Loureed John Cale

This August 5th marks the 50th anniversary of “The Stooges” album, and undoubtedly, one of the most important pieces of music in our times. It seems so long ago, and yet just like yesterday, when 4 young guys with a dream to play music went off to New York to make their dreams come true, and come true they did. It seemed so easy back then, and probably because it was. These four Stooges would have their careers handed to them one night at a little gig they played in Ann Arbor. It became their whole life. And as many of you know, they went on to make the, “second most important piece of music” in our times, but we’re here to celebrate when it all started. Fifty years ago! It’s so hard to believe and so hard to not have Ronny, Scotty, and Dave not here to be a part of this historic celebration. That hurts. But we want to rejoice in their amazing accomplishments and their incredible talent and the great music they gave us that will live on till the end of time. And big kudos to Jim, Iggy, our brother, who is still out there rockin’ the Stooges legacy. And if we do say so, just as marvelous as he did 50 years ago. Yep! You still got it, Iggy!

Few rock groups can claim to have broken so much new territory, and maintain such consistent brilliance on record, as the Velvet Underground during their brief lifespan. It was the group's lot to be ahead of, or at least out of step with, their time. The mid- to late '60s was an era of explosive growth and experimentation in rock, but the Velvets' innovations which blended the energy of rock with the sonic adventurism of the avant-garde, and introduced a new degree of social realism and sexual kinkiness into rock lyrics were too abrasive for the mainstream to handle.

The Breeze: An Appreciation of JJ Cale is an album by Eric Clapton & Friends and it is dedicated to his former collaborator JJ Cale. It was named after his 1972 single "Call Me the Breeze". It was produced by Clapton and Simon Climie.