Nah, but he will have learned that those games you might expect something from usually end in disappointment when you’re at Spurs. And the luck doesn’t run with you all the time.

Saying that I wasn’t living in too much hope yesterday even though it was at home, just come off a midweek win and facing a team in Everton we usually beat, though it’s now three straight at home they’ve done us, who are struggling to get eleven men on the park. There was just something telling me before hand and then all the way through the game it wasn’t going to end well yesterday.

And it didn’t, only ‘Arry’s second loss in ten games in charge and it will give the boss a good reason to let the players know they’re not out of trouble yet, especially if they put in more performances like the last two.

There should be less consoling arms round shoulders this week and a bit more telling them in the strongest possible terms that things have to be done in a professional manner if they want to stay in this division. So no more lollygagging and turning your back on the opposition when they have a set piece a few yards from your box and no more standing there like you’re waiting for a bus in a line of four when you can get forward Mr. Bale.

How many times did ‘Arry, Joe and Kev shout at the Welsh left back to get forward and get involved after he came on, they weren’t happy when he just stood there. Yes as a full back your first duty is to defend but when they’re playing a one up and back nine formation there’s no need for four defenders staying back to cover and if you can’t figure this out when someone is shouting it at you there’s something seriously wrong. And you have to say there is something wrong with Bale, is he fully fit or is he like Hutton and still not over the injury after being brought back too soon or is his head just not on it right now. Either way no matter how bad you rate Assou-Ekotto you can see why he’s first choice, will ‘Arry be making a move in January, certain player at his old club looks the part but then so did Bale when he first came into the side.

The real problem, apart from lazy big time Charlieitous, is the missing link. Who is bridging the gap between the midfield and the front men? Well without Modric in the side no one is, Huddlestone and Zokora are too deep and far away from the strikers, resulting in too many long balls and wasted possession, with the wide guys not providing adequate support and there’s no guile and trickery to break a strong defensive line, Bentley certainly doesn’t have it, hell he can’t even put decent crosses or set pieces in these days never mind run rings round a player.

Though it’s not just the fancy stuff you also need some guts and bite in the side and there wasn’t exactly much of that about yesterday, I don’t know why O’Hara didn’t get a game.

‘Arry and his staff have got a hell of a lot of work to do with the players available and some homework to do to either increase or change those available.

On the plus side no game losing howlers from Gomes this time round.

Oh and Wigan at home in the F.A. Cup, could’ve been a lot worse.

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The tour rider for the recent Van Halen reunion tour is up at The Smoking Gun and the clause about no brown M&MS backstage hasn’t got a mention, probably a bit too famous now.

Don’t suppose it should be much of a surprise that dressing room #1 is as far away from dressing rooms #2-#4!!!, probably kept things going a bit longer that way, with Dave in #1 and Ed, Alex and Wolfie in 2 to 4. You have to wonder how much interaction the four of them had throughout the whole tour.

Dave sings Happy Birthday to Ed during Romeo Delight

A lot of Red Bull, bottled water, Gatorade, fruit but a strange one that Eddie’s onstage cooler should contain four mini bottles of Gallo Twin Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (red & white label, red cap). When you think about his past troubles and the little hiatus during the tour when he was or wasn’t in some sort of rehab.

I wonder what Alex and Wolfie were wanting to watch on the pay-per-view TVs and what the yummy suggested side dish turned out to be at each venue. The other thing that struck me was they required an awful lot of bins (trash cans), one big one yeah I get that but several small ones as well are requested.

That ladies and gentlemen is Rock And Or Roll.

Van Halen - Panama

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Shorry after watching the video below I’ve turned into, how do you shaay, a Shteve McClown and now can only shpeak in a McClown shtyle cod Dutch accshent…

So it’s another win for ‘Arry’s Army, though not exactly the most convincing of victories against a pretty ordinary NEC Nijmegen side, 1-0 thanks to Jamie O’Hara’s 14th minute headed tap in.

The goal was one piece of real class on the night, a great ball from Bentley inside the defender to the on rushing Bale, gets to the byline good cross, hardish attempt for Campbell so close in with the keeper at his feet but a great job from O’Hara to get in there, after he started it all, to finish it off.

The pitch conditions contributed to a poor game but I don’t think ‘Arry’s formation helped the team. Bentley’s no Modrich, he doesn’t have the pace and guile of the little Croat to play that in the hole number 10 position and it showed. There just wasn’t enough width all night, well until Lennon came on late, Bale and O’Hara did OK down the left but there wasn’t much coming from the right in the diamond formation. Nijmegen were susceptible to balls between fullback and centre back and it could have been exploited more.

The other main problem was giving away possession cheaply, which Spurs did most of the night, Huddlestone was particularly culpable with wayward passes and being brushed off the ball far too easily - did Jenas give him a tactical masterclass before the match?

Gomes, well he had one moment - in the video above 25 seconds in - when after a decent save he parried the ball into danger and was lucky Gunter was on hand to clear it but he had a far more assured time coming for crosses and commanding his area than in recent weeks. You could see his confidence grow but he was lucky that the Nijmegen wouldn’t have looked out of place at a Snow White panto audition. £3m for Jaaskelainen in January still sounds like a good deal.

Well it’s better rumour than that one about Beckham, why would ‘Arry want someone who will probably struggle to get into a Milan side that had rings run round them by Pompey last night. That was a tough one for the south coasters, I have to say Donkey Adams’ side played exceptionally well and played football the way it’s supposed to be done, yeah Milan gave them plenty of space but how many times do you see a British team give away possession far too easily in a game like that, some of those cross field balls were sublime.

Belhadj and Traore were excellent down the left and Johnson played just as well on the right the Milan fullbacks were all over the place, I would also say Younes Kaboul had a pretty damn good game, if Ramos/Comolli hadn’t have got rid of some of Spurs squad ‘Arry could have worked his magic on then and we could have seen that kind of performance from the £8m French U21 captain.

The thing is it was Donkey’s subs that caused all their problems in the end, Mvuemba lollygaged and show boated thinking it was a done deal and then Adams/they went all defensive with too many humped up long balls, when playing as they had done for the previous 84 minutes, keeping the ball and attacking down the flanks would have seen a famous victory.

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Picked up an old, 1980s, Arion Flanger (SFL-1) cheap on the bay a few weeks back, pretty good little unit - especially for the price, less than 20 quid - and easier to get a good sound out of than my Line6 Liqua Flange.

So I’ve been basically playing a lot of flanger tunes, yes Van Halen’s “Unchained” has been banged out quite a bit but one I’d forgotten was “Rooster” by Alice In Chains. Don’t know how I’d forgotten it because “Dirt” was an album that I listened to a hell of a lot from the day it was released.

It is hands down without doubt one of the best albums of the 90s, Jerry Cantrell is one of the best guitarists to come out of that grunge period, so one of the most underrated guitarists as well as being a hell of a songwriter to go with the playing.

Then I read recently that the band are recording a new studio album the first after the death of singer Layne Staley in 2002, with William DuVall on vocals. So as my last.fm profile shows there’s been a quite a bit of AiC played lately…

Alice In Chains - Rooster

Here they come to snuff the rooster.

Alice In Chains - Would?

Alice In Chains - Them Bones

And a bit of NSFW fun…

Alice In Chains - Queen Of The Rodeo

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Aaron Lennon showed yesterday why pace is so dangerous in the game, he also showed that he can use his to great effect. Hopefully ‘Arry will either get down on his knees or stand Lennon on a box put his arm round the kid and say I want this every week, just like that son.

The little tyke played like he hasn’t for some time in his first league start of the season and was the main factor in the 1-0 victory over Blackburn. This is what he should have been doing over the last couple of years of stagnation.

It’s not rocket science: get ball - winning it yourself really helps -, run at defender, get him turned, cut across the defender - he either has to stop in his tracks, so less chance of him getting back to you, or he has to take you down resulting in free kick/penalty and maybe a sending off - get to byline and cross the ball. Goals will come from that all day long.

It does help having someone on the end who can score of course…

‘Arry was right, back at the 2006 World Cup Lennon was the one to set the team alight but what happened Svennis was still star struck and Beckham clogged up that right hand wing during the tournament. But since then he really has dropped down the pecking order for an international place.

It’s amazing the number that wanted Lennon and Huddlestone gone in the summer, almost as surprising is that Ramos or Comolli didn’t ship them both off with Malbranque and Tainio.

Blackburn’s left back Olsson was all over the place and was rightly sent off, good to hear the Rovers manager B.T. Charlie whinging about that, what is it about a foul you don’t understand?

It was almost like a Spurs display of old, under Martin Jol, all the possession, a number of clear cut chances but hanging on at the end with that one goal lead while everyone waited for a last second equaliser. But things happen differently under ‘Arry and Gareth Bale wasn’t on the park so we weren’t going to lose.

Much talk about the cheers that Gomes got every time he caught or dealt with the ball. Do Brazilians who probably don’t speak much English get British irony? If he thinks it was all supportive, and he did acknowledge the crowd after, then in the end it might have helped him, he did get better after that first flapping fiasco. It was good to see Robbo get a great reception back at the Lane.

On a completely different track after watching highlights of Pomepy v Hull I started to wonder when did Donkey Adams start wearing Frankie Howerd’s syrup?

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1938, Annie Mae Bullock is born in Nutbush, Tennessee … she will marry Ike Turner to become better known as Tina Turner … years later she dumps Ike but doesn’t go back to being a Bullock or to Nutbush …

1954, musical prodigy Craig Hundley is born … a popular child actor in the ’60s (most remembered for guest roles in Star Trek and Bewitched), he formed the Craig Hundley Trio and became a respected jazz pianist at the tender age of 14 … he went on to a successful career (as Craig Huxley) in new age music as a performer, composer, and producer … his most notable achievement was the invention of the Blaster Beam, a unique electronic instrument that consisted of a 15-foot metal beam strung with several wires and equipped with electric guitar pickups … it was played by striking the wires with metallic objects … the Blaster Beam was first heard in Star Trek: The Motion Picture as the distinctive metallic bass notes associated with “V’ger” … the Blaster Beam went on to become a staple of science fiction film scores in the ’80s and ’90s, such as 2010 and Alien3 …

1955, RCA Records buys the rights to the music of Elvis Presley for $25,000 …

1957, The Miles Davis Quintet debuts with a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City …

1961, blues shouter Howlin’ Wolf arrives in London as part of a lineup of American blues musicians who take Britain and, later, the continent by storm …

… a series of annual American Folk Blues Festivals follow, leading to a generation of Brits such as Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Charlie Watts, and Keith Richards becoming blues devotees, who during the mid-’60s reintroduce white America to its own roots-music heritage … The Everly Brothers are inducted into the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves …

1964, rabble-rousing political activist and gifted musician Willie Nelson debuts at the Grand Ole Opry, kicking off a career that includes 20 number one hits and 114 singles that make it to the country and/or pop charts - see Jon Rauhouse supporting Willie on tour as part of Billy Bob Thornton’s band the Boxmaster …

1965, Bob Dylan and former Playboy bunny Sara Lownds are married …

1966, The Jimi Hendrix Experience debuts at London’s Bag O’ Nails club … The Temptations’ “(I Know) I’m Losing You” enters the R&B chart and swiftly rises to the top slot … the tune will chart three more times with covers by Rare Earth, Rod Stewart, and The Uptown Girls …

1967, Arlo Guthrie’s Alice’s Restaurant album is released …

1968, The Beatles release their double album called The Beatles, also known as The White Album …

1969, as John and Paul’s excellent adventure draws to a close, John Lennon returns his MBE to Queen Elizabeth in protest of British foreign policy … the MBE (Member of the British Empire) is the fifth and lowest rank in The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, a British order of chivalry (knighthood) established by King George V in 1917 … only the two highest ranks entail admission to knighthood, which entitles the recipient to use the title “Sir” …

1970, free-jazz saxophonist Albert Ayler is found dead in New York’s East River … rumors circulate that he was murdered though the evidence seems to point to a suicide …

1974, dream weaver Gary Wright quits the band Spooky Tooth to go solo …

1976, The Band bids adieu to its fans at San Francisco’s Winterland with a star-studded show that includes their former boss Ronnie Hawkins, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Muddy Waters, The Staple Singers, Dr. John, Eric Clapton, and many more … Martin Scorsese is on hand to film the proceedings resulting in the movie, The Last Waltz, widely regarded as one of the best rock movies ever … in 2002 the film is reissued in DVD format with gloriously remixed 5.1 sound and lots of additional performances not seen in the theatrical release … one of the extras is an extended jam with Morrison, Clapton, Wood, et al, during which the motors in Scorsese’s cinema cameras melted down as they were not designed to handle the continuous shooting … the final part of the jam is audio-only … getting an early start on his day, Jerry Lee Lewis is busted for drunk driving after plunging his Rolls Royce into a ditch … at 9 o’clock in the morning …

1984, several British and American stars get together as Band-Aid, and record “Do They Know It’s Christmas” … the project, planned by Bob Geldof, is aimed at Ethiopian famine relief …

1985, after New Edition votes Bobby Brown off the island, Brown announces he is leaving New Edition to begin a solo career … Brown releases the album Don’t Be Cruel, which will sell 12 million copies … however, not heeding the advice of his record’s title, Brown’s career will also feature his usual arresting behavior including lewd onstage antics plus substance and spousal abuse …

1990, things look pretty rosy for Axl Rose as L.A. law enforcement officials announce that there is not enough evidence to prosecute him regarding a neighbor’s accusations of assault … apparently Gabriella Kantor had an Axl to grind, charging that Rose hit her with a bottle of wine in response to her threat to call the police because of Rose’s loud music … the incident leaves only one question … what type of wine does one choose for neighbor-beating? … may we suggest a nice ’62 Axl rosé …

1992, Paul Simon begins his first tour of South America in Brazil …

1994, 26 years to the day after the Beatle’s release of The White Album, Prince releases The Black Album … is the prince of badness trying to tell us something? …

1997, ex-Sex Pistol Johnny Rotten appears on Judge Judy when a drummer sues him for $5,000 in lost wages and claims Rotten hit him … Johnny maintains that the drummer quit days before the tour was to begin … Judy rules in Johnny’s favor … the original lineup of the Zombies plays onstage for the first time in 30 years … speaking of long-awaited performances, Garth Brooks’ long-delayed seventh album, Sevens is finally released … a day after its release, the album sets a record by placing 12 of its 14 tracks in the Hot Country 100 Singles and Tracks chart, eclipsing the former record of eight tracks, also set by Brooks with his album Fresh Horses …

1998, Craig Marks, an editor for Spin magazine, reports to police that he was roughed up by Marilyn Manson’s bodyguards at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York … Marks says he was initially invited backstage to talk to Manson but things turned sinister when, according to Marks, the shock rocker warned him, “You know I can kill you, your family, and everyone you know” … Manson’s lawyer calls the accusations “groundless,” while fans say that’s just Marilyn’s way of being nice …

1999, pop singer Jewel pulls the plug on her planned Anchorage, AK, New Year’s Eve show citing concerns over possible Y2K problems … but according to some sources, it was really a Y1K problem: why were only 1,000 of the 8,000 available seats sold? … meanwhile, as pop pundits ponder the pop star’s plummeting popularity, the concert is canceled … country star Patty Loveless rides a train across Appalachia distributing 15 tons of Christmas gifts to poor families in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia …

2004, U2 surprises NYC with a free concert …

2005, Barbara Orbison, widow of Roy Orbison, begins a campaign to get her late husband’s likeness put on a postage stamp … among supporters of the effort are President George W. Bush, Bono, Dan Aykroyd, and Pamela Anderson …

2006, The Doors, minus Jim Morisson of course, reunite for a one-off show at Hollywood’s Whisky a Go Go … it’s been four decades since the band has played the legendary club … Slash and Perry Farrell are on hand to flesh out the lineup … the Eagles of Death Metal are summarily fired onstage by Axl Rose after playing the first of 15 planned opening sets on Guns ’n Roses’ North American tour…following the Eagles set, Rose asks the crowd, “How’d you like the Pigeons of Sh*t Metal? Don’t worry, that’s the last show they’re playing with us.”…responding to the firing, Eagles leader Jesse Hughes reflects, “When [Axl] goes off his meds, [he’s] not Paxil Rose anymore.” … Eddie Van Halen fires original bass player Michael Anthony, replacing him with Eddie’s 15-year-old son Wolfgang … Guitar Center sells out its entire allotment of 185 reproductions of Eric Clapton’s mid-’60s Strat affectionately known as “Blackie” in seven hours … the original axe that Clapton pieced together from the best bits of three Stratocasters was bought by Guitar Center at auction and was dismantled by Fender luthiers in the process of creating the specially aged replicas …

2007, Nirvana’s celebrated Unplugged show is released on DVD…the video includes rehearsal footage and two songs that weren’t broadcast… also this week, wildfires in Malibu torch Flea’s $4.8 million mansion…the Red Hot Chile Peppers bassist had rented out the home to producer Butch Walker who lost everything including a collection of vintage studio gear in the blaze…Axl Rose’s home avoids a similar fate when the G ‘N R frontman mans a hose to wet down his roof … no word on whether the Chinese Democracy tapes were ever in peril …

[Compiled by the Musician’s Friend copywriting staff]

Arrivals:

November 20: Dick Smothers (1939), Tony Butala of The Lettermen (1940), Norman Greenbaum (1942), Duane Allman (1946), Joe Walsh (1947), George Grantham of Poco (1947), Steve Ferguson of NRBQ (1949), Jim Brown of UB40 (1957), Todd Nance of Widespread Panic (1962), Mike “D” Diamond of The Beastie Boys (1965), Sen Dog of Cypress Hill (1965), songwriter Kevin Gilbert (1966), Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest (1970)

November 21: tenor sax giant Coleman Hawkins (1904), R&B producer-manager Buck Ram (1907), blues and jazz pianist Lloyd Glenn (1909), vocalist-saxophonist “Big” John Greer (1923), Malcolm John Rebennack AKA Dr. John (1941), Lonnie Jordan of War (1948), Steve Ferguson of NRBQ (1949), Livingston Taylor (1950), Peter Koppes of The Church (1955), Stacy Guess of Squirrel Nut Zippers (1964), Bjork (1965), Blur’s Alex James (1968), Pretty Lou of Lost Boyz (1974), Kelsi Osborn of SHeDAISY (1984)

November 22: Rod Price of Foghat (1940), composer-pianist Hoagy Carmichael (1940), Elvis imitator Terry Stafford (1941), Jamie Troy of The Classics (1942), Floyd Sneed of Three Dog Night (1943), reggae musician Aston “Family Man” Barrett (1946), “Little” Steven Van Zandt of the E Street Band (1950), Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads (1950), Craig Hundley, composer and inventor of the Blaster Beam instrument used in Star Trek sound tracks (1954), Jason Ringenberg of Jason and the Scorchers (1958), Rasa Don of Arrested Development (1968)

November 23: Chicago blues producer and bassist Al Smith (1923), Johnny Kidd, of Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, who wrote “Shakin’ All Over,” later covered by The Who (1939), John Hunter, drummer for Memphis psychedelic band The Hombres (1941)

November 24: ragtime pianist Scott Joplin (1868), pre-Ringo Beatles drummer Pete Best (1941), Booker T. and the MGs and Blues Brothers bassist, Donald “Duck” Dunn (1941), session pianist Richard Tee, born Richard Ten Ryk (1943), Robin Williamson of The Incredible String Band (1943), organist-singer Lee Michaels (1945), Clement Burke of Blondie (1955), Chris Hayes of Huey Lewis & The News (1957), John Squire of Stone Roses (1962), Chad Taylor of Live (1970)

November 25: Eddie Boyd, Chicago blues pianist whose big hit was “Five Long Years” (1914), singer Percy Sledge (1940), Bev Bevan of The Move and ELO (1946), country crossover artist Amy Grant (1960), singer Stacy Lattisaw (1966), Rodney Sheppard of Sugar Ray (1967)

November 26: Nesuhi Ertegun, cofounder of Atlantic Records (1917), crooner Robert Goulet (1933), Tina Turner, born Annie Mae Bullock (1938), Alan Henderson of Them (1944), Fleetwood Mac bassist John McVie (1945), Matchbox Twenty’s Adam Gaynor (1963), Lil Fizz of B2K (1985)

Departures:

November 20: washtub bassist and jug player Fritz Richmond (2006), singer-songwriter Chris Whitley (2005), album cover artist Gene Greif (2004), Roland Alphonso of the Skatalites (1998), rock critic and blues producer Robert Palmer (1997), Chess and Vee-Jay Records session drummer Earl Phillips (1990)

November 21: blues guitarist Robert Lockwood Jr. (2006), Alvin Cash (1999), Matthew Ashman of Adam & the Ants and Bow Wow Wow (1995), Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant (1995)

November 22: jazz impresario Norman Ganz (2001), Michael Hutchence, lead singer of INXS (1997), Epick Soundtracks of The Swell Maps (1997), June Abbit AKA Joe Abbit Sr. of The 5 Royales (1995)

November 23: Anita O’Day, jazz singer with Gene Krupa and Stan Kenton (2006), Michael Stewart, co-founder of We Five and producer of Billy Joel (2002), jazz saxophonist Art Porter (1996), Junior Walker of Junior Walker and the Allstars (1995), Badfinger bassist Tom Evans (1983)

November 24: Casey Calvert of Hawthorne Heights (2007), Melanie Thornton of La Bouche (2001), songwriter Tommy Boyce (1994), blues guitarist Albert Collins (1993), KISS drummer Eric Carr (1991), Freddie Mercury (1991), Big Joe Turner (1985) Chicago sax player J.T. Brown (1969)

November 25: Kevin DuBrow of Quiet Riot (2007), Artie Mogull, record exec who signed Bob Dylan to his publishing deal (2004), underappreciated blues guitar player and singer Fenton Robinson (1997), French chanteuse Barbara (1997), British dance-pop artist Wildchild, born Roger McKenzie (1995), lead singer with techno band Mi-Sex, Steve Gilpin (1991), Nick Drake, English singer-songwriter who has achieved posthumous popularity (1974), free-jazz saxophonist Albert Ayler (1970)

November 26: Bluesman-pianist Robert “H-Bomb” Ferguson (2006), prison singer James Carter (2003), rapper James Tapp AKA Soulja Slim (2003), David Briggs, producer long associated with Neil Young (1995), Cornell Gunter, who worked with The Coasters (1990), John Rostil, bassist with Cliff Richards, (1973), R&B and jazz bandleader Tiny Bradshaw (1958), Tommy Dorsey (1956)

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Not a bad time to retire is it just after you’ve won the most games in a season in your 18 year major league career.

Now does he get into the Hall Of Fame? Well when you look at some of the names Moose’s stats associate him with - as Pete Abraham has listed at LoHud in the press release - you’d probably say yes, except of course for the haters who don’t like the fact he played the last 8 years in pinstripes. Pete also has the reasons why he’ll vote for Moose when the time comes.

Anyway so long Moose and thanks for everything…

Mike Mussina gets a standing ovation on his last start at Yankee stadium, Sept 18th, 2008

Now will CC be an adequate replacement?

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All of a sudden we’re not only going to the World Cup after the 2-1 victory in Berlin last night but we’re real world beaters again.

Hmmm, no. There was to use the standard sporting vernacular of a defeat - a lot of positives to take from this - but people are using them to gloss over fundamental errors in the team play and over hyping the performance of individuals.

This was a really poor German side but then the German sides that have got to World Cup and European Championship finals over the last few years haven’t been that good, so that isn’t the reason this victory wasn’t as good as has been made out.

The way England started the game was a positive, all the out field players not giving the Germans any time on the ball is the way we have to play. It’s no coincidence our best performances and results come about when we’re in their faces, letting them have all the possession and pass the ball about without a challenge kills us every time. The Germans only looked dangerous when England dropped back off them and let them play, this was not helped by Capello’s substitution of Agbonlahor for Young, it prompted a more defensive drop back mentality.

The central pairing was another positive, two composed ball possessors and passers that weren’t getting in each others road and feeling the need to compete with each to see who can hit the most glittering of Hollywood balls. Nothing flash, just simple passing to people’s feet at a pace that they can handle, no need to constantly batter the ball for glory shot goal attempts, no getting so out of position that leaves others completely exposed, just keep things moving and control the game in an unfussy manner.

As I’ve said so many times on here it’s not a case of picking one from Lampard and Gerrard it’s picking neither and building a team round team players not so called star names. Now it was easy for Capello to do so with those two pulling out injured, though no doubt fit enough at the weekend, will he have the guts to do the same once the important matches come round again. We’ve seen Gerrard’s commitment to his country is the same as his mate Carragher’s, or he would more likely to play as he does for his club when he bothers to turn up. Has Fabio taken note?

Now the overboard stuff, well Downing, he looked the part when he came through the excellent ‘Boro youth setup under Dave Parnaby, McClown put pay to that when he got into the first team. He wasn’t an international player under McClown and he still isn’t, no matter what so called pundits say about last nights performance. He saw a lot of the ball but did very little with it, take away the hype from your mind and try and remember all those corners and set pieces, they were useless. The only time he found an England player was for Terry’s goal, first goal was a decent corner but wasn’t any danger until Adler flapped at it. Other than that his delivery was crap especially considering they now knew the ‘keeper is a flapper, yeah a lot of running around nothing to get as excited about as some have, no there wasn’t “speed, trickery and delivery” down the left - he’s still slow of thought and deed - and just because Capello picks him doesn’t mean he’s a great player as I’ve heard some say, he picks Wes Brown to play after all.

Then there was an awful lot of aimless balls humped up the park, now they got away with it this time round by winning the ball back so many times, but when will they learn not to give the ball away when they can so easily keep possession. Worst culprits were the ‘keepers, the Calamity Twins, every goal kick, after every catch or back pass there’s the ball humped up to no one in particular. Once or twice it was thrown out to a wide player and it led to good breaks up field.

Now it is a tactic that can work if the opposition are playing a high line with speed merchants likes of Agbonlahor, Defoe, Bent hanging on the last defender, a quick chip over the defence for them to chase onto, it can create chances. But waiting for the ‘keeper to roll the ball out, while the defence drops back and the strikers are all marked when the ball drops in front of them is a waste of everyone’s time, as it is every time Rio Ferdinand does it.

It was great not having Ferdinand strut around out there, making sure he was the first to do that stupid leap on the back of the goal scorer but Upson really isn’t the answer. The two fullbacks had decent games, Johnson defended well, unfortunately Fabio doesn’t like them bombing on as there was a few times where it was screaming out for an overlapping fullback.

Agbonlahor led the line well, without being spectacular, though he could and should have been when he was clean through with only one defender in front of him but decided to slow up and try and pass to Wright-Phillips. He should have bombed on, straight for goal, he would have done for Villa, I do wish the England speed merchants would do that more often, were told so many times how defenses hate pace and yet they don’t use it to it’s full potential. Bent, well what to say, wearing blades was he, now if he scores that what a difference you’d probably see in the player, still he made some decent runs.

The ‘keepers, well they didn’t have much to do all night with the toothless German attack but they tried and then succeeded to screw up what little they had to do, with James flapping early on and then Carson failing to come out for a simple ball that led to the German equaliser. Terry’s taking the blame and he did play a major part in the shambles but you can see he’s expecting Carson to come for the ball and the shock on his face when he realises Carson is dithering says it all.

The result was fantastic, it’s rare these days we beat Germany even in “friendlies” - strange to think that World Cup quarter final in Mexico in ‘70 was only the second time they had been victorious over us - and well deserved the performance had many plus points and if the negatives are eradicated, and we don’t bring certain individuals back into the first team it points to a bright future but a lot of people seem far too easily pleased because we really could have stuffed the Germans on their own patch last night.

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‘Arry was right it was as far as he could take them, a bottle of ketchup, an arm round the shoulder, a pep talk and telling someone to run around a bit is all well and good but it’ll get you nowhere against the likes of Fulham

Confidence, it’s a funny thing in football, Spurs needed it and needed it desperately but it reaches a level where it’s a detriment to the team as it moves into arrogance and it’s quite easy for your average footballer to end up there. More man management is required because it’s losing points to the likes of Fulham, who while having an excellent home record and the jinx over us in the last few years, that will keep Spurs in the relegation mire - back down to second bottom.

But divorce proceedings have to start, a separation of sentiment and support from the reality of what happened on Saturday and what has happened in pretty much every game so far this season. Gomes costs goals.

Gomes saves goals, excellently every game he saves goals going in from shots and that’s great but he presents the opposition with at least one, it’s probably knocking on two now, clear cut open goals per game. So far ‘Arry’s luck had overridden Gomes’ howlers, it had only costs goals, it hadn’t cost games and points. The luck ran out on Saturday and ran out to probably one of the most unlucky teams in the league. Gomes other, great, saves really don’t matter in the game, they were for nothing, his error was the difference in the end, the other saves just kept the scoreline a little on the respectable side, they certainly didn’t instill any confidence in the big Brazilian.

And that’s why he’s not a great ‘keeper, he’s not as bad as some pundits would have us all believe - Alan Hanson has obviously forgotten Taibi at ManURe. Great ‘keepers make errors, Jennings, Cech, Schmeichel, Banks etc etc they’ve all made errors, absolute screaming howlers that have cost the team but they were few and far between. And when it happened it didn’t get to them, it was over as soon as the game restarted, it didn’t nag on them, undermine their confidence and didn’t become a huge fault in their game that every team would target. Great ‘keepers “turn the page”, Gomes can’t.

Yes it’s nice to have a ‘keeper who takes the decision to come out and command his box but what kind of command is it when 4 times out of 5 he’s flapping at fresh air or getting blocked off long before he’s anywhere near the ball. And that’s a huge problem in English football, it’s OK saying he was great at PSV but Dutch football and the game he’s now playing are completely different. How many goals come from corners and crosses in this country? Whatever the number it’s on the increase with Gomes about. It looks like being great in Dutch league football really doesn’t mean much whether you’re a goal a game striker like Kezman, Kuyt, Alves or a keeper of clean sheets like Gomes.

Added to all that he’s useless with the ball at his feet as well.

Comolli has been spouting on about what a great shape he left the club in before his sacking, he must think the £9m was well spent. You look out at the ‘keepers who could have been bought with that money this summer. Friedel cost Villa about £2.5m, Newcastle would have snapped Levy’s hand off if he’d have made a good offer for Given, Jaaskelainen’s contract ended at Bolton during the summer, you can’t tell me we couldn’t get him for that money, nice little signing on fee. Yes they’re all over 30 and much older than the 27 year old Gomes but they are all class ‘keepers that know the English game and most important they aren’t head cases with huge holes in their game.

Just don’t go out and get James in January ‘Arry, he’s not as bad but he’s still a clown.

‘Arry also needs to sort out a few other things in the divorce settlement, while Fulham had Bullard running the game for them, we had Jenas. One came back from injury and led his team out of the drop last season and is quietly the driving force behind their rise to the top half of the table this, somewhere Spurs haven’t been for a while. The other minces about knowing he doesn’t have to bother because no matter what he gets picked for the next game and sometimes gets and England call up out of it - luckily Fabio hasn’t fallen for it recently and picked the right one this time.

And what to do with Bale, it’s another league game lost in which he’s played, we’ve lost them all when he’s played Time to stick him on the bench, hope you get three or four up with a couple of minutes to go and then bring the kid on ‘Arry.

Funny how even though Joe Jordan is now a Spurs man I’m more inclined to side with Roy Hodgson follow the pairs little spat at the end of the game. I suppose a combination of a couple of things, I’ve always like Roy as a manager, he likes to play the game the right way and I did think he should have got the England job a few years back. Also I still remember my dad recalling one of Joe’s first games for Leeds that he was at and allegedly saw the big jock elbow an opposition defender while the ball was miles away.

© Toxic Web

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1877, Ernst Siemens patents the first loudspeaker …

1952, the first British pop chart is published in the New Musical Express … the top six songs are all U.S. acts and are led by Al Martino’s “Here in My Heart” …

1953, the first pocket-sized transistor radio, the Regency TR-1, is mass-marketed …

1957, Patsy Cline is named Most Promising Country & Western Artist in this year’s disc jockey poll by Billboard magazine …

1960, The Shirelles release “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” with songwriter Carole King on drums … “Stay” by Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs holds down the #1 slot on the Billboard Pop Chart … the song is notable for being the shortest single in the rock era, running a mere one minute and 37 seconds … a number of covers later reach the chart including Jackson Browne’s 1978 rendition …

1961, “Crazy” hits the country charts for Patsy Cline …

1965, San Francisco’s first-wave psychedelic dance band Jefferson Airplane signs a contract with RCA Records for a then-unprecedented $25,000 … they would later come to regret not signing with a more “hip” label …

1968, the queens of Detroit, The Supremes, perform at the Royal Variety Show in London while Queen Elizabeth looks on … the elegant beaded gowns they wear that night will become a star attraction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 30 years later …

1969, Janis Joplin is arrested in her dressing room at a concert in Tampa, Florida, for cussing at The Man … earlier, in the auditorium, a cop is screaming through a bullhorn at her fans to sit down and she tells him, “Don’t @#&* with these people. Hey, mister, what are you so uptight about? Did you buy a five-dollar ticket?” … she is similarly disrespectful addressing police backstage when they insist that SHE tell the audience to sit down … she gets out on a $50 bond and the charges of “vulgar and indecent language” are eventually dropped …

1972, Danny Whitten, guitarist in Crazy Horse, Neil Young’s backup band, dies of a heroin overdose … the talented axeman and songwriter provided a perfect foil for Young, trading licks with him on the extended guitar jams on Young’s long-form rockers “Down by the River” and “Cowgirl in the Sand” … Whitten’s OD will loom large in Young’s dark album Tonight’s The Night as well as in his song “Needle and the Damage Done” …

1973, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jr., son of the Killer, meets his demise on a rural highway near Hernando, Mississippi … at 19, he’s developed some chops on the drums and has just played on TV’s Midnight Special with his dad’s band … it’s the second time Lewis has lost a son, 11 years earlier his only other son drowned in the family swimming pool …

1973, while Deep Purple’s Richie Blackmore plays a concert in San Francisco, someone impersonating the smokin’ guitar man smashes up a borrowed Porsche in Iowa City … John Lennon’s “Whatever Gets You Through the Night” lodges in the #1 pop chart slot … Elton John contributes piano, organ, and backing vocals to the single …

1978, Queen plays Madison Square Garden … during their hit number “Fat Bottomed Girls,” they are accompanied by semi-nude women riding bicycles …

1979, Chuck Berry is released from the slammer following a stay on tax evasion charges …

1981, The Police top the charts in the U.K. with “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” …

1987, adopting the guise of a country-rock band called The Dalton Brothers, U2 opens for themselves at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum … the band developed the collective alter ego during the third leg of the Joshua Tree tour … the Daltons consist of Betty Dalton (Adam Clayton), Luke Dalton (Edge), Alton Dalton (Bono), and Duke Dalton (Larry Mullen, Jr.) … they also open for U2 at the Hoosier Dome in Indiana and the Hampton Coliseum in Virginia wearing wigs, sunglasses, and country-and-western-style clothing …they play just a few songs and go unrecognized by the majority of fans attending …

1988, Stan Love, former Beach Boys manager and brother of lead singer Mike Love, gets five years probation for embezzling $300,000 from the group …

1990, in the wake of revelations that they had lip-synced their way to fame, the faux pop duo Milli Vanilli is ordered to return their Grammy award … “singer” Fabrice Morvan unrepentantly claims, “We can sing as good as any other pop star in the Top Ten.” …

1993, Nirvana videotapes an MTV Unplugged … it’s shot live in one take, mistakes included, and airs one month later …

1995, even though there are some empty seats at the Bee Gees’ show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, they still manage to rake in an impressive $1.7 million in gross box office receipts … ticket prices range between $50 and $300 …

1998, discount chain Kmart launches its MusicFavorites.com website offering 100,000 songs for download … despite its early entry into the electronic commerce arena, the site soon is eclipsed by competitors …

2000, Michael Abram, the man who a year earlier broke into George Harrison’s home and stabbed Harrison before being subdued by the ex-Beatle and his wife, is found guilty by reason of insanity and ordered confined to a mental hospital for an indefinite stay …

2003, Ol’ Dirty Bastard AKA Russsell Jones of Wu-Tang Clan dies of a deadly mix of painkillers and cocaine …the New York Post reports that former Van Halen vocalist David Lee Roth is training to become an emergency medical technician … the story recounts how Roth, while riding with an ambulance crew, saved the life of a Bronx heart-attack victim using a defibrillator … according to his tutor Linda Reissman, “You would never know you were dealing with a rock ‘n’ roll guy. His commitment is really touching. He wants to help people.” … The United States Postal Service settles with the group Postal Service following more than a year of legal maneuvering over the band’s name … in a creative compromise the duo comprised of Death Cab for Cutie singer Ben Gibbard and electronic musician Jimmy Tamborello agree to let the Postal Service use their music to promote the use of snail mail and to refer to the USPS deal in Postal Service CDs … the musicians also agree to perform at the postmaster general’s National Executive Conference in Washington …

2005, A CBS special, I Walk the Line - A Night with Johnny Cash, is aired … the show features artists such as Kris Kistofferson, U2, Sheryl Crow, and Foo Fighters performing songs from the Man in Black’s repertoire …

2006, Peter Gabriel is named The Man of Peace for 2006 by a foundation headed by former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev … former winners include Bob Geldof and Cat Stevens …

2007, in a Rolling Stone interview, much-arrested Babyshambles frontman Pete Doherty explains his penchant for illicit substances …”I can honestly say that the reason I do drugs is not because of my childhood or because I have self-esteem issues or resentments. It’s purely because I enjoy it.” … MTV Arabia begins broadcasting across the Middle East with a mix of regional and Western artists as well as cleaned-up versions of shows such as Punk’d and Pimp My Ride … The Red Hot Chili Peppers file suit against Showtime claiming that the cable network’s use of the name Californication—also the title of the band’s 1999 album—was a misuse of the band’s intellectual property …

… and that was the week that was in matters musical.

Arrivals:

November 13: John Novarese, owner of Hi Records (1923), R&B singer Justine “Baby” Washington (1940), Annette Kleinbard of The Teddy Bears (1941), R&B singer and producer Timmy Thomas (1944), Bill Gibson of Huey Lewis and the News (1951), Walter Kibby of Fishbone (1964)

November 14: composer Aaron Copland (1900), Sir Joseph Lockwood of EMI Records (1904), featured singer with Gene Krupa Band Johnny Desmond (1921), composer Joonas Kokkonen (1921), Chicago harp man Carey Bell (1936), Cornell Gunter of The Coasters (1938), Freddie Garrity of Freddie and the Dreamers (1940), accordionist-zydeco performer Buckwheat Zydeco (1947), James Young of Styx (1948), singer and guitarist Stephen Bishop (1951), Frankie Banali of Quiet Riot (1953), Alec John Such of Bon Jovi (1956), rapper Joe “Run” Simmons of Run-D.M.C. (1964), Brian Yale of matchbox twenty (1968), Travis Barker of blink-182 (1975), R&B singer Adina Howard (1975)

November 15: elevator-music maestro Mantovani (1905), Ike Turner’s pianist Clayton Love (1927), R&B singer Clyde McPhatter (1932), pop singer Petula Clark (1932), Little Willie John born William J. Woods (1937), Frida of ABBA (1945), bassist Steve Fossen of Heart (1949), Michael Cooper of Con Funk Shun (1952), Alexander O’Neal (1953), Tony Thompson of Chic (1954), Tonight Show bandleader Kevin Eubanks (1957), Joe Leeway of Thompson Twins (1957), Ol’ Dirty Bastard AKA Russell Jones of Wu-Tang Clan (1968)

November 16: “Father of the Blues” W.C. Handy (1873), Atlantic Records veteran Jesse Stone (1901), Toni Brown of Joy of Cooking (1928), folksinger Bob Gibson (1931), long-time Howlin’ Wolf guitarist Hubert Sumlin (1931), Nashville producer Felton Jarvis (1934), R&B-soul singer Garnett Mimms (1937), John Ryanes of The Monotones (1940), George “Smitty” Smith of The Manhattans (1943), Winfred “Blue” Lovett of The Manhattans (1943), acoustic guitarist-composer Will Ackerman (1949), Patti Santos of It’s a Beautiful Day (1949), Mani of The Stone Roses (1962), Diana Krall (1964), Bryan Abrams of Color Me Badd (1969), Trevor Penick of O-Town (1979)

November 17: folksinger Gordon Lightfoot (1938), Bob Gaudio of The Four Seasons (1942), Gene Clark of The Byrds (1944), Martin Barre of Jethro Tull (1946), Jim Babjak of The Smithereens (1957), Harry Rushakoff of Concrete Blonde (1959), drag performer-singer RuPaul (1960), singer-songwriter-guitarist Jeff Buckley (1966), Ben Wilson of Blues Traveler (1967), Ronnie DeVoe of Bell Biv DeVoe (1967), Isaac Hanson of Hanson (1980)

November 18: Sir William Gilbert of the Gilbert and Sullivan writing team (1836), conductor Eugene Ormandy (1899), comedic actress-singer Imogene Coca (1908), R&B singer Hank Ballard (1927), Bob Sanderson of The Royaltones (1935), Herman Rarebell of The Scorpions (1949), rock singer-songwriter-guitarist Graham Parker (1950), John McFee of The Doobie Brothers (1953), singer-two-hit wonder John Parr (1954), Michael Ramos of The BoDeans (1958), British pop singer Kim Wilde (1960), Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett (1962), singer-songwriter Duncan Sheik (1969), rapper Fabolous (1979)

November 19: bandleader Tommy Dorsey (1905), gospel singer J.D. Sumner (1914), singer Ray Collins of The Mothers of Invention (1937), Pete Moore of The Miracles (1939), Matt Sorum of Guns N’ Roses (1960), Travis McNabb of Better Than Ezra (1969), Tamika Scott of Xscape (1975)

Departures:

November 13: rapper Ol’ Dirty Bastard (2004), Donald Mills of The Mills Brothers (1999), R.J. Vealey of the Atlanta Rhythm Section (1999), jazz and R&B pianist Bill Doggett (1996), Ronnie Bond of The Troggs (1992), Jerry Lee Lewis Jr. (1973)

November 14: John Cascella, keyboardist with John Mellencamp (1992), singer Dallas Taylor (1986), dub pioneer Keith Hudson (1984)

November 15: composer-arranger Saul Chaplin (1997), disco producer Jacques Morali (1991)

November 16: British pop pianist Russ Conway (2000), Kid Rock sideman Joe C. AKA Joseph Calleja (2000), Gospel Music Hall of Fame member J.D. Sumner (1998), Dino Valenti of Quicksilver Messenger Service (1994), Francis Donia of Tavares (1984), raw-voiced soulman O.V. Wright (1980), music journalist Mike Leadbitter (1974)

November 17: singer Ruth Brown (2006), Stax soul singer Arthur Conley (2003), singer-songwriter Terry Stafford (1996), blues scholar, producer, and label owner Pete Welding (1995), co-founder of RPM Records Jules Bihari (1984), bassist John Glascock of Jethro Tull (1979)

November 18: jazz pianist Cy Coleman (2004), Tex-Mex influential Doug Sahm (1999), Alan Hull of Lindisfarne (1995), bandleader Cab Calloway (1994), prolific session drummer Freddie Waites (1989), Tom Evans of Badfinger (1983), Doug Roberts, drummer for Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs (1981), jazz singer Teddi King (1977), Danny Whitten of Crazy Horse (1972), Memphis bluesman “Little” Junior Parker (1971)

November 19: producer Terry Melcher (2004), songwriter Bobby Russell (1992), songwriter Carolyn Leigh (1983), Claude Feaster of The Chords (1975)

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Sad to hear that Mitch Mitchell has joined Noel Redding and Jimi Hendrix in that great gig in the sky. There’s no one alive now from one of the greatest rock bands of all time.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience on the Lulu show

Another great drummer jamming at that gig along with Moony and Bonzo, just have to hope the drumming continues because it’s very bad when drums stop.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Killing Floor

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Red House

The three Experience albums released in Jimi’s lifetime - Are You Experienced?, Axis: Bold as Love, Electric Ladyland - are must haves for anyone who claims to be a music fan, the “BBC Sessions” is great as well with a more rougher, loser feel to the whole band, due to the cheapness of the Beeb, so much so it’s a surprise the tapes weren’t wiped.

Mitch Mitchell BBC obituary

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The ‘Pool manager said ‘Arry should be so after the last time Spurs beat his side, maybe Benitez would have only been embarrassed if his team had got anything out of the League Cup game last night, which would have been undeserved, even if it was a penalty.

Oh this was the reserve side, with ten changes from the usual league side who we’ve beaten anyway, compared to Spurs seven changes, but was still full of internationals and players the manager had specifically gone out and bought and in some cases spent a decent amount of cash on, no director of football to blame for these duds.

Though it’s not like they were allowed to play well by an improving Spurs side, funny that with Jenas missing, that capitalised on a shaky ‘Pool back four and ‘keeper that were run ragged by Campbell and the rest. I thought Pavlyuchenko had the languid look of Berbatov as he dropped back and swung his left to score his first, from Campbell’s excellent cross.

Campbell showed great fight and commitment all night and much deserved his brace, someone needs to point out it might be a bit tough displacing all those 30 million quid strikers at ManUre and a permanent deal may be in his best interest.

Only a couple of weeks back we had no real strikers to speak of now there’s three full of confidence banging in the goals, must be all those strikers on the coaching staff.

That’s 18 goals we’ve scored in my five matches in charge - we’re bringing in Les Ferdinand as a striking coach and I’ve told him if we stop scoring it’s his fault! - ‘Arry Redknapp

Will Spurs score two goals in the next game up, that’s the pattern so far under ‘Arry - 2 (Bolton), 4 (ARSEnal), 2 (Liverpool), 4 (Zagreb), 2 (City), 4 Liverpool.

Juande must be thinking “If only I learn a bit of cockerny and not take ketchup bottle off them then I still earning millions of quid…eees not rat eees hamster…still Madrid job should be fun.”

Still he’s left us with a little treat at the back as Gomes surpassed himself this time by not gifting just one goal to the opposition but did it twice. For all the great shot stopping saves that are outstanding how many of them does a ‘keeper face per match in the English game compared to corners and crosses. Saying that the way he was carried off the park isn’t the way I’d want to see him leave the field, maybe give him a rest at the weekend ‘Arry, I know you say he’ll be fit but come on.

I should get out now — I’ve taken them as far as I can! - ‘Arry Redknapp

Well no doubt we’ll get ManUre in the draw for the League Cup quarter final, how long can this honeymoon last?

© Toxic Web

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Pompey had played their worst game since ‘Arry left and nicked a last minute penalty to beat Sunderland on Saturday for the first win under Donkey Adams, while a day later Spurs were one nil down to City, after a Gomes palm into the middle of the box.

It could only be the fault of one man - Joe Jordan - he left Pompey, there luck improved, he’d joined us and things were going so well. I mean how many old strikers does ‘Arry need on the coaching staff? Clive, Sir Les and now Toothy Joe, can only image the discussions between him and Pavlyuchenko as neither of them have the best command of the English language - definaately. Any chance of a defensive coach coming in at some point?

But thankfully the power of ‘Arry trumps the negative energy created by the black hole where Joe used to have teeth. Also we had the power of City to fall flat on their faces while their boss might be fighting for his job.

And then there was the ref, who had a difficult afternoon when weighing up whether to do the right thing and send of the two City players or chicken out and save himself from the barrage of drivel from the Welsh windbag. Yes Mark it was wet out there but the conditions had absolutely nothing to do with the stupid swipe Fernandes had at Modric or the inept challenge on Bentley he put in when he knew he was on a tightrope, it also had nothing to do with Dunne’s push on Bent to stop him scoring the third. It also played no part in the stupid things Assou-Ekotto did to get two bookings to follow the other two off the park.

Yes Mark I know who you are and who you used to play for and I know you seem to think that should make a difference.

So four league games for ‘Arry, three wins and a draw, 10 points out of 12, 10 goals scored with 6 conceded. Behind in three of the games to come back and win two, draw the other to get out of the relegation zone. Only 8 points off Villa in the European spot now

Bent can’t stop scoring and looks more like the player from Charlton now he knows he’s going to play most of the games. Modric is running games with the style and class we expected when he signed but I wish ‘Arry would stop bringing him off, it changes the whole set up and not for the better. We were cruising until his substitution, after they just dropped off, giving City all the encouragement they needed as the likes of Jenas just disappeared meaning Spurs were hanging on in the end.

That’s the thing it can get better than this, dump Jenas, get someone better than Zokora, find a way to win a league game with Bale in the side and Bentley is still short of his best yet.

© Toxic Web

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1955, Elvis Presley is named Most Promising Country & Western Artist in Billboard’s annual poll of disc jockeys … sadly, the relatively unknown country artist never quite lives up to their expectations …

1960, Greg Allman turns 13 and gets a guitar for his birthday … 14-year-old brother Duane eclipses him quickly on that instrument while Greg excels at organ and vocals … they’ll play together in the Kings, the Allman Joys, and Hourglass, before they rule southern rock with the Allman Brothers Band, which they’ll form in 1969 …

1963, “Louie Louie” is released by the Kingsmen … one of the most-covered songs of all time, it is charged that the slurred lyrics are obscene … the song is banned on some radio stations, and especially in Indiana, where Governor Matthew Welch determines the ditty dirty, despite the fact that after a 31-month investigation, the FBI states that they are “unable to interpret any of the wording in the record” … apparently, once you’re done counting the cow, there’s not a whole lot of governing to be done in Indiana and luckily, Welch had enough time on his hands to protect God-fearing Hoosiers from being corrupted by lyrics that even the country’s best forensic investigators couldn’t decipher … wait a minute … decipher … cipher … Louie Louie … Louie cipher … Aha! Lucifer! … okay, maybe the governor was right after all …

1965, promoter Bill Graham rents the building destined to become the Fillmore East for a staggering $60 … his first rock show bill features The Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead …

1966, a made-for-TV make-believe pop band hits #1 with their debut album, The Monkees … despite the fact that Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith were talented musicians, the band never could shake the critics who complained that they were a Beatles knockoff, dubbing them the “Pre-Fab Four,” a stigma that haunted Nesmith throughout his musical career … in retrospect, not being tapped for the Monkees was probably the best career move, albeit inadvertently, that Steven Stills ever made …

1967, the movie How I Won the War starring John Lennon opens in the U.S. … it’s the first film to feature a solo performance by a Beatle …

1969, Jim Morrison gets blotto on a plane trip from L.A. to Phoenix to see The Stones … he’s such a royal pain that he’s arrested on arrival and charged with interfering with the flight and public drunkenness, having harassed a stewardess who apparently didn’t appreciate a drunk Morrison jumping in her game … the charges are eventually dropped …

1970, Jim Morrison plays his last concert with The Doors in New Orleans … apparently the rigors of touring have drained the Lizard King …

1971, Led Zeppelin releases their unnamed fourth album, leaving fans and Zep members alike to find a name that suits them … the record is variously referred to as: The Runes Album, ZoSo, and Led Zeppelin IV, a name actually used by Jimmy Page …

1972, living up to his last name, Johnny Paycheck starts pulling down a regular salary when he officially joins the cast of the Grand Ole Opry … Johnny makes an even bigger financial splash when he advises legions of disgruntled employees everywhere to “Take This Job And Shove It” … a word of advice Johnny: out-of-work fans can’t buy albums … just something to consider if you don’t want to have to change your stage name to Johnny Unemployment … featuring fiery guitarist Jan Akkerman, the album Moving Waves by Dutch prog-rock band Focus arrives on the LP chart in the U.K. … thanks to popular song “Hocus Pocus,” Focus achieves notoriety in the U.S., and then it’s hocus pocus and Focus disappears …

1978, Donna Summer’s cover of “MacArthur Park” becomes a #1 pop hit … a decade earlier, actor Richard Harris had taken his bombastic reading of the lyrically incomprehensible Jimmy Webb tune to #2 … apparently old Professor Dumbledore couldn’t summon the magic that Summers could … don’t make us explain that Harris played Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films … what do you mean, “who’s Harry Potter?” … don’t make us come over there …

1979, Fleetwood Mac’s album Tusk hits #1 in the U.K. … on its 37-week rise to the #1 spot, Tusk was embedded so firmly on the charts, nobody could budge it … of course, in Alabama, the Tuscaloosa … but that is entirely ir-elephant to what we’re talking about …

1984, Madonna’s album Like a Virgin is released, leaving listeners wondering in what way she is … popular theories include the possibility that Madonna is encouraging people to like virgins … sort of like a “take a virgin to lunch” campaign … a bit redundant, but good-hearted nonetheless … however, some detractors claim that the material girl, who launched herself to stardom by wearing her underwear on the outside, is like a virgin in much the same way that balloons are like safety pins …

1985, the theme from the TV show Miami Vice rides the top of the Billboard Hot 100 … the soundtrack LP also goes to #1 in the album chart where it will reside for 11 weeks, beating the former TV-theme record-holder, The Music from Peter Gunn … showing that he’s a class-act through-and-through, “Peter Gunn” composer Henry Mancini calls Miami Vice theme composer Jan Hammer to congratulate him for breaking his record … no, not his record, his record …

1986, reinforcing the Miami Vice-music connection, Willie Nelson plays a corrupt cop in a guest appearance …

1987, “a day late and a dollar short” seems to typify the career of Sly Stone, who turns up an hour late for an L.A. comeback concert and is promptly arrested for failing to pay child support … what can you say? Bo Diddley’s got the “Bo Diddley beat,” Sly’s got the deadbeat … lateness aside, in his self-shortened heyday, Stone quickly fell out of favor with promoters for consistently not showing up to concerts at all …

1988, Whitney Houston’s debut album goes multiplatinum with nine million copies sold … only Boston has ever matched this performance with a debut LP …

1992, Boyz II Men’s “End of the Road” reaches the end of the #1 road when it makes its 13th and final appearance in the Billboard Hot 100 chart’s top slot … Axl Rose is convicted of property damage in the wake of a Guns N’ Roses show in Missouri … the concert was aborted as Rose threw his microphone down and walked off stage saying, “Thanks to the lameass security, I’m going home!” … the other band members followed and the house lights came on, sparking an intense riot that caused significant damage to the newly constructed arena … Rose gets two years probation and is ordered to pay $50,000 in fines to community groups …

1995, Michael Jackson’s ATV Music catalog and Sony Corp. merge to form the world’s third largest music publishing company worth an estimated $300 million … among the goodies Jackson brings to the table are a raft of classic Beatles tunes that Jackson snaked out from former friend Paul McCartney after Macca had advised the self-proclaimed king of pop to invest in publishing … here’s a little free advice: never tell people with more money than you about something valuable that you want to buy …

1998, Little Jimmy Dickens’ appearance at the Grand Ole Opry marks his 50th year as a member of the cast … Dickens is best-remembered for his 1965 hit, “May The Bird Of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose” … of course, the song fails to make the connection that once up your nose, it’s paradise lost for the navigationally impaired bird, and certainly for the owner of the nose in question … a bird flapping around in your nose has got to hurt … Rick James has a stroke when a blood vessel in his neck ruptures during a head-banging performance in Denver … maybe the bird of paradise flew up his nose, panicked, and circled down to his throat … Michael Jackson settles his suit against London’s Daily Mirror over pictures and stories run by the scandal sheet claiming that the star’s face has been disfigured by plastic surgery … a lawyer representing the Mirror says, “The photographs were taken honestly and were not tampered with, but the Mirror has since met with the plaintiff in person and acknowledges that the photographs do not accurately represent the plaintiff’s true appearance.” … judging from Michael’s latest nose-job, it appears that the ever-panicking bird of paradise has been busy this year … Ahmet Ertegun and Bobby “Blue” Bland are honored with lifetime achievement awards from The Blues Foundation … may the Blue Bland of paradise fly up your nose …

1999, following up on 22-year-old vocalist-pianist Fiona Apple’s 1996 debut, the oh-so-succinctly titled “Tidal,” Clean Slate/Epic releases Apple’s “When The Pawn Hits The Conflicts He Thinks Like A King What He Knows Throws The Blows When He Goes To The Fight And He’ll Win The Whole Thing ‘Fore He Enters The Ring There’s Nobody To Batter When Your Mind Is Your Might So When You Go Solo, You Hold Your Own Hand And Remember That Depth Is The Greatest Of Heights And If You Know Where You Stand, Then You’ll Know Where To Land And If You Fall It Won’t Matter, Cuz You’ll Know That You’re Right” … obviously the song follows the advice of the hit songwriter’s handbook, stating that in order to make a song memorable, make sure your title is in the lyrics of the chorus … perhaps Fiona missed the bit where they said it doesn’t have to be the chorus, or the entire song for that matter … proving the old adage, “all that glitters is not golden,” Gary Glitter pleads guilty in a British court to charges of taking and possessing indecent pictures of underage children … he receives a four-month jail sentence and yet “Rock and Roll Part 2″ is still played at US stadiums … on a positive note, so to speak, Kid Rock and Lauren Hill take top honors at the Billboard Music Video Awards …

2003, Kid Rock announces plans for a continuing creative collaboration with Sheryl Crow … the collaboration has thus far resulted in the hit duet “Picture,” and they plan more writing and recording together in the future … looks like the Kid is growing up … perhaps a name-change to Man Rock is in order …

2004, Apple introduces a special black U2 version of the iPod with the band members’ names laser-etched on the case … the unit is launched with an ad that has the band performing its new single “Vertigo” … finally jumping on the bandwagon of mega-rockers who’ve cashed in on cross-promotion, it’s the first time in the band’s 25-year career that it’s licensed music for commercial purposes …

2005, Following an unfriendly Supreme Court decision about its file-sharing software and website, Grokster shuts down … it is reported that it will pay the music and movie industries $50 million in settlement of lawsuits … unfounded rumors abound that in order to be first in line ahead of the pirates, the major labels are considering their own file-sharing site called Huckster … Elton John and partner David Furnish set a date to wed … Mike Love of The Beach Boys files suit against his cousin Brian Wilson … Love claims that a British promotion for Wilson’s 2004 album Smile that gave away 2.6 million Beach Boys compilations discs, cut into the band’s sales … this marks the seventh time that Beach Boys have sued one another, but apparently there is no Love lost between them … in previous legal contests between Love and Wilson, both parties said in interviews that there was no malice between them; they simply couldn’t come up with an agreeable settlement by themselves … it’s like the old saying goes, “the family who cruise together, sues together” …

2006, former singer and guitarist John Hall of the band Orleans is elected to the U.S. House of Representatives representing the 19th New York congressional district … at his celebration party he elects to skip playing his signature tune “Still the One” in favor of Steven Van Zandt’s “I Am a Patriot” … it just proves what have always said: we need more rock-and-roll in the senate … okay, we haven’t always said that, but that doesn’t make it any less true … Yoko Ono observes John Lennon’s 66th birthday in Reykjavik, Iceland … she dedicates the site of a planned Imagine Peace Tower, a 100-foot beam of light that will shine around the clock …

2007, The Eagles’ first studio album in 28 years, Long Road Out of Eden, debuts at #1 with sales of 710,000 copies … this despite its only being available at Wal-Mart stores and the band’s website … Donovan announces plans to open a Transcendental Meditation college in Scotland … it will be called the Invincible Donovan University … apparently a great deal of thought went into the name … rumors say that the order of the name, “Invincible Donovan University” was originally the Invincible University of Donovan until deep meditation revealed to the former ’60s flower child that its college sweatshirts would bear the initials, IUD … so much for free love …

… and that was the week that was in matters musical.

Arrivals:

November 6: Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone (1814), John Philip Sousa, inventor of the sousaphone (1854), composer-pianist Ignace Jan Paderewski (1860), musician, songwriter, lyricist Gus Kahn, born Gustav Gerson Kahn, who penned songs such as “It Had To Be You” and “Dream a Little Dream Of Me” (1886), musician-arranger Ray Conniff, who founded The Ray Conniff Singers (1927), Joseph Pope, Lead singer of The Tams (1933), Glenn Frey of The Eagles (1948), Corey Glover of Living Colour (1964)

November 7: New Orleans trumpeter Al Hirt (1922), Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary (1937), soul singer Dee Clark, whose biggest single was “Raindrops” (1938), Johnny Rivers, rock-and-roll singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, born John Henry Ramistella (1942), singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, born Roberta Joan Anderson (1943), Liam O Maonlai of Hothouse Flowers (1964), Russell Barrett of Chapterhouse (1968)

November 8: Bert Burns, R&B producer of The Drifters and Van Morrison (1929), Bonnie Bramlett of Delaney and Bonnie (1944), Don Murray, drummer for The Turtles (1945), Roy Wood of The Move and ELO (1946), Minnie Riperton, singer-songwriter noted for her five-and-a-half octave vocal range (1947), blues singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt (1949), Gerald Alston, lead singer of The Manhattans (1951), singer-songwriter Rickie Lee Jones (1954), singer, actor, and teen idol Leif Garrett, born Leif Per Nervik (1961), Stephen Patman of Chapterhouse (1968)

November 9: big band leader Tommy Dorsey (1905), bass singer Leroy Fann of Ruby & The Romantics (1936), Tom Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival (1941), Phil May of The Pretty Things (1944), Alan Gratzer of REO Speedwagon (1948), Joe Bouchard of Blue Oyster Cult (1948), Tommy Caldwell, bassist for the Marshall Tucker Band (1949), Pepa of Salt-N-Pepa, born Sandra Denton (1961), Brad “Scarface” Jordan of the Geto Boys (1969), Jamaican R&B, pop, reggae singer-songwriter Diana King (1970), Susan Tedeschi, blues and roots-music singer and guitarist married to Derek Trucks (1970), Nick Lachey of 98 Degrees (1973), rock, country, and rap-rock musician Uncle Kracker, born Matthew Shafer (1974), Sisqó, lead singer of R&B group Dru Hill, born Mark Althavan Andrews (1978)

November 10: singer, songwriter, musician Dave Loggins, cousin of Kenny Loggins (1947), country singer-songwriter Donna Fargo, born Yvonne Vaughan (1947), Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer (1948), Ronnie Hammond of The Atlanta Rhythm Section (1950), Mario Cipollina of Huey Lewis and The News (1954), Frank Maudsley of A Flock of Seagulls (1959), West Coast rapper Warren G, born Warren Griffin III (1970), Eve, rapper, singer, actress, and musician (1978)

November 11: jazz singer Ernestine Allen, with the Lucky Millinder Orchestra (1920), jazz pianist Mose Allison (1927), R&B singer LaVern Baker (1929), David Lastle, New Orleans session sax man (1934), pop singer Brian Hyland of “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” fame (1943), The Youngbloods’ Jesse Colin Young, born Perry Miller (1944), godfather of grunge Neil Young (1945), Chris Dreja of The Yardbirds (1945), Vince Martell of Vanilla Fudge (1945), Arthur Tavares of disco singing group Tavares (1946), Andy Partridge of XTC (1953), singer, songwriter, guitarist Marshall Crenshaw (1953), Ian Craig Marsh of Heaven 17 (1956), LeToya Luckett formerly of Destiny’s Child (1980)

November 12: Ruby Nash Curtis of Ruby & The Romantics (1939), Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser of Blue Oyster Cult (1947), Errol Brown of Hot Chocolate (1948), Leslie McKeown of The Bay City Rollers (1955), David Ellefson of Megadeth (1964), R&B singer Tevin Campbell (1976)

Departures:

November 6: Hank Thompson, Texas honky-tonk and western swing pioneer (2007), George Osmond, patriarch of the singing Osmond Family (2007), jazz pianist Pete Jolly (2004), Don Julian, leader of The Meadowlarks (1998), novelty artist Dickie Goodman (1989), New York Dolls drummer Billy Murcia (1972)

November 7: jazz drummer Vernel Fournier (2000), Jimmy Jones, studio bassist who worked with Wilson Pickett (1995), Carter Cornelius, leader of The Cornelius Brothers with Sister Rose (1991)

November 8: trumpeter Lester Bowie (1999), Dr. Tommy Comeaux of Beausoleil, voted best Cajun guitarist (1997), Country Dick Montana of The Beat Farmers (1995), R&B pianist James Booker (1983), R&B singer Ivory Joe Hunter (1974), pioneering blues guitarist Kokomo Arnold (1968)

November 9: movie composer Stanley Myers English {Deer Hunter} (1993), Egon Wellesz, composer, teacher, musicologist, and student of Arnold Schoenberg (1974), Swedish jazz composer Jan Johansson (1968), composer Frederick Preston Search (1957), Broadway and film composer Sigmund Romberg, best known for “Lover Come Back to Me” performed by Billie Holliday (1951), ragtime pianist and composer Ole Olsen, born John Siguard Olsen, of the vaudeville act Olsen and Johnson, who hit the big time with the Broadway show and movie Hellzapoppin (1927), Mannheim composer Carl Philipp Stamitz, son of famous composer Johann Stamitz, and a “wretched scribbler, gampler, swiller, and adulterer” according to Mozart, though he never met Carl (1801)

November 10: Kanye West’s mother and manager, Donde West (2007), R&B singer Gerald Levert (2006), pop and jazz session guitarist Tommy Tedesco (1997), jazz singer, pianist, composer, and actress Carmen McRae (1994), blueswoman Ida Cox (1967)

November 11: Beau Brummels drummer John Peterson (2007), Motown Records executive Gwen Gordy Fuqua (1999), R&B singer Ronnie Dyson (1990), Don Addrisi of the Addrisi Brothers, who wrote the hit “Never My Love” for The Association (1984), Allman Brothers bassist Berry Oakley (1972)

November 12: drummer Tony Thompson of Chic (2003), jazz pianist Kenny Kirkland (1998), Rainer Ptacek, slide guitar and dobro player, cohort of Robert Plant and ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons (1997), Sean Rowley, keyboard player and vocalist for Cause and Effect (1992)

© Toxic Web

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It seems a lot longer somehow, probably because my mind wants to wipe all memories of what it was like just two weeks ago in the dying days of the shambles that was the Ramos regime. Just have to be thankful, at this moment in time, that the last UEFA Cup game against Udinese was so bad, such an embarrassing mess that it really forced Levy’s hand.

Dinamo Zagreb weren’t exactly great while being stuffed 4-0 by Spurs last night but they wouldn’t have had to be to get something out of the game if things hadn’t changed at the Lane.

Darren Bent wouldn’t have put away his hat-trick with the class he did, taking his season tally to 9, two more than Keane and Berbatov put together. Huddlestone probably wouldn’t have been on the park to lay on two of Bent’s goals with excellent slide rule assists or to score his screamer. Modric probably wouldn’t have started or would have found himself out of position wide left, so his influence would have been lost, no shots on goal, which are saved but seem to bring about goals from the rebound or the resulting corner. No kids on the bench resulting in the comment Bostock/Dervite has made that 51/63 shirt his own.

Even though Gomes and Dawson didn’t have very much to do at all, they would have probably found a way to drop a clanger fourteen days earlier.

‘Arry has said the right thing about the UEFA Cup being secondary to the league and the vastly more important task of staying in the top flight - unlike Ramos who seemed more interested in keeping up his reputation as a cup king, while being bad at both. But even with Zagreb not being the best last night winning helps, a four zip victory over any team in Europe helps build the confidence that can be used in the league campaign.

How long can the honeymoon last?

On another note isn’t it funny how a manager can change tack when he’s been called into question. One minute the opposition deserved to win, they showed more desire for victory. This loss, along with a certain draw results in questions being asked about said manager and his team’s abilities and all of a sudden it’s an all out attack on the victorious team’s tactics. And surprise, surprise the media fall for it and all the questions are deflected and forgotten about.

Quite cowardly you could say, sort of thing someone who during a touchline argument shoves a fourth official between himself and another manager while shouting “hold me back”, or talks tough a few hundred miles away would do.

© Toxic Web

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