Re: James Baker - drummer, Australian indie legend

Passed away after a long battle with cancer. Drummer with Aussie punk pioneers the Victims, the Scientists, Hoodoo Gurus, Beasts Of Bourbon, The Dubrovniks, The James Baker Experience and so many others.

Pretty hard CV to top, isn't it?
Just listened to him recently on the Vinyl Guide poddy. Very charismatic guy. Caught him with the Gurus, the Beasts and the Dubrovniks and even shared the bill with him once. Used to see him hanging out at Redeye Records in Sydney from time to time. A sad loss.

Man, the Reaper's got a hard-on for TP-style bands. He must be tired of all the burned-out classic rockers in his care.

RIP Mr. Baker. An impressive CV indeed.

> He must be tired of all the burned-out classic rockers
> in his care.

Hmmm, I never had the impression that the Grim Reaper "took care" of all those souls he culled from the earth. I thought they were more just fodder to him, in some way or another. Theology is as theology does, I suppose.

Oh, I don’t think of death as an entity, or believe in any kind of afterlife. I was just riffing on the “rock & roll heaven” cliche, which invariably seems to mean Hendrix, Joplin, Lennon, etc.

I've always liked the joke about Keith Richards finally meeting the Grim Reaper, and being sent to the afterlife. There, he sees all the rockers he knew on earth, all gathered in a room with instruments. "Ohhh man, this is gonna be a jam session to end 'em all!" he thinks as he chooses a guitar and straps it on. Tuning up, he asks his old mate Brian Jones, "When do we start playing?"

"Soon as the boss shows up," Brian says glumly. Keith looks around, and for the first time, notices that none of the other musicians look any happier than Brian.

Before Keith can ask why, the door opens, and Karen Carpenter steps in and sits down at the drums, picking up the sticks and announcing, "Okay, everyone, 'Close to You' ... 1, 2, 3, 4 ..."