Russell Gillett

You can find me here now:

http://myashes.tumblr.com/

and

http://www.facebook.com/zoanthropic

Come find me if you want. *hugs to all*

Wendy Dio, wife/manager of legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW), has released the following statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET:

"Today my heart is broken, Ronnie passed away at 7:45 a.m. [on Sunday] 16th May. Many, many friends and family were able to say their private goodbyes before he peacefully passed away.

"Ronnie knew how much he was loved by all.

"We so appreciate the love and support that you have all given us.

"Please give us a few days of privacy to deal with this terrible loss.

"Please know he loved you all and his music will live on forever."

It was only a month ago that Dio, 67, spoke about his battle with cancer with the Artisan News Service on the "black carpet" of the Revolver Golden Gods Awards, which took place on April 8 at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles. When asked about how he had been feeling since he was diagnosed with the disease late last year, Dio said, "Well, I feel good and bad at times. It's a long process. Chemotherapy is a... I never realized what a difficult thing it was to go through. It's a real cumulative effect — the more you have, the more it piles up on top and it takes longer and longer to get over it. I find it very difficult to eat. I don't like to eat anyway, so I guess that's OK. But I know I have to. But this makes it very, very hard. But if you're determined to beat it, then you have to go with what you believe is going to beat it for you, and in this case it's that. I go to a great hospital in Houston called M.D. Anderson, which I think is the best hospital in the world, I have the best doctor in the world, Dr. Ajani, who I really trust and I really believe in, so I think I've done all the right things. It makes me feel positive about my life and positive that there is a lot more of it to live."

Earlier this month, HEAVEN & HELL canceled its summer tour plans in Europe due to Dio's treatment for stomach cancer. The band said in a statement that Dio wasn't "well enough to tour this summer. We hope that everyone understands and want to thank fans and industry colleagues for their continuing support at this time."

Ronnie James Dio had performed with ELF, RAINBOW, BLACK SABBATH, and his own band DIO. Other musical projects included the collective fundraiser "Hear 'n Aid". He is widely hailed as one of the most powerful singers in heavy metal, renowned for his consistently powerful voice and for popularizing the "devil's horns" hand gesture in metal culture. He was most recently involved with HEAVEN & HELL, a project which also included former BLACK SABBATH bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice. Their first and only studio album, "The Devil You Know", was released on April 28, 2009.

Peter Steele of Type O Negative died reportedly of heart failure yesterday. His lyrics and music helped me get through so many low points of my life, and his warped sense of humor always made me laugh. He once said that "Type O Negative is like sonic therapy", and he was right.

Goodbye to my musical therapist... I'll see you on the other side...

R.I.P. Peter Steele - 1962-2010

"Everyone I Love is Dead"

Seems three years
Though maybe four
Someone drops dead
Whom I adore
You love someone
There will be grief
The kiss of death
Lips of a thief
GODDAMMIT!

A dusty stack of photographs
Of times I cried But mostly laughed
Commit the past Into blue flame
Acrid smoke Cowardly shame
GODDAMMIT!

At times I'm truly terrified
Cause dope and booze don't help to hide
They're used to mask a weakling's hurt
It's just like painting over dirt

Everyone I love is dead
Everyone I love is dead
(All dead)

Life's a game I cannot win
Both good and bad must surely end
The mirrors always tell the truth
I love myself for hating you

Everyone I love is dead
Everyone I love is dead
Everyone I love is dead
Everyone I love is dead
GODDAMMIT!
GODDAMMIT!
All dead

GODDAMMIT!!!!!!!!!

In May of 1970, The Who released 'Live At Leeds', which was designed to emphasize The Who as a rock band as opposed to opera singers and its packaging was also an antidote to the splendor of TOMMY: a plain buff sleeve roughly rubber-stamped with the band’s name and designed to resemble a bootleg. Within could be found an envelope containing all sorts of facsimile Who ephemera (photos, date sheets, contracts, lyrics) and a record on which there was a handwritten warning that crackles heard throughout were not the fault of your record player. The remastered 1995 CD amended the note to say the crackling noises had been corrected.

The original album contained 6 tracks of pure unrivaled aggression from the band. In 1995, the album was expanded with 8 additional tracks. A deluxe edition was released in 2001, containing the entire concert which includes a full airing of 'Tommy'.

Though the album is known for "Summertime Blues", my pick is the first song of the set, written by John Entwhistle, a perfect way to set the tone for the concert.

"Heaven and Hell"

On top of the sky is a place where you go if you've done nothing wrong,
If you've done nothing wrong.

And down in the ground is a place where you go if you've been a bad boy,
If you've been a bad boy.

Why can't we have eternal life,
And never die,
Never die?

In the place up above you grow feather wings and you fly round and round,
With a harp singing hymns.

And down in the ground you grow horns and a tail and you carry a fork,
And burn away.

Why can't we have eternal life, And never die,

Never die?

After struggling to find an identity in the late 60's, Pink Floyd took a step closer to what they would become with the release of 'Atom Heart Mother' in October 1970.

The title of the main track - an extended instrumental suite, some 24 minutes long on the album (Some live performances went on for 35 minutes!) - came when Roger Waters flipped through a copy of the Evening Standard and saw a headline that caught his eye. The song was a mix of the Floyd's sound and of an orchestra and choir. The results have not lasted well (mainly because of bad mixing) and have been the subject of some disdain by the members of the band.

The album also included a song each by Roger, David Gilmour, and Richard Wright, as well as a shorter instrumental piece to close the album. The cover also included the famous image of a cow - done specifically to have a cover that had absolutely nothing to do with the album.

Despite misgivings by the record company, 'Atom Heart Mother' became the band's first #1 album in Britain, and the first album to chart in the United States.

Pink Floyd - "Fat Old Sun"

When that fat old sun in the sky is falling
Summer evenin' birds are calling
Summer's thunder time of year
The sound of music in my ears
Distant bells
New mown grass smells so sweet
By the river holding hands
Roll me up and lay me down

And if you see
Don't make a sound
Pick your feet up off the ground
And if you hear as the warm night falls
The silver sound from a time so strange
Sing to me
Sing to me

When that fat old sun in the sky is falling
Summer evenin' birds are calling
Children's laughter in my ears
The last sunlight disappears
And if you see
Don't make a sound
Pick your feet up off the ground
And if you hear as the warm night falls
The silver sound from a time so strange
Sing to me
Sing to me
When that fat old sun in the sky is...

After the disaster of a first album, Genesis were able to showcase their music ideas on the album 'Trespass'. Released in October 1970, the album has grown to become a critical success and is appreciated by fans of the band's early work. It is also the only album to feature drummer John Mayhew and guitarist Anthony Phillips. Phil Collins and Steve Hackett joined the group in 1971.

Genesis - "The Knife"

For Those that Trespass against us


Tell me my life is about to begin
Tell me that I am a hero,
Promise me all of your violent dreams
Light up your body with anger.
Now, in this ugly world
it is time to destroy all this evil.
Now, when I give the word
get ready to fight for your freedom
Now -

Stand up and fight, for you know we are right
We must strike at the lies
That have spread like disease through our minds.
Soon we'll have power, every soldier will rest
And we'll spread out our kindness
To all who our love now deserve.
Some of you are going to die -
Martyrs of course to the freedom that I shall provide.

I'll give you the names of those you must kill,
All must die with their children.
Carry their heads to the palace of old,
Hang them high, let the blood flow.
Now, in this ugly world
break all the chains around us,
Now, the crusade has begun
give us a land fit for heroes,
Now -

Stand up and fight, for you know we are right
We must strike at the lies
That have spread like disease through our minds.
Soon we'll have power, every soldier will rest
And we'll spread out our kindness
To all who our love now deserve.
Some of you are going to die -
Martyrs of course to the freedom that I shall provide.

We are only wanting freedom
We are only wanting freedom
We are only wanting freedom
We are only wanting freedom ("Freedom, freedom, freedom, freedom...")
We are only wanting freedom ("Things are getting out of control here today")
We are only wanting freedom ("OK men - fire over their heads!")
We are only wanting freedom

--- WE HAVE WON ---

Some of you are going to die,
Martyrs of course to the freedom that I shall provide.

Another band that was on the way out in 1970 (though they didn't know it at the time) was The Doors. Jim Morrison's obscenity charge in Miami hurt the group's popularity, and they were running out of places that would let them perform. The music, however, was still good, as evidenced by the release of 'Morrison Hotel', a return to the more 'traditional' and familiar Doors sound.

The Doors - "Peace Frog"

There's blood in the streets, it's up to my ankles
She came
Blood in the streets, it's up to my knee
She came
Blood in the streets in the town of Chicago
She came
Blood on the rise, it's following me
Think about the break of day

She came and then she drove away
Sunlight in her hair

She came
Blood in the streets runs a river of sadness
She came
Blood in the streets it's up to my thigh
She came
Yeah the river runs red down the legs of a city
She came
The women are crying red rivers of weepin'

She came into town and then she drove away
Sunlight in her hair

Indians scattered on dawn's highway bleeding
Ghosts crowd the young child's fragile eggshell mind

Blood in the streets in the town of New Haven
Blood stains the roofs and the palm trees of Venice
Blood in my love in the terrible summer
Bloody red sun of Phantastic L.A.

Blood screams her brain as they chop off her fingers
Blood will be born in the birth of a nation
Blood is the rose of mysterious union

There's blood in the streets, it's up to my ankles
Blood in the streets, it's up to my knee
Blood in the streets in the town of Chicago
Blood on the rise, it's following me

Black Sabbath's debut did very well, but 'Paranoid', released in September 1970, did even better. Thanks to the title track, the album became the band's only #1 album in the UK. It is regarded as the band's best album, and by some as the best heavy metal album of all time.

Black Sabbath - "Hand of Doom"

What you gonna do? Time's caught up with you
Now you wait your turn, you know there's no return
Take your written rules, you join the other fools
Turn to something new, now it's killing you

First it was the bomb, Vietnam napalm
Disillusioning, you push the needle in
From life you escape, reality's your fate
Colours in your mind satisfy your time

Oh you, you know you must be blind
To do something like this
To take the sleep that you don't know
You're giving Death a kiss,
Oh, little fool now

Your mind is full of pleasure
Your body's looking ill
To you it's shallow leisure
So drop the acid pill, don't stop to think now

You're having a good time baby
But that won't last
Your mind's all full of things
You're living too fast
Go out enjoy yourself
Don't bottle it in
You need someone to help you
To stick the needle in, yeah

Now you know the scene, your skin starts turning green
Your eyes no longer seeing life's reality
Push the needle in, face death's sickly grin
Holes are in your skin, caused by deadly pin

Head starts spinning 'round, you fall down to the ground
Feel your body heave, Death's hands starts to weave
It's too late to turn, you won't want to learn
Price of life you cry, now you're gonna die

Now we move to 1970, a pivotal year in music. We start, ironically enough, with an ending. The Beatles released 'Let It Be', their final album of new material, clearing the way for all the bands that came after them. My song choice is on the few songs Phil Spector didn't ruin with his orchestral treatments.

The Beatles - "Dig A Pony"

I dig a pony
Well you can celebrate any thing you want
Yes you can celebrate any thing you want

I do a road hog
Well you can penetrate any place you go
Yes you can penetrate any place you go
I told you so, all I want is you
Everything has got to be just like you want it to
Because...

I pick a moon dog
Well you can radiate everything you are
Yes you can radiate everything you are

Oh now
I roll a stoney
Well you can imitate everyone you know
Yes you can imitate everyone you know
I told you so, all I want is you
Everything has got to be just like you want it to
Because...

Ooh now
I feel the wind blow
Well you can indicate everything you see
Yes you can indicate everything you see

Oh now
I load a lorry
Well you can syndicate any boat you row
Yeah you can syndicate any boat you row
I told you so, all I want is you
Everything has got to be just like you want it to
Because...