by OGSR | Jan 19, 2020 | NAMM 2020
From 1967-1972 Ace of Cups shared billing with Jimi Hendrix, The Band, Grateful Dead, and Mike Bloomfield, to name just a few. The all-girl group was smack dab in the middle of the psychedelic Haight-Ashbury scene.
Ace of Cups band members with OGSR’s Stephen Smoke (far right)
Last year, more than 50 years after getting together, the band released its full-length debut studio album to widespread critical acclaim, including features on NPR All Things Considered and CBS This Morning. The album was produced by Dan Shea (Mariah Carey, Santana, Jennifer Lopez) and features contributions from long-time friends of the band, including Bob Weir (Grateful Dead), Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna), Taj Mahal, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Peter Coyote, and Steve Kimock.
But it’s not just about the old days with Ace of Cups. The group has a new album coming out this summer and the list of contributing writers and musicians (including Bob Weir) reads like a wall at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Read more about the band here: Ace of Cups claim their rightful place in rock ‘n’ roll history and rekindle the hopes of a different time https://argonautnews.com/never-too-late
Old Guys Still Rockin plans to do a lengthy piece on this ground-breaking band, so stay tuned.
by admin | Jun 6, 2019 | OGSR Main
By Hamilton Caine
I often hear people talk about their passion for writing and for music. Yet when I ask them what they’re doing to pursue that passion, there’s usually a shoulder shrug followed by a common complaint: “I’m too busy,” people say. “If I just had a little more time…” As though this were the sole criterion that separates the successful from the unsuccessful. That’s like saying, “The only thing that separates me from some world-class brain surgeon is that he had more free time on his hands.” Really…
I know people with nothing but time on their hands. If free time were the key to success, they would be multi-billionaires. Ironically, they are often the people who get the least done.
My experience is that people make time for what they really want to do. Remember when you were in the early stages of a romantic relationship? Even if you were too busy to get together, you at least made time to make a phone call to let the other person know you were thinking of them. You make time for what you care about, even if you have “no time.”
Passion’s when you “can’t NOT do it.” Yes, I realize that’s a double negative, but it makes a point. People who have a genuine passion for something make time for it. They can’t help themselves. It’s really important to them. They’ll watch fifteen minutes less TV and learn pentatonic scales on YouTube. They’ll write lyrics on the subway to and from work. They sign up for an online song writing course instead of watching the politicians they voted for hammer the politicians they voted against.
If you’re lucky enough that some of your passions have survived the onslaught of digital distractions and sensory overload, cherish them. Nourish them. Make time for them.
Our passions are what make us feel most alive.
by admin | Feb 19, 2019 | NAMM Awards
I’ve got to say right off that I’m prejudiced about this guitar, this brand and this artist. I purchased my first Godin after seeing Doyle Dykes perform at a mini concert in North Vancouver, B.C. in the fall of 2016. There were about 30 of us gathered inside the Prestige Guitar store and we were mesmerized by Dykes’ playing. At the end of the night the guitar players in the crowd felt one of two ways: Either you felt inspired, or you felt like going home and burning your guitar because you knew you could never play that well. I was inspired and I bought my guitar a couple of days later. In fact, it was the same guitar Dykes had played that night. (Unlike this Signature model, my guitar has a 13-pin output. See review.)
The Doyle Dykes Signature Multiac Steel comes with tons of tonal possibilities, including a custom-voiced LR Baggs system, which offers the possibility of blending an LB6 saddle transducer with a Lyric microphone. The top wood is solid spruce, while the back, sides and neck wood is mahogany. This model also includes the famous finger-style player’s signature White Rose inlay at the 12th fret.
I also do most of my song writing with my Godin. It sounds great through an amp or just unplugged. If you enjoy playing a good guitar, and you haven’t played a Godin yet, do yourself a favor and try one. They’re not inexpensive, but they are reasonably priced and an incredible value for what you get.
For more information about this guitar click here to go to the Godin site.
You can also listen to Dykes demonstrating this guitar.
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