Beaver County Times, Pa., Scott Tady column: Here comes slotMusic

Sep 28, 2008 (Beaver County Times - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- BBY | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- So here comes "slotMusic," threatening to make CDs obsolete.

Best Buy, Wal-Mart and other major retailers soon will sell slotMusic, which are musical albums compressed into fingernail-sized memory cards that can be played on cell phones, mp3 players, computers and multimedia players.

Let the brainwashing begin, as consumers rush to become the first ones on their block to buy slotMusic, forever turning their back on CDs, the way CD owners once gave up on cassette tapes, a decade after cassette tapes had vanquished 8-track tapes and vinyl albums.

Oooh ... remember vinyl albums? Great art work. And superior sound.

Or did you miss the rash of articles earlier this year, in which audio experts confirmed what many of us have long suspected: Vinyl albums sound better -- containing more aural warmth -- than any musical format that has followed since, especially digital music, with its tinny sound and diminished high-end frequencies.

So put that in your iPod and crank it.

I'm certainly not suggesting we resist technology. I, too, enjoy the convenience of digital, downloadable music. But before we hail "slotMusic" as the be-all and end-all, let's keep our buying habits in check.

Wait until slotMusic manufacturers can prove irrefutably that their sound quality is superior.

ROCKING ON A SCHOOL NIGHT

I guarantee Headstones Bar was the most crowded saloon in Beaver County last Tuesday.

It was standing-room-only inside the Chippewa tavern, for a loose and lively show featuring the Granati Brothers joined by Lincoln Rock, a sort-of "School of Rock"-inspired group culled from the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center in Midland.

The Granati Brothers' guitarist, David Granati, played the role of Jack Black -- a much thinner, but no less talkative version -- who guided the Lincoln Park students through a collection of covers ranging from Queen to King Crimson; and Jeff Beck to the Who. The kids were alright, and it was nice to see teenagers appreciating rock's masters.

The young musicians clearly were thrilled by the chance to strut their stuff in an actual gig, rather than some well-lit classroom. Parents and peers cheered them on as they traded riffs with David Granati, and his brothers, Joey and Hermie.

The students will have a few more rehearsals before their Oct. 11 show at Lincoln Park, when they'll be warming the crowd for former Wings and Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine, who will be backed by the Granatis.

BEATLES REUNION?

The British Invasion will be the theme of that Lincoln Park show, which will begin with a 30-minute lecture and Q&A featuring Pete Bennett, who served as the personal promotions manager for the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.

Like any great promo man, Bennett was in town last week drumming up ticket sales with an appearance on PCNC's "Night Talk" and interviews with area newspapers.

Promising me a scoop, Bennett told me a dilly of a story about a Beatles reunion scheduled six years after the band had dissolved.

According to Bennett, a New York tabloid article in 1975 reported a false rumor that the Beatles had decided to reunite for a show at the site of Woodstock. John Lennon saw that story and suggested to Bennett that maybe they should put together such a show. Bennett and Lennon toured Woodstock, and began arranging a concert, for which George Harrison and Ringo Starr agreed to participate.

According to Bennett, Paul McCartney was the lone holdout, so Lennon threatened to replace him with Elton John, who said he'd perform no matter what. Lennon and John figured that McCartney eventually would agree to play, so contracts were written up, as a second concert site was considered for the then-brand new Superdome in New Orleans.

Bennett claims that at the last minute, Harrison and Starr had a huge argument -- over allegations that one was messing around with the other's woman -- so the show was scrapped.

THE MOON AND BEYOND

The Morning Light has gone national.

The Moon Township-based emo-pop band released its full-length debut album last week on Fearless Records.

The self-titled disc glistens with clever lyrics, crafty hooks and airy melodies, benefiting from the impeccable production of Matt Goldman (Underoath) and Mark Needham (The Killers, Cobra Starship).

The album debuted at No. 60 on the college music charts, and is likely to climb, as the Morning Light hits the road on a 28-city tour with the Rocket Summer and Phantom Planet.

Sorry, no Pittsburgh shows are booked.

CHECK OUT 'SKY DOG'

Remember the album cover from "At Fillmore East" where the Allman Brothers Band is laughing uproariously?

They're laughing because seconds before that photo was snapped Duane Allman spotted a pot dealer, and ran over and bought a bag, which he's concealing in his left hand.

That's just one of many intriguing tidbits presented in "Sky Dog" a Duane Allman biography that arrives in stores Wednesday on paperback.

Meticulously researched by author Randy Poe with a forward from ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, "Sky Dog" chronicles the brief but influential career of Allman, delving deeply into his musical philosophy, with only a cursory look at his off-stage romances.

"Sky Dog" details how the Daytona Beach native, inspired by a Taj Mahal concert, learned slide guitar and became a coveted session man for R&B artists like Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett. "Sky Dog" shows how Duane was the driving force behind the creation of southern rock, and later a key component of Eric Clapton's Derek & the Dominoes.

Along the way, "Sky Dog" reveals interesting facts about famous Allman Brothers songs.

For instance, Duane's brother, Gregg, wrote "Melissa" after imagining what his ideal woman would be like. He didn't choose her name, however, until he was in a grocery store and he heard a mother shouting out for her daughter, Melissa.

And the scorching instrumental "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" took its name from a tombstone in a Macon, Ga., cemetery where band members often went for solace or a smoke.

Scott Tady can be reached online at stady@timesonline.com

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