Bring 'Er Back To Just Dog And Pony

When I read that in 2008, Rick Rubin may be taking ZZ Top back into the studio to whip those boys back into Tres Hombres era gut-bucket, I was a little geeked. I have a soft spot for those guys, even though the soft spot appeared during Tres Hombres then disappeared shortly thereafter.
After reading that, I started fantasizing about how Rubin would talk them into going on the road and doing the Stones at El Macombo thing. Stripped down and bare-knuckled in 500 seat clubs, opening, guns-a-blazing, and all sexy like to the slow chug of Jesus Just Left Chicago. No hoopla. No Barnum and Bailey. Just Billy, Dusty and Frank reminding us how they never took their foot off the gas.

Now rumour has it they do have a new studio something coming out this year but whether Rick Rubin is attached to it remains to be seen.
Just might have to bite the bullet and hobble down to Muskegon this June to see 'em. Circus or no circus.

Oh Maggie

AAAWWW, is this the traditional Father/Daughter dance? I think not. Tis Margaret and Pierre, the bride and groom. You gotta think there may have been a few misguided implications at that ceremony. Anyhoo, on my way to the airport the shuttle made one last stop, and this is more than one unoffical, armchair historian can take, as we happen to be parked in front of the Harbour Castle Hotel. THE Harbour Castle Hotel. Did I mention the Harbour Castle Hotel?
Said Inn is where the Stones layed their heads whilst they performed and made ha-ha at Toronto's El Mocambo Club in '77. Keith's infamous drug bust happened there. And Margaret Trudeau's so-called hi-jinx with Ron Wood took place in those very hallways...and...other places, I suspect.
At 22 and 30 years his junior, Maggie married Pierre Trudeau in secrecy in 1971. Six years later on their 6th anniversary and coincidentally the same day the two decide to go their seperate ways, Margo is spotted at the Stones' ElMo show and invited the band back to her hotel. Oh no, not THE hotel? Oh yes, the Harbour Castle. Dang it, and I'm sitting here parked right in front of it. I should run in and see if there are pictures on the wall of Keith getting hauled away in cuffs or a shot of Ronnie and "whomever" hi-tailin it up a side stairwell. Maybe they have The Keef Suite, you know, all dark with a faint wiff of hashish and artfully strewn batik fabrics.
Enh...probably not.

These days Maggie is an advocate for mental health management as she has suffered from a bipolar disorder most of her adult life and also serves as honorary president of WaterCan, organized to help develop clean water supplies to the disadvantaged.

Photo of The Trudeaus from www2.macleans.com
Maggie Back Story from archives.cbc.ca and from
Ronnie by Ron Wood