Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Wednesday Moment of Words Fail Me

Okay, I've done whole weeks here about the astounding Terry Reid, but here he is wailing my favorite of his songs -- "Without Expression" -- in 1973.



Don't know how I missed this clip, but better late than never, obviously.

Have I mentioned that Reid turned down Robert Plant's gig in Led Zeppelin, thus altering history in unfathomable ways?

6 comments:

Brooklyn Girl said...

I am determined to see him before I die.

And you mentioned Waddy Wachtel in yesterday's post --- therefore I think you owe it to us all to re-post Reid's "Waterloo Sunset' ---

Billy B said...

Have I mentioned that Reid turned down Robert Plant's gig in Led Zeppelin, thus altering history in unfathomable ways?

The reason I became a Reid fan in the 70s.

Anonymous said...

A very nice-looking boy, wasn't he?

MJConroy said...

I may have posted this link before when we discussed his cover of Waterloo Sunset, but I also like this version of Whiter Shade of Pale:
(w/Waddy also):
http://youtu.be/9dRL1AnYglA

danny1959 said...

I love his version of "Walk Away Renee" too.

Anonymous said...

Have you ever ridden horses through a rainstorm? Uh, yeah. Bates Beach, Carpinteria. My best friend Sandy and I rode our mighty beasts through the rain and into the tides of the Pacific. And we rode nude. There is not a more pleasurable way to ride. No one was at the beach. But even if there were people present, Bates Beach is a nude friendly beach, so....not a problem.

I’ve never walked a lion through a busy street bazaar, though…..Yet.;-)

This is a great version! Thanks for posting it! You keep on evangelizing. Speak now or forever hold your peace. Terry deserves the support.

I suppose everyone knows Crosby Stills & Nash recorded this as “Horses In a Rainstorm,” and it was included in their box set some twenty years ago. REO Speedwagon also did a cover on their “Ridin’ the Storm Out” album.

During late 1974/early 1975 I paid an extended visit to Michigan. I went there to see a love interest who had a basketball scholarship at Grand Valley State. This was near Grand Rapids. The guy was pretty hip for a jock. He didn’t fit the stereotype, thank god. But he sure knew how to drive up the middle.

As part of my stay, he suggested we go see REO Speedwagon. I had heard the name but had never been exposed to their music. They were huge in the Midwest. In California they were squat. They were playing this 700 capacity club out on Alpine Avenue called the Thunder Chicken. I know, dumb name.

We decided to take two hits of acid apiece on the trip to the club.

Mike Murphy was the lead singer for the band at this point. When they began playing, I thought to myself, “I took acid for this?” They were pretty rinky dink. But my basketball boyfriend liked them so I just shut up.

We had a very nice sweet spot at a cocktail table near the stage. About four songs in they played a cover of “Without Expression.” It wasn’t that bad if you could get past the fact that Terry Reid slays it. REO, despite being a bar band, has no garage cred. Mike Murphy’s vocals lacked passion. He played the lead guitar on that one and he was tasteful. Their main guy, Gary Richrath, was boring and cliché. The only guitarist I’d seen who was worse was Mick Box.

When they began playing “Lost In a Dream,” a car in the street crashed into the power pole that supplied the club. Everything went dark for over an hour.

When the lights first went out, rowdy club goers began hurling bottles, drink glasses and ash trays toward the stage. For about twenty minutes we had to barricade ourselves under our cocktail table to avoid getting clobbered by flying glass.

And we were tripping too! Lucky we both had strong presence of mind. Some people are made to take drugs. I'm one of them. What else is a sorceress supposed to do?

I’ll never forget that show. REO did return and finish their set after the long delay. I wasn’t impressed. They were a bar band. I guess you had to live in the Midwest to understand how heroic they were. They must have been starved for entertainment.

Mike Murphy was playing keys for Johnny Rivers last I heard.

I’m counting the days till the next Johnny Rivers concert. And you know I wanna dance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NDJGW9g_JY&feature=c4-overview&list=UU6T-13grvC3sS7Yv0tmVF-Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKLHbOfket8&list=UU6T-13grvC3sS7Yv0tmVF-Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lijm9j3GjKw&list=UU6T-13grvC3sS7Yv0tmVF-Q

Vickie Rock