Road Crew Magazine
Music Magazine with News, Reviews, Photos and Video

It would be so easy in doing these daily reviews to just list dates and the facts of what happened, with no personal interplay whatsoever.  I've never been known to take the easy road of doing things.  And there are times, that after finding and reading through the facts, they become a jumbled mess in my mind.  I look, and if I've done a previous fact about an artist I think..."Man, I've already done something with this band and related something of myself into it".  And now, as I sit typing this, I'm thinking, sometimes you don't have to relate to something from every fact, or have a memory tied to the band, song, or incident.  Sometimes, it's just enough to let the facts speak for themselves.  Do I like doing it that way?  To be honest, NO.  To me, it feels like I'm reading from a music encyclopedia that is just cold words.  No feeling, no expression, no passion for the music or artist, just dry factual words as if I were reading from Funk & Wagnalls. (Those of you who ever took debate in high school will recognize THAT reference.)

Music is about expression.  Something that the artist wants to relate and express to us, the fans.  And we as writers are about expression as well.  We want to express through the typed word what music gives to us as individuals.  And in looking back over today's facts, I have just now found the common thread that ties them together. Expression.

On this day in 1966, Jimi Hendrix released his single Hey Joe.  I never cared much for this song musically and had never even read the lyrics until today.  And in reading them you hear the anger, the frustration and even a bit of fear expressed in the words.



In 1974 Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor announced that he would be leaving the band.  He made his announcement at a party catching his band mates off guard.  Kieth Richards expressed his frustration about Taylor's untimely departure, as the band was set to record a new album.



Just before his death, Beatle John Lennon had recorded a rough cut of a song entitled Free as a Bird, performing it on piano.  Later, the track would be finished by his former band mates with the recording taking place in Paul McCartney's home studio.  On this day in 1995, the track sat at #2 on the UK charts and #6 in the US.

And finally, what better way to express yourself that to run for a political office?  In 1999 the Sex Pistol's former manager, Malcolm McLaren did just that when he decided to run for London's first elected mayor.  His expressions of freedom were to: legalize pot, have brothels outside Parliament, allow pubs to remain open all night, and to allow drinking of alcohol in public libraries.  His political career was short lived as he pulled out of the race 3 months later.

Everyone has their own way of expressing themselves, be it music, writing, art or any other avenue.  May your expressions come from the center of who you are and who knows, maybe they will be laid out for others to hear, read or see and change their lives for the better.