Happy t-day: this post was written stream of consciousness (with some from previous thoughts that surfaced along the way!) over 3 posts on Facebook!
Bon (AC/DC) music good for empathy, like daytime TV; Jeremy Kyle used to be in the UK, Jerry Springer in USA, don’t know Oz; and anger distraction; like thrash/punk music, or Guns N’ Roses, with Axl a big Bon fan. Bon story more of a tragedy, although he did reach the top before falling off the rock n’ roll peak, so not really uplifting for me. For uplifting I listen to dance music such as uplifting house and trance; and now ‘Viking’ music such as Heilung (Healing in English). ‘Viking’ music is often sad and melancholy like Bon lyrics too (but without the humour!), with Solstafir’s Necrologue about a 20-something friend who succumbed like Bon; introduced live here: https://youtu.be/9urJMiTsJB0. I don’t think it’s an anti-depressant, but it is empathetic, showing those feelings are quite common. I think you either choose to continue on that path, or you leave; often because you just get bored of it, like Sharon said about Ozzy in the Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne docufilm (available on BBC now in UK), and I did: too old to die young (and stay pretty), like Debbie Harry of Blondie sang in the 70s!
Aristotle Adaptation
The sun is greater than the (w)hole of humanity. My adaptation of the above philosophical idea. It’s only a mental thing, as physically I’m still dependent on humanity supplying food and drink; thanks again to the necessary key workers. It’s for those who think humanity is toxifying their minds, but can’t leave their ‘social group’ because they think it’s ‘normal’; or that they owe it to them or some ‘idea’ or ‘marketed concept’, such as youth or human.
Hi, it’s Greenygrey. As we enter the final 3/7ths of the Werewolf of Oz: Fantasy Travel by Google Mapstoday’s episode is a momentous one in many ways. Not only do the Werewolf of Ozzers enter the magical rock decades 1960s to 1990s world of Kerang–Kerrang for thirteen chapters/episodes, but one of the most important characters leaves, and the travelling quintet become a quartet once more.
English: Bon Scott in Grenoble, December 10 1979. Français : Bon Scott lors d’un concert d’AC/DC à Grenoble le 10 décembre 1979. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This episode is paralleled in the human world by Bon Scott passing away in 1980, and the AC/DC rock group he’d played a big part in elevating to rock giantdom recording a Back in Black memorial album with Brian Johnson.
The Bonzo character in Werewolf of Oz parallels Toto in Wizard of Oz. Toto of course completed the journey.
So Bonzo’s story resembles Bon’s more than Toto’s.
Chapter 81. Ghost Dog Bonzo Finds AC/DC Back in Black
There was a time-machine at the entrance to Kerang-Kerrang, and you could choose a decade to enter. The 1980s looked an exciting time, with the magazine-town being built and developed on a surge of metal euphoria. So we entered then.
Kerrang magazines.
Kerang-Kerrang Born too Late for Bon Scott
We had an eerie introduction to 1980s Kerang-Kerrang, walking through an arid barren region populated by just one gravestone. It reminded me of a scene out of a spaghetti western.
When we reached the gravestone I read out the inscription ‘Ronald (Bon) Scott, born 1946, died 1980.’ The next thing, Bonzo keeled over.
Bon Scott’s gravestone (Photo credit: delboy1203)
We revived Bonzo, and I asked if he knew what happened to him. He said he’d had a rush of déjà-vu when he saw the grave; as if it held some significance to his past. He’d felt an urge to dig into it, but had tried fighting it, and then his legs had given way beneath him.
AC/DC begin the KerrangConstruction
When Bonzo was steady on his paws we continued toward the first constructions in Kerang-Kerrang.
The first was a black house featuring a big mural of AC/DC’s Angus Young on the front. I was admiring it with the others, until noticing Bonzo wasn’t with us. I looked around, and poor Bonzo was on the ground again.
Bon Scott and Brian Johnson Meet
English: BRIAN JOHNSON Live with AC/DC on November 23, 2008 in St. Paul, MN PHOTO BY MATT BECKER melodicrockconcerts@gmail.com (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A man wearing a flat-cap emerged and exclaimed Hell’s Bells. He introduced himself as Brian and asked what was wrong with Bonzo. We told him it was the second time it had happened today, and Bonzo’d said he’d had a sense of déjà-vu the first time. Brian said he’d go and get some food and drink. He returned with a beer and bone, and after reviving Bonzo told him to ‘Have a Drink on Me, and chew on this bone.’
Somebody shouted from the house asking him what he was doing, and he replied that he had Given the Dog a Bone. He then asked Bonzo if he could Shake a Leg, and when Bonzo showed he could, he invited us all into the house.
It was rocking in there, and a revitalised Bonzo soon became the life and soul of the party.
Bye-Bye Bonzo
You Shook Me All Night Long (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Bonzo and the householders got on so well that they asked him to stay. Having recently remembered his upbringing in nearby Melbourne, Bonzo decided that he had found his place to settle.
We were all sad to be parting from Bonzo, but understood his reasons, and stayed until the morning to make a night of it. As we waved goodbye to Bonzo and the rest of them, they sang us off with: You Shook Me All Night Long.
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Notes
Spaghetti westerns often have dramatic graveyard scenes, such as the concluding gunfight in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
AC/DC album and songs: Back in Black, Have a Drink on Me,Given the Dog a Bone,Shake a Leg, You Shook Me All Night Long. —————————————————————————————————-
Hi, it’s Harry Silhouetteof-Wolfhowlingonhill, television correspondent at the Greenygrey. Hot off the press news from a just taken place Dan BrownBBC Breakfast interview. It’s a serious blog post though, so if you expect and need my usual attempts at comedy to brighten a Monday morning I’d advise leaving now; the same goes for devout/delusional believers in monotheistic religions, which still means the vast majority of the world, cutting our readership and sales opportunities down somewhat, but again suggesting that we blog what we really think, rather than what we think will sell.
Dante’s Gate of Hell by William Blake (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Talking about his new Inferno book, Dan Brown explained that it is about Dante’s Middle-ages epic poem, which after conducting strenuous research, Brown discovered has created our modern version of Hell. It had only been alluded to before that.
Brown’s book twists Dante’s Hell into prophecy rather than commentary, with our planet’s overpopulation spiralling our planet into a Hell on Earth.
Earth, Environment and Hell
Environmental damage (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I don’t know if Brown’s Hell on Earth will come true; I’d probably be accused of being an environmental extremist if I said I thought it likely to happen.
Today’s Earth might seem like Hell to somebody of a few centuries ago, when nature was in balance and animal life plentiful.
A hellish Earth certainly seems to be coming true for many animals and species, but they don’t really count under monotheism, which proclaims them as mere servants and products for humanity, rather than our close cousins and sharers of most DNA as in evolutionary science.
Let There Be Rock: The Movie – Live in Paris (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
We don’t believe in monotheistic religion, therefore we don’t believe in the Devil and Hell, which are part of the scripts, so please don’t accuse us of being Devil-worshippers, or being on the ‘dark-side’, because we don’t believe in a Devil, seeing as there is clear historical evidence to prove that it was created out of old pagan deities: as Dante’s Hell was created; the Wizard of Oz was created; and Greenygrey’s Rambles was created.
Dante’s Hell might have been useful as a Middle-Ages control mechanism, but the monotheistic religions usually provided a get-out clause, with men given dominion over women and animals, to treat them as they wished; and the fallen forgiven as long as they repented/converted.
Modern monotheistic religion still provides a guide to many people, and is practised properly by some people, but to many it is just used as an excuse for power and preferential treatment.
People who put other people through Hell on Earth suddenly remember their godly ways when caught out, and demand preferential treatment in line with their until-then-forgotten religious beliefs; playing the human rights card that they only believe in for themselves; sure in the belief that their God will be pleased with them, and provide a wonderful afterlife… not caring about the life they leave behind on Earth.
Hi, it’s Greenygrey. With time quickly running out on the week I think it’s about time we had the second thrilling episode of Werewolf of Oz: Fantasy Travel by Google Maps. This episode sees the return of Grey to its travelling companions, along with new addition Angry.
Tony Robinson in Melbourne (Photo credit: ultrakml)
Tony Loboinson unearthed a great additional snippet of information about Angry’s human parallel in his research for this week’s historical background blog. He discovered that Angry Anderson has done a benefit gig for little-penguin research; I thought that was a coincidence with Angry joining the Werewolf of Oz story in little penguin land.
This episode also sees the Bonzo bagpipes bafflement banished, and more AusRuIcket sporting fun. Here it is:
51. BONZO BANISHES BAGPIPES BAFFLEMENT
Elle Macpherson at the Women’s World Award 2009 (Wiener Stadthalle, Vienna, Austria). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
When Elle saw us arriving she ran to meet us. She said she’d been worried, and was glad to see me back in one piece. I replied that in Oz I was already only a half of one piece really, remembering my green other half, but I was indeed still in one half piece.
Elle chuckled, before saying, ‘Well, if you’re going to be pedantic, it’s good to see all your Grey self again. I would love to meet your green other half one day, and see you all together as the Greenygrey, but I’ve only known you as Grey.’
‘Thank you kind Elle,’ I replied. ‘I should have been more laissez-faire, and especially at this joyous moment, but I do miss my limey other half ever so much. I do dearly hope that one day you will meet me as one half of the complete Greenygrey.’
AusRuIcket and Bagpipe Racket
English: Not The Ashes. North Stifford Private Cricket Pitch (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
One of the little penguins recognised us and told Bonzo, who was still playing the bagpipes. Bonzo quickly lay them down and sprinted over exuberantly.
After we’d greeted each other, I asked Bonzo what all the noise was about. He said the little penguins had so enjoyed playing AusRuIcket that they’d presented the bagpipes to him. They’d also burnt another set of bagpipes, and would play an AusRuIcket tournament for them every year called the ARIshes.
I said that was great news, but where had the penguins found all the bagpipes. Bonzo said it was like me: a mysterious grey area that went back a long time. However, little penguin legend said a Rockhopper brought them over.
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Notes
Rockhopper is a type of penguin. Bon Scott played the bagpipes, and wrote an AC/DC song called Rocker along with Angus and Malcolm Young. Ashes (cricket trophy).
Hi, it’s Tony Loboinson, history expert at the Greenygrey. Regular readers of Werewolf of Oz: Fantasy Travel by Google Mapsmight be wondering about Grey’s travelling partners’ human parallels’ rock n’ roll past, now that Angry has joined Bonzo, Elle and Grey on the dust sandy path.
Last week marked the 33rd anniversary of Bon Scott’s untimely passing away at age 33. AC/DC were just starting to make it big on the worldwide stage, which made the tragedy all the more cruel. While AC/DC have continued to make great music with Brian Johnson taking over vocal duties, their rawest and most inventive music was found on the Bon Scott albums.
The good news about the Bon Scott life story was that he had time to live a full life and create several albums worth of great music; achieving top ten chart success in AC/DC’s birthplace Australia; well as touring the world living the rock n’ roll life he loved.
The reissue of four old Bon Scott AC/DC songs together with the release of Touch Too Much from the newly finished Bon Scott AC/DC’s Highway to Hell album brought the band their first Top Forty UK singles.
AC/DC Influence on British Rock
Cover of Blondie
Marc Latham was a youth looking for a musical tribe at the time, with Britain divided into distinct musical cultures such as punks, skinheads, hippies and rockers.
The peak of Blondie and New Wave was waning and he wanted something with more identity. He toyed with Two-Tone, liking some Madness and Specials, but it didn’t quite grab him.
The New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) was getting media coverage; with the barbarian look, sound and attitude appealing to Marc. Together with the raw sounds of Iron Maiden, Def Leppard and Saxon, Rainbow charted with a couple of great songs from their Down to Earth album.
Cover of Highway to Hell (Dlx)
When Marc heard the AC/DC songs released around the time of Bon Scott’s passing it made his mind up. He became a staunch rock and metal fan for the next fifteen years.
Although he sold many of his old albums, he still has all the Bon Scott AC/DC LPs. He also still has the first three Rose Tattoo LPs.
To mark the recent Bon Scott anniversary Classic Rock magazine provided a great long article about his life and the night of his passing, which is available from the above link.
Angry Anderson “Rose Tattoo” (Photo credit: Rossco ( Image Focus Australia ))
It features Angry Anderson of Rose Tattoo; Angry’s human parallel; saying that Bon was the only one he invited to sing with the Tatts.
So, as Bonzo and Angry travel with Grey across Oz, they were also sharing stages in 1970s Australia.
Bon Scott Last Night Controversy
I thought I might have unearthed the definitive version of what happened to Bon on his last night in that Classic Rock article, but then saw in the comments that it was an old article, and Bon’s mysterious partying partner that night had been found, and given his version to Classic Rock and Metal Hammer.
Classic Rock replied that the old article had been updated, and that Bon’s partying partner had only spoken through a third party.
So the controversy will roll on. Thankfully, so will Bon’s great rock n’ roll…
Hi, it’s Greenygrey. It’s Sunday night and there’s only been one episode of Werewolf of Oz: Fantasy Travel by Google Maps this week, which can mean only one thing. Yes, another episode. This one is written around Rose Tattoo lyrics and members, as Angry talks about his life to Grey; as well as a funny misunderstanding involving Bonzo.
Cover of Rose Tattoo
49. ANGRY TALKS LYRICALLY WITH GREY – AGREES TO GO AWAY
I asked Angry if he enjoyed living on Ramsay Street. He said the Neighbours were usually quite nice, but he didn’t feel like he fitted in that well. He’d seen a fight between the Butcher and Fast Eddy when he was young, and it made him into a Rock n’ Roll Outlaw. He’d become One of the Boys in a rock n’ roll band, and Nice Boys don’t play rock n’ roll, so he’d become a Bad Boy for Love. A guitarist called Pete had done well good supporting him on the slide, but then he’d had to leave, so Angry was recovering from another setback.
I suggested a Remedy for his situation was that he could come and Tramp with us.
Bonzer Bonzo
View of Pin Oak Court, (also known as Ramsay Street) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Angry said it sounded like a ‘bonzer idea.’
I said it was my idea not Bonzo’s.
Angry calmly pointed out that I’d misunderstood him; bonzer is Aussie slang for great.
I profoundly apologised, and was relieved that my misunderstanding did not change Angry’s mind. I said no more.
We left Ramsay Street to rejoin the others.
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bonzer – Aussie slang for great.
Pete Wells was a founder and (slide) guitarist in Rose Tattoo. He died in 2006.
Rose Tattoo songs: Butcher and Fast Eddy, Rock n’ Roll Outlaw, One of the Boys, Nice Boys, Bad Boy for Love, Remedy, Tramp.
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Hi, it’s Greenygrey. Further to our explanation about the significance of Grey meeting Bonzo in our last blog, it is of course the Wizard of Oz theme catching up with the Werewolf of Oz. In the Wizard of Oz Toto travelled with Dorothy from the start, but adaptations hardly ever mirror totally, and ours is no different (no, ours is not the greenygrey one below).
Dorothy and Toto prepare for their audience with the Wizard of Oz. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In the Werewolf of Oz Bonzo takes the part of Toto, and joins in chapter 17. And without further ado, here’s the moment for you to view:
17. BONZO SCOTTIE ON THE HIGHWAY TO LANCELIN
I said adios to Don and Sancho in the morning, before heading up the highway. Not long after, I saw a ghostly dog apparition hitch-hiking.
Bonzo Scottie Joins the Ozyssey
Scottie Dog on the grass 2 (Photo credit: ST33VO)
I greeted it when I reached it. It introduced himself as Bonzo Scottie, before asking if this was the Highway to Hell. I replied that I was a stranger in these parts, but didn’t think so; as far as I knew, it was the highway to Lancelin, which didn’t sound much like Hell. Poor Bonzo seemed upset, as if he had the Downpayment Blues. He said he thought he’d been stripped of his soul, and that he might find it in Hell, which ain’t supposed to be a bad place to be.
I said I thought searching for Hell should be the last resort, and I didn’t think it was up ahead, but he was quite welcome to Ride Onwith me.
Lancelin Western Australia (Photo credit: Caro Embrey)
Bonzo agreed, and cheered up on the way to Lancelin; we seemed to reach it in no time. Upon arrival, we met a sea lion called Celia Ono, and she recommended the windsurfing, dune buggying and sandboarding that were very popular on the pristine beaches.
We didn’t need much arm-twisting, and had a fabulous afternoon and evening enjoying the beach sports. Celia had great balance, and I had to laugh when Bonzo exclaimed that the Girl’s got Rhythm.
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Notes
AC/DC songs: Highway to Hell, Downpayment Blues, Soul Stripper, Hell Ain’t A Bad Place To Be, Ride On, Girl’s got Rhythm. Yoko Ono (artist and musician).
Hi, it’s Greenygrey. We just remembered that we’re supposed to be telling you important parts of the Werewolf of Oz: Fantasy Travel by Google Maps story on this blog, to justify telling you it again, and not just filling up space, and Grey wanted to tell you that yesterday’s chapter of the Werewolf of Oz marked an important crossroads in its epic comedy-fantasy virtual-travel quest across what is known in the human world as Oz.
Solo Quest Ends with Arrival of Bonzo Scottie
That’s because in the next thrilling chapter of the Greenygrey world’s best ever book, Grey is joined by the ghostly dog apparition of Bonzo Scottie, who bears a striking resemblance to the Bon Scott of AC/DC Grey had seen on stage at the Rock-It festival.
Cover of Bon Scott
So although Grey had met many travellers and characters in the first sixteen chapters of the book, from Chapter Seventeen it has a long-term travel buddy that will accompany it through most of the book, and many adventures.
Other Good Werewolf Book
In our Google Alerts Werewolf newsletter this morning we were alerted to a review of The Wolf Gift book by Anne Rice, which seems to feature a werewolf as nice as us, but not a Greenygrey. So we are still alone as far as we know.
Hi, it’s Greenygrey. Yesterday’s good news about Grey’s poem from its Werewolf of Oz book has inspired us to post another episode up today. Here it is:
16. ROCKING IT AT THE ROCK-IT FESTIVAL IN PERTH
Sancho and Don said they were off to the Rock-It festival in Perth, and invited me along. I jumped at the chance; metaphorically of course, because I was in the car at the time.
Cervantes (J. Vancell) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I felt like I needed a bit of fun after a tough time in Latham, and they seemed to be in the same situation having just escaped Cervantes.
Rock-It Festival in Perth
We had difficulty finding the Joondalup area where Rock-It is held, and had to do a loop around the neck of the Swan River. However, once we entered the festival it really rocked.
Tracer started the day off for us with some fantastic space rock. They were followed by a storming Airbourne set, and a great slide-guitar fuelled bluesy show by Rose Tattoo. Brian Johnson era AC/DC played a solid set, and nicely warmed us up for a sensational Bon Scott era AC/DC bad boy boogie headlining show.
We were hot and sweaty after the show, so we headed out to Rottnest Island; or Rotto as it’s known locally. There was certainly nothing rotten about it, and we enjoyed the beautiful beaches on the unspoilt island.
We were joined by some quirky quokkas: animals that are to kangaroos what greenygreys are to werewolves. They were lots of fun, and provided great company before we fell asleep under the rising sun.
Three quokkas—two adults and a juvenile, presumably a family unit—interact at Bathurst, Rottnest Island, Western Australia. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
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Notes
Quokka – a small macropod (marsupial family Macropodidae) about the size of a domestic cat.
Rock-It Festival in Perth.
Tracer, Airbourne, Rose Tattoo, AC/DC (Aussie bands).
Bon Scott and Brian Johnson (AC/DC vocalists).
Hi, it’s Green. We heard a good song by Australian band Tracer on Planet Rock, so we thought we’d look them up. Our first interesting discovery was that their debut album is called Spaces In Between, which reminded us of the Folding Mirror poetry form.
And then we went to their Mascot label’s website, and the Cool Green Recordings has a greenygrey layout. How cool!
We have checked with the Werewolf of Oz, and it turns out they played at the Rock-It Festival, so we’ve added them to the book of the blog we’re editing at the moment:
Tracer started the day off for us with some fantastic space rock. They were followed by a storming Airbourne set, and a great slide guitar fuelled bluesy show by Rose Tattoo. Brian Johnson era AC/DC played a solid set, and nicely warmed us up for a sensational Bon Scott era AC/DC bad boy boogie headlining show.
mistYmuse 