Somewhere back in time it’s summer 1977, and I’m getting the hell scared out of me by a strange noise entitled “Tomorrow Never Knows.” Although at that point in my life I was familiar with a lot of Beatles songs, nothing prepared me for the aural assault that was Revolver.

It sounded different from all of the previous Beatles records I had acquired. The sound had a different texture, and not every song dealt with romantic love. Where my previous Beatles records were charming and innocent, Revolver painted a psychedelic rainbow all over their earlier work. It was at once harmonic and dissonant, whimsical and melancholy, wry and acerbic. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was destined to be my favorite Beatles record of all time.

It took years to be able to sit and listen to the vinyl without lifting the needle to skip a track. Granted, most 8 year old kids probably wouldn’t sit through George Harrison’s Indian-flavored “Love You To.” Maybe Paul’s “Eleanor Rigby” was a bit too arty and poetic. And “Yellow Submarine?” Come on; that’s a kid’s song. I may have been 8, but I was way past singing to the cartoon. I would learn to love these songs in time, but I fell in love with the obvious songs first. George’s “Taxman” was my first favorite, followed by Paul’s “Good Day Sunshine,” “For No One” and “Here, There, and Everywhere,” and John Lennon’s “She Said She Said.”

Somewhere back in time it’s summer 1987, and the entire Beatles catalog is now available on these new-fangled compact discs. I buy them all, one at a time. Revolver is now in it’s original British format, with songs I originally found on another Capitol “money-making” compilation called Yesterday . . . and Today. Suddenly, everything came into focus. The sound textures all collided and it made sense. The Beatles experienced a giant growth spurt, and it is most evident on Revolver.

At 18, I could sit still for George’s Indian-flavored song, along with his wonderfully dissonant “I Want To Tell You.” John’s “Tomorrow Never Knows” far out-stripped any of the “psychedelic” pop that I’d been collecting up till that point. Add his “Dr. Robert” and “And Your Bird Can Sing,” and you get an album that is not only entertaining, but educational. Released in 1966, it was further evidence that rock music was heading past the point of being “disposable noise.” Revolver, along with Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde, the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds and the Stones’ Aftermath, proved that pop music was now maturing past “bubblegum.” It graduated to “rock music.”

It’s summer 2008, and at 39 I’m up (after working a miserable swing-into-graveyard shift) thinking and writing about my favorite band and my favorite album by that band. I won’t bore you with talk about a time when every track on an album had to be an honest reflection of an artist. Time has changed that. Maybe it will change again before I’m gone. One thing that doesn’t change is the fact that somewhere, out there, some band is playing Revolver and creating their own masterpiece.

If music is indeed the greatest part of the human spirit, then Revolver will survive the test of time. It has survived 42 years this August. Now, if you will excuse me while I turn off my “mind, relax and float downstream . . . ”

It was Clover Club Larry that introduced me to XTC.  We had heard “Mayor Of Simpleton” on one of the hipper radio stations while driving around in his car.  It was then he started going on about how XTC had better songs than “Simpleton,” and how they were now “catering to the masses.”

All I knew was that I had to own a copy of “Simpleton.”  Soon afterward, I was at Record Retreat and purchasing a copy of their then-current album, Oranges and Lemons.  Song after song, I was hypnotized by the power of the songwriting.  Turned out, Andy Partridge was doing most of the writing.

After borrowing 4 of Larry’s XTC albums, Andy’s writing became a constant source of inspiration and study.  Of the earlier albums, I was first drawn to Drums and Wires.  The sound was unlike anything that came out of the UK during the “New Wave” period.  Songs like “Life Begins At The Hop” and “Making Plans For Nigel” were the British hits, but the band’s quirky underpinnings were apparent in Andy’s songs like “Scissor Man” and the great “Complicated Game.”

XTC’s Black Sea album contained some of my favorite slices of Andy’s take on English life.  Dig “Respectable Street.”  They could have been talking about the weird neighbors I had growing up in South Central Los Angeles.  The guitar riff is sharp, simple, dissonant, and menacing.  “Living Through Another Cuba,” “No Language In Our Lungs,” and “Towers Of London” are also excellent examples of Andy’s powerful wordplay and melodic sense working well in the realm of studio experimentation.

English Settlement became my favorite XTC album because of its playful and dense sound.  The way that the band plays with rhythms and melodies on this album really tickled my musical ears.  You may remember Andy’s songs such as the classic pop gem “Senses Working Overtime,” the rock ‘em-sock ‘em “No Thugs In Our House,” and the almost ethereal “All Of A Sudden (It’s Too Late).”  My favorite of Andy’s songs, “Jason And The Argonauts,” appears on this album.  The sound contains so much magic, juxtaposed with Andy’s lyrics about the dire side of the human condition.

Oh, my head is spinning like the world and its filled with beasts I’ve seen,
Let me put my bag down and Ill tell you it all right from the start,
Like the scarlet woman who would pick on the boys she thought were green,
And the two faced man who made a hobby of breaking his wifes heart.

Seems the more I travel,
From the foam to gravel,
As the nets unravel,
All exotic fish I find like Jason and the argonauts

Every time I hear “Jason and The Argonauts,” I’m reminded all over again of Andy’s writing, and I think I’m fortunate enough to have experienced a lot of what he has brought to music and songwriting.  I could go on and on about the plethora of great songs to be discovered in albums such as Skylarking, White Noise, or Chips From The Chocolate Fireball, XTC’s take on late 60s English pop psychedelia via their alter-egos, the Dukes of Stratosphear.

(Sidebar:  Wanna hear Andy’s spot-on impressions of ’67-period Brian Wilson and John Lennon?  Check out “Pale and Precious” and “Collideascope” by the Dukes of Stratosphear.  Absolutely righteous music.)

I can go on and on about Andy Partridge and my love of his music, but chances are you’ll get a better taste by seeking out these recordings.  If you are a student of music, Andy’s songs are great study material.  If you are a lover of music, than you probably already know.  XTC is one major reason why I decided to stop touring and gigging and concentrate of what I wanted to say musically.

Andy is a true inspiration to me and Poppermost.  Happy birthday, AP!

(Lex Neon is also known as Alex Oliver, the quirky and often eccentric musical genius of “sunshine pop / rock” band Poppermost.  Check out their music and Lex’s rock rantings at http://www.poppermost.com/).

Note: Original release date of the ‘currently listening’ album below is listed as February 12, 1982.

Currently listening: English Settlement By XTC

Part of being a teenager was the quest for the soundtrack to your life. Watching MTV (when it was still about music) and rock films shown on PBS or subscription television was part of the quest. And then, there was radio.

Did you ever hear a great song on the radio, but the jockey never announced the title?

My station of choice was KRTH, 101.1 FM. They had “Super Sixites Weekends” and would play music from ’60-’69, and not just “the hits.” During the height of the Summer Olympic Games of 1984, I heard a song that sent me on a quest! My only bit of information was that it was a song by Buffalo Springfield. So, on with the chase.

So, I start buying the Springfield albums one by one, in search of that mystery song. Along the way, I learned that one of the principle songwriters in the band was Neil Young. I only marginally knew of Neil (I had a copy of “Cinammon Girl” on a 45 RPM ). Then I heard “Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing” and “Flying On The Ground Is Wrong,” written by Neil Young, from the first Springfield record. I didn’t find the mystery song, but found a new favorite band.

More Springfield records followed, and so did Neil Young songs. “Mr. Soul,” “Broken Arrow,” and “Expecting to Fly” became part my summer soundtrack. I saved money from allowances and lunches for Young’s triple album set, Decade. Then came the solo albums, the Crazy Horse records, and anything I could get my hands on. I was hooked. But where in the hell was that mystery song?

I searched for that Buffalo Springfield song, to no avail. Jump ahead 6 years to college, aka “the corner of Bud Leaf and Bud Light.”

During my hazy college career, my bandmate Larry and I saw Young and Crazy Horse during their Ragged Glory tour at the L.A. Sports Arena in ’91. It was poetic, brutal, and beautiful. Ever hear his version of Dylan’s “Blowing in the Wind?” Mind blowing, man. After the show, Larry and I stopped at “the corner” and did cartwheels in the wet grass outside the school campus because we’d seen THE MAN.

Jump ahead 16 years to a slightly more current and sober time.

A few months ago, I heard a recently released live CD by Young and Crazy Horse recorded at the Fillmore in 1970. I had goosebumps for the entire duration of the CD. One listen to “Down By The River,” and you can tell that these guys were willing to bleed for their art in front of a live audience. See him in concert or check out a classic Neil album and you’ll understand.

Why in the hell can’t more new artists “bleed” like that for their art? Screw you, Britney!

Oh, the song that started me on this mad quest in the first place? It’s called “On The Way Home.” It was written by Neil, but sung by his Springfield bandmate Richie Furay. Turns out I was chasing Neil all along! Who knew?

Currently listening: Live at the Fillmore East By Neil Young and Crazy Horse Release date: 14 November, 2006

In the late 80′s I spent a lot my time in Law class at Los Angeles City College.  I had no idea what I wanted to study, and I assumed that Law would somehow grow on me.  I didn’t really give it a chance because I was too busy writing out lyrics penned by Chris Difford on giant, yellow legal pads.

I first heard Squeeze sometime in the early 1980s, but didn’t really pay close attention to the Top 40 hit they had called “Tempted.”  It was one of my sister Annette’s favorite Top 40 radio hits at the time, and I didn’t want to be bothered with her listening choices.  At the time, I was really into the music of the 60s and paid little attention to anything else.

Clover Club Larry really introduced me to Squeeze during the summer of ’89.  I had just joined his band, Optional View, and we were just starting to know each other musically.  He loaned me a Squeeze album called Argybargy, which came out in ’80.  I took it home; his copy of the album stayed on my turntable for months.

It was the most brilliant pop rock album that I had heard in a long time.  Pieces like “Pulling Mussels From A Shell” and “She’s At The Top” contained memorable hooks, riffs and melodies that were thoughtful, descriptive, and English.  It was right up my alley!  Of the songs from Argybargy, the song that got constant play on my turntable was “Another Nail In My Heart.”  Sure, it made me think of my own pathetic attempts at romance at the time.  It also made me aware that if I stood a chance at writing songs in a band context, the test would be creating a song as infectious and bouncy as “Another Nail.”

And then Clover Club Larry loaned me an album called East Side Story.

Along with Argybargy, East Side Story would be the “Squeeze” faction of my songwriting education.  Some of my first attempts at writing for a band were based on Squeeze’s sense of melody, hooks, and smart lyrics. I would study Chris’s phrases, using them as a jumping-off point to create my own lyrics. There was something about the imagery in songs like “In Quintessence,” “F-Hole,” and “Mumbo Jumbo” reveled a sophisticated use of words, like a novel.

“Messed Around” and “Laboured With Love” really changed the way that I looked at lyrical content.  As a young writer, I tended to concentrate more on the musical rather than the lyrical.  It’s because of Chris’s gift for creating such strong visual images in a playful manner that made me consider making my own lyrics try to do the same.

Sidebar: Clover Club Larry and I used to so a pretty good acoustic version of “Messed Around.”  I’d sing Glenn Tilbrook’s vocal part, with Larry adding harmonies that were a composite of 3rds and 5ths.  It sounded great.  Performing the song with Larry is one of my most treasured musical memories.  Sadly no tape exists.

There were lyrical ideas that I found on other albums, and those songs can be found on a couple of different Squeeze compilations.  I highly recommend the greatest hits album called 45s And Under.  You can find some really great songs with Chris’s lyrics.  Dig “Take Me, I’m Yours,” and “Cool For Cats.”  For a really great short story in a single song form, try “Up The Junction.”  It’s very telling, very honest, and has great sense of character development.  Awesome words, awesome storytelling.

I can just blather on about Chris Difford all day, but I just want to say that Chris’s work caught me at a time when I was just starting to write.  He inspired me to use words not only for conveying my own emotions, but also to create other worlds with words.  Chris’s work also gave me the guts to face facts – I was not cut out for law!  Thanks, Chris! Happy Birthday, man!

(Lex Neon is also known as Alex Oliver, the quirky and often eccentric musical genius of “sunshine pop / rock” band Poppermost.  Check out their music and Lex’s rock rantings at http://www.poppermost.com/).

Note: Original release date of the ‘currently listening’ album below is listed as May 15, 1981.

Currently listening: East Side Story By Squeeze

It must have been late ’80 or early ’81 when I first saw the video for “Antmusic” by Adam and the Ants.  I was up on a Friday night watching video show with my aunt Ava when we saw it.  I remember being really taken by the percussion and the great guitar sound.  Adam’s persona at this point was that of a English-pirate-come-native-American-Indian, with a voice that contained a dramatic yowl like a classic Hollywood movie injun.

Of course, Ava fell in love with Adam Ant.  She spent the next year and a half collecting English imports of “antmusic.”  After purchasing a single of “Antmusic,” she decided to invest the 7 bucks to own a copy of the US pressing of Kings Of The Wild Frontier.  What a great album!  Once Ava had the music from the album engraved in her song vocabulary, I spent a few weeks listening to it.  It was some of the first “then” current modern music that I really liked.  It wasn’t the boring Top 40 stuff, and it was more recent than the soon-to-be-labeled “classic rock.”

Kings of the Wild Frontier made me realize just how important drums are to a really rockin’ song.  Dig the title track, as well as the album’s kick-ass opening track, “Dog Eat Dog.”  It was musical, different, and propelled by this a really rockin’ Burundi drum rhythm that sounded like “Native American big band.”  His co-writer and lead guitarist Marco Pirroni had a sound that was at once both snarlin’ and twangy like 50s  guitar guru Duane Eddy.  The sound of songs like “Press Darlings” and “Feed Me To The Lions” were just right for my young ears.

Sidebar:  My favorite from the album was a pirate-themed tune called “Jolly Roger.”  This song is like a New Wave sea chantey, and I love the lyrical interplay, as well as the vocals.

Okay, so I didn’t dig the second album, Prince Charming, as much as anyone did.  But I did love the track “Stand and Deliver.”  There was something that sounded playfully sinister.  In the role of an English highwayman, Adam does a “roadside jack” and sings about how the experience will stay on the minds of his victims.  The accompanying video was also fun to watch.  The costumes and pistols were just too cool.

Another sidebar – Yes, there were some hot girls with inconsequential roles in the video, but whatever.  They were good to look at, too.

I remember waiting with my mom outside the Greek Theater in L.A., waiting for Aunts Ava and Angie (who, by now was another Ant person).  They had purchased tickets to see Adam and the Ants tour the Prince Charming album.  I stood there and heard the last strains of an encore, then the shrieks and screams of hundreds of teenage girls.  I have to admit, that experience changed me.  It made me want to be a rock star.

So, Adam releases his first solo album.  Friend Or Foe, in my opinion, ties with Kings as one of the defining musical moments of the 1980s.  With Friend Or Foe, the creative tiger is released and it’s smart.  Adam sounded like he was pissed off, but playful.  He comments about the paparazzi in “Goody Two Shoes” and “Desperate, But Not Serious.”  In the title track, Adam tells his fans and the world that they could love him, or leave him; he was gonna keep being himself. If you didn’t like it, tough.

Yet another sidebar – At the end of the day, my fave solo Ant track is “Friend Or Foe.”  It’s got all of the ingredients that make Adam an interesting musical study.  It’s got a hypnotic beat, a great guitar line that links the trumpet lines to the rhythm track, and a great message of strength through adversity.

November 3 marks the birthday of Adam Ant.  Thanks for some really great rock moments Adam.  I’ll never forget the cool videos, anticipating your albums, and collecting the English singles for the B-sides.  Hope it won’t be long until you release an new album . . . it’s been too long, man. Cheers.

(Lex Neon is also known as Alex Oliver, the quirky and often eccentric musical genius of “sunshine pop / rock” band Poppermost.  Check out their music and Lex’s rock rantings at http://www.poppermost.com/).

Note: Original release date of the ‘currently listening’ album below is listed as 1980.

Currently listening: Kings of the Wild Frontier By Adam and the Ants

The song raced through my head as I reached out to shake her hand.  Royal and I had gone to an art gallery to see Grace Slick’s artwork, and to meet the woman in person.  Her eyes looked just like the hundreds of pictures and interviews that I’ve seen over the years.  At 69, Grace still had the beauty.  As I stood in the line of people wanting to talk briefly with her, I was nervous.

What would I say?

Back in the late 70s, documentaries on rock music were just starting to become the norm.  Invariably, the subject of the late 1960s rock scene was the topic, and “Somebody To Love” by the Jefferson Airplane would pop up in the soundtrack.  I don’t remember the first time I heard the song – it’s like it was embedded into my DNA.  I bought the re-issued single 12 years after it first appeared in early ’67.  Backed with “White Rabbit,” Grace’s signature song, I thought that I knew all there was to know about the woman and the band.

Not so.

As I got older and the music of the 80s grew more artificial with synths and electronic gadgets, I headed back to the music of the 60s and started collecting Airplane records.  After the “Somebody To Love” single, I purchased my first copy of the Airplane’s second album, Surrealistic Pillow. I was blown away by the material that appeared on that album.  Grace’s vocals were a large part of the sound that captured my ears.  Hers was the voice of a siren that shone brightly through the instruments and the two male vocalists.  Besides her soaring lead vocals on “Somebody To Love” and “White Rabbit,” check out her counter melody vocal lines on “D.B.C.A. 25,” and “She Has Funny Cars.”  And she sings wonderfully, and plays the recorder, on the beautiful and folky “How Do You Feel,” as well as the beautiful “Coming Back To Me.”

How cool is that? Only very, that’s all.

Grace was partially responsible for the experimental sound on the band’s next album, After Bathing At Baxter’s.  The album took some time to grow on me; it was a big departure from their first 2 albums, and was a purely psychedelic experience from the opening guitar wails.  I found Grace’s tunes “Two Heads” and “Rejoyce” were the perfect portals for me to go through to arrive at the heart of this album.  The following album, Crown of Creation, contained Grace’s wistful “Lather,” as well as my favorite Grace song of all, “Greasy Heart.”  Filled with her clever wordplay and a great vibe provided by the band, it struck a chord in my young musical mind.  I just could not stop playing it.

You are your own best toy to play with
Remote control hands
Made for each other
Made in Japan

Woman with a greasy heart
Automatic man
Don’t ever change, people
Your face will hit the fan

I am standing in front of Grace Slick!!!

After hemming and hawing, I said hello and stated out loud, “This is just too surreal for me.”  I told her that I wasn’t rich enough to afford any of her wonderful artwork yet.  I just wanted to tell her thanks for her inspiring work.  I told her that she inspired me to write, to sing, and to draw.  I stuck my hand out to shake hers, and was struck by the warm in her grip.  She smiled at me.

I walked away as giddy as a 14-year-old girl who just met an idol.  I grinned from ear to ear as I turned to Royal and whispered loudly “Wow, Grace Slick.”  And I do mean “WOW!”

Grace, if you should ever read this one day I just want to say that I’m getting closer to buying my favorite pictures from the night my friend and I met you at your art show in Vegas.  The full impact of the distinction between idol and friend registered when I viewed your painting and drawings.  I realized then that some of your art subjects are not just my musical idols; they are your friends and your history.  Please keep being creative as long as you can.  You may not want to sing anymore; that’s fine.  You inspire in more ways than one.  Thank you.

(Lex Neon is also known as Alex Oliver, the quirky and often eccentric musical genius of “sunshine pop / rock” band Poppermost.  Check out their music and Lex’s rock rantings at http://www.poppermost.com/).

Note: Original release date of the ‘currently listening’ album below is listed as September, 1968.

Currently listening: Crown of Creation

Some of my fondest memories as a kid was getting out of bed on Saturday late nights, sneaking into the family room and catching a music show called The Midnight Special.  There, I could see the acts I heard on the radio, and maybe see a new artist or band.  In 1978, I saw a performance by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.  The song was “American Girl,” and I went crazy.  When I crawled back into bed at 1:30 am, I could not get the song out of my head.

The following year, after discovering songs like “Breakdown” and “Listen To Her Heart,” I saw a promo clip (later known as the “video”) of a cool tune called “Refugee” on the Merv Griffin Show.  I was galvanized by the power of the song.  It was nothing like the songs that permeated the musical landscape at that time.  It was so not disco, that it made me dance and feel alive. It became the first record I ever purchased by Tom Petty.

I remember Tom’s sold-out performances during his week-long stint at the L.A. music club that mattered most, the Whiskey Au Go-Go.  Of course, I asked my mom if I could go and see him.  Her stock answer I already knew by heart: “So you can be surrounded by long haired, pot smoking weirdos? No.”

It was around this time that I decided not to return to AM radio.  Didn’t matter.  Petty and his crew crossed over to FM in a big way.  His band and music became a main focal point for me.  They looked like they were always having fun on stage.  Petty would jump around, like he was trying his best to levitate off the stage and into the air.  He brought humor back to music.  His songs were instantly memorable, and full of life.  And when the “age of the video” came around when I was a teen, his videos were the ones that I didn’t mind seeing a million times (so much more interesting musically and visually than A Flock of Seagulls or Duran Duran).

As I have stated before, there were very few artists from the 80s that I really cared for.  Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers could always rely on me to pick up a copy of their latest work.  And their work usually had me inside of my bedroom, learning how to play their latest songs on my acoustic guitar.  I remember their live performance at Live-Aid during the summer of ’85.  I was having my first phone conversation with a girl (Julie . . . wow).  As soon as Petty and crew came on my t.v. screen, I cut the conversation short with the words, “I have to go now. Petty’s on. Can I call you back?”  I grabbed a videotape, threw it in and captured the performance.

And I never called the girl back.  I was “too busy” studying the performance.  She got mad, and found another guy to like.  I got my allowance and bought a copy of Tom’s then-current album, Southern Accents.

One of the best concerts I ever attended was a show on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ Great Wide Open Tour.  I sat with my friend, Clover Club Larry, and enjoyed a wonderful night of music.  I’ll never forget the long encores.  Tom Petty invited a few of his friends to share the stage.  These friends? Jeff Lynne, George Harrison, Bruce Springsteen, and Ringo Starr.  I felt special to witness such a gathering of some of my heroes.  I still get goosebumps thinking about that night.  Wonderful.

The music that really captured a moment in time for me was his second solo album, Wildflowers.  At that time in my life, my mom was dying from ovarian cancer.  I would spend my time driving back and forth to the hospital, listening to a cassette copy in my car, crying.  Tom’s music gave me the strength to hold myself in check.  Emotionally, I was a wreck.  I knew that things weren’t going to be the same again, and I was scared.  My mom was my rock, and I was losing her.  Tom’s music reminded me that we must all keep moving, no matter what events shape your life.

Tom still makes great music, and I never miss a chance to hear his latest.  He is inspiring, and hero in every sense of the word.  Remember the public fights with his record company?  He took on the “big dogs” to restructure a horrible contract, as well as fighting them over the 9 dollar price tag for the band’s Hard Promises album at the beginning of the 80s?  That just wasn’t the norm in those days.  He’s championed musicians and music fans alike, and for that he deserves nothing but respect.

Tom, if you should read this someday, thanks for thinking about the fans.  Thanks for the great music, and thanks for showing us musicians who came later about ethics, integrity, and caring.  Damn the torpedoes!

(Lex Neon is also known as Alex Oliver, the quirky and often eccentric musical genius of “sunshine pop / rock” band Poppermost.  Check out their music and Lex’s rock rantings at http://www.poppermost.com/).

Note: Original release date of the ‘currently listening’ album below is October 19, 1979.

Currently listening: Damn the Torpedoes By Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

It was the 1980s, and I hated most of the then “uber-hip” Top 40 crap that I heard on the radio.  There were only a few bands that I thought were worth their weight and gold: R.E.M., the Police, U2, the Replacements, the Clash, and a few others.  It was a short, lonely list.  Aside from these bands, I didn’t hear too much of anything that could be called music.

And then I heard the Smithereens.

I don’t remember much about the first time I heard a song by the Smithereens.  Maybe it was the video for “Blood and Roses,” which appeared on MTV (when it was still “all music, all the time”).  It was enough for me to borrow a copy of their first full-length album, Especially For You, from Clover Club Larry.  At the time, Larry was known for his distaste for what he called “modern pop crap.”  He was ahead of the times and looked towards “alternative” music to feed his musical hunger.  So I borrowed his copy of the Smithereens’ album, took it home, and dropped the record player needle on the vinyl.

And I was hooked.

From the opening song “Strangers When We Met” to the end song “Alone After Midnight,” I heard something that was both simultaneously new and familiar.  There was something in the band’s collective soul that saluted the heroes that I admired from the 60s (the Beatles, the Who, the Kinks), but re-tooled for the modern musical world.  When I heard Pat sing “Crazy Mixed-Up Kid,” I thought that these guys were the musical saviors of my generation.  With other stand-out songs, like “Groovy Tuesday” and “Last Cigarette,” they made me believe that truly great songwriting and performance was not a thing of the past; it was still very much alive and breathing through their own music.

And Pat’s writing pushed me further into exploring the world of songwriting.

I learned most of the songs from Especially For You by ear.  I got to know the songs inside and out, and started copying Pat’s choice of guitar chords, his vocal style, and his knack for writing short, sharp, accessible power-pop tunes until I could find my own voice.  When I started working with kids at the Boys and Girls Club of Hollywood, I would bring in my guitar and play “Crazy Mixed-Up Kid” or “Behind The Wall of Sleep” for the children who’d dare me to pick up my acoustic and “play something.”

And I have to say, that “Behind The Wall Of Sleep” hooked me instantly.  I was forever falling in love with bass players who happened to be girls (a quick nod to Kathy Valentine of the GoGos – I still love you, girl!).  I understood.  I got it. And those lyrics hit me hard!

I continue to buy music by the Smithereens, and Pat’s solo stuff.  There is a craftsmanship in his writing that I cannot describe.  I can say that there is something in his voice, words and melodies that seem so effortless and direct.  Pat is one of the guys from my “awkward teen experience” that still resonates as clear as a bell.  Thank you Pat, for 25 plus years of amazing music and for the inspiration that ultimately culminated in me having the balls to find my own power-pop muse.  I love you, man!

(Lex Neon is also known as Alex Oliver, the quirky and often eccentric musical genius of “sunshine pop / rock” band Poppermost.  Check out their music and Lex’s rock rantings at http://www.poppermost.com/).

Note: Original release date of the ‘currently listening’ album below is listed as 1986.

Currently listening: Especially for You By The Smithereens

That is the title of the first Bruce Springsteen song I ever heard.  Back in the day, the Los Angeles airwaves were a live with the sound of artists that were not only creating the soundtracks of life, but inspiring legions of young musicians to get serious about their craft.  Radio was all-transforming.

I’ve written before about 94.7 KMET, aka “the mighty Met of southern California.”  On the immediate right on the radio dial was 95.5 KLOS.  KLOS’s format was a more rigid than KMET’s, but they had great deejays.  And the station had a bitchin’ commercial – a thirty second spot composed of 2 second film clips of great rock bands, framed by the stations racing track logo.

The last clip in the commercial is of Bruce Springsteen, who is seen giving it his all at the lyrical end of “Thunder Road.” He screams into the microphone, as if his life depended on it:

It’s a town for losers
We’re pulling out of here to win!

When I finally saw the clip in its entirety a year or so down the road, the entire clip hit me hard.  I wanted to be Bruce.  I wanted to pick up a guitar and sound like that.  I wanted a band to make my music sound big and great, like his.  If you ever see this clip, you will “lose it” . . . completely!

My first Springsteen record was “Hungry Heart.”  I heard it on Top 40 when it was new.  I thought it was an “oldie” that might have slipped through the waves.  I only had to hear it once to want it; to own it for myself.  When I hustled over to Record Retreat, I asked the resident “music guru and hippie” Marshall if he heard of the song.  “Heard it?  Heck, I’ve been playing it all day.  Would you like that copy with or without the picture sleeve?”

I took that record home and played it so much that the vinyl started turning gray!

Weeks later, Bruce was in town playing the L.A. Sports Arena.  Like a bad television rerun, I once again asked my mom if I could go to a concert.  Very much like the requests to see Led Zeppelin, Queen, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles, my request was shot down.  But in the following allowance I found extra cash that my mom gave me – to buy Bruce Springsteen’s then-current album, The River.

Bruce-mania was in full effect in Los Angeles, and I had my souvenir album, which I played . . . well, until the vinyl turned gray!

I would finally get to see Bruce Springsteen and the E. Street Band during the fall of ’85, when Bruce was winding up his Born In The USA tour.  And for this great occasion, I was lucky enough to have fellow Bruce “head” Curt with me; he won tickets from KLOS, and invited me along.  What a long show!  Three and a half hours of relentless rock from “the Boss.”  Only one complaint – the band didn’t play “Rosalita” that night.  They played it the following night, for which Curt won another pair of tickets.  To be fair, he took his then-girlfriend.  Was I jealous? You bet I was!

Over the years, Bruce has turned out extraordinary music.  And like all of the greats before him, he followed his artistic muse.  Sometimes the music wasn’t that “commercial.”  Sometimes it was the sound of a man growing up, growing older, and taking his fans down musical paths where very few artists are willing to go.  Happy birthday, Bruce.  You still mean the world to me.

(Lex Neon is also known as Alex Oliver, the quirky and often eccentric musical genius of “sunshine pop / rock” band Poppermost.  Check out their music and Lex’s rock rantings at http://www.poppermost.com/).