, during "The Neverending Tour."

There's a growing buzz in the arena joined by a young man in the row behind us who was looking forward to seeing Dylan for the first time. Excited, he reeled-off his favorite Dylan songs and told us how much he admired his music hero.

The lights dimmed amid applause as Dylan's show opened with the traditional "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down," followed by "Pretty Peggy-O." The young fan behind us was quiet, yet restless.

After a low-key start, Dylan launched into his "All Along the Watchtower," using an arrangement perfected by Jimi Hendrix who had taken Dylan's song to No. 20 on the Billboard chart in 1968.

Then, as Dylan played his classics "Just Like a Woman," "She Belongs to Me," and "Simple Twist of Fate," the quiet fan began to holler for his favorite tunes.

Some lesser known performances followed, including "Silvio," "Little Moses," and "Boots of Spanish Leather." While the audience clearly loved Dylan's concert, the fan near us was becoming increasingly disgruntled and started to boo every new song.

Just why was the fan who was so looking forward to the show, now booing? It seems Dylan, with over 600 recordings in his repertoire, wasn't playing the songs the fan wanted to hear.

Dylan, who certainly wasn't aware of one discontented fan, played 18 songs that night in a concert that also included an acoustic set. He barely spoke to the audience, but everybody knows a Dylan show is about music, not conversation.

With 44 albums to his credit, Dylan has had an incalculable influence on modern music, but apparently he can't please everybody.

Less than two months after his Sault appearance Dylan was honored at a 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration at Madison Square Garden featuring some of his famous friends. The list of performers at the Oct. 16, 1992 show was impressive: John Mellencamp, Stevie Wonder, Lou Reed, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Johnny Winter, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, Roger McGuinn, George Harrison and Tom Petty, among others.

They played some of Dylan's best known songs including "Like a Rolling Stone," "Rainy Day Women 12 &35," "Knockin' On Heaven's Door," and dozens more. Dylan himself added "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" and closed the show with "Girl from the North Country."

He didn't say much during this show either. Kris Kristofferson did the narrating.

In fact, Dylan lets his songs speak for him. He has performed thousands of concerts since he first appeared in New York City from the north woods of Minnesota in 1961.

He's been at it for 45 years now, and even a chest infection in 1997 which required hospitalization hasn't slowed him down. The former Robert Zimmerman has continued to release new material and hits packages to the delight of fans and critics alike.

Unlike many celebrities, Dylan is not a publicity hound. In fact, whether published or broadcast, interviews with the intensely private 64-year-old star are rare.

Considering that, fans were surprised to learn that Dylan will perform deejay duties on satellite XM Radio, channel 40, beginning in March. He'll host a weekly hour-long program featuring music, commentary, interviews, as well as e-mails from subscribers.

Dylan's new endeavor might require some under-utilized conversational skills, or he might just let the music do the talking. Tune in. But, no booing, please.

For a thrill, try the blues

You've been through every popular musical style since you were a kid--rock, punk, disco, metal, country, alternative, oldies, adult contemporary. It's all gotten a little stale and today's music just doesn't thrill you either. Perhaps it's time to give the blues a listen.

If you liked Elvis, you probably know his hit "Hound Dog" was originally done by blues legend Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton. The Rolling Stones started as a blues band, recording songs by the likes of Jimmy Reed. Eric Burdon and the Animals and the Yardbirds, featuring Eric Clapton, took American blues classics and recycled them during the "British Invasion."

Around that time many white American teenagers discovered blues greats like Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and B. B. King. Those performers influenced Clapton, Jeff Beck, Peter Green (of early Fleetwood Mac), and countless others. The blues had a child and they named it rock 'n' roll.

In fact, virtually all modern music styles evolved from the blues.

The blues today is alive and well, thank you, but gets about as much respect as Rodney Dangerfield. There's Dan Aykroyd's "House of Blues" program and NPR, but blues gets little play on commercial radio. Blues festivals are mainstays for many performers and there are dozens across the country, including Duluth and Marquette.

Unlike pop music, blues reveres both young and old performers. King, who's breakthough hit, "The Thrill Is Gone" came in 1970, is 80. The influential Buddy Guy, based at his "Legends" club in Chicago, is also a senior citizen. But, there's room for youth, too. Whippersnappers Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Jonny Lang are in their 20s.

Shemekia Copeland, who played at Northern Michigan University in 2004, and Susan Tedeschi, reminiscent of Bonnie Raitt, are among blues' rising female stars.

The area's casinos have put on some memorable blues shows. By popular demand, Shepherd has appeared twice at the Island Resort and Casino, once backed by Double Trouble, Stevie Ray Vaughan's veteran rhythm section. George Thorogood's version of blues/rock ignited the crowd when he performed last May. The Fabulous Thunderbirds, featuring Kim Wilson's harp histrionics, also fired up the crowd during their appearance. Green Bay's Oneida Casino featured Buddy Guy and an acoustic performance by Jonny Lang Band last August in an outdoor concert. Sault Ste. Marie's Kewadin showcased the incredible talents of B. B. King a few years ago before several thousand appreciative fans. B. B. loves to tour and it shows.

Folks looking to expand their interest in the blues should get "All Music Guide to the Blues," published by Backbeat Books and edited by Vladimir Bogdanov. This 755-page tome reviews and rates nearly 9,000 recordings by 1,200 artists in all styles of the blues. Along with reviews, the book includes biographies for legendary blues giants and newcomers alike. The reviews also offer critics' suggestions for the best place to start exploring each artist.

The book's exhaustive essay section will make you an expert on the history of the blues as well as the various styles which evolved such a Delta blues, Chicago blues, Piedmont blues, and so on.

A few other must-own blues books include "Blues All Around Me," the autobiography of B. B. King; "Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues," the companion book to the PBS television series; and "Blues Odyssey," by ex-Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman. The latter two books offer colorful easy-to-read histories of the blues.

Two national magazines offer interviews, reviews and features on blues artists. "Blues Revue" (800/258-7388) publishes six times per year and includes three free sampler CDs with a $23.95 subscription. "Living Blues" concentrates on the "African-American Blues Tradition" and is published by the University of Mississippi. Call 800/390-3527 to subscribe for one year at $23.95.

Now, armed with all the information you need, it's time to actually listen to the blues. Discover why with B. B. King and his friends the thrill is never gone.

Who should be in rock hall?

A small group of veteran performers will be inducted into the Rock 'N" Roll Hall of Fame on March 13, but are they the best choices?

Black Sabbath, Blondie, Miles Davis, Sex Pistols and Lynyrd Skynyrd certainly have their fans. It's about time for Ozzy Osbourne's Black Sabbath to be inducted. They defined heavy metal and have persevered since the late sixties. And, Ozzy's still alive. Blondie had four No. 1 hits and her induction eases the male domination of the class of 2006. Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd, headliners at an outdoor show at the Island Resort and Casino last summer, have an enviable list of hits and have influenced a generation of bands.

Miles Davis, meanwhile, was an incredibly accomplished musician. But he was a jazz guy. And, the Sex Pistols had a brief raunchy career, producing just a single significant recording. Besides, anything the Pistols did, the MC5 did better a decade earlier.

So, who is more deserving to be in the Hall of Fame? Try these ten: Chicago, Neil Diamond, Heart, John Mellencamp, Steve Miller, Ringo Starr, Three Dog Night, Van Halen, Ventures and Yes.

To be eligible, the artist's first record must have appeared at least 25 years ago. "Criteria include the influence and significance of the artist's contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll," according to the Hall of Fame Foundation. Each year, a nominating committee selects candidates. Then, ballots are sent to about 1,000 rock experts. Candidates receiving the most votes-- and more than half those cast-- are inducted.

Dozens of important rock acts have been inducted into the hall since 1986, including Elvis, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, B. B. King, Beach Boys, Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, U2 and Bob Dylan.

While it was easy for voters to pick the earliest inductees, the choices now are a bit more subjective.

Still, these candidates appear worthy:

CHICAGO- Still performing and recording, this long-lived group from Chi-town first appeared in 1969. They had 50 hit singles, mostly in the seventies and eighties, including "If You Leave Me Now" and "Hard to Say I'm Sorry."

NEIL DIAMOND- He has enjoyed a lengthy career as a singer- songwriter, hitting the pop charts 56 times, beginning in 1966. His top singles include "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" and "Cracklin' Rosie." A new album, "12 Songs," has been acclaimed by critics.

HEART- Sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson struck gold with "Magic Man" in 1977 and charted more than 30 more times through the mid-nineties. Yes, these women can rock.

JOHN MELLENCAMP- Mellencamp wowed crowds last year with a tour that highlighted many of his dozens of hits, including "Jack & Diane," "Hurts So Good," and "R. O. C. K. in the U. S. A."

STEVE MILLER- An FM staple, Miller had a career with Boz Scaggs before "The Joker" appeared in 1973. After his seventies and eighties heyday, he switched to the blues. Besides his '73 hit, Miller reached No. 1 with "Rock'n Me" and "Abracadabra."

RINGO STARR- His fellow Beatles have been inducted as solo artists, but Starr hasn't. He had a remarkable string of seven consecutive top ten hits, which even his ex-bandmates couldn't match. His solo hits include "Photograph" and "You're Sixteen." He still tours and released a new album last year.

THREE DOG NIGHT- This vocal trio dominated the airwaves from the late sixties till 1975. Their 21 hits include "Joy to the World" and "Mama Told Me Not to Come."

VAN HALEN- Certainly Eddie and the boys deserve to be inducted. Their guitar sound reinvigorated rock when they burst onto the scene in the late seventies. "Jump" was the biggest of their hits.

VENTURES- The Ventures premiered the sand and surf sound with guitars, drums and snappy instrumentals. They're best known for "Walk, Don't Run" and Hawaii Five-0."

YES- This British progressive rock group has pleased fans for 35 years. Including ten members with recognizable names, Yes peaked in 1983 with "Owner of a Lonely Heart."

Unfortunately, these ten noteworthy performers won't be accorded rock's most prestigious honor this March.

But, there's always next year.