The Sad Death of Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse is dead. The news flashed around the world by tweet before it hit the major networks. The inevitable jokes ensued, but the saddest thing about this is that no one was shocked by her death. Surprised, perhaps, that her death occurred so young but not surprised at all that she died. It's as if the world was waiting for the other Amy Winehouse shoe to drop.

She lived a troubled life, not uncommon for young celebrities, but her fame was coupled with addiction that virtually paved the way for her demise. She was, by all accounts, a full blown alcoholic and drug addict. And she appeared defiant and in denial. Even her hit "Rehab" with its chorus of "They tried to make me go to rehab and I said no, no, no" said Amy was not willing to accept that she was an addict and the song was a musical flip of the bird of sorts to all that suggested she was. Remember, though, she did not set out to be an addict. Addiction creeps up unexpectedly, tells you it's your friend, and then destroys your life. Throw in celebrity life and you have a volatile cocktail waiting to explode. And explode it did.

Her music lives on and it's the music that should be remembered. Amy was an addict, so what. She was a talented singer and the tragedy is that we will never know what she could have accomplished. She enters the pantheon of rock stars that have died young -- Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Gram Parsons, Kurt Cobain, to name a few. And guess what? They were addicts too, with the exception of Cobain who committed suicide. But we remember them for their music not for how they died.

We should remember Amy Winehouse the same way.

The 2011 Juno Awards: You've Come A Long Way Baby

The 2011 Juno Awards were broadcast March 27. The top Canadian popular music artists were lauded at the annual event that garners millions of viewers every year. And while last night's show was by far the best one yet, it has not always been that way.

Prior to the 1960s, the Canadian star system was regional with no recognition beyond audience size and airplay. Local acts could become quite popular within their own geographic area, but given the size of Canada and the expense of touring across the country, many acts that were popular in Toronto never played in Vancouver. Before 1964 there was no national music chart either. Most local radio stations had their own chart of what was popular but as far as a national chart or rating, that was non-existent.

In December 1964 the recording industry trade magazine RPM Weekly initiated a reader’s poll. Readers were asked to vote for the artists they felt were the most popular. There was no big television show, no big production, instead just an informative and interesting final result with the winners and their categories printed on the front page of the magazine. This small poll started Canadians thinking that they had an industry of their own and after publishing the Reader’s Poll from 1964 to 1969, RPM went one step further. On February 23, 1970, St. Lawrence Hall in Toronto became the first setting for the RPM Gold Leaf Awards. Industry response was lukewarm and no one foresaw the potential for holding such an event. In 1971 the Gold Leaf Awards were renamed the Juno Awards after then-Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) chairman Pierre Juneau.

It was February 1971 when the first Juno Awards were held; again St. Lawrence Hall was the setting. They continued annually in this venue until they were televised nationally for the first time on CBC television in 1975. An advisory group was formed to assist RPM Weekly with the organization and production of the early Juno telecasts. The Canadian Music Awards Association (CMAA) was comprised of a group of record companies and industry individuals. Initially intended as advisors to the Juno Awards, the CMAA was renamed the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) and, after the first two Juno telecasts, took control of the awards show.

Early Juno telecasts were haphazard and somewhat facile events that garnered little if any interest from the general public. Perceived as a poor copy of the U.S. Grammy Awards, they were often ignored by the public, criticized for substandard production values, and it was alleged that the winners’ lists were suspect. Rumours flew that a well-placed bribe could get an artist a Juno. The allegations of fixing the Juno Award results were more industry grumblings than a serious attempt at proving malfeasance. RPM Weekly and its editors Walt Grealis and Stan Klees were continually under suspicion, largely due to their antagonistic stance against the broadcasters and because they were instrumental in having the Canadian Content Regulations legislated in January of 1971. Still smarting from Cancon, the broadcasters would seize any opportunity to decry RPM Weekly, its business practices, and its editors. Moreover, Grealis and Klees never received any remuneration for the co-opting of the Junos by CARAS. They were promised payment but it never emerged. Control of the awards was essentially wrested from their hands.

Over the years, public awareness and acceptance grew and slowly a Canadian star system developed. The print media began to feature stories about the nominations and cross-marketing promotions with potato chip and soft drink companies added much needed financial support, all the while helping to raise public consciousness. Artists began to take the Junos seriously, realizing that winning Best Group or Best Artist was beneficial to their careers.

Seeing the value of keeping the Junos in the public eye between telecasts, CARAS released several CDs that commemorate the awards. The first one released in 1996 is a four-CD box set titled Oh What A Feeling: A Collection of Canadian Music that commemorated the twenty-fifth anniversary of the awards (also collections for the thirtieth and thirty-fifth anniversaries) and annual CD compilations since then that highlight the year’s most popular artists.

Not all performers viewed the Junos as something beneficial to their careers. Stompin’ Tom Connors, by far one of the most nationalistic performers in Canada, returned his Juno awards in 1978 because he felt the recording industry had become, in his words, “too Americanized.” Anne Murray, Canada's first international female superstar, boycotted the Junos for almost ten years refusing to participate until the production was improved. When she finally returned fans overlooked her boycott and she was met with a standing ovation.

Presently the Juno Awards are taken much more seriously than previous years. Production values have refined to the point that viewers no longer consider the show inferior when compared to American productions. Last night's telecast proved that conclusively. The Junos have become a viable and coveted means of determining an artist's popularity and Canadians can be proud of current groups such as Arcade Fire that have won Grammy Awards and British Music Awards, pop sensation Justin Beiber, and veterans such as Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and The Band.

Juno Awards 2011: Live Blog

The 40th Juno Awards.

8:00
The introduction: Drake in the dressing room. Now, he's talking to Lloyd Robertson who wants to play COD.
Oh, Justin Beiber on Skype. How appropriate. So far, not funny. Got some bromance going on, they're singing "I Will Remember You."

Down With Webster. Horn section with bondage masks. WTF?

The set looks like the Toronto city hall.

Drake starts his emceeing. He singles out Neil Young in the audience. A coup for the Junos for sure. The usual suspects in the audience, Bryan Adams, Sarah McLachlan, etc.

Drake says  hip hop is taking over the evening. Rapping to the Hockey Night in Canada theme.
Hip hop with a grand piano. Somehow doesn't work.

8:15
First presenters. Deadmau5 and Buck 65 for Group of the Year award.
And of course Arcade Fire wins. No surprise there.

8:20
Royal Wood and Keisha Shante introduce Sarah McLachlan.
Sarah performs. An uptempo song from Sarah. Really? Good song.

Second presenters: Great Big Sea and Meisha
Fan Choice Award. Justin Beiber wins. No surprise there.

8:30
Drake's back and introduces K'naan.
K'naan presents Songwriter of the Year.
And the winner is Arcade Fire. No surprise there. The entire band is Songwriter of the Year. Methinks they're going to clean up.

Maestro Fresh Wes and Classified. Lots of hip hop artists on this year's show.
They introduce Hedley. A ballad. The grand piano looks like it has bullet holes. Not a bad tune though. Different than the usual Hedley fare.

8:40
Bryan Adams does a tribute to Shania Twain, Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee.
She still looks good. She takes her time getting to the stage and causes a bit of hiccup in the walk-up music.
She reaffirms the fact that we do have good musicians and songwriters in this country. Patriotism run amok and now she dishes on Bryan Adams. She also loves the Canadian bush, as do we all.

8:55
Drake introduces Robbie Robertson.
Robbie does a tribute to Toronto and Yonge Street and the early days of Canadian rock and roll.
All star band performs a tribute to Canadian artists.
Jim Cuddy in a suit. That's worth the price of admission.
An excellent segment.

9:15
Buffy Saint-Marie and Shawne present New Artist of the Year.
Megan Smith wins.

Drake's back. He likes rock bands.
Tokyo Police Club performs. Not a bad tune. Interesting sounds.

Ben Mulroney reviews the awards given out on Saturday night. He wants to be as cool as Jim Cuddy.

9:30
Barenaked Ladies present Single of the Year.
Waving Flag or K'naan wins.

Charles Kelly from Lady Antebellum introduces Johnny Reid.
Johnny Reid performs. Canadian country music has come a long way. Not the greatest tune though.

Drake on tape doing a segment with senior citizens."Old money," quite amusing.
Drake's back on stage now and the seniors from the clip are in the audience.

Billy Talent segment on music education. Short and sweet.

 9:45
Yoko on tape talking about the Bed-In for Peace in Montreal.

Emily Haynes and Jimmy Shaw introduce Broken Social Scene.Guitar players galore and two drummers.

Melanie Fiona and Dan Hill present Pop Album of the Year.
Justin Bieber wins. No surprise there.

10:00
Drake's back and flubs the intro. He introduces Daniel Lanois.
Lanois presents Humanitarian Award.
Tribute to Neil Young. Neil wins the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award.
Neil's the best.

10:15
Feist introduces Arcade Fire.
Biggest band yet. Strings section even and two drummers and a harpsichord.

Randy Bachman presents Artist of the Year.
Neil Young wins. Awesome.

10:25
Drake's back and introduces Chromio. Very cool.

Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson present Album of the Year.
Arcade Fire wins. No surprise there. And they did clean up.

Drake's back. And that's the end of the show.

The best Junos yet. An excellent show.

February Music: Gunn and Don Felder

Feb. 4: Gunn at the Bluescan
Feb. 6: Don Felder with John Lefevbre at Jack Singer Concert Hall

On Friday I had the pleasure of visiting some old friends who were playing at The Bluescan and Sunday I joined another old friend and together we saw Don Felder at the Jack Singer Concert Hall. Both venues are located in Calgary, Alberta.

At the Bluescan, it was Gunn, a five-piece contemporary blues band comprised of some of the finest musicians in Calgary. The band plays a combination of original tunes and interesting arrangements of cover songs. Sort of a Steely Dan, Little Feat, Stevie Ray Vaughn mix replete with beaucoup guitar solos provided by Greg Gunhold and killer B-3 organ by the master, Brock Gillis. Aside from the band's only singer being mixed too low thereby rendering the vocals at times non-existent during the first set, the vocal problem was rectified and the band rocked. A well-rehearsed group, which is something virtually unheard of these days especially when local groups are concerned, they came across as tight and polished. Good songs too.

At the Jack Singer, former Eagles' guitarist Don Felder proved he was the guy that helped write "Hotel California," by opening with the song and setting the stage for what was to come. In essence, an Eagles greatest hits concert without Don Henley and Glenn Frey, Felder played all of the hits he helped write plus some that he didn't. "Tequila Sunrise," "Peaceful Easy Feeling," "Life In the Fast Lane," "Witchy Woman," "One of These Nights," and a whole lot more, including a cover of Stevie Ray Vaughn's "Pride and Joy" that featured Felder's daughter on vocals, gave the crowd more than they bargained for.

An interminably long opening set was provided by Calgarian John Lefevbre. Despite having Bill Payne from Little Feat playing organ and piano, plus Bonnie Raitt's rhythm section, Tom Waits' keyboard player, and one of the hottest session guitarists, Lefebvre proved conclusively that good players do not a good song make. His songs are redundant, boring, self-indulgent, and generally not that good. Plus, his amateurism and lack of experience showed through enough that the audience began to leave after thirty minutes of musical bombast and bad jokes. Better luck next time John.

Still it was an enjoyable weekend. Live music always makes things better. It was refreshing to see a local band that is musically entertaining and technically competent. Gunn is worth checking out. And it was an enjoyable night at the Jack Singer where despite a weak opening act, Don Felder showed what a master guitarist he really is.

Support your local musicians.

Cross-posted at: http://pages.videojug.com/pages/18431-Feb-Music-Gunn-and-Don-Felder

"Money For Nothing" Banned ... Really?

One person can make a difference.

In the case of the Dire Strait's song "Money For Nothing," one person was all it took. Radio station CHOZ-FM in St. John's, Newfoundland played the album version of the song. Contained in the second verse are three uses of the word "faggot," and this offended one listener that happened to be a member of the LGBT community. After complaining to the radio station and receiving an unsatisfactory response, an additional complaint was registered with the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC). The CBSC is an organization comprised of broadcast industry professionals that monitor the standards of radio and television broadcasting in Canada. They look for the seven words you can never say on television and radio.

After careful consideration, the CBSC ruled "Money For Nothing" could not be broadcast over the Canadian airwaves. And predictably, the Canadian public went nuts. Cries of censorship went up almost immediately. The CBSC was inundated with emails and phone calls. At least two radio stations played "Money For Nothing" continuously for an hour in protest. It was the end of civilization as we know it.

At first glance, it would seem the CBSC decision was censorship and if not, at least bordering on censorship. In fact, the CBSC has no real power over what is broadcast in Canada. It can label things "not fit for Canadian airwaves," but it has no regulatory or legislative power. That hammer belongs to the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). The CBSC can recommend but it cannot enforce.

Plus, after reading the decision it is clear the CBSC neglected certain salient aspects of popular music. The first being context, which the Board claims does not apply to "Money For Nothing." The second is intent, and while the Board agrees that the use of the word "faggot" was not malicious or particularly nasty, it overlooks the circumstance in which the word is used. To smooth out the rough edges, the Board notes that "Money For Nothing" can be played in its edited version -- the version that was played on the radio when the song was initially released in 1987, the version most people have heard since then, and the same version included on Sultans of Swing, the Dire Straits greatest hits album released in 1998. 

So, while on the surface it appears the CBSC is censoring popular music in general and many arguments point to the use of other so-called objectionable words in other forms of popular music, and aside from the ridicule the decision has garnered from other parts of the world, there is no real damage done to Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler (the songwriter), "Money For Nothing," or popular music. Radio stations will continue to play the song, albeit in its edited version which was the one played initially, then the outrage will subside and the world will get back to what it was doing.

Chalk it up to bureaucracy trying to do the right thing.

And that is frightening.

The decision: http://www.cbsc.ca/english/decisions/2011/110112.php

Cross-posted at VideoJug: http://pages.videojug.com/pages/18118--Money-For-Nothing-Banned-Really-

The Best of 2010

A new year is upon us. Out with the old and a time for reflection. 2010 had its moments, although for me to pick, say, a top ten of anything would be difficult.

So, with that in mind and in no particular order, here's my list of ten things from 2010 that I think were memorable:

1. Kelly Sutherland wins his 11th Calgary Stampede chuckwagon race championship.
Kelly proves he really is the King.

2. Rosanne Cash, The List and John Fogerty, The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again.
Two albums of cover songs by two of my favourite artists. Once again the old ones do it best.

3. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogy.
It has been a long time since a book or books captured my attention like Steig Larsson's trilogy. The second one in particular, The Girl Who Played With Fire, I found impossible to put down.

4. Halo: Reach and Call of Duty: Black Ops.
Two of the most anticipated video games of the year. Halo: Reach is a prequel to the Halo series. It's a good story on top of an exciting shooter game and finishes the series quite satisfactorily. Call of Duty: Black Ops also serves up a satisfying story. Setting these two games apart -- their online experience.

5. The United States of America.
Nothing is quite as entertaining as the U.S. Polarized to the extreme, American politics and the U.S. attitude toward religion made for some awe inspiring moments. John Boehner, Republican senator and newly elected Speaker of the House, thinks the U.S. has the best health care system in the world, advocates for tax cuts for the rich, and then cries about it. Sarah Palin makes up words and claims that because Shakespeare coined words and phrases then she should be able to as well. Senator John McCain remains wildly homophobic and opposes the repeal of the U.S. military's "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy regarding gays in the military, despite having a gay daughter. Crackpot christian ministers brand Islam evil and threaten to burn the Qu'ran along with protesting the building of a mosque in New York City at "Ground Zero," even though it is nowhere near "Ground Zero." Creationists build an amusement park in Kentucky based on Noah's ark in an effort to legitimize creationism and debunk evolution. Dancing With The Stars, 'nuff said. There's more but this is a short list.

6. The Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
This environmental disaster exposed British Petroleum, or BP as they now like to be called, as the charlatans they are. In interviews, former CEO Tony Hayward and current CEO Bob Dudley come across as out of touch and sociopathic, concerned more about their shareholders than the 29 people BP killed at its facilities and the millions of litres of oil that spewed into the Gulf of Mexico from the Deepwater Horizon drilling disaster.

7. The Beatles on iTunes.
Apple vs. Apple. Finally after years of legal wrangling over brand names, royalties, and cost, Apple Records and Apple Computers reach an agreement and Beatles' music is available for download. Praise the Fab Four and pass the iPad.

8. The Vancouver Winter Olympics.
Despite an ominous start brought on by the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, the 2010 Winter Olympics is lauded as one of the most successful. Canada pulls off an amazing show gathering more gold medals in these games than ever before and proving the dominance of Canadian hockey.

9. The discovery of new life and the possibility of extra-terrestrial life.
Scientists discover bacteria that processes arsenic and a planet is discovered in the so-called "Goldilocks zone" of a distant star. The "Goldilocks zone" is the region of orbital space around a sun where it's not too cold and not too hot, in other words, just right for harbouring life. Maybe.

10. The election of Naheed Nenshi as mayor in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Nenshi is the first Indian and Muslim politician to be elected in ultra-conservative Alberta. Even surprising himself, Nenshi struck a chord with many people in Calgary handily beating rivals former city alderman Rick McIvor, "Dr. No" as he is known because of his predilection to vote no to new legislation and policy, and former news anchor Barb Higgins, whose only positive attribute was a nice smile. Nenshi's election made global headlines.

So, that is my list of memorable things in 2010. Now, with the onset of 2011, we can start all over again and hopefully not repeat the mistakes of the past. Personally, I'm looking forward to 2012. Don't forget the world will be ending then according to the Mayan calendar and everyone knows how accurate the Mayan calendar is. Plus, amazingly, it can predict the future. Where's Marty McFly when you need him?

Happy New Year and best wishes to everyone in 2011.

Cross-posted at VideoJug: http://pages.videojug.com/pages/17349-The-Best-of-2010