Hey Mr Tambourine Man!

Yes, on August 23rd, I m gonna see Bob Dylan live.

The first Dylan song I heard was, Like a Rolling Stone, back in standard 3 (9yrs old). I loved it, not mainly cos of the tune but the lyrics (see below). At that age, it had a profound effect on me, some of the lyrics still did not make sense, but i got the most of it. I bought Best of Bob Dylan on cassette in Standard 6 (12 yrs) and had just got my walkman as a gift from dad, as I did well in my exams. We were inseparable, me, that Sony and Bob Dylan, I loved it so much. I found out later my Uncle Venu loves Bob Dylan and he opened a door to Dylan and more great music.

As I waded and swam through puberty and high school, Dylan became more than just an artist, he was an image of cool, the ultimate anti-establishment icon (together with his short term lover, Joan Baez). I guess as a teen learning to rebel, Dylan made sense. Sure some people make fun of his voice and the way he sings, but hey its good music, his lyrics and music overshadows his voice most of the time. You just tend to focus on what he's saying, more than how he sounds. If anybody else were to speak in such a voice and utter gibberish, it would sound weird, but not with Dylan, cos he made perfect sense.

Not many people know this, but his songs have been remade many times. My fav Hendrix song, 'All Along the Watchtower' was originally done by Dylan. Guns n Roses's Knocking on Heaven's Door is originally a Dylan number and much more soothing and mellow one.

I truly believe, Dylan together with Paul Simon are the greatest song writers of our time (well Lennon too I guess). I ll write up a more comprehensive Dylan article after the concert, I am too busy bracing myself for it.

Once upon a time you dressed so fine

You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you ?

People'd call, say,

"Beware doll, you're bound to fall"

You thought they were all kiddin' you

You used to laugh about

Everybody that was hangin' out

Now you don't talk so loud

Now you don't seem so proud

About having to be scrounging for your next meal.

How does it feel

How does it feel

To be without a home

Like a complete unknown

Like a rolling stone ?

You've gone to the finest school all right, Miss Lonely

But you know you only used to get juiced in it

And nobody has ever taught you how to live on the street

And now you find out you're gonna have to get used to it

You said you'd never compromise

With the mystery tramp, but know you realize

He's not selling any alibis

As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes

And say do you want to make a deal?

How does it feel

How does it feel

To be on your own

With no direction home

Like a complete unknown

Like a rolling stone ?

You never turned around to see the frowns on the jugglers and the clowns

When they all come down and did tricks for you

You never understood that it ain't no good

You shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you

You used to ride on the chrome horse with your diplomat

Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat
Ain't it hard when you discover that

He really wasn't where it's at

After he took from you everything he could steal.

How does it feel

How does it feel

To be on your own

With no direction home

Like a complete unknown

Like a rolling stone ?

Princess on the steeple and all the pretty people

They're drinkin', thinkin' that they got it made

Exchanging all precious gifts

But you'd better take your diamond ring, you'd better pawn it babe

You used to be so amused

At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used

Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse

When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose

You're invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal.

How does it feelHow does it feel

To be on your own

With no direction home

Like a complete unknown

Like a rolling stone

Tribute to Loga

About 2 weeks back, as I was busy preparing for my finals, I found out the Loga Aramugam from th Alleycats passed away after he succumbed to lung cancer. Now many of you are wondering who the hell I am talking about, and if you are a Malaysian, shame on you!!!

Alleycats were formed back in the late 70s by brother David and Loga Aramugam. They were pioneers of Malaysian Rock and wrote some really good songs, mainly in Malay. They had a real diverse fan base. Now I rarely listen to Malay songs, at most it's stuff from Sheila Majid, Zainal Abidin, M.Nasir or some P.Ramlee stuff. But the Alleycats wrote such beautiful songs and the brother's had such wonderful voices complimenting each almost as well as Simon and Garfunkel. They are also easily recognised by their huge afros which they still maintain today. They had many variations of their band just like Santana did, but what ever it was, the brothers were always there fronting the band and making magic with every album they came out with. Their music was something all us Malaysians could be proud of. I think every fan can mimic the way David ends a show, 'Terima KASIH!!!!!' You gotta hear it to appreciate it.

I didn't really listen to them when I was younger. I knew the songs and just appreciated it from a distance. Then one faithful day when I was 15 (2000), dad brought the family to Holiday Villa in Subang to watch them live, I was hesitant cos I thought it would be shabby B-grade, shadow-of-their-former-selves kinda performance, but I was fortunately wrong. They played a few malay numbers then they broke into stuff like Black Magic Woman, Whiter Shade of Pale, Smoke on the Water, and my fav, Perfect Strangers, in which their rendition was as good as Deep Purple. They even sang some Mandrin and tamil songs which really got the crowd going. Once again me and my sis were the youngest of the audience members. David was more stationary on stage, sometime mumbling incoherently which was also his trademark I reckon, but Loga was always moving and he really digged the music, you could see he was so into in it. For a man in his early 50s, he looked like he was in his early 40s. During breaks the brothers would go around thanking people for coming to the show and making small talk. That personal touch was there.

We kept going back to watch them on and off. They eventually moved to the Mystery Room at the Curve Shopping centre and played 6 nights a week. Everytime I got home for the summer break, dad would insist we go watch them. It was one of those few times I really connected to my dad. But I am sidetracking. In short Alleycats were an important band to me, they gave me hope for the Malaysian music industry. They were my kind of live band and possibly contributed to parts of my identity in those teen years. Watching them on stage with my family always made me feel safe and comfortable again. I remember watching them one New Year's Eve night and I was standing with my mum, and Loga came out of the club for the countdown and on his way out, he stopped and wished my mum and me happy new year. Mum felt like a little girl at a Beatles concert I think.

During the last break, I brought some friends to check them out and noticed Loga wasn't performing, I asked the bassist and he said Loga is ill but did not elaborate further. I didn't really think much of it, till 2 weeks back when i read the news. It was like a friend passed away man. Just so young, so full of life and he was so confident he would beat the damn disease ,but alas. To date, I ve no news if the band will play on, but I think they should for Loga's sake, though it would be so different but at least he will live on with the music. Thanks alot Loga for the good times. You will be missed.

Song suggestions

Berjuta Batu

Andainya Aku Pergi Dulu (personal fav)

Jika Kau Bercinta Lagi

Sampaikan Salam Cintaku

Kerana Kau

Kisah Kau dan Aku

Also check out You Tube for concerts and Loga's tribute

Progression of Rock

Back in my upper secondary school days, I just had 3 fav rock bands, I mean all the rest were good, but no matter what, I d always return to these 3 bands; Led Zeppelin, Queen and the Doors. These were epitome of classic rock for me then.

But now that I look back, its hard to believe how I could narrow myself down to so few bands. I guess it was because I was still exploring Zepp and hadn't been exposed to their bluesy side. Queen was a fav cos my cousin Sheena was a big influence and she used to bring all these DVDs of Queen concerts which just blew me away cos Freddie was such master of the stage. The Doors I guess were just perfect for teenage life, all that angst and wanting to be released, to know that there is more to life than this.

The past few days (when I should have been studying for a pathology final), I ve discovered some classic gems. One is Rory Gallagher, an irish blues master who knew how to handle a Stratocaster. His songs have a very ballsy edge to it, like a real kick ass touch. Two songs that have caught me are Moonchild, and Daughter Of the Everglades. Moonchild is a heavy number and damn you can hear him strain that Strat. If that wasn;t enough, the live version will blow your mind away, cos nobody plays solos on a Strat like Rory can, sheer genius.

Daughter of the Everglades is a much softer number, simply beautiful. It's a good rock ballad. What gets me is the lyrics (for Moonchild as well). It justs shows the sincereity of Rory. Am still trying to explore more of his stuff, so I think I ll be here for awhile. Rory passed away at age 47 due to complications from a liver transplant.

Next up is Fleetwood Mac (nop, not the one with Stevie Nicks, this is the first ensemble) led by Peter Green, whose guitar playing is only shadowed by his magnificent voice. Peter Started Fleetwood Mac with Mick Fleetwood in 1967 after a short stint with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (Clapton's pre Cream band). Overnight they became the cream of British Blues. I still think they are the best British blues band. All songs were written by Peter Green. The one that got me in love with them is Man of the World. Holy crap, this one just got me all emotional at the first few chords, as if that wasn't bad enough, the lyrics are just too sad, you really feel for the guy. Most of the other numbers from this era are real good bluesy numbers. The band reminds me of Pink Floyd, even though their music aren;t the same. Perhaps its because, Peter, like Syd Barrett, eventually brokedown (the cat just couldnt handle the fame and pressure and eventually went on a 3day LSD binge, from which he quoted later, 'I never came back from'). I fully recommend the early Fleetwood Mac stuff, Peter Green is such a genius. As BB King said, ' Peter Green has more talent in his fingertips than I have in my whole body'. Nothing nicer when a musical legends gives credit to you, don't you agree.

Anyway the point of this post is that, no matter how much I think I ve explored these legends, someone or some band always comes back and hits my head hard with a really good riff and makes me realise that there are heaps of material to live on and that is very reassuring. Sorry for the stoned posting, it's 6 am and I ve got a pathology exam tomorrow. Till the next post, keep on rocking.

You are a moonchild and pretty soon child

I've got that feeling

That I'm gonna make you smile forever

If I can.

Just give me a sign and I'll show you my plan
You are a blue child, forever true child

You know I'll try to paint the skies blue forever

If I can.

Just give me a sign and I'll show you my plan.
Tell me why you look so sad,

Time slips by like grains of sand

Just put your future in my hands
You are a moonchild and pretty soon child

I've got the feelin I'm gonna make you smile forever.

If I can.

Rory Gallagher's Moonchild

Shall I tell you about my life

They say I'm a man of the world

I've flown across every tide

And Ive seen lots of pretty girls

I guess Ive got everything I need

I wouldn't ask for more

And there's no one I'd rather be

But I just wish that I'd never been born

And I need a good woman

To make me feel like a good man should

I dont say I'm a good man

Oh, but I would be if I could

I could tell you about my life

And keep you amused Im sure

About all the times Ive cried
And how I dont want to be sad anymore

And how I wish I was in love

Fleetwood Mac's Man of the World

My First Rock Concert

Back when I was in my early early teens, the kind of music I listened to was mainly pop (Shock!! Horrors!!!) like Backstreet Boys, Boyzone, the Spice Girls (well mainly cos i thought they were hot then), and many more other bubblegum kinda pop-y artists. I still digged retro stuff, but that mainly consisted of stuff like Elvis, Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan and Bee Gees of course. Bit by bit, I started realising and appreciating the music of my parents and starting frowning on the music of my generation. The great day arrived in 1999 when my Dad bought Deep Purple's Ultimate Gold Collection which was exclusively released in Malaysia that year in conjuction with their concert in Malaysia. I had already been blown away with Smoke on the Water (as simple as the intro riff is, it gives the illusion of complexed grandeur). The other track that caught me was Soldier of Fortune. It was melancholic and just made you want to get depressed. Deep Purple were always my favourites when it came to Rock Ballads. They were the perfect intiation into classic rock.

Life came full circle, when dad and one of my uncles agreed to get tickets to watch them. I still have my ticket stub back home in Malaysia under lock and key, and when I do return to it, I will upload it on the site. So it was me (age 14), my sis, mum, dad, uncle, and aunt all set to watch a bunch of old rockers jam at Shah Alam Stadium. Best part was, it was a school night, it was one of those rare moments when mum and dad were lenient about our sleeping time (Quote Jason Lee in Almost Famous, 'Rock and roll can save the world') Pretty sure me and my sis were the youngest, but am damn sure my parents weren't the oldest. I was preparing myself for dissapointment, as I was worried that with age, the vigour of their jamming would seem somewhat diminished. I have never been happier to be proven wrong.





Damn I still can't remember what they started with, but I think that it was Women from Tokyo which was followed by Black Knight. Ian Gilligan could still scream like hell, wailing for that sweet Child in Time (but of course cant be compared to their rendition in the Made in Japan album). In between they played some medleys, one of them included Soldier of Fortune, but it was just a passing rift for the man credited with that song was not in the stadium; Ritchie Blackmore, Deep Purple's black sheep guitarist and the man who came up with some of the greatest riffs of all time (inc Smoke on the Water). They ended with Burn (or Perfect Strangers) and they actually left the stadium in their band van. But crowd was not that easily fooled and they kept calling back for encores. Needless to say, they drove back in, popped back on stage and kicked all our asses with a freaking damn good rendition of Highway Star. The solo on that was a gut buster, a face melter, what ever you wanna call it, but they really did save the best for last. I think through out the whole night, my hair was standing up.

That was my first and the best concert I ever attended. It was sheer art in progress, poetry in motion. On that night, everything fell in place, I was reborn again. Memories from that night are all just shades of colours and faces, a poor substitute for what really took place. But the thing that never left me was how I felt that night. Tis is a beautiful thing isn't it? Keep on Rocking Guys



Track Listing on Ultimate Gold (Malaysia 1999)

Black night (Blackmore/Gillan/Glover/Lord/Paice) Single A side recorded during 1970.
Space truckin' (Blackmore/Gillan/Glover/Lord/Paice) Originally released on Machine Head 1972.
Smoke on the water (Blackmore/Gillan/Glover/Lord/Paice) Originally released on Machine Head 1972.
Soldier of fortune (Blackmore/Coverdale) Originally released on Stormbringer 1974.
Woman from Tokyo (Blackmore/Gillan/Glover/Lord/Paice) Originally released on Who Do We Think We Are 1973.
Child in time (Blackmore/Gillan/Glover/Lord/Paice) Originally released on In Rock 1971.
Speed king (Blackmore/Gillan/Glover/Lord/Paice) Originally released on In Rock 1970.
Strange kind of woman (Blackmore/Gillan/Glover/Lord/Paice) Originally released on Fireball 1971.
Hush (Joe South) Originally released on Shades of Deep Purple 1968.
When a blind man cries (Blackmore/Gillan/Glover/Lord/Paice) Single A side originally released in 1972.
Fireball (Blackmore/Gillan/Glover/Lord/Paice) Originally released on Fireball 1971.
Burn (Blackmore/Lord/Paice/Coverdale) Originally released on Burn 1974.
Stormbringer (Blackmore/Coverdale) Originally released on Stormbringer 1974.
Perfect strangers (Blackmore/Glover/Gillan) Live track.
Highway star (Blackmore/Gillan/Glover/Lord/Paice) Live track.
Smoke on the water (Blackmore/Gillan/Glover/Lord/Paice) Live track.

The Essence of Good Music (in other words, Classic Rock)

This is a little intro my sis, Divya wrote. I know it took forever to get something going on this blog, but it has been a busy time for both of us, but without further ado, lets kickstart this thing

Rock exists in a multitude of dimensions, and it is evident that for each individual, the meaning of this music is undeniably different, based on experiences and age. Right now, I’ll have to let you know what it means to me. This particular genre of music has greatly influenced me for a very long time, ever since I was young. I am often inclination to stand up and fight for it, whenever someone has a word or two to put it down. I am blessed not to come against such ‘blasphemy’ for a long time, but it is sad to say that the origin of this genre is slowly dying out. What stands for rock these days is pitifully painful, and as long as you are able to head-bang and shout out verses and lyrics out in an animalistic manner, you are a rocker. Rubbish. To actually appreciate the lyrics, listen to it with your heart, and take in certain anomalies that sound wrong in a song- and let it make up the part of the song that you love most; is what makes up this genre to me, at least.

I’ll have to let you know what bands that I speak of – Led Zeppelin, The Who, Pink Floyd, U2, Supertramp, Dire Straits, The Rolling Stones, Cream, The Doors and many other legends are all exemplary bands that have the classic attributes to what I speak of. They played and wrote music that stands the test of time, and that have a certain quality to it, that lets you know that it won’t fade away. I’ve also learned that in my advancing years, I can only write from my heart when I listen to such bands play. I become more into myself when I listen to Pink Floyd and U2 songs, just as I am listening to Pink Floyd’s ‘Us and Them’ right now. I’d have to owe the appreciation that I have of this beautiful experience to my dad, uncle, and of course, to my brother. I remember when I was young, not too long ago, as I would listen to the music of Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven, from behind the closed doors of my brother’s room. I always had that awe, wonder and a certain feeling of heightened awareness of the music that he loved. They were legends, something untouchable and utterly beautiful, that seemed to have existed since the dawn of man. Sacred and holy.



Apart from that, I always thought that it took someone older and matured, in other words; wise, to value those songs. There was always a border and a limit within me, and I
felt I wasn’t good enough for the grandiose of this music. Slowly as I grew, that boundary dissolved and disappeared, even without me knowing it, and I grew to love these bands immensely. It all started from Led Zeppelin and Stairway to Heaven, progressing to U2’s With or Without You, to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. The best part is, I’m still learning of new classic bands. Just when you think you know them all, there’s more. And since I wasn’t born in that era, it has become like a valuable learning experience for me. Something irrefutably worthwhile to the growth of my soul.

If I seem like I’m preaching, it is only because this is the only way to express my thoughts on this particular area that is under scrutiny by me, right now. One of the hardest things that I’ve encountered is the feeling of sheer frustration and discontent of not having many peers of my own age to share the wonder and exuberance of such music with. It’s depressing at times. But of course, there are a handful of people that I do know, that also appreciate it. Those that were actually born during that era, you have no idea how lucky you are. I do know that what I speak of may seem slightly trivial and petty, after all its only music. But if you think real hard, music is part of the epitome of life, alongside culture and belief. So I really think that this is just a fraction of what I should be doing in this area.

Bands in that era, the 60’s and 70’s to be precise, wrote the best music. Real music, at its finest. They don’t make music like that these days, its all protocol and formatted nowadays, manufactured and ready to cater for the synonymous interests of today’s generation. Nothing extraordinary or simply different, everything sounds the same and has the same chords and vocals. They even tend to rip off song choruses, as heard in Gym Class Heroes ‘Cupid’s Chokehold’, with Supertramp’s Breakfast in America.



Maybe it was the ‘flower power’ generation, with its endless influences of drugs, alcohol, environmental issues and not to mention groupies. Mind you, this is an amateur writing. Not that there’s an ample lack of these influences in today’s day and age, but things then were more…authentic. Then again, imagine what the people of then must have thought about their era. To me, good music irrevocably consists of a memorable air about it, which immediately takes me to another place such like how Pink Floyd’s ‘Shine on You Crazy Diamond’ makes me feel, as if Waters’ is playing atop a mountain, during the solo. It is indescribable. Once in a while I do have to say that a good piece is made today, but incontestable to the genuine feel of yesterday’s creations. The camaraderie of the band mates, their origins, and the emotional journey that they traveled together, are among the aspects that prove and build the essence of good music.

Welcome all ye retro fans

Yes welcome to Mojo Fm, a site dedicated to spreading the gospel of Retro music (well mainly classic rock). It started out when me and my sis were complaining about how we dont have a good Retro music station (we r talking mainly 60s, 70s here). We eventually came up with this crazy idea to start our own radio station. We called it Mojo Fm and the slogan, 'For people who dig real music' was taken from the movie Almost famous. Since we dont have the resources, time and moeny to get our own station up, we ll probably just start with the blog and see where that goes. Hope you guys find this site useful and inspirational. Lets bring Retro back baby!!!!