I haven't read any of those all time greatest music venue books that have made their way out into the public realm, but considering that this particular noted Cleveland hangout was not only the place where the up-and-coming folkies got their early-sixties chops but the late-sixties creme-de-la rock groups their own foothold into the music biz well, maybe a read such as this is a little bit overdue considering the absolute dearth of Cleveland music club histories now, dontcha think?
Sure glad I got this 'un (unsolicited via Amazon --- wonder who the Secret Satan here was?) because this book really is a tonic for the rockist soul that I thought died out well over forty years back. And whoever this Steve Traina guy is, he sure did a fine job getting all of the details as to the who what when where why and hows about this hangout that pushed upon the more smart set types a whole buncha acts that pretty much set the stage for whatever good there was that came out of the sixties. A few bad eggs too but when lined up against the mighty (Velvets, Fugs, Blues Magoos, Silver Apples, Moby Grape...) the whole shebang merely comes off like a report card with one "C" amidst a whole pack of "A"'s.
It would figure that La Cave woulda been birthed near the beginning of that swinging decade and peter out around the time them years closed up shop. And really, the whole Cle atmosphere which made the place such a fertile ground for music on the up and coming side can be felt here what with Traina's concentration on the new and cutting edge acts as well as those who were getting little notice anywhere else, all of it getting detailed in a way one can be thankful for. MEANING: Traina ain't one of those fellas who makes up quotes and lost conversation in order to give this more of a Great Amerigan Novel feeling which woulda flopped had he did. It's nice and straightforward without any of the extraneous glop that has marred more than a few books about rock 'n roll NOT as a commodity or as that soundtrack for spoiled middle class kids to acts all Peace Corps altruistic upper rung on the evolution scale.
A good one. Worth at least a once over. For those of you in the area who made it through those years alive and would do it again well, here's your tribute and like, don't say you didn't earn it.
Sounds good. Does Albert Ayler get a mention? I recently read a biog that mentioned him playing there a fair bit and the thought of him and the Velvets being on the same level draw-wise was a real forehead-slapper and no mistake.
ReplyDeleteSJB
Ayler appears. Believe me, buy the book and learn more than you thought you'd ever know about the music scene, Cleveland and the musical spirit that kept it going for quite some time.
ReplyDeleteQ: How does one know when Albert Ayler hits a wrong note?
ReplyDeleteA: Easy! They are ALL wrong notes when he's playing! If'n ya can call that playing! SMH! He couldn't even play his instrument!
You're welcome!