Gimme A Stone

Talked to my buddy Geoff in Philly today about his great story in the Penn State mag about obscuro Philly band Wax (see a couple of posts down), the Stooges show he just saw in Atlantic City, and lots more. Always an inspiring cat to talk to, he says he's "more of a rock guy than a punk guy" (in the same way that I am), and while we don't always agree about everything musical, it gives me a much-needed kick in the pants to hear how passionate he always is about his latest discovery.

To wit: this song, a version of the David and Goliath saga which originated on a 1998 album called Largo, the brainchild of keyboardist Rob Hyman, who was in Wax and later, the more successful Hooters (whose members went on to write hits for pop divas Cindy Lauper and Joan Osborne). Largo was a concept album, somehow based on Antonin Dvorak's "New World Symphony," with cameos by Lauper, Osborne, the Chieftains, Taj Mahal, and the Band's Levon Helm. Supposedly Pete Townshend heard it and bought copies for everyone he knew (although no one else apparently did), and Roger Daltrey's been playing a couple of Largo songs in the middle of his solo set, sandwiched between the Whosongs.



The song's also been covered by Little Feat. Ginsberg said he heard a live show where the late Feat drummer Ritchie Hayward sang it -- the only song he ever sang onstage.



Geoff says that Largo's headed for Broadway. Stranger things could happen.