Hi there friends!! I wrote a new Christmas song called "Merry Christmas 2 The 1 That I Love" and I posted it on my myspace page, if you're in the holiday spirit and you'd like to hear it. It's a grunged up blues rock number I wrote today in anticipation of Christmas Day. There's also recordings I made of "Blue Christmas" (my own countrified psychedelic disco version of it) and "O Holy Night" (a 10-part choral version I arranged) for your holiday enjoyment there as well. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Safe New Year. Love & Light, Beau http://www.myspace.com/beaurock http://beaurock.net

Hey, so in regards to my poll questioning what is the best Bowie album of the 70's, I couldn't just put it up without commenting myself. Especially since I felt hella guilty having to choose the options, which meant leaving 6 albums unavailable as choices (2 of those being utter classics in Aladdin Sane and Diamond Dogs). I don't think there is another artist who so prolifically dominated 1 decade, in terms of producing a string of brilliant albums that would become classics and rock & roll touchstones, as David Bowie did during the 1970's. People speak of Elton John's thorough domination of the 1970's album charts and his uncanny conquering of American radio, but when one is looking beyond popularity with the masses and into actual artistic triumph (which includes garnering a legacy as one of the most influential rock artists of the 20th century), then David Bowie far surpassed Elton John in achievement. Just as Velvet Underground are the Great-Grandfathers of what is now Alternative Rock - known by few during their time, Brian Eno once said that everyone who actually bought their album went out and started a band -- David Bowie is the direct descendant of them, in terms of accumulating a body of work that would go on to inspire a legion of artists to take risks and not compromise the pushing of boudries and free artistic expression for the sake of commerciality. Throughout the decade, Bowie's transmogrification from persona to persona would be, in a way, a giving birth to what would become new sub-genres of rock music years later. How many artists can say they essentially begat more than one whole movement within their art? Bowie can, as music critics and "genre allocators" credit him with basically fathering new wave, goth rock, the new romantics and electronica (see Bowie's entry at allmusic.com). So, back to my question, what is the best Bowie album of the 1970's? Unfortunately, I refuse to choose between my 2 favorites as it is simply impossible and I have a 3rd one in mind that will have to serve as the wild card. From the early 70's, Bowie's Hunky Dory is unrivalled in it's beauteous command of songwriting, lyrical content, and the perfection of the art of festooning catchy melodies over darkly forbidden subject matter. In the mid to late 70's, despite the fact that Bowie himself can hardly recall recording it due to his profoundly extreme cocaine use, "Station to Station" is his crowing achievement with it's epic boundlessly bewitching title track which ushers the listener into a sultry, spiritual, futuristic, decadent, alien land that each song on the album creates and leaves the listener in a state of utter fascination. My wild card choice is not as respected by the music critics (which is disheartening in a way similar to their rejection of my favorite Cure album, The Top), but I trul am in love with the eccentric prodigious ness lurking throughout Diamond Dogs. Listening to that album from beginning to end takes me so many different places all the while losing myself in the towering genius of David Bowie. Thanks you Mr. Bowie for what you gave back to the world =- at times you went to hellish extremes of sadness and depletion during your artistic zenith, but what came of it all, in terms of creative output has inspired a whole generation of Indie songwriters.

My favorite bands that perhaps you haven't heard.... Or maybe you have, in which case my respect and devotion to you will be unwavering. Let me know if that's the case, I love discussing little-known but monumentally superb bands with other music obsessives. If you haven't delved into the music of these groups I highly recommend your submergence asap and let me know whatcha think! My current way favorite: BLONDE REDHEAD Matt and I saw them live with Interpol which would prove to be the beginning of our total obsession. Their music is lurringly dark and laced with a texture unlike any other. While they experimentally rock out like Radiohead, their weaving of Romantic-era and Impressionistic chord changes creates a soundscape that is just intoxicating. The best place to start in their catalog is the album Melody of A Certain Damaged Lemons. My favorite classic band: LOVE I've seen Arthur Lee and Love live twice and was just exhilarated by the vitality of their psychedelically soulful music. If you read alot of rock criticism, I'm sure you've heard of Love, as their crowning moment Forever Changes is regarded as one of the best albums of all time. If you haven't heard it, run don't walk. Love is the best band not named The Smiths of all time. My favorite Scottish 80's Band: COCTEAU TWINS Way influential and totally fascinating, The Cocteau Twins were a Post-Punk Twosome that created some of the most dreamy, perplexing music of the Lost Decade of Music (lost decade in that people often belittle the 80's as being artless but it was in fact bejeweled with creative supremacy; the best moments tucked away from the public's awareness...TEARDROP EXPLODES anyone?). Michael Stipe didn't pioneer "make-believe language as new source of rock lyrics, it was The Cocteau Twins. Her lilting scottish voice sings tone poems that transcend the niceties of language. Their earliest albums are the best but I suggest their BBC recordings as a sampler for the un-initiated. Another band often celebrated by rock writers but rarely unearthed by the average rock fan, especially those born after 1980 like myself is TELEVISION. They only made 2 significant albums -- the quintessential Marquee Moon and the equally lovely Adventure. Both are so astonishing in their complete overload of fabulous riffs and idol-worthy guitar sounds, that the duo of albums stand up as true classics. Television essentially started New Wave (See CBGB) and for that alone it's sad that they aren't more frequently recognized for the riveting sounds they gave us. Check em out fo sho! The last band I wanted to pimp out to you guys is another deliriously pivotal group from the late 70's, the one and only STRANGELERS. Their most famous songs are probably "Strange Little Girl" and "Golden Brown," both peak moments of British rock but my favorite Stranglers moments are "Don't Bring Harry," "Always The Sun" and one of the greatest songs from the 80's "Skin Deep." At least download these tunes and you too will unearth the magic of the Stranglers and want to own their entire catalog. Runners-up for this blog I left off due to the fact that most of you probably have already enjoyed the fruits of their sound and I dont want assume that youve yet to partake. Nonetheless, I highly encourage a losing of oneself into the music of Jeff Buckley, Tim Buckley, The Jam , Patti Smith, The Stone Roses, Supergrass, Superdrag (Ooooooh Head Trip In Every Key classic!), Mission of Burma, Gang of Four and the immeasurable Traffic. I'm sure any of you Brits reading this are rolling your eyes at my wide-eyed celebration of bands that you all have embraced openly for years. It's sad that the truly best bands are all but obscured from the American public. We tonal enthusiasts must do our part and spread the word to the American people , there is good music out there! Once you dive in the pool of beautiful rock and roll obscurity, you won't be disappointed! Happy listening!!! Beau