Wednesday
Apr122017
Farewell J. Geils
Wednesday, April 12, 2017 at 12:01AM More sad news. Musician J. Geils was found dead in his Massachusetts home yesterday. He was 71. The band was massive in the 80s and deserves our respect.
J. Geils, the guitarist for chart-topping rock outfit the J. Geils Band, has died https://t.co/MXa1c5fnIm
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) April 12, 2017
Reader Comments (11)
RIP J Geils!!
"Wooba Gooba with the green teeth!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1slsQ_rXpzQ
Last time I saw them, sad day today.............
The reds and the pinks
One thing for sure
The J. Geils Band was the first real Rock & Roll act I ever saw -- The Year was 1975 and they played The U.S. Naval Academy. Needless to say, I was POINT BLANK in front of Geils.
At one point, my date and I were standing up on top of the baricade (an example of the kind of dumb stuff one might be capable of at the ripe old age of 14) with Peter Wolf yelling and motioning for us to "GET DOWN!"
I guess we should have started dancing in response to his request but would have lost our balance had we taken heard his words with the double entendre I see in them now.
Cut to 20 years later. A Roadhouse on the tip of Long Island, Summer of 1995 and I'm watching Peter Wolf (POINT BLANK with Jagger also in attendance!) in an incredible solo performance (with Magic Dick accompanying him) while he kept stealing my Heinekens right off my table in front of me AND my HOT blonde girlfriend. My buddy, Dave, kept sending more in, I would take a sip or two, and Wolf kept stealing them!
In between all the shenanigans, Wolf turned in a truly legendary solo performance, running and writhing about the stage, perfectly nailing all the J. Geils classics as well as his notable solo stuff. At one point, Wolf knelt down on his knees, leaned in to my ear and sang the classic line Darktown referenced, "Blow your face out, Motor City shake out!"
As soon as I heard about J.Geils' passing, I remembered these moments as well as playing to death the "Bloodshot" album in the Junior/Senior rec room during free class at the private school I attended, all stoned out from a quick trip into the woods with the same chick I took to the Naval Academy concert, the both of us staring at the back album cover, and both commenting how BADA*S J. Geils looked.
In mourning, I feel the same thing I felt after I saw Wolf on Long Island -- The yearning for them to get back together, a pipe dream now permanently up in blueberry smoke.
Sue strain...tell your grandson to pay attention. Got his W2; but still have his 40 dollar
But still have his smart ass mentality. He owes me money and I'll start adding interest.
Thing is, I am sure people are running around going "J. Geils died" and they are actually thinking "Peter Wolf is dead." At least one of my friends (I have several) said the very same thing to me when he heard about Geils's passing.
RIP Geils. Party of one magical band that should have been a lot bigger.
https://mobile.twitter.com/therealdougpahl/status/851950490694934528/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd-21220474062009674410.ampproject.net%2F1491601970987%2Fframe.html
Speaking of whom, The J. Geils Band were Mega-HUGE for a time with "Centerfold", etc.
As I'm sure you're well aware, it was Wolf leaving that made any precluded any possibility of a continuance of that fame all but impossible. And though he did okay at least artistically and critically, he couldn't make the magic happen without J.Geils, nor could J.Geils without him.
It just reminds us what precious things bands are and how so many individual band members choose sanity over continuing they're success, ash we all pretty much realize the pressure to deliver that same success can, more often than not, just be too much.
p.s. I will let you guys know when to check Al's Chuck Berry post when I put up my comments, should anyone be interested in reading how he tore the roof off The Ritz that night.
When it's right it's right, I wish more bands would realize that what success or magic that rarely but does happen, is not unto any one individual.
DLR and the Halen brothers for one (NEVER, ever would of thought to see them together again in my lifetime but F them for leaving Mike out!!): side bar - I see a Sammy reunion happening soon, just my 2 cents!! , Page / Plant ( Albeit without John Paul, why??) Most of GnR (making it happen, Izzy where are you??), Throw Guns and Phil in there as of late. When it's right it's just right. (Looking at you Skid Row, it's not like Bach killed anybody haha.)
MB it's almost unbelievable to myself that I never did go see Chuck Berry, if anything just to see him jam out on "My Ding-A-Ling.............
Songs are filled, specifically, anecdotally and even accidentally, filled with double entendres. Personally, I've always (biasedly) believed that Van Halen's "Jump", is the quintessential double entendre song starting with...
"I get UP! Ain't nothing gets me down. You've got it tough? I've seen the toughest around. And I know, baby, just how you feel. You gotta roll with those punches to get to what's real."