The Bobby Rock Newsletter #11 (5-5-2021) - A Road Dawg Remembered
The Bobby Rock Newsletter #11 (5-5-2021) - A Road Dawg Remembered
 |
|
Hey Gang -
Thank you all for hanging here with me, and for all the ongoing great feedback on this newsletter. Let's dive in...
In This Issue:
_______________
I wrote the following piece in ‘97. It’s a snapshot of tour life, featuring one of my dearest road warrior brethren: Ed “Munch” Miller… who we just lost this week. Munch and I started touring together way back in ’84, but our connection was rooted far beyond the “biz.” Munch was extended family… a fiercely loyal friend who I always remained in touch with and would often see during tour stops in his native Michigan through the years. He was also an insanely gifted sound engineer and quite the character, no doubt! We’ll miss you, brother…  Lampposts in the Moonglow The warhorse, Winnebago Warrior; my RV - a sling-shot rocket rolling down another black and icy highway. Truckstop neons are a blur to the right and left as speckles of snow, light but steady, pelt our windshield like stars on the Enterprise. We're going where no men have gone before… at least not men like these. In the driver's seat for now, it's Munch; a sumo-bellied bulldog with a thick, salt and pepper goatee. He's forcing his droopy eyes to stay open behind dark-rimmed glasses as a Marlboro smolders between fingers that are as wide as they are long. "You gonna make it, Mack Daddy?" I call out to him, crouching down between the driver and passenger seats. The movie Goodfellas funnels down the hallway from the TV in the rear lounge where I just left a couple of dozing bandmates. Two other crew guys are cocooned in army surplus blankets on couches near the front. "What? Shit yes… whaddya mean?" Munch grunts back at me. It's the usual: me implying that he's too tired to drive, he insisting he isn't. Same ol' shit. "Well, looks like I might have to get some motherfuckin' toothpicks up here to keep those eyelids from shuttin'," I retort. Munch lets loose one of his signature grizzly bear-with-pneumonia kind of laughs. "You're dreamin', Holmes. I ain't never fell asleep at the wheel and I ain't never gonna, either," he says, cocking both eyes at me—and off of the road—for a few seconds longer than I can take. Me: "Very good. Now, do you mind watching where the fuck you're going here before we roll this bad boy again?" Munch: "Man, get your ass back to your movie, will ya? Leave the driving to the professionals." Me: "I would, but our budget wouldn't allow me to hire any." Munch: "You got that right!" We both laugh, and I stand and steady myself through the soft white glow of floor lighting, and down the hall to my haven in the rear lounge. Life is a series of leaps of faith and, considering only six months have passed since our horrific motor home accident—where a crew guy did, in fact, fall asleep at the wheel and roll the RV four times—I guess I'm taking a leap in letting my boy continue to drive tonight. But the Munch man is armed with a stout cup of coffee and a sacrosanct old bible that his father left him years back—a good luck piece of sorts—which he swears has protected him from harm in his twenty years of driving trucks. And for some reason, I believe it. Let's hope this streak continues. For now, though, I fall into my bunk, power down the tube, then ease onto my side where I can look out the window. Instead of counting sheep, I count passing lampposts in the moonglow. ...7, 8, 9... because if we must endure another wreck, I would rather be asleep... 22, 23, 24... that way, by the time I realize it isn't a dream, it will already be over... 33, 34, 35... Kind of like life itself.  Post-show, from an extensive tour in ’97 when this piece was written. Munch is right there in the center. (Thanks for the pic, Kid…) _______________
Into as of Late: Moxy
Moxy was a hard-working Canadian band that toured the states regularly back in the 70s. I first saw them at my second concert ever back in October of '76: Black Sabbath headlining, with Boston in the middle spot (touring for their epic debut record) and Moxy opening the show. They were a good band with decent tunes, and their first three albums would find their way into my active rotation. Through the years, it’s been fun to occasionally revisit these records and get the nostalgia hit. Here recently, however, I discovered that Moxy (with, I believe, their founding guitarist still on board), had re-recorded many of their classic tunes from those first few records. I stumbled across this one on Spotify, thinking it was a greatest hits album, but was taken aback by the "modern sonics” of the production. “What the fuck?” I thought. "This shit is poppin’! I don’t remember them being this far ahead of the curve with regard to…” “Wait a minute—these are new recordings!” And that was my introduction to this reinvented take on their most beloved tunes.  For me, it’s been fun to revisit those classic Moxy tracks with this modern production… but then simultaneously skip around and reference some of the original recordings. Sure, one might argue that you can never recapture the magic of the originals, so why bother? But I say, why not? It's been cool to hear their stuff in both contexts. And for any hard rock fan who missed them the first time around, I might be inclined to recommend this 40-year collection first, just to get a vibe on the tunes, then go back to the catalog for the contrast. _______________
Down & Dirty!
I recently launched my very own custom-blend superfood powder called Dragon Dirt. In this section, we offer tips and insights for our kick-ass new DD community. Our Ingredient Spotlight provides info into the why, what, and how much of our ingredients in the Dirt. Feel the Power of the Golden Powder!  Turmeric is a flowering plant that’s been a part of Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. Perhaps most recognized as the golden-yellow spice in curry, turmeric's powerful anti-inflammatory properties have been shown to be as effective as certain anti-inflammatory drugs—minus the side effects. This makes it ideal as both a natural pain reliever and an effective workout recovery agent. It has also been identified as an ally in combating heart disease and restricting growth in cancerous cells. There is a hefty 600 mgs of turmeric in a single serving of Dragon Dirt! Grab a bag HERE. Find out about all 18 ingredients at www.drinkthedirt.com _______________
Thanks, everyone! If you haven’t already, be sure and take a moment to sign up on the Newsletter page at www.bobbyrock.com. This will give you a much more customized experience, and also grant you access to various members-only areas, events, etc.
Until next time,
BR
|