Rarebird's Rock and Roll Nest

Meat Loaf, the singer and actor who was born Marvin Lee Aday in Dallas in 1947, has died at age 74. The larger-than-life entertainer began his career as a stage actor, performing in Broadway and L.A. productions of Hair in the early ‘70’s. Except for a 1971 duets album recorded with Shaun “Stoney” Murphy, Meat Loaf’s debut album was the 1977 release Bat Out Of Hell , which incredibly became one of the best-selling albums of all time. Lavishly produced by Todd Rundgren, the album was a campy, theatrical arena-rock opera, mixing Springsteen-like melodrama with Phil Spector-like walls of sound. The heavy-set Meat Loaf had impressive vocal abilities and showmanship to match the grandiosity that surrounded him. The songs were written by theater composer Jim Steinman (who died in April 2021, less than one year before Meat Loaf's passing), and Steinman was given uncommon billing on the album’s front cover . Obviously, there was commercial demand for a follow-up to Bat Out Of Hell , wh...

For those who may be unfamiliar with the story of how Led Zeppelin began, it went something like this: After the breakup of the Yardbirds in 1968, that band was still under a contractual obligation to tour in Scandinavia with Vanilla Fudge. The responsibility was taken on by Jimmy Page, the guitarist who had joined the band in 1966, to assemble a new version of the Yardbirds to fulfill their remaining obligations. Prominent session bassist John Paul Jones took the place of Yardbirds bassist Chris Dreja (reportedly by Dreja’s suggestion). Page wanted singer Terry Reid to join the band, but Reid declined, suggesting that Page instead enlist a 19-year-old singer named Robert Plant. Plant was then a member of Band Of Joy, who had been an opening act for Reid at least one time. When Page approached Plant about joining the new Yardbirds, Plant said he would join if John Bonham, the Band Of Joy drummer, also would. The rest, as they say, is history. After beginning their career under the name...

As hard to believe as it may be, it has now been more than 50 years since the death of Jim Morrison, the legendary lead singer of the Doors, who died at age 27 in Paris, France in 1971 under unclear circumstances. Because the circumstances of his death are so mysterious – only a few people saw his body, no autopsy was performed, his coffin was closed – many conspiracy theorists have postulated that Morrison actually faked his 1971 death to escape from the trappings of fame, and that the rock legend was actually living a secret life somewhere, somehow, some way. Those who were in particular denial about Morrison’s passing had predicted that the Lizard King would later reveal himself to be alive and well, and would make a grand comeback – possibly under another guise. And in 1974, some people were convinced that Morrison was, in fact, re-entering the world – musically and otherwise – under the guise of a mysterious band called Phantom. This band released its only album, titled Phantom’...