http://theknobsband.net/news.html The Knobs: Johnny's Blog Jannis' PHPRss class - http://www.jannis.to/ Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:23:22 -0800 http://theknobsband.net/news.html#54 The one real bright spot was the positive feedback we got on our CD Daydrinkin'. After I listened to the rough mixes, I was ready to pull the plug on the project and start over. Dave Hanner convinced me not to, saying he thought it was good. Well he must have been right, because I can honestly say we have gotten more positive feedback on this one, than any of the others. So I guess you never really know.
Another thing happened that affected our band this year, I turned 60. Alot of people tell me age is just a number. Well let me tell you 60 is a big number. When I was 21, I thought someone who was 60 had one foot in the grave and the other on a bananna peel. For me at least it has been a time for real reflection. Looking back on the way I have lived my life. and how I have treated other people, and how I have treated my body. Gotta tell you it's not all sunshine and lollipops. However I think what I learned will help me live the next 20 years(hopefully) as a better person. I think people who say age is only a number, are half right. There is really no way to get around the physical realities of age. Diet, exercise, detox, botox, liposuction, nip and tuck are just temporary fixes.
Eventually the body gives up. The only thing that is constant, and that you can control in this life is between your ears. That's right gang your mind. I have struggled with the reality of living the rest of my life making music in smoke filled bars to a bunch of drunk people who mostly don't care(hey I said mostly). Then you know what? Something happened. I heard Johnny B. Goode. I still get as excited today as I did when I first heard it 46 years ago, and I thought there are alot worse ways to spend the last part of your life. My docter recently told me, "John, I know in your mind your 21 years old, but that 21 year old is living in a 60 year old body." I thought that's true, but as long as I'm still 21 in my head I'll be OK. I just have to take it down a couple clicks. So just like the guy in the Dylan Thomas poem, I'm not going gentile into that good night. I'm going kicin', screamin', rockin 'n' rollin'.]]> http://theknobsband.net/news.html#54 Thu, 30 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0800 American Rock and Roll - The Knobs - Johnny's Blog http://theknobsband.net/news.html#53 You know I would be remiss if I didn't comment in some manner, given how the Beatles really changed my life. John Lennon was everything I wanted to be before I knew that's what I wanted to be. A great songwriter: his was the driving force behind the early pop masterpieces that thrust the Beatles onto the world stage. The early stuff was primarily John with a little help from Paul. A great singer: Listen to his vocals on "Money" "Rock'n'Roll Music" "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" and the intro to "Mr. Moonlight" very few white guys could match these performances. Ironically enough one of the guys who could was Paul MacCartney. Finally a world class smartass: His comment at the Royal Command Performance about the people in the cheap seats clapping their hands, and the royals ratteling their jewelry is brilliant. John Lennon always questioned authority, and the status quo. He could have been a quiet rich guy, but he chose a different path. The Nixon adminstration, espiacially J. Edgar Hoover feared him and his influence on the youth of America. He knew what we all suspected: almost all politics is bullshit, unfortunately that hasn't changed much, if at all. He also knew that giving peace a chance didn't make for good business. Again this kind of thinking is dangerous to the money boys. Finally he once said if it wasn't for Elvis there would be no Beatles. Well on a infinitely smaller scale, if it wasn't for John Lennon there would be no Beatles, and if it wasn't for the Beatles there would be no Knobs, and I know one thing for sure, I would have probably missed out on the joy of playing rock'n'roll music, for all these years.]]> http://theknobsband.net/news.html#53 Wed, 08 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0800 American Rock and Roll - The Knobs - Johnny's Blog http://theknobsband.net/news.html#52 Where is all of this going you ask? Well here it is. The thing I learned most about Iraq was this: America has lost it's stomach for a fight! We seem to have lost the sense of personal scrifice for the sake of the whole. I have asked alot of kids in their 20's and 30's what they thought of the war in Iraq, and to a person, they were all for it.(even the girls) Of coures when I asked if they had any plans of enlisting, or doing anything to help the war effort. The stock answer was,"We support the troops". Nice. Saying you support the troops is like saying you are for world peace, or Puppies are cute. It pretty much means nothing, without some actions. Anyway that's what I learned from Iraq. Just remember most great civilizations implode. To paraphrase the great Pogo we have met the enemy, and it isn't the muslims, it's us.]]> http://theknobsband.net/news.html#52 Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0800 American Rock and Roll - The Knobs - Johnny's Blog http://theknobsband.net/news.html#51 The second thing we learned was how eager most politicians were to blindly follow a president into war. Where was the individual responsibility of our elected officials to ferret out ALL the intel before going over the cliff like a bunch of lemmings drunk on war kool-aid? You know what really makes you think? Two of the most famous congressional wing nuts Ron Paul on the right, and Dennis Kucinich on the left, voted against going to war. That should make you think alittle.
Well I think number three would be the famous Dick Cheney quote, "We will be greeted as liberators" Apparently someone forgot to tell about 20% of the Iraqii that. As bad as our administration, and certain media outlets tried to potray Saddam as the devil incarnate(he was a bad man), He still had a substantial power base in Iraq. What in the world would make anyone think the Saddam loyalists would just lay down and put flowers in the GIs rifles? If you can find it on you tube there is a speech Dick Cheney made in 1991 after the first Gulf war, when he was the Secretary Of Defence. He makes compelling arguments to why we shouldn't have gone into Iraq after bitch slapping Saddam out of Kuwait. In that speech he outlined all the things that could go wrong with an American invasion. He could have made a fortune on the Psychic friends hot line, because every thing he said in 1991 came true in 2003. What the F=== happened?
Well that's enough for now. The final installment comes next week.]]> http://theknobsband.net/news.html#51 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0700 American Rock and Roll - The Knobs - Johnny's Blog http://theknobsband.net/news.html#49 Let's recap: 4400 brave and loyal Americans DEAD, almost 32,000 wounded, countless post traumatic stress syndrome time bombs waiting to explode on their families and society in general. 705 billion, and counting, that's billion with a capital B, spent. BTW all this money was borrowed from foreign countries. There was and is no war tax. So when politicians rail on about about spending and mortgaging our kids future. Remember this: the Iraq war was the downpayment on the future. Oddly enough the Bush tax cuts for the rich would have paid for the war. However since the rich don't fight wars, why should they have to pay for them? Does anyone remember Paul Wolfiwitz(bad spelling) He was a playa'
in the Bush white house, and one of the archetects(sp) of the Iraq war. This ass clown said the war would pay for itself, and you thought Dick Cheney was delusional. There is some good news, and it's this Iraqui oil production has returned to pre-war production levels, AND there is alot of speculation that production will rival that great American cash cow Saudi Arabia. They are so important to America that George Bush the younger had to hold hands with one of their Kings to assure him the greenbacks were still comin'. BTW why was Saddam such all of a sudden such a bad guy? The chemical and biological he had, were all supplied to him by "patriotic" USof A companies when he was fighting Iran(the new Iraq) Given the current level of Islamophobia in America I'm surprised this guy isn't considered our friend. Who has killed more muslims than he did? Anyway that's the end of part one. So I'm giving you all a chance to tee off on me. There is more comin'.]]> http://theknobsband.net/news.html#49 Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0700 American Rock and Roll - The Knobs - Johnny's Blog http://theknobsband.net/news.html#48 http://theknobsband.net/news.html#48 Sun, 16 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700 American Rock and Roll - The Knobs - Johnny's Blog http://theknobsband.net/news.html#47 Again more questions. Should a person lose everything they have worked for, because they can't pay for the care they need? Especially in a country that has been blessed the way we have been in America. Why should an insurance executive decide the point a child with cancer becomes "unprofitable"?Don't let anyone kid you insurance companies aren't on your side. Ask anyone who needs any kind of special care. According to the World Health Organization, America is # 1 in the cost of Health Care, and #37 in the quality of Health Care. Prescription drugs are more expensive in America than any where else in the world. So much for supply and demand in the "Free Market" That's because health execs care more about profits than people. If you believe the statistics somewhere between 30 and 40 THOUSAND people die each year due to lack of health care. That's 10 9/11's a year, and nothing is done, and this is a "Christian Nation" I don't want to belabor this point, but I have a close personal friend whose 4 year old son died from lymphoma. If there is something in this life more heartwrenching than this experience, I don't want to see it. He is still paying on it more than five years later. I asked him him why he does this, and he told me he doesn't want to lose his house. Again who endorses this level of extortion? These are some of the reasons I think HRC is good for the AWD. It protects the people who are least able to fight the system. It also protects your children from "pre-existing conditons" It will help keep you from losing everything due to a catastrophic illness.
Look I know we need things like tort reform, and having more choice in how we purchase insurance. Personally, I would like to see the single payer system. It works in most of the free world no matter how strongly the insurance lobby rails against it. I know this is going to be expensive. This could be the largest tax increase in the history of America. According to the Congressional Budget Office, this bill is less expensive than the cost of doing nothing. Actually if you believe what they say the bill will start paying for itself in about 10 years. I believe that. I have been buying health insurance since 1974(that's not made up) I have seen the escalating costs. So believe me the taxes won't be as bad as the escalation of insurance costs. Unfortunately it's the lesser of 2 evils. The HRC bill has a pretty good chance to succeed. It's virtually identical to the "RomneyCare" bill in Mass. which initially was unpopular, but now has a 60-70% approval rate. One last question: What does it cost to live in a civilized and compassionate society?
Probably more than we currently pay. HRC is now the law. So , DRJ and Leather Gina the next time you're outside, take a deep breath, and look up into the sky, and you will notice something: It ISN'T falling. Peace and Love!]]> http://theknobsband.net/news.html#47 Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700 American Rock and Roll - The Knobs - Johnny's Blog http://theknobsband.net/news.html#46 http://theknobsband.net/news.html#46 Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700 American Rock and Roll - The Knobs - Johnny's Blog http://theknobsband.net/news.html#45 Hahntown was great, and we started this year the same way we started last year: kickin' ass, takin' names, and winnin' fans. The band was firing on all cylinders, and the combination of alcohol, and an incessant rock'n'roll beat finally got them in the back room dancin'. The no smoking thing combined with the new DUI laws are killing live music, but somehow we continue rolling along.
Now before I go any further, guess what Tammy got for Christmas. A riding crop, a RIDING CROP! indeed! Isn't that a fancy name for a whip? Tammy is there anything we need to know?
Well the year started with Lois and our band parting company. She was finally able to devote all her time and attention to her band the Bailers. Lois made a great contribution to the Knobs vocal sound. She will be singing on our new CD.
Well then we decided not to try and find another singer. The other band members were going to cover the parts. This was starting to come together pretty well, and then in April, Phil passed. After the shock and sorrow subsided, we started to rebuild the band. As I said Derek came on board, but there was something that was still missing. Not only was Phil a great drummer, he was also a very good harmony singer.
Well as fate would have it, we lucked out once again, when Phil's son PJ agreed to come on board. It's really funny how things work out, because PJ is probably the only guy who could fill this role. Not only is he an excellent vocalist, but he brings a newer, and more elevated energy to the Knobs. He also plays guitar, so that provides an interesting new area to explore.
Finally we will be releasing a new CD this year. Phil did the drumming on it, and hopefully PJ and Derek will be involved at some level. Any way we are looking to a 2010 filled with Rock"n"Roll.]]> http://theknobsband.net/news.html#45 Sun, 03 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800 American Rock and Roll - The Knobs - Johnny's Blog http://theknobsband.net/news.html#43 This has been a year of great personal, and band changes. After an extremely protracted courtship, Jan and I were married in September. I guess she never figured out thta not only could she do so much better than me, she also deserves so much better than me. So please nobody tell her.
In April our beloved drummer, Phil, crossed over to the other side. I still have a hard time accepting this. I loved talking about music with Phil almost as much as I loved jamming with him. One of our favorite conversations was about how vastly superior the Isley Bros. version of "Twist And Shout"(BTW The original) was to the Beatles version, and this is the song where the Beatles "borrowed" what was to become their trademark "woos" Phil had that kind of pop music historicle perspective. Alot of you out there probably never heard the Isley Bros. version of "Twist And Shout"
There were times I thought Phil's passing would be the end of our band. As luck would have it Derek agreed to returned. Believe me when I tell you this: He's the only guy who could have succeded Phil. Playing music(especially in this band) is so much more than hitting the notes. It's all about the spirit of the music. Phil had that spirit, Derek has that spirit. I think I can speak for all of us when I say we are blessed to have Derek back.]]> http://theknobsband.net/news.html#43 Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800 American Rock and Roll - The Knobs - Johnny's Blog