Pat Blythe – Where do we go from here? ……and music

Throughout the past two years we’ve all tried to predict, guess, envisage, calculate, even hope what the future of music will be, once we are no longer struggling and fighting this global pandemic. We have been living in a world that seems surreal…..like a bad dream you wish you could wake up from, just by rubbing your eyes. That anything like this could happen in the 21^st century seems rather absurd and unbelievable. Thing is…..it did. We are not impervious, but we are arrogant in thinking that we are. Lately, events have proven that we still have a long way to go. There remains, in all parts of the world, a whole level of uneducated obtuseness that exists even after we’ve heard from Archimedes, Aristotle, Galileo, Isaac Newton, Einstein, Stephen Hawking and their ilk. Baby…..we have a looooong way to go.

A PIRATE’S TALE – Gary Pig Gold on launching his Favourite Conspiracy

---

As hard as it may be for us to recall all these decades later, the extremely late Eighties somehow found Dave “Rave” DesRoches touring his home and native land alongside ol’ highschool buds Teenage Head, extolling the second-hand virtues of carpet kissin’ Hawaiian beer-drinking parties… as the remainder of the music biz moved uncaringly along to George Michael, Guns N’ Roses n’ other such comparative pleasures. However – and this is a big, all-important However however – Dave had spent most every down-hour he could during those distant days squirreled away within the nearest quiet zone, creating a veritable treasure trove of words and music which, while wholly incompatible with his Teenage night job would serve him more than well when, as 1988 became 89, he began seriously considering stepping out upon his very own.

Bob Stories Opinions and Advice 10 Years On

Don’t Believe a Word I Say has existed as first a column at FYIMusic.com, then in its own self-titled blog for going on 11 years now.

Before this, I dabbled in music, radio, and television for 50 years or so, and feel I have experienced enough to have a fairly informed opinion of my related careers, and the love/hate relationship that comes with a passion and lust for life and its challenging hurdles.

The following has been culled from the first 6 months of this entities existence, which has been updated but not changed in any way, so when I said something stupid then, it remains stupid now. New pictures have been added, and some comments, which will be in italics.

Enjoy the sunshine and the first sign of Spring …mud. Read this when it rains again …or snows …or the cat won’t get off your lap. – Bob

Chef Tom – Rainbow Trout, Rainbow Girls, Cilantro-Lime Rice and the Shook Twins

This is one of those recipes that could be switched up very easily. It will work with whatever fish is freshest and available. If you don’t have trout fillets, you could use cod or tilapia or even salmon. Pretty much any firm fish will do, skin on or off, depending on what you like. The sauce would even work with a piece of chicken, or a pork tenderloin.

You can pan-fry for a crispy skin, or broil, or even roast. If you have a sous vide at home, cook your fish and finish with the sauce. You could lean more towards Thailand and VietNam by splitting the difference between soy sauce and fish sauce. Add a couple of shakes of good curry powder. Change the toppings to sliced green onions, cilantro leaves, thin slices of colored bell pepper, or throw on some toasted almonds or peanuts. Tons of possibility.

And any of these methods would work fine with the Cilantro-Lime Rice.

The Bob – The Temps, The Tommy, and The Twins

Most of the last two weeks has been spent un-writing this column. I know that sounds dumb, but it is an accurate description of the process.

I find that when I am passionate about something, excited to distraction, chomping at the bit to share my Joy of Discovery with any and all who will listen, I tend to go off like a 6 year old with a wagon full of water balloons and a neighborhood full of targets. …and that seems to lessen the impact, the joy, the pleasure, and turns delight into a chore. The solution is to pare it down, hit the highlights, and not bore you, Dear Readers, and in so doing, whet your appetite and get you as excited as I am without belabouring my point. Even so, I KNOW I have gone on too long again….

…and my Point? There is Greatness afoot….

Gary Pig Gold Sez – IF YOU CAN FIND IT, BUY IT.

It was two score (that’s forty years) (I think) and several tens of thousand dollars ago (of that I’m sure) that I decided to get into the Record Business. For real. (Sort of.) I mean, Frank Zappa, Frank Sinatra, even those Beatles had their own labels. Why not me ??!

Frank’s Last Review and Introducing Mike Marino

Received this lovely note and a review Frank had written but didn’t have time to get to me. Life…finds a way.

Hi Bob, I just learned that Frank Gutch Jr passed away and am so saddened by it. He recently did a review for our daughters’ latest album (released May 1), and I sent him an email this past week to see when he would be posting the review…now I know why he never responded. Fortunately, he had sent the review to us for our Kansas Bluegrass Association newsletter. Is there any way we could share this with you on your/his blog? He seemed to really enjoy the girls’ music and this was his third album review that he’d done for the girls. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks so much, Bob. We really appreciate you sharing this. So sorry for your loss. – Debbie Vogts

…and when you are finished with Frank’s review…keep scrolling, and meet Mike Marino.

Frank Gutch Jr: The Second Time Around….

Editor’s Note – When I promised that Frank would always be here, I wasn’t kidding. In the weeks to come you will be introduced to one of Frank’s closest friends, whose writing will be presented here, as well as co-writes with Frank, and some of Frank’s work which has never been seen in these pages. The rest of the time on Tuesdays Frank’s original columns will be reproduced here, in the order in which they originally appeared, starting with this one…his first.From September 7th, 2011.

They say life is better the 2nd time around…Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr Frank Gutch Jr….

Darrell Vickers – Thank Frank

Over the decades, I have been admired and even lampooned for my over-the-top love of music. My irreversible spinal scoliosis can be directly linked to the carting of countless, uber-weighty, vinyl-filled boxes from hither to yon.

Roxanne Tellier – We All Loved You, Frank Gutch Jr – Tributes, Tales, and Tears

Yesterday I went through all of the private messages I’d shared with Frank Gutch Jr, since I’d first encountered him. It was in 2013, just after I’d begun writing this weekly column, and right from that first message, it was as though we were separated at birth.