Sparks (and Halfnelson) Drummer Project (3): John Mendelssohn, 1969!

"I remember the Maels exchanging unhappy glances when I said I thought we should be violent and scary, a la my idols, The Who." - John Mendelssohn

John Mendelssohn

This is the third of a series of discussions with the individuals that played drums for the band Sparks - or in this case, Halfnelson, the band that evolved into Sparks. The first two installments in this series are with David Kendrick and Harley Feinstein.  In this installment, I talk with John Mendelssohn, who played with Ron and Russell Mael, the leaders of Halfnelson/Sparks, from July through September, 1969. A short period, but a highly significant one, as it was during this time that the eponymous (and never released) Halfnelson record was made, with John playing drums.

John Mendelssohn is a multifaceted man who has distinguished himself as a journalist, an author, a graphic designer, and a performer and songwriter in his own right.  He is well known for his often acerbic, but also quite humorous, record reviews for Rolling Stone and Creem magazine, among others. However, like his time in Halfnelson, this is but a small part of his extensive career.  His Wikipedia page is worth reading for a good summary. I am grateful to John for his generosity of time and insight, and patience with my follow up questions.  He was candid with his views, and his sense of humor is intact. John's blog is compelling reading, and can be found here.

Sparks Drummer Project (2): Harley Feinstein, 1971-1974!

"It was a great time. I've had some good eras in my life, and that was one of them." - Harley Feinstein, Sparks drummer, 1971-1974.

Harley Feinstein 

This is the second of a planned series of discussions with the individuals that have drummed with the band Sparks. Sparks are led by Ron and Russell Mael and are known for their musical experimentation, and each drummer has had to meet a different set of musical challenges. The first of these discussions was with David Kendrick, who drummed with Sparks from 1981 to 1986. That interview can be found here.

Recently, I spoke with Harley Feinstein, who drummed with Sparks during their formative years, from 1971-1974. During those years, the band released two albums: Sparks, their 1972 debut produced by Todd Rundgren, and its 1973 follow up,  A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing, produced by Thaddeus James Lowe. Lowe, who was a founding member of the Electric Prunes, was also the sound engineer on the first record. In addition to Harley on drums, Ron Mael on keyboards, and Russell Mael on vocals, that band also included another set of brothers, Earle and Jim Mankey on guitar and bass guitar, respectively. In 1974, Ron and Russell Mael moved to England and reconstituted Sparks, with new musicians.

Harley and I recapped some ground covered in two excellent and highly recommended podcasts with Harley conducted in 2013, but also focused on the the formation, production, and performance of Sparks' music during the time that Harley was involved - in particular from a drummers' perspective. (Steve Worrall's two essential Retrosonic podcasts can be found at: http://retroman65.blogspot.com/search/label/Sparks).

Harley remains musically active and we also talked about some of his current projects.  I am very grateful for Harley's generosity with his time. Herewith, highlights of our conversation.

Sparks Drummer Project (1): David Kendrick, 1981-1986!

"Sparks have never stopped recreating themselves. It's admirable, and it's true artists that are able to do that. I'm happy to be a part of it." - David Kendrick, Sparks drummer 1981-1986

David Behind The Kit

Greetings! This blog entry kicks off a new and exciting project, which is to interview
the talented individuals who have drummed or played percussion for Sparks over their entire career.  This is an admittedly ambitious goal - many individuals have been so fortunate.  These men and women have made enormous contributions to the Sparks canon, and the history of Sparks from their perspective guarantees to be a unique perspective that only then can provide.  In part, that is because these men and women are great musicians themselves, and it's worth hearing their point of view. In part, this is also because Ron and Russell Mael, the two brothers that comprise the core of Sparks, constantly reinvent themselves, seeking new paths of musical expression. This creates exciting contrasts in the demands placed on the drummers and percussionists, which is important to explore.

First up, the great David Kendrick, who drummed with Sparks from 1981 - 1986.  During this time, Sparks was a rock band, plain and simple, with Ron Mael's keyboards and Russell Mael's vocals augmented with

For Sparks Fans, List Geeks, and Anybody Else: Top 130 Sparks Songs!

On the Sparks Official Fan Site, there's a small, ongoing thread where people list their top ten Sparks songs. I was never able to do this - the task of coming up with ten just seemed too overwhelming. Finally, I decided to take on the challenge.  It was an exhaustive process that took months - but hey, that's what daily commutes on the Metro are for!

I stayed loose on the criteria - that was the critical decision. I don't know if these are "my favorites" or "Spark's best" or the songs I most respect, or what. Maybe their common thread is that they move me...I don't know. Anyway, as I got absorbed in this project I came up with this list.

I didn't exactly stop at 10. So here you go - WITH COMMENTARY, my top 130 Sparks songs!

Berry and the Bucs: When World's Collide!

A Brown Eyed Handsome Man Indeed

So, I’m devouring Bruce Pegg’s 2002 biography of Chuck Berry, “Brown Eyed Handsome Man: The Life and Hard Times of Chuck Berry.” I recommend it highly – it’s a really good, well researched book – and it’s under 2 bucks on Amazon! Can’t beat that. Anyway, I’m reading about the making of the 1986 Taylor Hackford-directed Berry picture, “Hail, Hail, Rock and Roll,” and I come across this passage, recounting an event in the fall of 1986:

Stones at 50: Preserving the LIVE legacy!

As a fan of the Rolling Stones, it’s been a good year. In celebration of their 50^th anniversary, Mick promised us stuff and stuff we’re getting, including a new book spanning their career, the scheduling of five annoyingly overpriced arena concerts, three here in the US and two in the UK, with strong hints of more to come; the release of (whoopee! another) Greatest Hits collection, a CD release of excellent 1978-era outtakes; and two documentaries covering aspects of their amazing career.

But best of all, we got live music from the archives. That's what this post is about. 

Nutting's Second Chance - Will He Take It?

Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone fails to grab an opportunity now and then. Most of the time, we’re stuck with regret.  Rarely do we get a “do-over.”

HOWEVER, sometimes in life we do get a second chance.  And when that happens, you’ve got to take it.

Bob Nutting is lucky indeed. He had a chance to change the complexion of the Pirates organization. He didn’t take it. Now, he’s got a second chance.  Will he do the right thing?

A Chat With Frank!

Greetings, friends. It’s  been some time since I’ve posted, what with the ups and downs of the Pirates season pulling us in so many directions – or one direction unfortunately!  As we all know, this was the year that saw a monumental collapse by our Buccos – they became the only team in history to go from 16 games ABOVE .500 to their 20^th non-winning season in a row.

I wanted to get to the bottom of all this. How could this happen two times in a row? The Pirates’ owner, Bob Nutting, angrily assured us changes were coming and hinted strongly that no one’s job was safe. But then a week or so later, the Pirates’ president Frank Coonelly came out with his own statement. He was grim and determined to get to the bottom of the team’s troubles.

Well, color me impressed! Frank’s strong words and gritty determination made it clear that the team’s brass was going to address the team’s issues. No stone would be left unturned in their investigation! I had a chance to talk with Frank C (or “Grim_FrankC on Twitter) to talk about the situation.

Pirates 2012: A Periodic Assessment (4 of 8)

Well, we are just over the half-way point of the season with the All Star Game in just two days. In our first and second periodic assessments, we focused on the Pirates’ need for some offense and pretty much indicted the GM for failing to address obvious needs during the offseason. In our last assessment, we noted that a sea-change seemed to be underway, in that the Pirates were more than holding their own and just a few games out of first place.

Today our Buccos are eleven games over .500.  In the last week, they beat up on a poor team (the Astros) and won two of three from a good one (the Giants). They are in first place and playing solid baseball offensively and defensively, and in their last game before the break, they made a definitive statement that they are to be taken seriously – a 13-2 pummeling of the Giants.  Best of all, they appear here to stay - I don't think we'll see a collapse like last year.

Pirates 2012: A Periodic Assessment (Part 3 of 8)

In the last assessment at the quarter season mark, I noted that things seemed pretty steady state with the Bucs. They were still two games under .500, holding their own through solid pitching and McCutchen, but besides a few signs of life from the offense, not much else to report.

Well, times have changed.

The Pirates are now in first place. They are five games over .500. They are executing a more balanced offensive attack, though still heavily reliant on McCutchen - dangerously so. It remains a mystery to me why opposing teams aren't simply pitching around him but for whatever reason, they aren't.

Master Lee, Black Belt Martial Arts Center!

BBMAC Owner and Chief Instructor
Master Lee

As readers know, I like to connect with interesting people and explore their story. Usually the people I talk to have a Pittsburgh connection. However, this interview is with an individual closer to where I live now, in Kensington Maryland. I had a chance to spend some time with Master Robert Lee, the Chief instructor and owner of Kensington’s Black Belt Martial Arts Center (BBMAC). I could just TELL you that this is an inspiring individual, with great life lessons about setting goals and doing what it takes to achieve them; knowing what’s important in life; and the value of a positive outlook.  But Master Lee's story speaks for itself. Here’s our conversation.

Monte: Thank you for spending time with me today! The first thing I’d like to ask about is how you got started in Martial Arts. What made you decide that it was something you wanted to do?

What WOULD Syd do?

"Losers make excuses; Winners find a way.”  Syd Thrift, former GM, Pittsburgh Pirates

How can you not love this guy?

This post isn’t a backdoor “let’s bash Neal Huntington” entry.  The Pirates are three games out, the hitting is showing some life, and we’re in “wait and see” mode to see what Huntington does to keep the Pirates in contention, and maybe even put them over the top. 

This post is about Syd Thrift, the Pirates’ general manager from 1985-1988, who in three years turned a pathetic franchise into a contender that would go on to win three division titles in a row.  Thrift was a great baseball character, a long-time baseball man, and a man who knew – and spoke – his mind. There aren’t many like him.

It’s inevitable, though, that in looking at Syd’s accomplishments in three years, one can’t help but wonder if there are lessons for the current GM, particularly at this promising time. 

Legendary Filmmaker Tony Buba, Part Two!

This is part two of my interview with Braddock, PA Filmmaker Tony Buba.  Part one is here:
http://montesnewblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/legendary-filmmaker-tony-buba-part-one.html

Tony, And The Pizza Oven

This installment explores Tony’s views on Pittsburgh and some of the things that make it such a special place, as well as on the evolution of Braddock.  Tony himself will be appearing in June in New York, at the Anthology Film Archives, which is showing a retrospective of Tony's films. Information about the retrospective is at:

http://anthologyfilmarchives.org/film_screenings/series/39192

That retrospective will be a great opportunity to meet Tony and to enjoy his many features and selected shorts.  But in the immortal words of Marty DiBirgi, “that’s enough of my yakkin!” Let’s get right to part two of my conversation with Tony Buba.

Pirates 2012: A Periodic Assessment (Part 2 of 8)

Well, not much to cover here because I summed up my views at the quarter mark in my last piece, focusing on the need for a new GM. I gave Neal Huntington credit for pitching, but noted that the inexplicable lack of effort seriously to address the offensive side of the equation, combined with his abysmal record in that regard over almost five years now, means it's time for a more proven leader.

I guess I can see the argument, though, for letting things play out a little longer. The team is exactly where it was when I wrote the first of these eight assessments - two games under .500. But no one should be satisfied with that. With the pitching we have, it IS fair to ask, why aren't we taking the bull by the horns and asserting ourselves in the Central dvision? The goal of the game isn't mediocrity; it's winning, right? And with the pitching we have, why aren't we?

Sorry Neal, But It's over

I am sure he is a good guy who means well

By nature I am not a negative guy. I wish no ill on anyone. While often extremely frustrated, and always upset that the Pirates perennially fail to invest meaningfully in their major league product, I nevertheless tried my hardest to stay with the program as articulated, designed, and implemented by Pirates GM Neal Huntington.  Didn’t accept that it was the only way to resuscitate the franchise; but I tried to believe.

But Huntington has been the GM for four and a half years now. The Pirates have not progressed.  The Neal Huntington era has gone on too long, and it’s time to move on. He probably wasn’t the right guy in the first place. But let’s deal with the here and now. It’s time to let Neal Huntington seek greener pastures.