The Venerable Ben Harper

Oh Ben. With the strum of your guitar, you can move mountains, inform the ignorant, comfort the vulnerable, tickle the soul, and raise consciousness. You are truly a sage, revealing "white lies for dark times" to quote the title of one of your remarkable albums. Hell, you're a national treasure. You're as American as apple pie and Afro Sheen. It was not too long ago that I had a very different opinion of you. I once pegged you as a Lenny Kravitz clone. Another Nubian rock and cock god shaking his ass in a Gap commerical when you're not sitting front row in a fashion week tent. How silly was I? But like the song Amazing Grace, "I was blind but now I see." And I see plenty. I see your soul in the gorgeous, Grammy-winning hymns you sang with the Blind Boys of Alabama. I also see your fighting spirit as you , whether with the Innocent Criminals or the Relentless 7, raise your voice against bigotry and social injustice with your albums Fight For Your Mind and Welcome to the Cruel World. Yes, Ben, I see all the beautiful colors of your rainbow when I close my eyes and listen to your music. Continue to bless this world with your razor-sharp insight and rock on until the walls of Jericho come a'tumbling down.

Tribute: Jimi Hendrix 1943-1970

Rock On, Sistahs pays tribute to the original guitar hero Johnny Allen Hendrix who left this dimension 38 years ago today.

A Call to Amps Part 2: Do It For Kurt

A couple of days ago, I read an old Rolling Stone book review of Journals, a collection of Kurt Cobain's rants, raves and lyrics that was published almost a decade after his suicide. A statement from one particular journal entry of Kurt's that the reviewer recounts hit me like a lightening bolt. "I like the comfort," Cobain writes, "in knowing that women are the only future in rock and roll." Upon reading this, I let out a scream that probably injured a few dogs nearby and made the following proclaimation: Kurt got it. He freely acknowledged that women can rock just as hard - and in many cases harder than men. Cobain, who is remembered as one of the greatest musicians of the last 25 years and as an icon of 90's music, was a fan of several notable female rockers, including the groups Bikini Kill, Shonen Knife and L7, and was generous with his praise and support of these musicians. My question is if Kurt got it why doesn't anybody else? More importantly, where are today's female rockers to answer Kurt's call? Cobain has been in the ground for fifteen years. Today's satellite and terrestrial radio airwaves are populated not with the raw, groudbreaking, trendsetting, genre-breaking musicians that Cobain championed but with plastic, stale, gimmicky, autotone-spewing ones. (Exhibit A: Lady Gaga) So invoking the memory of Kurt Cobain, who gives his blessing from the great beyond, I implore my Sistahs of all races to RRRRRRRRROCK this fucking planet. If there was a time for some ass-kicking, ball-busting rock by some ass-kicking and ball-busting ladies it is right now.

Behind The Music: More Than Mere Entertainment But A Public Service

The television show Behind The Music returns to VH1 on Thursday, September 10 and no one could be more happier than me. I always found that this show was more than idol worship of popular musicians. It went beyond mere entertainment. BTM was a public service. For example, BTM gave free financial advice as it did with the episode on the group TLC in which the late Lisa Left-Eye Lopes revealed how it was possible to sell millions of records and "still be broke." Every episode was a cautionary tale that consisted of the following formula: (Sing along if you know the words) 1)Childhood buddies/friends around the way decide to form Band X 2) Band X cuts demo. 3) Band X gets a record deal. 4) Band X hits the big time complete with #1 songs and gold and platnium albums. 5) Band X overindulges in sex, drugs, booze 6) Band X breaks up due to aforementioned excesses 7) Band X reunites and releases new album that sucks. But no matter how formulaic and predictable the shows got toward the end of its first run Behind the Music still was able to grab my attention. Behind The Music was required viewing for music fans as well as for those who want to break into the music business. More importantly, BTM captures the human drama of the rags to riches (and back to rags in some cases) phenomena and brilliantly illustrates that all that glitters is not gold.

Why Led Zeppelin Gets Me Hot

Why does Led Zeppelin get me hot? Well, it starts with Robert Plant's camel toe in their concert movie The Song Remains The Same and hovers about around the time he wails that he wants to be my "backdoor man" in the song "Whole Lotta Love." I'd gladly give up the booty for him. Pass the tartar sauce. (Google Led Zeppelin Mud Shark Rumor) Actually, it starts with John Bonham's bombastic drumming. Loud. Funky. Raunchy. Proof of Bonham's brute power can be found on the songs "D'yer Maker," "Four Sticks," "When The Levee Breaks" and "Moby Dick." There's Jimmy Page, of course. Mystic. Rock Diety. A True Guitar Hero. His virtuoso guitar work can break your heart in songs like "That's The Way," and he can give you goosebumps with the epic "Achilles Last Stand," the sublime "Kashmir," the otherwordly "No Quarter," and the majestic "Immigrant Song." Lest we forget bassist John Paul Jones. He's one hell of a wingman. He took up the producing slack on the group's later albums while Page was nursing a debilitating heroin habit. The brilliance of this group has been praised and disputed for almost forty years now. However, fans and foes cannot deny that Led Zeppelin continues to have a major presence in rock music and casts a mighty long shadow, influencing generations of musicians and spawning the creation of several musical genres. For all these reasons, Led Zeppelin makes me cream my panties. No tartar sauce needed.

Woodstock.....Wow It Was 40 Years Ago This Weekend

In honor of the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair, Rock On Sistahs presents our favorite acts.

"Helplessly Hoping" and "Long time gone" Crosby, Stills, and Nash
Woodstock was the debut performance of this supergroup.



"Soul Sacrifice" Santana
Behold this magnificent mescaline-influenced performance!







"Higher" Sly and the Family Stone
This is truly an amazing performance. Soulful and sublime.



"With a Little Help From My Friends" Joe Cocker
I challenge you to name a Beatles cover better than this one. Epic!



"Foxy Lady" Jimi Hendrix
I saved the best for last. The interstellar brilliance of Sir Jimi.

Favorite 70's Album Covers: Volume 17 Post-Beatles Edition Part 2

After the Beatles broke up - and before Cirque du Soleil and Rock Band came aknocking - each member went on to solo projects that produced some of the most exciting and memorable music of the 70's. Rock, On Sistahs remembers the post-Beatles glory of John, Paul, Ringo and George by spotlighting our favorite post-Beatles albums and album covers of course.



"Band on the Run" Paul McCartney and Wings

This wonderfully quirky cover features the group as - well - a "band on the run."