Norman's Rockwell

Wow, hard to believe the world is almost completely empty of Ramones. There are more Beatles left. This afternoon guitarist Johnny Ramone passed away at his home. Very sad. Just this past Saturday, there was a fundraising tribute concert for him and Ramones related charities at the Avalon in Hollywood. I never got to see the Ramones perform but I did get to hold the door for Johnny and his wife once. He was behind me, leaving the old Dave's Laser Disc Store on Ventura, back in '01. He mumbled "Thanks." But that was cool enough. That was right before Joey passed away. If you aren't familiar with the Ramones, they were the original punk poppers from NYC. Their signature number was I Wanna Be Sedated. Although, I have a soft spot for the Blitzkrieg Bop. Hey Ho! Let's Go! Appreciate artists while you can. Our culture seems to be doing its best to devalue artists & musicians. And there are very few originals left. Fortunately, Johnny lived to be inducted...

Hey Soul Mates, now I'm not a voting member of the Rock Hall, just a charter member of the museum, but boy if I were... The potential class of '05 was revealed when the ballot for the Rock Hall came out yesterday. I'm not going to recant my previous statement about Run DMC, but I was wrong. This year we have our first Hip Hop act up for election: Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5. They should be a lock. Although they weren't the first rap act, nor the first to chart (Sugarhill Gang and Kurtis Blow came before) but no one had as lasting an impact. The Message? White Lines? This is elemental hip hop. Grandmaster Flash was the first DJ to be a household name. His turntable skills are unparalleled. And his group, the Furious 5? Nasty! In fact, one of the first 12" records I purchased, back in the day was It's Nasty by GMF&TF5. The other no brainer on the ballot is U2. Easily the most important group of the last 20 years, although I'd listen to argumen...

Hey Soul Mates, just checking in. Last night I was at the Universal Amp to see the Beastie Boys. Their new tour is being billed as a "pageant." No beauties, just Beasties. The night began with Talib Kweli (joined on stage by Mos Def). It was very refreshing to hear a sound mix good enough to hear what a rapper is rapping. In the past, I've had trouble making out what the heck the MC is trying to say. No such problem last night. Kweli and Mos (who go by Blackstarr when together) got the crowd on its feet and primed for the B Boys. They finished the set with a track I recognized, "Get By." It's very socially conscious hip hop. Kweli's new CD is called the Beautiful Struggle. Na' mean? In the intermission we went to the green room/backstage patio. Talked for a while with Palo Alto's lead singer James Grundler who was hanging out with Jon Cryer ("Pretty In Pink," TV's "Two and a Half Men). I saw Palo Alto about 4 times last ye...

Ah, the Mothership Connection. Just listening to a little inspiring music to get on the good foot. The boys are coming over tonight (well, all except Dennis who's got a Softball Championship game to play) for a collabo session. I've been working on lots of new material. Got a couple of ballads ("Done Lost My Mind," "Next July") and some uptempo lyrics written. It'll help to have Doug here to give texture to the beats. Makes it easier to create on the fly. We are also working up a piece of Bryan's called "Step Inside The Soul." We want to have all kinds of new and funky things for you to dance to at the first Rush Hour Soul show. The last of the pictures from filming went up this afternoon. Check them out. Also posted cast credits for the video. Editing continues next week. Our director Asiel Norton had to visit his Father who is ill. Sending healthy vibes to the Norton's. Much love, Asiel. Finally, spent part of this morning at ...

Hey Soul Mates, we have a new front page on the RHS website. Hopefully it's easier for you to navigate. And they's a little musical surprise for you. A taste of what we've been cooking up for you at Smartso. Have a great day and walk between the raindrops. Love, Power, Peace

Hey Soul Mates, just checking in to get you the latest on the Greatest. Editing has begun on our first feature length music video for "Excommunication." The men from Commondeer are putting their noses to the editing bays. We are hoping to have a premier party the first week of October and we are in the midst of scheduling our first RHS shows. The premier may be at one of the venues on the Citywalk @ Universal. We want an all ages place with ample video display capabilities. Did you have a nice Labor Day weekend? Hope so. My brother, Nate was in town. We went to see Nascar out in Fontucky. It was scorching here in L.A. Of course, we have family back east dealing with the hurricanes, so I won't actually complain. The race was great. Anyone watch it on TV? My favorite driver, Matt Kenseth didn't do too hot, but it's fun to see a race in person. I wouldn't mind a chance to go 180 mph in a circle. I'm sure some would say I already do. Finally, I'm...