Disk of the month - The The - Ensoulment (2024)

 

Such a beauty, folks!

After 25 years from the last one, this marvelous record has it all: great songs and melodies, great twangy, fuzz guitars, great lyrics… an overall GREAT disk, indeed!

Buy it! 

You won’t have any regrets or blaming yours truly.

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The last fifteen meters

 

“There are people who await the end on their knees, resigned, or who try to ingratiate themselves with the executioner. 

There are others, the minority, who try to run. 

They try to be free and to live at least those fifteen meters of freedom. 

It is not much, because in the end the bullet arrives anyway. But during those fifteen meters in which he runs, that person is free. 

Those fifteen meters are called love, friendship, dignity, decency, charity, honesty, courage, compassion, solidarity. 

In those fifteen meters, apparently very short, the human being can achieve truly important things. 

All the differences, in my opinion, between people, lie in how they run or do not run those fifteen meters. 

This is the true, free will within general rules created by a world now devoid of feelings.” 

Arturo Pérez-Reverte

Death 💫

 

“There is something worse than death: the fear of dying. To overcome this fear, I invite you to reflect on how you fall asleep.

Everything you feel, think or imagine, vanishes without you realizing it, and you sink into a deep sleep.

Then, suddenly, you wake up, without knowing how much time has passed: it could be minutes or many hours. To find out, you have to look at the clock.

This is how death comes: without you realizing it, you sink into a kind of nothingness. If there is no life after death, you will not feel any pain, dissolved in impersonal peace. If, on the other hand, there is another life, as soon as you close your eyes for the last time, even if a thousand years have passed, you will reopen them as if only a moment had passed.”

Alejandro Jodorowsky

Best magazine cover, ever?

 

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Hugh Hopper and his timeless posthumous treasure 💎

 

Hugh Hopper and his Fender bass

Beside his dense, amazing, incredible musical production, solo and with countless groups, the above ten disks represents a true testament.

I suggest everyone into progressive to dig these masterpieces.

💫💎💫

John Cale 💫

 

John Cale’s journey from a small Welsh mining village to the avant-garde music scene in New York City is the stuff of legends. Born in 1942, Cale’s early life in Garnant, Wales, was marked by a unique blend of isolation and musical discovery. A child prodigy, he discovered a natural talent for the viola, joining the National Youth Orchestra of Wales at just 13. His skill earned him a scholarship to Goldsmiths College in London, where he studied composition and immersed himself in experimental music. But Wales and London were too small for Cale’s ambitions. In 1963, he boarded a plane to New York City, drawn to the chaotic energy of the American avant-garde scene. There, he met John Cage and participated in an 18-hour piano marathon that would set the tone for his career—one marked by endurance, innovation, and a refusal to conform. It was during this time that Cale also joined La Monte Young’s Theatre of Eternal Music, a groundbreaking group exploring drone music and pushing the boundaries of what music could be.

One of my most beloved JC’s discs: Academy in Peril , with its iconic Andy Warhol’s cover-art 🥇

Then came the Velvet Underground, a moment that changed everything. In 1965, Cale teamed up with Lou Reed, blending his classical training and experimental leanings with Reed’s gritty, streetwise songwriting. Together, they created a sound that was raw, visceral, and unlike anything the rock world had ever heard. With Sterling Morrison and Moe Tucker, they released The Velvet Underground & Nico in 1967—a record initially ignored but later hailed as one of the most influential albums of all time. Cale’s screeching viola on tracks like “Venus in Furs” added a haunting edge to the band’s already provocative image. But success came at a price. Tensions between Cale and Reed escalated, their creative visions clashing in a storm of egos. By 1968, Reed fired Cale from the band, a move that marked the end of an era but also freed Cale to pursue his solo ambitions. It was a bitter split, but one that allowed both musicians to carve their own paths, shaping the future of music in ways no one could have predicted.

Cale’s post-Velvets career is a sprawling, unpredictable saga. He released Paris 1919 in 1973, an album that showcased his ability to marry literary elegance with pop sensibilities. Then came Music for a New Society in 1982, a stark, unsettling masterpiece born from personal and professional turmoil. But Cale wasn’t just a musician—he was a producer with a Midas touch. He worked on The Stooges’ explosive debut album, Nico’s haunting Desertshore, and Patti Smith’s seminal Horses, shaping the sound of punk, goth, and art rock in the process. His collaborations were as eclectic as his solo work, ranging from punk icons to classical composers. Yet, Cale remained an enigma, always one step ahead of his contemporaries and often misunderstood by the mainstream. For every triumph, there were moments of obscurity, but Cale never stopped evolving. His restless creativity kept him moving, even when the industry seemed to forget him.

Now in his eighties, Cale’s legacy is as vibrant as ever. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Velvet Underground in 1996, he’s continued to write, record, and challenge the limits of his artistry. His 18th studio album, POPtical Illusion, released in 2024, proves that age is no barrier to innovation. Cale’s career is a testament to resilience, reinvention, and the power of staying true to one’s vision. From the groundbreaking noise of the Velvet Underground to the lush textures of Paris 1919 and the stark minimalism of his later work, Cale’s music is a kaleidoscope of human experience. His story isn’t just about music—it’s about survival, reinvention, and the unyielding drive to create. And while the world often moves too quickly to appreciate its most daring artists in real time, Cale’s influence is woven into the fabric of modern music, ensuring his legacy will resonate for generations to come.

Sound Soulution Hi-End in Padua

 

There are Audio Fairs and then something rare as today one-day only event in Padua!

Flawlessly organized by Altin Lile and his crew, Aldo Zaninello and his family (wife and sons) and Mario Canever, the event was made possible by… the obvious madness and the enormous passion of Altin who - simply said - dismantled his home audio system (worth several thousands euros and several hundreds kilos) and brought to an huge rented space… still not satisfied, he had a top-class refreshment with a sommelier and wine a go-go… and, not enough? Live music with a nice covers-band which represented a seldom-seen absolute BIG plus!

Cool, indeed! 

Honestly, I must add that “Sound Soulution” is also a recently opened audio shop in Via Bronzetti, Padua… and cannot think of a better way to spread the name than today audio exhibition 🍀

Yours truly and Lorenzo Zen 💫

The event saw the presence of nice people like Lorenzo Zen, the Godfather of Italian Hi-End and Matej Isak of Mono & Stereo webzine and the numerous audience was motivated and interested, apparently more interested in music - the essence of our passion - than in gears, per se… yet, Aldo Zaninello’s Sigma Acoustics’s loudspeakers masterfully fed by Swiss-made Soulution Class A amps and preamps and Jord Groen’s Pink Faun “Scion” esoteric digital station at its world-premiere… everything was carefully placed, cables elegantly positioned like in the best home audio system!

The group 💫💎💫

Aldo Zaninello (at left) - visibly and well-deservedly satisfied of the event  - and the Four Musketeers 😉

The Four Musketeers: Marco, Mirco, Antonio and Stefano

My pal Marco and yours truly

Altin Lile with his superb, bespoke “Extreme Audio Tourbillon” turntable at background and… (aehm) Twogoodears 😄😇😉😄

That was the absolute plus of the event: not a single maker products display, but the nice mix every audiophile uses in his music-room and the result paid it off, cleverly and beautifully!

Lorenzo Zen, beside his always nice persona and wittiness, also brought the Sonus Faber “Snail” ser. # 001, hand built in 1982 by Franco Serblin in a garage/workshop… the beginning of it all… amazingly, I was present at early 80s press-presentation of this awesome, Leonardesque loudspeaker. Life is such a circle ⭕️.

Last, but not least, after a decade-long reciprocal respect and admiration at a distance, had the pleasure to - finally - meet in person Matej Isak whose Mono & Stereo webzine, very audio-mainstream industry-oriented, was able to keep “that” curiosity for the new, the weird, the different approaches in our so multifaceted passion.

Matej and myself 

Great guy, empathetic and warm: nice meeting you, dear Matej 🥂

All considered, a very pleasant day truly fueled by a sincere passion of Altin, Aldo and Mario… a lively mix of young and old audiophiles, music and audio gears.

Kudos, folks 💫💎💫… all and everything for the love of music 🎶 

Frank’s wittiness 💫

 

Joe Pyne was a sort of American Sgarbi who, in his radio broadcasts (in the 50s) and on TV (in the 60s), enjoyed insulting the people he interviewed when they expressed opinions different from his. 

As a good conservative, he took it out on the flower children, pacifists, feminists and so on. 

He was also known for a physical disability: he had a wooden leg, the original one he had lost due to a tumor. 

One day Joe Pyne had the unfortunate idea of ​​inviting Frank Zappa on the show. 

Pyne had a small mind, a slave to prejudices and stereotypes, so for him a man with long hair was necessarily a hippie, or a drug addict, or a gay, or all three. 

Obviously he had no problem expressing his conviction. 

He said to Zappa: 

“I guess that long hair makes you a woman.” 

Old Frank, sarcastic as usual, replied:

“Then I guess that wooden leg makes you a coffee table.”

David Crosby and Christine Gail Hinton

 

A seldom seen picture of David and his girlfriend in 1969 before her untimely death for an accident.

Not much is known about Christine Hinton because she’s not exactly famous. In the eyes of history, she’s a brief footnote in the legendary love lives of two of the 60’s most iconic musicians.

Christine Hinton was the beautiful, bohemian girlfriend of David Crosby, who as the guitarist for folk-rock sensations The Byrds, one of the leading lights of Los Angeles’s so-called Laurel Canyon scene. According to most accounts. Hinton was a bona-vied hippie. Quick to go on naked beach strolls and roll up doobies at a moments notice. 

When Crosby got kicked out of the Byrds in 1967, he took a sabbatical to Florida, where he happened upon the relatively unknown Joni Mitchell performing in a local club. Enamored with her beauty and her talent, Crosby promptly broke up with Hinton to become Mitchell’s boyfriend and de-facto manager, eventually getting her a record deal and launching her to superstardom. 

While dating Mitchell, Crosby formed Crosby, Stills, & Nash and started writing the song “Guinnevere” about Mitchell. But their relationship was tempestuous, and the couple broke up before he could finish it. Crosby reunited with Christine Hinton and finished the last two verses of “Guinnevere” about her. 

On September 30th, 1969, Crosby, Stills, & Nash’s debut album, which including Guinnevere, went gold. On the same day, Christine Hinton borrowed Davis Crosby’s VW bus to take her two cats to the vet. En route, one of the cats jumped into Christine’s lap, startling her and causing her to lose control of the car, which drifted into the next lane and collided head on with a school bus, killing her. It’s unknown how old she was (to me at least).

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Arhoolie 💎

 

Dear friends, 

We’re thrilled to announce that the Arhoolie Foundation and Les Blank Films are joining together to purchase our longtime home at 10341 San Pablo Avenue in El Cerrito. 

The decision to buy the building comes after several months of thoughtful consideration and a strong response from our community. It has become clear to us that continuing our work in the place where Chris Strachwitz originally conceived it is the best way forward for the organization. Staying in our longtime home preserves an important part of Arhoolie’s cultural legacy, prevents the disruption that moving would cause, and—most importantly—opens up possibilities for closer collaboration with Les Blank Films, Down Home Music Store, and our local East Bay community.

Now comes the hard part. While we are under contract to buy the building, we need to raise $2.4 million to meet the purchase price by April 15. Here are two ways you can donate to our cause:

The GoFundMe page for the capital campaign

(donations to this fund are shared by all three of the tenants): https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-secure-el-cerritos-cultural-landmark

Direct tax-deductible donations/securities to either of the two non-profits who are buying the building:

Contact Harrod Blank at Les Blank Films https://lesblank.com/contact/;

or Adam Machado at Arhoolie Foundation, adam@arhoolie.org.

As we begin this capital campaign, we will continue our normal operations in the building while forging a closer institutional bond with Les Blank Films and taking modest, collaborative steps to bring more public programming into Down Home Music. We plan to revive Les Blank and Chris’ tradition of in-store film screenings and will host more informal, free performances and gatherings in the store as part of our outreach work. We believe this collaboration will result in a vibrant community gathering place dedicated to music, film, and deep roots culture. 

This Giving Tuesday we’re grateful for your support. We look forward to updating you on our progress in the coming weeks and months.

Photo credits: Arhoolie Foundation, El Cerrito Historical Society

#Arhoolie #DownHomeMusic #LesBlankFilms #ElCerrito #GivingTuesday

Mr. Burns advice 😏😉😏

 

Using credit and debit cards, of course… for maximum bank’s profit 😏

Tools of the trade - Todd Rundgren & Eric Clapton’s “The Fool”

 

**Eric Clapton and then Todd Rindgten’s Legendary 1964 Gibson SG, "The Fool," Sells at Auction for $1.27 Million** 

Eric Clapton's 1964 Gibson SG, known as **"The Fool"**, has become one of the most iconic and sought-after guitars in rock history. Featuring a unique, vibrant design by the Dutch art collective that bears its name, "The Fool" was Clapton's guitar of choice during the groundbreaking years of **Cream**, cementing his place in music history. 

With its bold and distinctive psychedelic aesthetic, "The Fool" embodied the cultural spirit of the 1967 Summer of Love, becoming a symbol of an era of artistic and social transformation. It was also the key to Clapton's famous **"woman tone"**, a rich, warm and unmistakable sound that immortalized songs such as *Sunshine of Your Love*, *White Room* and *I Feel Free*. 

During the most influential period of Cream, this guitar accompanied Clapton in the creation of groundbreaking albums such as **Disraeli Gears**, helping to define an entire musical era. The direct connection between "The Fool" and the evolution of psychedelic rock has made the instrument a true treasure for musicians and collectors. 

In late 2023, this musical icon set a new record, selling at auction for an extraordinary sum of **$1.27 million**. The winning bidder was renowned collector Jim Irsay, who added this piece of history to his collection. It is the highest price ever paid for a guitar that belonged to Clapton, further confirming the cultural and historical importance of this instrument. 

With its unique legacy and undeniable influence on music and culture, “The Fool” remains one of the most iconic guitars of all time, a timeless symbol of rock history.

…………

Todd Rundgren pictured with ‘The Fool’ Gibson SG in the 1970s, famously previously owned by Eric Clapton.

Eric Clapton’s iconic Gibson SG—with the wild psychedelic paint job—was already a legend when Todd Rundgren got his hands on it. Clapton had used it during his time with Cream, crafting unforgettable solos on tracks like “Sunshine of Your Love” and “Crossroads.” Known as ‘The Fool’ (and occasionally called ‘Sunny’ after “Sunshine of Your Love”), the 1964 Gibson SG was painted by the Dutch art collective The Fool, giving the guitar its name and its unmistakable look. It’s one of the most famous instruments of all time and a symbol of the psychedelic era.

Todd Rundgren picked it up for just $500 in the early’70s. That’s right—$500 for one of the most legendary guitars in rock history. But Todd wasn’t the kind of guy to lock it away in a display case. He put it to work, playing it extensively on his groundbreaking album A Wizard, A True Star and other projects.

Unlike many collectors, Todd didn’t treat the guitar like a fragile museum piece. He made a few modifications to suit his needs, but he never lost sight of its legacy. Fans who recognized The Fool would go nuts, and Todd enjoyed telling the guitar’s story, knowing he was holding a piece of rock history.

Eventually, Todd decided it was time to part ways with the SG, selling it at auction. Now it resides in a private collection, but during its time with Rundgren, the guitar experienced a vibrant second life—moving from Clapton’s fiery blues to Todd’s kaleidoscopic experiments.

Fab Four’s autographs 💫

 

Thanks to my pal Jürg for this 💎

Woof!

 

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends 💫

Going bananas 😳

 

The piano tuner 💫

 

Tapes news - ReVox acquires Horch House 💫

 

The Beatles’ gears…

 

… backstage at Dodger Stadium in 1966.

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Jordi Savall in Trieste 💫

 

Eighty-three year old Maestro Savall brought a message of peace and universal brotherhood with his music that for more than fifty years has built a bridge between different cultures. an important message and simply wonderful music: a truly unique concert.