(guest blogged by Howie Klein)

Jimi Hendrix was long gone by the time I became president of Reprise Records. Coincidentally, though, as a college concert chairman I had booked the Jimi Hendrix Experience for their first appearance in the U.S. The last time I ran into him was in a small seaside town outside of Essaouira, my favorite spot in Morocco, in 1969. Soon after that, I met another revolutionary artist who has changed the course of pop music: Patti Smith.

And last week I got to hear Patti's next album, TWELVE, a collection of a dozen covers that have meant a lot to her-- and to many of us. The album starts with a brilliant and sensual rendition of Jimi's "Are You Experienced?" (informed by lots of Beatles). Patti's album is amazing and I'll try to get an advance for Crooks and Liars.

Meanwhile, here's the original:

So tonight's contest: without having heard a note of it, review Patti Smith's new album. Send your entry to downwithtyranny@aol.com and if yours is the best review, we'll send you the mindblowing 15 CD boxset-- BOB DYLAN REVISITED, 15 classic albums by a master who influenced the work of both Patti and Jimi.

(blogged by Howie Klein)

Tomorrow, there are a lot of birthdays to celebrate: Ariel Sharon, Lee Atwater, Ralph Nader, Elizabeth Taylor, and Chelsea Clinton not to mention rockers Steve Harley, Eddie Gray (of Tommy James & Shondells), Paul Humphreys (OMD), Josh Groban, Adrian Smith (of Iron Maiden) and... Journey's guitarist Neal Schon.

I used to live in San Francisco; I was a dj there. And did I hate Journey! And I was kind of outspoken about it on the air sometimes always. I'm sure they were happy when I moved away to L.A.

So one day I'm sitting in my office at Reprise, going over some boring paperwork and 4 faces appear in my door. "Can we sing you a song?" (Before 9/11 anyone could just wander in, more or less.) "Sure," I said, happy to put down the paperwork. They sang me a Journey song. I loved it. I signed them on the spot and we made a record-- two, actually, one in English and one in Spanish-- and I probably helped put some money in Neal Schon's pocket. I bet he didn't like this version; the little girls sure did. This is Nu Flavor, in their Crooks and Liars debut.

For tonight's contest, look at the list of birthday celebrants. Tell us a rock'n'roll story about two non-musicians on the list and win a 2-disc set THE ESSENTIAL HERBIE HANCOCK (21 tracks spanning a brilliant 40 year career). Send to: downwithtyranny@aol.com

(Nicole: Nonny's last guest post for the LNMC was so popular, I asked her to contribute another)

I have a confession to make: I like drums. I mean, I really like drums. There is something deeply primordial about the pounding rhythm of a drum, which just possibly may be the oldest musical instrument in the world since Homo erectus first did a solo riff with a couple antelope femurs on a rock, a la Stanley Kubric's version of Also Sprach Zarathustra. It may be the only musical instrument to be native to every single country and civilization on earth, and found everywhere from the poshest symphony orchestra to Rastafarian bongos on the beach. I love drums.

But there is one sort of drumming I don't like - the constant beat of the war drums coming from the White House. So tonight's challenge is to post links to any joyous, rhythmic drum or percussion work, from every country around the world, anything that gets your buttocks twitching in your seat, foot stomping, thigh slapping, heart thumping, get up on your feet and embarrass the neighbourhood kids by shaking your bootie, and shouting for joy. Drown out the drums of war.

And to get you started, here are two very different, very jubilant pieces that I hope you like as much as I do. The first is a performance by the amazing Top Secret Swiss Drum Corp at the 2006 Edinburgh tattoo:

And the second is by an artist who is a particular favourite of mine, Australian Tommy Emmanuel, whose virtuosity with just a single guitar is quite simply mindbogglingly awesome:

On this day in 1943, George Harrison was born in Liverpool, England.

My Sweet Lord from The Best of George Harrison:

I Got My Mind Set on You from Cloud Nine:

It's Oscar time again, and I'm hoping An Inconvenient Truth wins big, because I'd love to see Al Gore on stage with millions of people watching and applauding worldwide.

One of the awards the documentary is up for is Best Song, for I Need To Wake Up, by Melissa Etheridge.

Lie To Me from his album Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards

It's Fat Tuesday! (Big thanks to SteveAudio for all his help)

Satchmo singing Dixie Music Man from the movie "New Orleans"