JACkory's Listening Room

The NEW BLOG is LIVE

2011-12-15T07:39:00.000-08:00

Okay, I've got the new blog up and ready, though there are still a few tweaks that need to be applied.

MY NEW BLOG

Hope to see you there soon! And thanks for stopping by the Listening Room!

BIG NEWS

2011-12-14T13:14:00.000-08:00

Well, I suppose it may be big news to someone...

Though the Listening Room will remain out of action for the foreseeable future I am in the process of putting up another blog...an "Agaetis Byrjun", if you will, a "fresh start". I don't suppose it will be much different in content than this one. Probably more of a "journal" with photos and videos gleaned from crap I find on the Internet and such. More of my own pictures, scanned and all. Pictures of the dog. Old school pictures. A bunch of crap like that. And I'm sure I'll post any reviews, write-ups, fiction etc. The main change will be the design. I know I could just completely overhaul the Listening Room, toss out the links and stuff, but I really don't want to do that. I'd rather just leave it the way it is, provide a link in a prominent spot on the new blog and start anew.

As for the Wordpress blog...I don't see myself working on that one too much in the days to come. It kind of took a turn towards a religion blog and I just don't know if I'm up for writing about that subject often enough to justify the upkeep of the blog. Plus, Wordpress is SO limited in what you can do with designing a blog...it's frustrating. Of course, not all of that blog was devoted to religion. There's a tribute to REM I wrote when I found out they'd broken up. There's a lengthy piece I did about a screening of Sigur Ros' film "Inni". A reminiscence of the first time I saw U2. I will likely cut and paste those into the new blog.

I don't know when it will go live but obviously I'll come back and leave a link when it does. It would probably already be up if not for some background photo issues I came against the other day when I first decided to work on it...so it would appear that Wordpress does not have the market cornered when it comes to frustrating it's users.

See you later!

2011-09-29T19:35:00.001-07:00

The Listening Room closes it's doors.

2011-08-02T18:44:00.000-07:00

Well, folks, after almost 10 years of blogging here at Blogger I have decided to make a clean break and leave the ol' Listening Room to the moths. It's not so much that I'm disappointed with Blogger itself...even though I really don't like the new text editor and the dashboard...but I've been wanting to do something with Wordpress for a long time anyway. This will be as good a chance as any to work out a new focus and direction for what I'm wanting to move on with. It will still be a haven of narcissism but hopefully will not get so cluttered with junk on the way. I've gone through many changes since first starting this blog, most of which were well documented in it's pages. I'm hoping to settle down now, to get comfortable with the worldview I've returned to. After all the stuff I've written about the "paths" I was taking with all the sidetracking and abandoning, I am very ready to get back to what I've believed all along...

You're welcome to visit and/or bookmark my new blog. I hope that my friends who keep up with this one will come with me. I would never delete the Listening Room because there's just too much history here...but from now on you can find me, if you so desire, at:

HALFWAY BETWEEN GENIUS & BUFFOON

Well folks, it's been a good run. Thanks!
James Casey

2011-07-30T17:36:00.000-07:00

Pure insanity.

Trollery

2011-07-30T08:21:00.000-07:00

On a trip to Oklahoma City a few days ago I engaged in a lively discussion with my son. He had recently written a blog post about Internet trolls for his site "Eyes On Everything" and so the subject came up as to whether it was necessarilly a "bad" thing to be one. Admittedly it had been a few days since I'd read his article, so I wasn't really prepared to talk about the points he had brought up. I think it was mainly about the definition of a "troll" and a description of the different methods they employ. It may have had a bit more to it, but we took the conversation to another level so I don't think it mattered that I wasn't up-to-speed about what he had written. In other words, there wasn't anything in the post that I didn't already know.

So...is it okay to be a "troll"? Is trolling a good thing or bad? If the former, to what ends? If the latter, why? What does engaging in trollish behavior say about the person who practices it? Does it matter? Is it just a necessary side effect of the anonymity the Internet provides?

Pretty vague questions, to be sure. Is it "okay" to be a troll? Well, you'd think it was no big deal seeing the vast armies of trolls plundering YouTube, facebook, Twitter and countless message boards/communities. The only way to avoid them is to ignore them (remember that, it's important...nay, essential). So is it socially acceptable? Does it even matter? After all, the rules have changed with the widespread cultural saturation of the Internet. Only time will tell if the intense negativity of trolls (and the vile screes of genuine haters) will become manifest in cultural indifference as time goes by.

But what do I think? Is it okay? Personally I say "no", it's not okay. It's not cool. There is nothing about trolling which benefits anyone, especially the one doing the trolling. It's a waste of time. The kind of pleasure that can be had in trolling is on the same immature level as picking the wings off of flies. It's mean and manipulative. Manipulation is what trolling is all about, everyone knows that. So who has that right? Who has the right to manipulate another human being? From where within the psyche does this urge to manipulate arise? I'd venture to guess that it's not a *good* place, and it's certainly not a method of catharsis that is healty, mentally or spiritually.

"But that's just it," says the troll. "It's catharsis. It allows me the chance to get out all my aggressions without physically hurting anyone." Sounds good, until you consider the chance that your mode of aggression therapy has the very real power to hurt another person. Feelings are hurt easily...this may not sound like such a big deal, kind of wimpy, right? People's "feelings"... they should grow thicker skin, eh? Well, they shouldn't have to. It's hard enough to deal with the bullshit life throws your way without having some idiot tell you your mother's a cow or the religion you hold dear is a pack of lies... And you never know. You could well be messing with someone who has just about had enough, who is one insult away from buying a gun and shooting himself in the head...or using that gun to mow down a few school kids before turning it on himself. You'd think that the remote POSSIBILITY of something like that happening would be a wake-up call to the trolls, that they would realize the "power" that is available to them can be quite destructive, not just some mischevious fun. But you know what? It won't. Because it's just too much fun being a troll.

What makes it so fun? My son says trolls are so into it because it lets them invent completely new personas for themselves. Of course you can do that without being a troll, and no doubt that is a very interesting experiment to conduct. But I suppose the troll aspects come into play when you try to push some buttons just to see how someone else would react to the avatar you've created. It's not you, right? So you can say anything you want. You can pick a cyber-fight. You can make someone fall in love with you, not even knowing that the screen name is not a real person at all (naive, I know, but you would be surprised...). And all of this without any repurcussions in the "real world".

So what does that say about you, my troll friend? It says that on some level you can't handle the real world and/or your place in it. The level of cruelty in your Internet jousts is in direct proportion to how frightened you are to hurl them at a real person, to their face. No integrity whatsoever. Does that matter to you? Does your anonymity change the fact that you're a coward, oh nameless troll? No, it does not. It magnifies it.

That is how I feel. I feel justified in expressing and holding these opinions because I once engaged in trollish behavior myself. For several years, to be honest. I look back on those days and I am ashamed of myself. I regret the time and effort I wasted in targeting people and waging war with them. I know why I did it, and I know how I thought it was so much fun. Those things reflect aspects of my personality that I should have left where they belong, instead of bringing them closer to the fore, giving them chance to grow. Perhaps had I not nurtured them by trolling they would be buried even deeper, robbed of the chance to do any more damage. I didn't care about the people whose minds I messed with. I said, "this person is a screen name, nothing more". That's all they were to me. I could say whatever I wanted because a screen name doesn't have emotions.

If you are a troll and happen to be reading this, please understand that I'm not judging or condemning you. Only your hobby. My only advice to you is that you consider the feelings of the people you are toying with. Go to a bar, walk up to a stranger, unleash your best troll line and stand up to the possibility that he will knock the shit out of you. You'll get what you deserve.

2011-07-30T08:15:00.000-07:00

I had a dream last night that I worked at Wal-Mart. I had put one of my own CDs in the store's player that piped in music for the store. It was actually a copy of the podcast I made a couple of months ago and at one point it was getting very weird. I got really scared that the management would take notice and I'd get fired. I expected to see customers with stunned looks pushing their carts around, heads turning to the right and to the left attempting to find out where the noise was coming from. So I went to retrieve the disc hoping that it wouldn't be too late to save my job. But I couldn't find it. It wasn't anywhere that I remembered it being. I was starting to get a little scared. It came to mind that probably they didn't even normally play music on the store PA. In actual waking fact, they don't, but I could not convince myself of this. I eventually did find the player. It was some strange component version of Windows Media Player. So strange.

A Commentary on the Sad State of Religious/Atheist Sloganeering Apparel

2011-07-28T17:59:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I was at Best Buy with my son. I don't remember if we were there to purchase anything in particular, just walking around checking out the merchandise. Best Buy is possibly my favorite store for window shopping.

Anyway, I'm headed toward the televisions when I noticed a lady in a green shirt that sported the recognizable Mountain Dew logo. My son has one just like it. At least I thought so until I looked a little closer and saw that it didn't saw "Mountain Dew" at all. I could have sworn that the shirt said "Meant to Die".

"What in the world is that all about?" I thought. "Meant to die???" Lime green is not exactly a "goth" color, so I figured it probably wasn't some suicidal message. Besides, she couldn't have been any younger than 45. She certainly didn't look like your typical Smiths fan. I doubt she'd even heard of the Cure. So what was this "Meant to Die" business?

I decided my eyes had failed me so I sent my son to investigate. He came back with the affirmation, indeed the shirt read "Meant to Die". That's all we could read of it, but I knew at that point, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that there had to be more words on it. Furthermore I knew that there was a very good chance that those words were either a.) part of a Bible verse or b.) a pithy slogan that would identify the wearer as a Christian. Most likely a variation on the product's own tag line.

Sure enough, a Google search turned up a similar garment on eBay which confirmed not one, but both of my suspicions. "Jesus MEANT TO DIE for you!" accompanied with the text of John 15:13 ("Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends"...I have no idea what translation it's from. Probably "The Message").

I've seen these shirts. I guess everyone has by now, but I've actually shopped in a Mardel so I've seen a LOT of them. And every single one is as hoaky and corny as it gets. I'm sorry if I offend anyone with my opinion of them but I cannot for the life of me understand why ANYONE, Christian or otherwise, would want to wear them. Okay, it's parody. Parody can be very funny so there's always the chance that people who buy them do so because they think they're humorous. I can even understand why folks would want to display a Bible verse or something important to them. But the verses are always associated with something really dumb.

For instance, there is a shirt that looks exactly like swag from the movie "Twilight", only it reads "theLight" with John 8:12 attached. How about the Subway deli logo mutated to read "HisWay" with the "slogan" beneath, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life". Or perhaps you'd rather have the shirt that sports the Allstate Insurance logo altered to read "Allfaith. You're in good hands. Providing the best life insurance since the birth of Jesus Christ". How can it get much more inane than "King of Kings" placed between the familiar buns on the Burger King logo. And this isn't even the tip of the iceberg.Though it's not a product rip-off, one of my favorites simply reads "Get STONED like Paul! Acts 14:19-20. Stand your ground for CHRIST!" I include it because it's such a fine example of just how stupid these things can get.

It was actually kind of difficult to track down a photo of the "Meant to Die" shirt. It was there in the links but when I clicked them it was apparent they had been removed. I can only assume that the good people at Mountain Dew were a little miffed at the theft of their intellectual property and took measures to save their brand from ridicule. It's a real wonder that more companies and corporations don't follow that lead. Then again, I suppose even a reminder of their ad campaigns and logos to the general public is worth a few cringes.

What makes a person want to wear one of these things? Do they think it's some kind of witness to the lost who just might happen to see it and be curious? Surely not. I cannot for the life of me imagine any non-believer stopping and asking about someone's t-shirt... Besides, you're supposed to reach out to them, not hope they come to you. If I, as a Christian, see these things for the kitsch they are, how much more so an atheist? People aren't laughing at the shirts. At least not in the way they might if the designs were actually funny. They're laughing at how pathetic they are.

Keith Green, whose ministry was defined by integrity and straight-forwardness, called the shirts and the other trinkets that go with them "Jesus Junk". And this was in the early 80s, can you imagine what he would think if he saw the pervasiveness of this trash now?

It IS junk, and it's a waste of money. It's an embarrassment to Christendom and a sad, sad testimony to just how irreverent Christians have become. Maybe I sound like Judas chastising Jesus for allowing the woman to pour expensive perfume on his feet...he was upset that money was being wasted, money that could be better used to feed the poor and help the needy. Jesus called Judas' bluff on that one, but I don't think there's a lot in common between anointing from adoration and spending twenty-five bucks on a Hane's XXL Beefy-T ruined by a ridiculous design that actually gives the impression that the wearer is only trying to "fit in". Yes, I do believe that is a motivator for people who get this crap. Everyone wants to be a part of something, and when they are it is only natural to want everyone to know about it. But come on! This is the church we're talking about!

$25 ain't much, but you'd do better to give it to a panhandler than the guy who owns the Christian bookstore in the mall (though I guess he has to eat, too...that's a whole different post). Let's all get together and agree to put an end to this cultural enigma. Let's get serious.

Okay...I've said some really, really harsh things about goofy Christian t-shirts. And I'm 100% sincere that they are a negative thing to the church. In that Google search I spoke of earlier I was led to an atheist blog where the blog owner and the majority of people leaving comments were saying basically the same thing (though not quite as civilly). It was clear that they disapproved, but I was surprised at the level of hostility the topic seemed to stir in many of them. Almost as if it were an affront, a personal insult to them that someone would wear a shirt proclaiming and/or associated with a religion. I wasn't surprised at all, because these militant atheists seem to be very touchy about the subject. In fact, I have noticed, in my travels through cyberspace, that there is a lot of hatred directed at religion and the people who don't share their worldview (funny, but it seems like the majority of these "attacks" are directed at Christians and Christianity in general). So it's only natural that atheist scorn for something as wacky as Jesus Ts would be expected.

The word "hypocrisy" began running through my mind. No doubt anybody would have figured it out, so it was strange that they didn't see it.

Let's do another Google search, shall we? And this time we'll enter "atheist t-shirts" in the search field. Or just go straight to "a theists online" (or don't, if you're easily offended). Here you'll find t-shirts, mugs, trinkets and other crap sporting these nice designs (warning: these are in extreme bad taste):

```The universally recognized yellow diamond that usually reads "Baby On Board", only here it's suspended above the Lord on the cross and says "Christ on Boards".

```"WWJD" = We Won, Jesus Died

```"Haven't you forgotten about Jesus? Isn't it about time you did?"

```"I Heart Roman Lions"

```"There's a sucker BORN AGAIN every minute!" (beneath a drawing of Jesus laughing condescendingly).

```"Silly Christian, Myths are for Kids"

Okay, that's enough. More than enough, actually. My point is obvious and surely it has been made. It's true that these things are not all derivative of company logos, but that's neither here. These are not meant to promote atheism so much as to offend theists. Is that what atheism is about, I have to wonder? Nothing better to do than try to bully people who don't happen to agree with you? See who can wear the most offensive clothing?

Friends, that is HATE, pure and simple. I don't put all atheists in that box, just like I know that most Christians aren't wasting money on useless garbage. But it is interesting to compare the stuff some Christians would wear on their chests as opposed to their unbelieving neighbors.

I'll take goofy over mean any day.

Skype Laughter Chain

2011-07-08T06:40:00.000-07:00

I love to hear people laugh. Odd, you say, for such a cantankerous old fart? I cannot disagree, though I may not be as grumpy as all that. This video is the funniest thing, I do believe, that I've ever seen in the 49 years I've been roaming this planet. It's the only one of it's kind, although there are some videos of people cracking up watching THIS video...it's just not the same. This one shows how laughter is contagious by a continuous chain of people laughing at the video of the person you've just seen (and that person only, so it's not a cumulative effect. I could watch many, many of these and not be bored. On the contrary, I would look forward to the next because the only sound more awesome than an orgasmic moan is a belly laugh. And that's a fact.

2011-07-06T10:32:00.000-07:00

...and for crying out loud, LISTEN TO THE PODCAST! I would say that I put a lot of work into it, and I guess it did require a lot of time and effort...but I enjoyed every minute. It's a chance for you to hear some music you likely have not heard presented in a format that is unique and original, if I may say so myself.

No Video of the Week...

2011-07-06T10:27:00.000-07:00

Sorry, folks, but I won't be putting up a Video of the Week this time around. There are way too many videos as it is on the home page and it's causing lengthy page load times. I'm planning on posting several more VHS-Digital videos so I can use all the space I can get. I realize that the omission of only one video won't help things too much, but I'll take what I can get. I may well not do any MVotWs for some time until I have more text to even things out.

I know this is difficult news to hear, but together we will get through it. Thank you.

Music Video of the Week: Bee Gees

2011-06-30T17:40:00.000-07:00

Better late than never and I love this song. My favorite Bee Gees song. Well written, well produced, well performed, they did it all just right on this one. Especially love Robin's vocal. No joking, I am not the biggest BG fan...I like some of their songs alright...but this one, in my opinion, is stellar.

"Alone"

Bee Gees

2011-06-27T19:48:00.001-07:00

I sit in the waiting room, hoping that my wife will be with the doctor at least long enough for me to write down a few things again. Not that I want her to spend too much time in there, and it is lunchtime, so my belly is growling (hoping for some pizza at the CiCi's we passed on the way here), but I've only now resolved to type out these observations after being detained for at least an hour anyway.

The room is not too full at the moment, and I can reasonably assume that this is the result of appointments being scheduled around the physician's meal breaks. Seven people, other than myself, are sitting quietly. An overweight woman in a loud bright green t-shirt has just now been called in. She was reading a paperback novel. From the distance I could not make out the name of the book or the author. Which is too bad because I have an ability to tell alot about a person by the books that they read.

In front and to my right is a young woman texting messages from her iPhone. She seems quite adept at it, as her thumbs glide quickly and effortlessly across it's screen. I can't see her face but her hair is a pretty, dirty blond that's been ironed to an almost unnatural straightness. She sits with her legs crossed and when she finishes texting she puts her hand up to her head as if to hold it, like a person deep in contemplation. It's a gesture that I can be found in often.

To her right, and up a row, is a guy sitting almost unnaturally still. He has medium length curly hair and wire frame glasses. He reclines in what appears to be a comfortable position and watched the television in the upper corner of the room. They have it tuned to the History channel, but that's all I can tell you about it. Usually they have it set to the 24 hour local news loop. No doubt this is much more entertaining, if not as informative. It doesn't matter to me, as I have my headphones on and have been listening to Sun Kil Moon's "Admiral Fell Promises" since long before I started writing this.

The girl with the iPhone just got called back, leaving one more empty chair for the crowd that will surely storm the place when 1:00 comes around. Chairs will be at a premium around that time. I already miss her.

But even as she saunters into the doctor's waiting room another texting female arrives. Unlike the last girl, I got a chance to see this one's face. She's relatively pretty, and I get the initial impression that she's a fun person to be with. Her purse is enormous. She could carry around an entire change of clothes in that thing. She is oblivious to the programming on the History channel, even though the TV is directly in front of her. Her texting is more important to her, which is obvious, but her technique doesn't appear to be nearly as advanced as her predecessor's.

While I wasn't looking a man came in and sat in front of the guy with the curly hair. He's filling out paperwork so odds are he is a new patient. That's a big hassle, having to do that. He's just wrapped it up and places his eyeglasses into his pocket. Apparently they are just for reading, seeing as how he has a pair of sunglasses perched atop his pate. He's drinking from a bottle of water and appears to be much more interested in the television program than the girl he's next to (the one I just described).

Nine Stories "Calling Her Name"

2011-06-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

I know I've posted a lot of video here lately...probably too much. But as I may have mentioned earlier I got a VHS-DVD converter and there are a lot of old band performances I'm moving to digital. Here's one of them. One of my favorites. We called ourselves Nine Stories back then...and this was before Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories, so I say it's OURS. This is sort of a punk rock type thing I wrote about an ex-girlfriend. "When I see her walking down my street it makes me think about the times we had...I know I ought to feel depressed or something but it really kind of makes me feel glad...to hear 'em callin' her name..." oh, baby. Those were the days I could bust out a killer lyric.

Music Video of the Week: Hot Chocolate

2011-06-22T11:59:00.000-07:00

"You Sexy Thing"
Hot Chocolate

...and a bonus video of one of my bands (King Tongue) basically trashing the song.

Clarence Clemons 1942 - 2011

2011-06-19T12:23:00.000-07:00

Clarence Clemons

January 11, 1942 - June 18, 2011

Not too many rock star deaths affect me deeply. But watching Clarence play his solo in "Secret Garden" on this video pulled a tear or two from my dry eyes. I wish I had the words to say how much I admired his musical ability, the way he was able to play simple lines that would blow away even the most skilled jazz musicians because of the passion he put into them. Though it's true that there aren't too many rock bands traveling the world with a full-time saxophone player on board, I feel it's safe to say that Clarence would have been the best of them all. As a sidekick he was irreplaceable. Like Dean Martin losing Jerry Lewis or Oliver Hardy losing Stan Laurel. The comedy references are apt, as well, since there was always a light-hearted and humorous rapport he shared with Springsteen. Man, I can only imagine how Bruce has felt the last couple of days, because it's obvious to anyone who has followed the E Street Band for even a short time that Clarence and Bruce were closes as brothers. Family. That's a hard one to get through.

His solo in "Secret Garden" has come to be my favorite. The top of a long list that I think of as definitive sax breaks in rock history. He really was the best. This one, however, NEVER fails to give me goose bumps and chills. It's like a ghost floating into a room, hovering, taking in all there is, like a sweet fog that surrounds everything, barely perceptible before it wafts back out... It's a lonesome sound, but not a lonely one. It echoes the tone of Springsteen's voice with all the innocent wonder of discovering a lover's inner world. The realization that, as much as your heart desires, you will never have ALL of her. The place that sets her apart from masculinity. That makes her a woman. It is a treasure worth all the gold in the world, but a man can never have it. What Clarence Clemons does with his tenor sax on that song is mourn the loss of something we men can never have. "Where everything you want...Where everything you need...Will always be...a million miles away"...then there's Clarence. Tenderly sending us off on that first mile.

I can't really explain why I like that solo the best. I think part of it is because it's so "Un-Clarence" like. Most of his playing is exuberant and/or anthemic. But in "Secret Garden" he takes an entirely different approach. Settled down, laid back, no longer stealing the spotlight up front...any man that can steal the spotlight from Bruce Springsteen has got major talent...but this time he's almost hidden in the music. His melody slowly twists through the simple synth lines that permeate the song from start to finish. He masterfully controls the dynamics throughout the entire arrangement, oh, it just takes your breath away. It's like every once in a while he'll blow a quiet whole note that augments the lyrics...and then he takes that whole note and stretches it when the solo kicks in. He stretches it and weaves it masterfully, letting that magic whole note branch off into hushed tones like threads in a tapestry.

I know "Secret Garden" is one of Springsteen's more commercial songs. I still have a tad bit of a music snob in me, I guess, because I feel I must apologize for picking a favorite Clemons solo from such a successful Springsteen song. Oh, not saying that he didn't have quite a few hits, but this one is kind of in the same vein as "Born in the USA", "Glory Days", "I'm on Fire"...you know, the Springsteen songs that just about EVERYBODY knows and likes. Even the people who have never heard another note of music from the Boss but maybe have "Dancing in the Dark" on a homemade mix tape, sequenced between Kool & the Gang's "Cherish" and that song by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam (I am still in the same decade, aren't I?). "Secret Garden" is surely a fixture on many "love-themed" playlists on the back of it's appearance in Cameron Crowe's film "Jerry Maguire". And that's cool. Because it kicked ass in that movie. It was placed in the perfect spot and it's no accident that Crowe didn't cut the soundtrack before Clarence's solo, because it conjured up the atmosphere so completely, if not even better than the lyrics...certainly with as much emotive power.

But yeah..."Secret Garden" is my favorite. I do, however, appreciate the wealth of Clarence's great performances in the E Street catalog. And it was a HARD decision, too. There were, however, a few Big Man moments that I want to acknowledge as some of his very best.

"Night" (from Born to Run)...jumping in after the machine gun blasts that open this track, Clemons gives this under-rated song a book-end hook that only shows up at the start and the conclusion. It's a clever trick...I mean, the riff is so exubarent, so catchy, a fantastic sax line that you expect will come back around in the form of a solo in the middle of the track. It doesn't. Springsteen's song structure teases, as if purposefully holding back...until the end. And there it is, every bit worth the wait, making you want to take the needle off the record and put it right back on.

"Drive All Night" (from The River)...okay, maybe I was wrong. Maybe "Drive All Night" is Clarence Clemons' best solo. Let's just call it a tie for number one, okay? It's just that the first thing I usually think of with this song is the Boss's wailing "heart and soul" outburst. The sax solo kind of gets lost, but only because I'm so smitten with the last couple of minutes. Clarence sounds like a horn man playing in a roadhouse some time in the 50s with a serious rhythm and blues act. He rips into the middle of the song with so much passion that there's no mistaking the meaning the narrator is trying to convey. An aching, somewhere in the guts, that hurts almost as much as it feels good. He digs into that place, gives it a sound for a moment, then moves over to let Springsteen do what he will (and can) with the inspiration he's just been given. I've always maintained that "Drive All Night" is one of the best love songs ever written. Proof? "I swear I'd drive all night just to buy you some shoes and to taste your tender charms"... You hear a lot of people sing about how much they love their woman, but few are so perceptive and brilliant that they know the value of shoes in a woman's world. This is a man who really has been in love and has learned the valuable lessons.

"The Promised Land" (from Darkness on the Edge of Town)...One of the marks of a great musician is that they are immediately recognizable to anyone who has heard much of their music. Not so much "recognizable", I don't guess, but more of like "That could only be Clarence Clemons!" And the middle section solo here has "Big Man" stamped all over it. I'll never forget the show of love the audience displayed for CC when he stepped up front to play this solo at the Tulsa show a couple of years ago. He had said that the last tour the E Street Band did, which included this show, were "pure hell because of the pain". We all knew that he was in ill health. You could tell. Even so, his playing was fantastic. When "The Promised Land" came around he didn't miss a note. It was an empowering thing, almost, if that makes any sense. Like a glimpse of that Promised Land Bruce sings of and an affirmation that yes, we can get there if we only believe in it.

"Jungleland" (from Born to Run)... EPIC. This might as well be Clarence's signature solo. It's almost like a song within a song, sandwiched between the beginning and end of it's namesake. He starts out with a melody that could have come straight from West Side Story and slowly, almost imperceptibly adds more texture to it until by the end of his part it's become something majestic. Yearning. Much as I love the other songs on this list, I would still tell anyone who has never heard Clarence Clemons play that the place to start is "Jungleland". When I was a kid - 16,17 years old - I played saxophone in my high school's stage band (basically a big band jazz thing). I wanted to play improvisational solos and the way I learned how was to play along with records. I got pretty decent on a few, but the one I played the most, the one I liked the most and the one I eventually played better than the others was "Jungleland". Such an incredibly cathartic song to play. I wish all of you could know just how awesome it is to play along with Clarence Clemons, even if it's only a recording of him.

"Badlands" (from Darkness on the Edge of Town)... I include this as an example of how well Clemons' playing complimented Springsteen's. Bruce is not a "show-ey" guitar player. Still, if you listen closely you will find out just how good he is. The Big Man shared that same quality. He wasn't a flashy player. He wasn't the kind of player that traded in "how many notes can I fit into this bar?". He knew what the song needed, and that's exactly what he gave it. "Badlands" is a perfect example where you can hear Bruce turn over the reins and let the Big Man shine.

"Born to Run" (from Born to Run)... I don't think I even need to say much about Clarence's contribution to this song. Let's just say his playing constitutes a high percentage of why it is possibly the greatest rock and roll song ever written. Listen to that rumbling baritone sax blast at the start...there's the foundation of the Wall of Sound Springsteen was going for. CC's solo is a tad faster than what he usually played but his signature is still intact. Listening to the song right now and I'm struck by just how prevalent his playing is throughout. Nothing but texture and shading. Exactly what the track demanded. "Born to Run" is classic not only for the song itself, but for the sound. I've only now realized how much Clarence Clemons contributed to that sound.

Okay, there are many others..."Thunder Road", "Bobby Jean", "The Ties That Bind", "Rosalita", "New York City Serenade" among others. But there are only so many hours in the day. Though I see Clarence Clemons' passing as a major loss, I never realized how much I really enjoyed his playing. I mean, of course I love it and always have, but I don't think I ever gave him nearly as much credit as he deserved. I would like to correct that here and now.

I think it was the Righteous Brothers who had a hit with "Rock and Roll Heaven". I'm sure you've heard it. "If you believe in forever then life is just a one night stand - If there's a rock and roll heaven then you know they've got a hell of a band." That band has grown bigger and bigger ever since Buddy Holly died, but one thing is for sure: yesterday they got as good a sax player as they could have dreamed of.

Music Video of the Week: ME!!!

2011-06-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting a VHS-to-digital file converter for a long time...yesterday I finally got one. I imagine there will be lots of posts coming up that will be culled from the hours of tape collecting dust on the shelves. Here's the first one I uploaded to YouTube: a performance of Hank Williams Jr.'s "Born to Boogie" which was recorded March 5th, 1998. Jeez, lots of stuff happened between then and now, I tell ya. The venue was Charie's Palace in Shawnee Oklahoma, where I was the bass player in the house band. $50 a night, three nights a week. Not great, but better than what a lot of podunk country bands get paid on the local circuits in these parts. It was a fun gig, but that may have been because I was never "in my right mind" when I played there. Not a single show, if you know what I mean. I do know this: my ability to play bass pretty much reached it's peak while I was playing there. I mean, I was very good a couple of years later with King Tongue, but the Charlie's gig was what made me get to that level. I can't play worth a damn anymore.

"Born to Boogie"

JACkory w/the Charlie's Palace House Band

"Gettin' in Shape" with Sireeno Kin

2011-06-13T06:10:00.001-07:00

"Yes I Know" by Memory Tapes

2011-06-12T14:26:00.000-07:00

I couldn't wait for Music Video of the Week to post this...

"Calvary"...a short film by yours truly

2011-06-08T19:27:00.001-07:00

Music Video of the Week: The Stone Roses

2011-06-08T07:50:00.000-07:00

"Waterfall"

The Stone Roses

Music Video of the Week: Sade

2011-06-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

"By Your Side"

Sade

GaGa: Meat dress for dinner

2011-06-01T14:05:00.000-07:00

I'm sick to death of seeing Lady GaGa all over the place. On magazine covers, on TV, on the Internet, everywhere you turn. You can't get away from her. Why has she struck such a chord with the American people? I mean, I have seen Facebook profiles of women well into their middle ages listing Gaga as a music favorite.

I saw her first video on MTV when it first came out (please don't ask what I was doing watching MTV, I assure you it was a 'WTF' pause in an otherwise boring channel surf). I thought it was campy and not really all that original. As her popularity increased I became convinced that her whole schtick was a combination of Marilyn Manson and Madonna. Both of whom have courted their fare share of controversy. Both of whom have also trotted out a penchant for deliberate controversy. Not necessarily to make up for any lack of talent, whether I particularly care for their work or not. But Lady GaGa, as a musical artist, hasn't enough talent to take 3rd place in a karaoke contest at a small town dive bar. It's entirely possible that she would agree, although not going quite so far with the analogy.

She has described herself as a "performance artist" and of course that's what she is. I'll even concede that she is a very good one. But the thing is: your average Joe Blow hasn't a clue what a "performance artist" even is. I don't mean that as an insult to anyone. I'm only saying that "art", to the majority, isn't nearly as important as what's on TV (precious little "art" to be found there), or who won the ball game last night or just hanging out shooting the bull with friends. That's all fine and good, nothing wrong with it. But these same people are the ones who have elevated Lady GaGa to the exalted position she is currently enjoying.

Which brings me to the other tool the Lady uses to increase her fan base: her fans. Or I should say her devotion to her fans. I have rarely ever seen a performer use so much PR time thanking and praising fans. No matter how outrageous she gets (meat dress, anyone?), no matter how hard she tries to be controversial (and maybe piss off a few squares in the process) she will always be embraced by her admirers because she has gone out of her way to make them feel like they are an integral part of who she is and the success she has enjoyed. And they are, I'm sure. That's the way it should be done, in my opinion. You have to become a part of your own fan base without kissing their asses. GaGa has come dangerously close but so far I don't think she's pandered to them.

She just doesn't, in my opinion, give them much substance to work with. Not that I would know. My exposure to her act has been about as limited as I can make it be. That's not why I started writing this, anyway. I am not really concerned with the quality of her music, and as I have already stated I do think she's a brilliant performance artist. I just get sick of seeing her picture everywhere and I guess it miffs me a little to know that I predicted a short, sweet future for her when I first saw that video. Now she's on the cover of this week's Rolling Stone (again). Such hype, such overexposure, surely can't be good for her. The American public, fan or no, is extremely fickle and you have to wonder just how long it will be before those loyal GaGa-heads jump ship for the next fly-by-night. Or maybe she'll actually succeed in taking things too far, so far that she'll lose a significant chunk of her supporters? The question isn't IF it will happen, but WHEN it will happen.

I wish her luck, I really do. I hope she saves her money and invests it wisely so she can live high on the hog for the rest of her post-15 Minutes life. She'll never be forgotten, I guess that's saying something. But Milli Vanilli will never be forgotten, either.

Which is not a fair comparison, I know. Maybe what I mean is that performance artists don't fare too well in the "where are they now" category. This is only natural. It's the PERFORMANCE that takes center stage for a performance artist (duh), while the artist creating it inevitably is forgotten. And the performance comes to an end when there is no one left who cares about watching it. Like a movie or a rock opera it can't last TOO long, else it's impact is consumed by the inevitable, essential boredom that is only natural when something goes on for too long. So maybe, for the sake of her art, Lady GaGa would do well to close down shop before she wears out her welcome.

All of this, admittedly, coming from the pen of a man who has given up hope for popular music several years ago, who won't be one bit offended if his readers tell him he's full of crap, that he isn't qualified to write about the topic. That's very likely true. But I did. I wrote about it. I wrote it because I was bored and noticed Lady GaGa on the cover of Rolling Stone and couldn't help but think how sick and tired I am of seeing her picture plastered everywhere. So that's really all I have to say. Cut me some slack, o ye gods of superstardom and forgive my apathy.

I'm discouraged at how I can see only absurdity in this phenomenon that so many people think is so "cool". I see her decked out in some weird half-naked batman outfit on Letterman and the first thing that comes to my mind is not "How outrageous", but "how ridiculous". And I think this transition I've undergone is a confirming sign that tells me I am starting to show my age. I am becoming less and less able to give a damn about the new and exciting. I'd rather listen for things I never heard before in the music that has shaped my taste for the last 40 years. You'd be surprised at how much there is. Either I've never noticed it or I've forgotten it. That's much more satisfying, to me, than pick and choose out of a new stable of bands, most of which are playing out a formula that was made popular by the music I've been listening to for years. I've already heard it, boys. Good luck to ya, because most folks out there HAVEN'T.

(note: I have, throughout this essay, spelled the subject's name thusly: "Lady GaGa". As I wrote the part about being so out of touch with pop culture I realized that my use of two capitals in her surname was possibly, maybe even likely, incorrect. Upon further investigation my suspicions were confirmed. Why did I think it was GaGa instead of Gaga? Hell if I know. But I wasn't about to go back and correct it, because hey, who really cares, right? Besides, I think GaGa is much better. If she'd exploded onto the glam scene in the early seventies you can be sure it would have been GaGa. My apologies to the regal Lady and her loyal posse of fans.)

Empire Bottling Works spruce beer

2011-05-29T08:06:00.000-07:00

Found this at Pops yesterday. I don't know what it tastes like, but I'm fitting to find out right now.

Oh, great God in heaven, this spruce beer is NASTY. I could only take a few sips and I'm done with it. It's very strong and has a taste that is very, very familiar, but try as I might I can't think of what it is. It's not too sweet...or I should say that if it IS real sweet the other flavor covers it up.There's a very slight hint of birch beer in the aftertaste, but not enough to make up for the spruce, which I'm assuming is the agent from which this rancid nectar is derived. I LIKE birch beer, and this, my friends, is no birch beer. It's a shame I'm gonna have to pour this down the drain, because it sure ain't cheap. But nobody else around here is gonna drink it. Oh well, I still have a birch beer and a bottle of Ski left.

Music Video of the Week: Porter Wagoner

2011-05-25T07:52:00.000-07:00

"Big Wind"

Porter Wagoner

Music Video of the Week: New Order

2011-05-18T17:40:00.000-07:00

Close your eyes...doesn't Barney sound exactly like Ian Curtis?

"In a Lonely Place"
New Order

2011-05-17T09:35:00.001-07:00

Roy Orbison: The Monument Singles Collection (1960-1964)

2011-05-17T09:34:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm having a pretty good stretch over at Vintage Rock. First my Cars review made it to the front page and now the piece I wrote for this new Roy Orbison collection is the feature review. What's next? I'll tell you what. I'm posting it here. That's all I'm up for right now. :) (There are a couple of grammatical errors, but I haven't had the chance to contact my editor yet...hopefully I won't forget...)

Roy Orbison

The Monument Years (1960-1964)

One of the first musicians I ever played in a band with had a serious appreciation of Roy Orbison. He might have mentioned it, I don't remember, but I had no idea at the time who Orbison even was. Looking back I can hardly believe that I was ignorant to the man's existence, let alone his singular contributions to pop/rock music. Chalk it up to a fanatical devotion to the Psychedelic Furs, the Clash, Talking Heads, Devo and that whole lot who were changing the landscape of modern music. I guess I got so caught up riding the "new wave" that I didn't have the opportunity to really delve into the masters who laid the ground work.

With age novelty fades. Substance survives. And so the wheat is separated from the chaff. The "new wave" is long past being anything that even closely resembles "new". The end result being a relative handful of artists, who were always worth remembering, right up there churning out the stuff with faddish combos so weak that even they knew it was a 15 minute party (if even that). No way these groups were going to find their way into the Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll...even seeing their name in a list of 1980s new wave bands on Wikipedia makes you wonder if someone might have slipped some bogus information in there as a prank. I mean, everyone knows that the "second Elvis" is Costello. But, pray tell, who can share memories of special moment spent listening to Crash Course in Science? The Sex Pistols, like 'em or loathe 'em, are still rightfully respected for wielding considerable influence in the justification of the "anyone can do it" ethos of punk rock (albeit 10-15 years after the Velvet Underground made everyone want to pick up a guitar and start a band). But the Blow Monkeys? Dolly Mixture? Human Switchboard? Pasta ZZ? Wow, all you had to do if you wanted to play in a new wave band was think up some kooky, surreal moniker and jump into the fray with the other groups who had little more going for them than even goofier names. I ain't makin' this shit up, people. Sex Pistols? That's kick ass. Rubber City Rebels? Weak. Weaker than watered down iced tea.

So, getting back to my band mate...I don't know that I would call him a "buddy" although I did enjoy his company. He had a volatile temper that was not helped by the bottomless glass of Canadian Mist/Mountain Dew that he perpetually sported. It wasn't hard to tell that he had been imbibing for the better part of his years. Legend had it that he was given the opportunity to play with a respected country and western entertainer and had even recorded a single featuring a couple of his original songs. But, as is so often the case, for every door that opened for him there was a barroom just down the hall... He always chose to walk on until eventually he was too drunk to stand and they shipped him back to the small podunk town he'd come from. I don't know if he ever hoped for that level in the game again, but it was always clear that he never learned his lesson.

Which is all a roundabout, pointless way to tell you how I came to be familiar with the genius of Roy Orbison. This guy I've been talking about, let's call him Bobby. Not to protect the innocent...but because that was actually his name (ha ha). Bobby liked to sing, and in this particular band he was our lead vocalist. Unfortunately he didn't have a whole lot of talent for that gig, but there weren't too many people wanting to front our band at the time. He got it. We played a lot of country songs, and he had this warbly tone that just didn't work well with that genre. We knocked out some solid rockers from the ouvre of Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, even Elvis Presley. They all seemed to be missing something crucial. Oh well, what the hell, it's not as if we were being paid the kind of money that would allow club owners to be demanding. We had a good time, Bobby had a good time, if we made it through an entire night without having to pick him up off the floor we considered it a successful gig.

So we're up there on the stage playing, having a good time even though the fear of a potential alcoholic breakdown from Bobby loomed large. The people on the dance floor don't seem to notice, or to care about Bobby's less-than-stellar voice. A goofy old Johnny Lee tune winds down, a moment to get a drink of water (or whatever), then Bobby takes the microphone... "I was alright...for awhile...I could smile for awhile..." The whole atmosphere in the building changed. "Then I saw you that night, you held my hand so tight...when you stopped" (pregnant pause) "to say hello..." A few couples saunter onto the dance floor, the others finally paying attention to Bobby, as if they know he's gonna pull a rabbit out of a hat. "Ah, you wished me well, but you could tell..." Here we go, this is where it all begins. "That I'd been crying...over you...crying...over you". Bobby's not even getting started yet. Even so he's got them all in the palms of his hands. "You said 'so long,' left me standing all alone...alone and crying." Those of us on the stage have seen him do this before. The total transformation of a man with just enough spirit left in him to entertain a forsaken dream even if only for the duration of one single song that obviously meant a lot to him.

"I thought that I...was over you...but it's true, oh so true..." No, none of us had taken the time to dig into his past deep enough to know the real story of why this song was able to bring him back from the brink. "I miss you even more than I did before..." Yeah, she had to have been one hell of a woman to pull off that job. "But darling, what can I do? For you don't love me...and I'll always be..." As the song had affected him, so his performance of the song seemed to affect the people in the crowd. I can't speak for them, but it definitely left a mark on me. "Alone and crying...crying...crying...” By the time he'd reached the majestic climax there were few dry eyes in the house and everyone who had written him off as "just another wanna-be, long fallen from favor," suddenly saw him in a completely new light.

Now, that's all fine and good. What does it have to do with Roy Orbison, you might ask. Other than the fact that it was a Roy Orbison tune he was singing. He must have sang it well, maybe it was the highlight of his performance. Right? He must have loved the song so much he felt like he should go the extra mile.

Maybe. But here's the deal...he couldn't sing that song any better than he could anything else on our songlist. He still teetered a little from the booze. That "warbly" aspect of his voice was still present and accounted for. Of course he loved the song. The audience picked up on that, maybe his high opinion of the number was infectious? Or maybe... Maybe it was the song? Now I'm not suggesting that any bozo with high hopes can knock it out of the ballpark like Bobby did. Somehow Bobby met all of the criteria that qualified him to do it justice. Don McClean, famous for what I think is one of the most loathsome songs ever ("American Pie"), sported the same credentials and his version was even better because he actually COULD sing. I've only heard K.D. Lang's version a couple of times, but the word on the street is that she does it justice as well. Still, and I truly belive this, it's the song that does the trick, all by itself. The song, that is, and the impact of Orbison's performance. "...like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays...Roy Orbison singing for the lonely...hey, that's me and I want you only..."

It could only have been Roy Orbison on the radio that day when the Boss came to sweep Mary away. Elvis could do "lonely", but never as deeply haunting as Roy, never as yearning. A whole slew of the great vocalists of all time can do "lonely", but Roy Orbison's voice has a quality to it that makes it universal, as if the whole world were suffering all at once. As if the collective consciousness were collectively blue and conscious of nothing else. At least for the duration of a short song.

Let's roll out the barrel and see what the other rock gods had to say about "Brother Roy." We'll start out with the big daddy of 'em all, Bobby Zimmerman:

“Orbison transcended all the genres. With Roy, you didn’t know if you were listening to mariachi or opera. He kept you on your toes. [He sang] his compositions in three or four octaves that made you want to drive your car over a cliff. He sang like a professional criminal. His voice could jar a corpse, always leave you muttering to yourself something like, ‘Man, I don’t believe it’. There wasn’t anything else on the radio like him.”

Like a professional criminal...heh. I like that.

“From watching Roy, I learned how to sing a dramatic ballad," says Mick Jagger (you know, the one with the big lips who dances like a 70 year old stripper when he's onstage. Orbison's wife, Barbara, has related the Stones' admiration for Roy, expressed when he toured Australia with them: “Keith [Richards] said everyone called him ‘Keith’ and they called Mick [Jagger] ‘Mick,’ but they called [Roy] Mr. Orbison."

Keef weighs in as well. In his biography Life he writes, "Roy Orbison! It was only because we were with Roy Orbison that we were there at all. He was definitely top of the bill...What a beacon in the southernmost gloom. The amazing Roy Orbison."

Top of the bill... that was the story when he toured with the Beatles just before the advent of Beatlemania. When all hell broke loose, when the teenyboppers screams threatened to drown out the music the promoters switched the line-up to focus on the fab four. The story goes that the crowd greeted Roy, now relegated to opening act status, with such exuberance and enthusiasm that the Beatles worried that they wouldn't get to perform their set. They stood backstage and jokingly taunted, "Yankee, go home!"

"Roy's ballads," says Bruce Springsteen, " were always the best when you were alone in the dark. They were scary. His voice so unearthly...I always wanted to sing like Roy Orbison." Scary in more ways than one, if you ask me. I mean, to this day I cannot hear "In Dreams" without thinking of Frank Booth, the ultimate pervert in David Lynch's classic "Blue Velvet". Scary, as in super creepy. But I'm sure that's not what Springsteen was talking about.

There are scads of rock legends who will step up to the plate and stand up for Roy Orbison. If you're classy enough to be reading a website like Vintage Rock I daresay I have told you nothing you did not already know about him. For he is, indeed, a legend and rises above the majority of his contemporaries. Still, I can't help but toss out this quote from the most verbose man in all of rock music, Bono... "Roy, the singer, people talk about him all the time, everyone curtsies to the voice, and so they should. The thing people don't talk about enough as far as I'm concerned is how innovative this music was, how radical in terms of its songwriting. As I become more interested in songwriting, you hit a wall where Roy Orbison is standing."

Yes, we know all that. Even if you've never even heard a note from Roy Orbison you feel compelled to hold him is high esteem, figuring that if Bob Dylan, the Beatles, the Stones and the Boss think so highly of his music, well, it must be pretty damn good. Still, if you are not as enamored of pre-Beatles rock and roll classics (like yours truly) you may have been content to leave Roy to the ones he inspired. Maybe come back later and check him out, see if he lives up to the reputation. I'm not saying you should be in any big hurry, or that the pay-off from such investigation will blow your mind the likes of which it has not been blown since first hearing the lead-off to "Won't Get Fooled Again". And I certainly won't say that a good chunk of it might strike you as "dated". Hell, the music is over 50 years old, what else would you expect? Even a lot of early Elvis' records sound that way. No doubt "Tommy" sounds dated to a teenager only now falling in love with music. Years and years down the road, if he really does fall in love with music, he will figure it out.

Will that kid ever come around to checking out Orbison? If he gets so lucky the experience will be akin to finding a golden needle in a haystack.

I've passed that stage of first discovering Roy Orbison. But don't think for a minute that I have done any more than skimmed the surface. I've never owned any of his records. Not because I didn't think they were worth owning...but because there was a new Talking Heads album out...or R.E.M....or Sigur Ros... I won't say that I feel as if the substitutions in these cases were worth the switch. Then again many was the time when I COULD have bought a Roy Orbison album but opted for some piece of shit the band name and title of I couldn't even recall for you. It all works out in the end, I suppose. I've come to loathe this attitude that if a "serious" music fan doesn't get into "***insert seminal rock artist/band here***", then he can't really call himself "serious". For instance, the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds". I almost feel guilty for admitting that I simply cannot stand it. There's not much to it that I find appealing, but if I were in a crowd of music hipsters and that opinion leaked I would be ostracized worse than Mel Gibson at a synagogue. You know what I'm saying..."If you don't like Nick Drake you must not be too deep into music", and the whole room will chime in their agreement, all the while at least 50% of whom have never heard a note of music outside of a couple of forgettable television commercials, and even if they liked what they heard they still hadn't a clue who the artist was.

Which is to say that I don't play that "music snob" game anymore, and if you tell me I don't know my shit because I haven't listened to Roy Orbison's entire catalogue, well you can go play a game of Kama Sutra solitaire. Because I ain't gonna lie. I hope you wouldn't want me to. I've never owned a Roy Orbison album in the 40 years I have been passionate about pop/rock music. Hell, I've never bought a 45 from the man, although I do feel like a doofus for that. My exposure to Roy O has always been via the radio...you remember those? Nifty little gizmos. I've tuned into my share of oldies stations in my day, and you're not gonna spend any serious amount of time hunkered down in one of those frequencies without hearing "Working for the Man,""Dream Baby" and "Oh, Pretty Woman" for starts. The majestic "Running Scared" like a three-minute movie sandwiched between "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" and "Great Balls of Fire." "In Dreams"..."the candy covered clown they call the sandman...tiptoes to my room every night"...I know the song is about lost love but it might as well been on a double bill with "Dracula," as creepy as that intro sounds. Riding high on that FM Oldies vibe, I'd sometime get a little rowdy, rocking around the clock, chastising hound dogs, feeling so loose like a long necked goose, because, oh baby, that's-a what I LIKE! Just in time to keep me from crossing the edge into irreversible rockin' mania, the DJ would slap "Crying" onto the turntable and twist the knob that sent it's sobering message through the airwaves. She's gonna leave you. She's gonna find another man. She's gonna make sure you see her with her new man. And then she's gonna walk away and leave you..."Crying." Love's a bitch. You can get angry at it if you want to, but when the last brick in the wall has been torn down, this is what it feel like. That moaning voice, trying to find a way to express the crushing birth pangs of loneliness. The hurt that rises up inside and seems to consume you, and the Herculean effort it will take to bust it out before it becomes as heavy and hopeless as Sysypus' stone.

You'll find that catharsis about 10 seconds toward the end of what I consider Roy Orbison's greatest song. The one that Bobby showed me, the one that he loved. Maybe I've stumbled upon the key to why it was special to Bob. He'd never been able to overcome the loneliness. Though he tried to get some help from Jim, Jack and Johnny, thinking they could pull him through, their efforts, well-intentioned as they were, did not have the power it took. So Mr. Beam, Mr. Daniels and Mr. Walker moved on, leaving him behind to roll the stone on his own. He couldn't do it. It left him a hollow shell of a man, but every weekend, when his band was on stage, he was able to draw a little hope from the well...hope, at least, for 3 minutes of reflection. A chance to remember, not only the crying, but the reasons the crying hurt so much. As if remembering the tears made it easier to look back from that point of heartache into a world that could have been. As if the exorcism of the soul-pain, for a few precious seconds, brought it all back again.

What an awesome song it is. One of the absolute greatest examples of "tension and release" in rock history. Right now, writing about it, remembering all these things...it makes me want to hear it so bad I'm tempted to take the time and effort required to queue it up on a Project Playlist player...ha ha, just joking there. It's nothing to find a song on the Internet. It just takes a minute and, best of all, it's free. How can you beat a deal like that?

Well, if you really want to know the answer to that question and you're in the mood for some Roy Orb or maybe haven't heard him and want to check it out, I would direct you to the new release of his definitive recordings on the Monument label, released as a new edition to the historical Legacy collection, entitled The Monument Singles Collection (1960-1964). It's a very handsomely designed two-CD set, with a bonus DVD that includes rare live footage of Orbison in concert. The CDs are divided equally between all of the singles and each of their respective B-sides. As is so often the case, the B-sides aren't quite as strong, but that may well be my own skewed perception from listening to "only the hits" all of my life. There's a very good chance that a seasoned listener would find them every bit as interesting and entertaining. As for the art design, in my opinion it is so cool as to render downloading the set pointless, or at least a considerable loss in overall value. A lot of people say that the CD format is a dying breed, and much as I hate to agree, it certainly looks like it. But this Orbison package is definitely worth putting on a shelf instead of your hard drive. Or maybe in addition to it. The disc art on both CDs is a faithful replica of a 45 RPM single with the Monument label. The DVD art looks like a film can. How can it get much cooler than that? The booklet contains detailed information on the personnel on all recordings...me? I had no idea that Floyd Cramer ("Last Date") played on so many of these Monument sessions. And I didn't know that Scotty Moore played guitar for anyone other than Elvis. Pictures of the disc's sleeves, recording dates & locations, all you could want to know about the 45s themselves, right down to the release dates and label numbers.

Rounding out the package is a 25-minute DVD featuring The Monument Concert, which is basically the Monument songs taken from an hour-long performance recorded for a television show in Holland. You could swear, from the audience shots, that it was filmed in a high school gym. Practically everyone there is a young pup and they may as well have been instructed, on pain of swats, to maintain their composure because they are a still lot, well behaved with a "respectful demeanor that would have suited Perry Como or Mantovani. Some tentatively nod their heads to the beat of the music. A couple even shyly mouth the words to the more popular songs. But you can tell they are enjoying themselves (all except for one guy, who stifles a yawn as the camera sweeps by).

Roy doesn't give them any reason to perk up. He stands stock still like a mannequin, with his backing band sequestered in a small corner, crowded on a stage that at least gives them an excuse to stay put.

On its own, the show is phenomenal, life-size stick figures or not. In fact, without gymnastics and stage show ephemera the attention gravitates to his rich, expressive voice. It teases at times, making you think that it won't be able to hit a high note or two, then shows you what it's capable of. Roy plays with the melodic lines without changing the melodies. Instead he uses inflection and a remarkable command and understanding of what he's capable of to add another color, a different shade, a new dimension to the actual sounds of the notes. You may have heard "Dream Baby" a thousand times, but hearing him sing it live is a very new experience, and I understand that this is the case with just about any great performer, but it seems to be more so with Roy Orbison, who could switch between a raver like "What'd I Say" to the mournful "It's Over" with such grace and ease.

The film is grainy and shows it's age. As far as I'm concerned that makes the DVD all the more enjoyable. Aged? Well, here's what I thought as I watched. Yeah, maybe most people are going to dismiss the footage as ancient and arcane. But if I were to extract "Running Scared" from the show, shop it around as a video from a new band, maybe embellishing things a bit by saying how popular they had become on the West or the East coast, or over the pond or whatever...I could sell it and it would fly, "cool" as any other modern ensemble with a gimmick. Of course, it wasn't a gimmick in it's day, but you really didn't have to have one back then. The Monument Concert is a hoot to watch.

All of that makes The Monument Singles Collection (1960-1964) worth owning. It may be the only Roy Orbison album you'll ever need in your collection. and there is a strong chance that your credentials will be reinstated by the music snobs based solely on your purchase of this set. I hesitate to say that the newcomer will be a fan even before the first disc is halfway through. There's even something for the Roy Orbison connoisseur: six previously unreleased bonus tracks that will do just fine as the cherry on top of the hot fudge sundae.

My friend Bobby passed away a couple of years ago. I realized that I didn't know him as well as I thought I did, or hoped I would. To my shame I confess that I didn't know him well enough to talk about his alcoholism as I have done here. I barely knew him at all. How well do we really know anybody, what with the hours spent apart? But I will never forget his enthusiasm for the music of Roy Orbison. And the song that might as well have defined him for me. So maybe it's strange, but I feel like this: I won't remember Bobby every time I hear "Crying"......but I will think of "Crying" when I do.

Bonus Music Video of the Week: Pere Ubu

2011-05-11T09:57:00.000-07:00

Sorting through the YouTube muck I found this little gem of Pere Ubu-ness. I would have made it MVotW but they've already been given that high honor (with "Birdies" from "Urgh! A Music War"). This was so awesome I couldn't just let it sit, so here you are, a second flash of genius to make you smile.

"Breath"

Pere Ubu

Music Video of the Week: Bob Mould

2011-05-11T09:42:00.000-07:00

"It's Too Late"

Bob Mould

2011-05-10T19:03:00.000-07:00

My review of the new Cars album (posted a couple of days ago) made it to the front page of vintagerock.com. I wasn't expecting that. Thanks, Shawn!

Music Video of the Week: The Cars

2011-05-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

Inspired by my review below, I have taken the liberty of giving The Cars the dubious honor of this weeks Music Video of the Week. This is one of their less than popular numbers from the criminally under rated "Panorama" record.

"Touch and Go"

The Cars

Okay, now I'm reminiscing about how great "Panorama" actually was. Gotta throw in this bonus:

The Cars: "Move Like This"

2011-05-04T14:43:00.000-07:00

This will be appearing on the vintagerock.com website shortly. I'll do a slight bit of tweaking before it goes live, but I decided to go ahead and post this original draft.

The Cars: "Move Like This"

The Cars are a band that seem to be stuck in time. That span of years, for them, was relatively short but certainly helped define the musical atmosphere on the cusp of the late 70s and early 80s. Some people liked to call them a "new wave band". I don't want to go into my reasons (call me a coward or call me lazy) but I never considered them a part of that genre. There was an accessibility to their songs that was purposefully lacking with the new wave groups. Furthermore, the new wave pioneers seemed to understand that they were part of an important movement (which they undoubtedly were). The Cars, on the other hand, gave the impression that they only wanted to make music without pretensions of a future induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Most of the people I knew had never seen a picture of the band, had no idea what they looked like, and for that matter were completely unconcerned with movements within music history. It was nothing but the music, for them. Sure, it was originality, but that's something my "9 to 5 get home drink some beer watch some ball go to sleep" buddies didn't know a lot about, at least not consciously. For them the Cars was just another really, really good band that had somehow found it's way into rotation on the playlist of The KATT (which was once, long ago when rock ruled, the premier innovative FM radio station in Oklahoma). If it was on the KATT it had to be good, and there damned sure wasn't any new wave on the KATT...for some reason Okies never cottoned to that stuff, let alone punk, which was shunned and ostracized like a prodigal son..."hey, Jim, you know what a 'punk' REALLY is? Heh heh heh." The Cars were on the KATT, by God, so they COULDN'T be THAT!

But for all that the fact remained...the music was awfully good. Catchy melodies. Lyrics tailor made for horny adolescent boys and the girls, just as horny in secret, they lusted for. Ric Ocasek's voice was just quirky enough for the class geek to identify with. Ben Orr's singing, the polar opposite of Ric's, gave a much needed balance to the over-all vocal atmosphere. Yin to the other's Yang, and it worked well, breaking up any monotony that might have crept in if they had gone it alone. The beats, the bouncy synth lines, the crisp, quick, spare guitar stabs...it all added up to a fresh sound that made you want to dance...more specifically it made you want to dance with the same exuberance as a wasted punk slam dancing at a Pistols show. Oh, you would never do that. But hey, no reason not to get wild during the chorus of "Let's Go". "'I like the night life, baby, she said"...Oh yeah. There you go. Ain't that what you wanted to hear from the girl who sat across the room in Spanish class? The one that made you squirm, so bad that you had to devise new ways of getting out from behind your desk without being embarrassed. "She's got wonderful eyes"...many were the times you thought you'd caught those eyes, that they'd turned to you and lingered for more than a second. "...and a risque mouth"...ah, but aren't those the best kind? Ric Ocasek has been around, baby, I don't care how goofy he might look in those Roy Orbison shades and the jet set mullet. When he wrote this stuff he knew the score. "I don't want to hold her down, don't want to break her crown, when she says: LET'S GO!!!" There it is! Kicking off one of the most powerful brainworm melodies ever recorded. LET'S DO THIS! This woman sure ain't tellin' me to take her downtown for a bag of chips, get a move on, I'm hungry and in a hurry, so let's go...Nope, Jackson. She's all about getting away and out of the house for the night. She may be hungry, but it ain't for a bag of chips. She is, however, in a hurry. She can't wait to take it all in, to bask in the electricity of the night life until the time comes when she says "Let's go!" again. Only this time she's wanting to go to MY HOUSE. Or, at least somewhere to be alone, God knows my parents would be waiting for me and they would not approve of what we have on our minds. Who knows how many more times she'd say "Let's go" by the time I have to drive her home?

Ah, the scenario I constructed in my mind as the visual accompaniment to "Let's Go". I can't be the only one who sees it like that, but then again you read the lyrics after all these years and it seems a little more tame. Still great visuals for the imagination but somehow not so charged with illicit sexuality. I saw what I wanted to see in the song, and it gave me no reason to take it for anything else. It's kind of like the scene in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, when Phoebe Cates (oh, did I have a crush on her!) turns towards the camera and removes the top portion of her bikini to the soundtrack of the Cars' "Moving in Stereo". I loved the song long before I saw the movie. I thought it was one of the more eccentric tracks in their ouevre and I liked that kind of diversion (as I had adored "Shoo Be Doo" on Candy-0). But now, forever seared into my memory, that incredible moment of voyeurism will inevitably be what my daydreaming mind will see when I hear those opening bars of "Moving in Stereo". In my opinion such association of visuals with songs in rock music videos is a bad thing and kind of ruins it for me. But in this case I have made an exception.

A Cars reunion was something I never saw coming. Even before bassist Benjamin Orr passed away I had doubts that such a reunion was, or would ever be, in the cards. Oh, but there actually WAS a Cars reunion. MINUS OCASEK AND ORR!!! The two integral figures in the group absent and missing, leaving only guitarist Elliot Easton and keyboardist Greg Hawkes. Not to take away from their input and influence upon the band's sound, but that's like the Stones touring without Mick and Keith. I'll be honest and admit that I have not heard the album, "Door to Door" that was the fruits of that project. To it's credit, AMG did give it 3 & 1/4 stars. Moreover the two had the common sense to name the ensemble the NEW CARS, so maybe I'm just blowing smoke even thinking of them as an actual "reunion".

But now, so many long years since their advent, Ocasek is back with the other guys with an actual Cars reunion. Well, as much a reunion as can be had without a key member, but at least they have an honest excuse. Ric tells Rolling Stone magazine, "This is not a reunion, it's more like a conjunction". Now I don't know what the fuck he means by that, but I'm sure it makes sense in some context or another. It sure looks and sounds like a bona fide reunion. Every band that gets together after many years on hiatus wants to start a few paces away from where they left off, trying to be as relevant to the new audience, the new generation, as they were to their own. Sometimes it works. Most often, in my opinion, it does not.

"Move Like This" is the title of the new Cars reunion album (and I'm ALREADY sick and tired of using the word "reunion"...sad enough, I'm sure I'll have to use it again before this is all over and done). It's a well produced effort, sporting all the digital technology that was still a dream back in the days of "Candy-O" and "Panorama". The bass parts have that gut rattling effect you expect to hear blasting from high-end car stereos dragging the strip daring the cops to pull them over on a Disturbing the Peace complaint. Ric Ocasek's voice has mellowed a bit, and this development serves the quieter moments well. But when the trademark Cars rock sound swings around you find yourself missing that quirky edge he used to have. Don't get me wrong, there's no way anyone even remotely familiar with the Cars will mistake that voice as coming from anyone other that Ric Ocasek. I'm very surprised at myself for liking this album LESS because of the glossy production. The Cars style is preserved, but it would appear that, for me at least, one aspect of their trademark sound was the actual sonics. Like maybe would "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" sound so awesome if it were produced by Will. i. am? Still a great song, but it wouldn't sound right. Would that even fly with today's music lover were it their first introduction to the Beatles? I highly doubt it, but I hope I'm wrong.

The songs themselves have less of an edge to them. Not only musically but lyrically as well. That's to be expected, however, when you consider that the lead songwriter is 62 years old. Time and age does that to a man, makes him a bit more introspective, gives him some wisdom that can't be contained and finds it's way into his creative process.

"Blue Tip" kicks off the collection of 10 tracks, and makes it glaringly obvious that, yes, this is really the Cars you're listening to. No one else. Not even the New Cars. It's one of the most "Cars-esque" tunes here. "Too Late" follows, with an introduction that almost conjures U2. It may not sound like Bono's crew throughout, but to my ears it doesn't sound a whole lot like the Cars, either. "Keep On Knocking", on the other hand, kicks in hard and takes you back to some of the band's heavier songs. They could turn the guitars up a little, if you ask me, and squelch that synth that hovers over the chorus progressively getting louder as if to say, "Hey, we're the Cars!" Yeah! I noticed that! Great song.

4 songs into the record and we come to the inevitable "Drive" sound-alike. It's pretty obvious. So much so that I want to hear it as a reflection on the friendship between Ocasek and Orr, who was the original singer on that song. It may be there, actually. I may just not have been able to invest the time required with the song to catch the deeper, read-between-the-line meanings. On the surface it's actually quite a beautiful love song. "Soon" is a perfect example of what I was talking about earlier, how Ocasek's lyrics have reached such a level of maturity that it very well may be the case that he will never be able to pen a Cars song that displays the essential youthful exuberance of the bands earlier material. Young at heart maybe. "When the starry night has led to dawn the thought of you keeps me dreaming on..." Oh, ain't that a long ways away from "The Dangerous Type"? Not saying that's a bad thing, but...

"Sad Song" is up next and, despite the hangdog title, it kicks in like the twin sister of "Let's Go". It's a strong track on it's own merits. May well have fit in perfectly on Shake It Up, but they would have been accused of copying their own sound from Candy-O if that had happened. But for a reunion it's perfect. "Free", another of the album's highlights, might as well have been an outtake from Heartbeat City. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it would probably even be one of the best songs on that record. "Drag On Forever" sounds like one of those songs where the band wants to move into a different direction, maybe to be more relevant. I'm not impressed, though. It's sluggish. I won't throw in any obvious jokey nonsense about the song living up to it's title, but there you go....

I don't want this review to come off as if I only give the thumbs up to the songs that sound the most like the Cars did in their hey-day. I don't think that's a dishonest way to view them, though, seeing as how this is a reunion album and is marketed, to a lesser or greater extent, to it's old fan base (because face it, how many in the iTunes generation have even heard of the Cars?). Still, I had hoped to be able to listen to "Move Like This" with a more objective point of view, as informed by what I know they're capable of. The last three tracks, "Take Another Look", "It's Only" and "Hits Me", are the ones that sound the least like the good ol' Cars we knew and loved. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely flourishes of the old style here, but the group sounds more like it's looking for a new direction, not resurrecting an old vibe. They are a decent trio. You don't really notice the million dollar production so much. Probably helps more than hinders in these cases.

All in all, a good album worthy of your consideration. Die hard Cars fans are gonna think they've kicked the bucket and wound up in heaven. Casual Cars fans aren't likely to cross the line into the realms of the die hard as a result of hearing Move Like This. But they'll probably enjoy it, even if they only listen to it once. As for myself, somewhere in between those extremes, I'll give the band good marks. Reunion albums don't generally turn out too well in many cases (have you ever listened to Vanilla Fudge's Mystery? You know what I mean). This one does. It rocks when it needs to rock, albeit without the same arrogance and cockiness as the band once did. It flirts with the new wave style,even though it's a subgenre that has practically been forgotten, and they get away with it. They still know how to piece together a beautiful ballad. Who can say what this record would have sounded like with the addition of Ben Orr, to make it a full-fledged reunion? Would it have pushed it over the edge into true classic Cars territory? Unfortunately we'll never know. But Move Like This is a trip down memory lane that takes you just far enough to remember how it used to be while still being able to appreciate the ones taking you there.

Music Video of the Week: Cocteau Twins

2011-04-28T11:55:00.000-07:00

Late again. Great Cocteau Twins performance.

"Pearly Dewdrops Drops"

Cocteau Twins

2011-04-26T18:11:00.001-07:00

hahahahaha

2011-04-25T18:42:00.001-07:00

Keith Green

2011-04-24T10:57:00.000-07:00

It's very obvious what, and who this song is about. It's fitting for the occasion. Keith Green wrote it in the late seventies and over the years it has become a fixture in many churches songbooks. It's not the only one of his pieces to have achieved that status, but it may be the first. These days you see it happening a lot, but where most of the "new breed" of "praise-and-worship" songwriters just slap a couple of lines from the Bible onto a pretty melody, Keith was able to conjure the same responses with his own lyrics. That's really saying something, if you ask me.

So we know who the "Easter Song" is about. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to tell you a little bit about Keith Green, not that I knew him personally, but his ministry and music meant an awful lot to me back when I was a just finding my way out of adolescence.

If there's one thing I can't stand, it's a phony, plastic, "God-as-a-hobby" Christian. And they're everywhere. You don't have to look very hard or too far to find one. I despise charlatan snake-charming televangelists who twist the words of the Bible into one big advertisement for their ministry, targeting the sincere, if somewhat naive, seeker, hoping for the chance to dig into their pockets for spare change (or life savings). There aren't too many things in the world that bug me more than a person who forfeits their own personality because they think it's not "Christian enough". Then they walk around pretending that they are capable, on their own and by their own power, of loving everyone they meet. You know...the kind that think it's their business to point out the hypocrisy of others without even realizing that hypocrisy, to one extent or the other, is a big part of the human condition.

Keith Green wasn't that kind of "Christian". I'm sure he had his faults, as we all do. I'm not saying he was perfect or even necessarily a "model Christian" for everyone. But he was to me. Between Keith and Brother Larry at the United Methodist Church I thought I had a pretty good handle on the things not of this earth.

Keith was a "no bullshit" evangelist and songwriter, not afraid to speak out against what he saw as the lethargy of what the church had become. He wasn't the kind to "court controversy", but how could he not take flack for lyrics like this: "The world is sleeping in the dark/That the church just can't fight/'cause it's asleep in the light/How can you be so dead/When you've been so well fed?/Jesus rose from the grave, and you?/You can't even get out of bed."

The song, "Asleep In The Light", wasn't meant as a mean spirited condemnation of organized religion. It was a stern admonition, from one of their own, that the job it had been given was not being done to it's potential. Not only that believers had become content to fall into routing and ritual, but that it had discouraged interested people based on irrelevant things like social status and other inconsequential factors, up to and even including race. Maybe none of this rings true at this point in history. But I assure you it was this bad and worse in the days before the "Jesus People" and the charismatics came along, in the late seventies.

Maybe this was part of what drew Bob Dylan to Keith's music. Just after Dylan's conversion to Christianity he knew he wanted to make a gospel record. He'd listened to a lot of them during that time, but the one that he liked the most was Keith Green's first album, "For Him Who Has Ears To Hear". He held it such high esteem that he even wanted his record to sound similar, with the same production and everything. This didn't happen, for better or worse, as "Slow Train Coming" took much more of a blues direction, with deep gospel thrown in the mix. Even so, Dylan spent several days with Keith and his wife, Melody, talking about the project and no doubt reading the Bible a lot. Keith made a point NOT to let it be known that he'd hung out with Bob Dylan. He knew what kind of attention that would garner, most of it for himself and precious little (if any) for the message he wanted to preach.

Now what does that say about the man? Is that not a worthy example of a man whose heart is in the right place and who lives by the maxim "He must increase, I must decrease"? How different from the Paul Crouchs of the world who pay pseudo-celebrities to appear on their television shows so they can drum up what they think of as "credibility". And with that "credibility" comes wealthier "prayer partners" whose bank accounts they hope to raid. How different from the stages at a lot of churches these days with the smoke and lights, the $10,000 sound systems, the musicians with their huge monitors at their feet (God forbid they not be able to hear themselves when they're praising God), spotlights, flashy guitars, rock star poses from the bass man (the old Johnny Thunders/Sid Vicious look), bobbing and dancing to the rhythm of the pulsating "praise" music, switching gears turning on the tears for the "worship" music...and all of it cries out ME ME ME ME ME. Oh sure, they're singing about God and even TO God, but you might as well be at a rock concert. Nothing wrong with rock concerts, mind you. I like 'em as much as the next guy. But concerts are SPECTACLES. Like carnivals or circuses. Is that what church is supposed to be about? To each his own, I ain't judging.

But Keith Green only had a piano and a microphone. Though he used musicians on his records, to my knowledge he never performed live with a band. He never thought of his performances as "church services". For that matter, he never thought of them as "performances" at all. He saw them as nothing more than a chance to spread the gospel. I could be wrong but I don't think he ever played in a church. He did, however, play in some bars.

When his records began to sell well he decided to pack up his belongings and take Melody to Texas, where they set up an organization called Last Days Ministries. They used their money to offer food and shelter the homeless. Melody set up a counseling center for single pregnant women, where they were encouraged to re-consider having abortions. Both Keith and Melody were the most adamant anti-abortionists but very compassionate about it. They weren't afraid to call it as they saw it. No matter what your stance on abortion may be, you have got to give credit to people who are so passionate for their cause, who will not resort to attacks or foolish protests.

They also set aside funds to publish and distribute their ministries monthly periodical "The Last Days Newsletter". Not only was Green a talented songwriter, he was a powerful writer in general, and his articles for the newsletter were well researched, to the point, and most often right on the money. He also used the platform to publish articles by Winkie Pratney, Leonard Ravenhill as well as the old standards like John Wesley and Charles Finney. Some of these articles were so popular that he would print them up as gospel tracts and send them to you, in bulk, for free to distribute.

He did a lot of things for free. Including "selling" records. Long before Radiohead made news by offering their latest record, "In Rainbows", as digital download "for whatever you thought it was worth", Keith Green made his third album available "for whatever you can afford". Down to, and including, NOTHING. And it was a great album, too. Entitled "So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt" it was, in my opinion, his best yet. Perhaps his greatest song, "Grace By Which I'm Saved" is from that one. Needless to say his record label was having none of that. They were, understandably, in the business to make money (which is not the same as TBN or Daystar Network...at least, not IMO...I don't think the CEO of Sparrow records is being flown around in his own private Lear Jet). So Keith made his own record label, Last Days Records (I really don't know what it was he had with all the "Last Days" stuff, because they certainly weren't yer typical End Times alarmists). "So You Wanna..." got good reviews and he was able to release another record using the same "pricing" code. "Songs For The Shepherd"...I was so impressed with this album that I wrote a review for it in my music column at Seminole Jr. College (right along with reviews by the Psychedelic Furs, the Pretenders, Bruce Springsteen. that whole lot). His rendition of "Holy, Holy, Holy" is the most powerful I have ever heard on record. And you just know that he's giving out a LOT of these suckers for free, whether the people recieving them can "afford them" or not. No doubt Keith would have thought of it as a worthwhile investment even if it didn't make a profit. But it did, and so he released another one in similar fashion. "Jesus Commands Us To Go" was his sixth album and the third he was offering as basically free if you didn't want to pay. I wasn't as impressed as I had been with the last few, but I may have just been recoiling from the message, as it had become extremely geared towards all Christians being missionaries to some degree or another. I'm sure he was Biblically correct with his viewpoints, but I just knew I couldn't do missionary work, even on the local level.

On July 28, 1982, Keith was on board a small plane scoping out land on which he could do some expansion on the ministry, which was growing substantially. He was there with two of his children. They had one more and Melody was pregnant with a fourth. I don't know if an actual cause was determined, but the plane went down. There were no survivors.

That's that. And I guess that IS that for all of us, man and woman, young and old. When it's done it's done. Keith Green ain't coming back. He's left a legacy that's helped many people come to grips with what they believe. Look at the guy in this video...can't you just tell that something's happened to him? I mean, that's one of the things that really kept me believing when I was young. People who had very obviously really been changed. Maybe that's why I'm so intolerant of people who work it the opposite way, who try to change themselves. I'm not saying people shouldn't do what they can to be obedient. But I'm looking for authenticity, for genuineness. It's hard to find sometimes and sometimes it's there but I just don't or can't see it. Still, I know it's out there. It has to be.

I hope y'all have a very nice Easter holiday.

Music Video of the Week: Cheech & Chong

2011-04-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

It IS 420 after all.

"Going Downtown Gonna See My Gal"

Blind Melon Chitlin (Cheech & Chong)

Lester Bangs, dead and in the grave, skewers Tall Tales

2011-04-18T19:08:00.000-07:00

Tall Tales was a band I played in for about a year before being unceremoniously booted. These days I can say I'm glad it all went down that way, but I've become painfully aware that I still hold a bit of a grudge. I'm trying to work that out, but in the meantime I've been lurking on the message board at their website.

Anyway, a few days ago there was a post that read:

>>>You heard 'Pot Pie'? (*"Pot Pie" is the newly reformed band's current CD)
Put your take on it -- bad, good, indifferent -- on this link. The 'most enchanting' review, as deemed by Tall Tales Leprechaun*, gets a free copy of '69 Minutes' (by Bastille Day, 2004) and a card. Merit is not determined by favorable review, but by style and swagger and spirit.
Good luck.<<<

So I just couldn't resist posting this reply....

Hi, I'm Lester Bangs. I've been dead for several years, but at one time I was a rather prolific music reviewer. You ever seen "Almost Famous"? Phillip Seymour Hoffman played ME in that movie. Yeah, I'm quite a cult legend. Go to the library one of these days and check out one of the post-mortem compilations of my work from Creem, the Village Voice and various other music rags. I think you'll agree, after reading them, that I know a thing or two about music.

Maybe it's because I'm dead, but I just didn't like "Pot Pie" very much when I heard it (that guy from Drowning Pool who croaked a couple of years ago somehow procured a copy and he let me borrow it, anxious to get my valued opinion). It just didn't ring true, that's all. Maybe there's a market amongst the living for a band of geezers who are rapidly approaching middle age playing frat-boy party rock with sub-juvenile lyrics, but I guarantee it'll never sell in heaven or hell.

Musically it has it's strengths, I'll concede that. Must be nice to have that tuneful Reid fella back in the fold. What in the world did you think you were doing without him? But someone needs to tell him that Peter Buck still holds down the guitarist slot in REM...there's no need for Robbo to impress anyone with his ability to mimic Buck's style. If I want to re-live the glory days of jangle-pop, I'll give "Murmur" another spin.

Back in the days when I still breathed God's good air and my heart pumped blood through my veins I was plenty capable of ripping an album to shreds, mercilessly panning it in such an entertaining way that even the musicians who I was lambasting had to admit it was a pretty fun read. But now that I've mellowed out in the afterlife I don't really like to cut people down to size quite as much as I used to. So with that in mind, I'll save my true thoughts on the majority of "Pot Pie" and simply advise the guys in the band to place an ad in the Oklahoma Gazette or Urban Tulsa seeking out a TALENTED vocalist. This wailing and caterwauling method that Danny Fallis has cultivated may have been acceptable (and who knows, maybe even slightly enjoyable) back in the days when he was throwing stuffed animals to the crowd at Club Nitro, but Jesus, the guy's got to be close to 40 years old now, and he sounds almost as pathetic as Steven Tyler drooling about the "kitty in the middle" while waiting for the Geritol to kick in.

I don't mean to be a party pooper, but the plain truth is that I heard "69 Minutes" had a couple of mildly amusing tunes on it, and I really was hoping I'd win that free copy. You DID say that the winner would not be determined by whether or not the review was favourable. I can't help it if I'm dead and find absolutely no humour in the Beavis and Butthead level of the lyrics on "Pot Pie", nor is it my fault that I would rather just listen to old Replacements, REM & Meat Puppets albums than cut any slack to a third rate imitation of same, even if you guys are earnest. You asked for opinions, and you got mine.

Now, I don't know how you're going to get my free copy of "69 Minutes" to me, should I be the lucky reviewer to win it (and face it, my review is the best, hands down...all that come after it will pale in comparison, and furthermore I have it on the authority of a higher power that I am 100% RIGHT about "Pot Pie")...after all, the Postal Service doesn't generally deliver packages to St. Peter's Gate. So if you guys are honest and fair about your intent to judge on "style, swagger and spirit" (and that's about all there is left of me, ya know, "spirit"), you'll surely award the free CD to yours truly...and since I cannot recieve parcels where I am, may I donate my free copy to Steve Ray, the incredible vocalist for Pitbulls on Crack? And if he refuses it (as he very well may, seeing as how he always thought Tall Tales sucked) maybe Dave Cantrell would take it. I know for a fact that he sold the copy you gave him to Wherehouse Music for a buck several years ago, walked out the door whistling a snappy tune and considered the dollar in his pocket to be much more than what the CD was worth.

It's too bad Wherehouse Music went out of business...I heard they had at least 29 copies of "69 Minutes" that they were giving away free with each new Smash Mouth CD purchase. The theory was that when the customer listened to the Tall Tales CD they weren't quite so disappointed in the dismal Smash Mouth music and were less prone to return it for a refund.

Anyways, thanks for giving me this opportunity to critique "Pot Pie". Don't quit your day jobs, gentlemen, that's the best advice this dead rock critic can give you.

Peace on earth and goodwill to men,
Lester Bangs

The Bugaloos - Senses Of Our World

2011-04-14T19:54:00.000-07:00

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Music Video of the Week: Psychedelic Furs

2011-04-13T06:30:00.000-07:00

"Heartbreak Beat"

Psychedelic Furs

Music Video of the "Week": Prince, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Dhani Harrison...

2011-04-11T18:18:00.000-07:00

Sorry I didn't do a MVotW last Wednesday, and most likely I won't get around to doing one this week, either. Not so much apathy as just...oh, I don't know why. But this one will make up for both, I promise. I'd heard some while back that the guitar solo Prince does in the George Harrison R&RHoF tribute was amazing, but I've only just now come around to checking it out. It is not only amazing, it will raise the hairs on the back of your neck. It will bring the goose bumps out of hiding. Only a few seconds into it and you realize that you're in for a real treat. There is a bit of showboating, especially towards the end, but hey, it's Prince. I'm not a fan of his work in general, as I don't really enjoy the kind of music he creates. I'll tell ya this, though...if he decided to put out a "rock" record and it sounded anything like this I have no doubt it would be an instant classic. Critics used to compare him to Hendrix in the early 80s on the strength of songs like "Purple Rain". I always thought that was a crock of shit, but honestly he hits Hendrix territory in this solo. But enough of my blithering. Listen for yourself.

"While My Guitar Gently Weeps"

Prince, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Dhani Harrison...

Amazing sand animation

2011-04-09T06:59:00.000-07:00

2011-04-03T12:00:00.001-07:00

Music Video of the Week: PFM

2011-03-30T08:12:00.000-07:00

Video quality on this one is pretty bad, but hey, I'm in a PFM mood, so we'll take what we can get, eh?

"Celebration"

PFM

2011-03-29T08:42:00.001-07:00

2011-03-27T15:05:00.000-07:00

Music Video of the Week: Genesis

2011-03-24T07:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry, a little late on the MVotW. Couldn't think of anything I wanted to post and besides that my wrists were hurting so I put it off. I'm pretty sure I've already posted a Gabriel-era Genesis track as a MVotW, but positive I've never picked one from the Collins years. I'm just starting to get over a snobbish attitude for post-Gabriel/Hackett Genesis so I figured this one would be a worthwhile selection. To all the haters out there...come on...close your eyes and imagine Peter Gabriel singing this song all decked out in some outlandish costume. Not a far stretch of the imagination, as I see it. But nobody likes Phil Collins. I read an article about that very same subject in Rolling Stone a couple of months ago. Came away from it with a whole new respect for the man and a stronger disdain than I already have for music snobs (from whose ranks I have thankfully extricated myself). People used to praise REM for not sticking to the same formula, trying out a new sound/style with each successive record. But Genesis? I guess your typical prog-rocker is not so generous or adventurous. Fact of the matter is that Collins' led Genesis have recorded some really good, substantial music since the mid-70s. Phil is a vocalist who may not be as versatile as Gabriel, but no one could ever accuse ol' Pete of being a "fine singer", either. Truth be told Collins can ape Gabriel note for note when/if he wants to. I'm sure I'm not the only one who initially didn't know that it was Phil, not Pete, who sang the lead vocals on "For Absent Friends" (from the seminal "Nursery Cryme" album). But no matter, whether Phil can sing or not...most bands would succumb to the pressure of losing two key members in the span of a scant few years...one of whom is a charismatic lead vocalist who is the sort of figure that almost overshadows band mates no matter how talented they are. One can argue that once they hit their stride (ie. began to churn out the hits) they abandoned the whole "change" idea. But what the hell, eh? And then there were three...eh? 2/5s or their writing input is long gone. You're basically left with the rhythm section. Not too many bands could pull that off so successfully. And anyone who discounts their last 4 or 5 records because they may not be "prog" enough for them have obviously never listened to them. No, the prog isn't easily found, but there is some in the mix. Very good prog, at that. At least by my definition of prog.

Anyhoo, enough warbling about things no one can change, whether they'd want to or not. Here's a Collins-era Genesis song that it took me a long time to get into. But Phil's weird-ass laugh and lecherous growl won me over. Enjoy.

"Mama"

Genesis

Music Video of the Week: Gorecki

2011-03-15T20:48:00.000-07:00

Symphony No. 3 (2nd Movement)

Henryk Gorecki

2011-03-15T18:13:00.001-07:00

a love lost between two photos

2011-03-10T19:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I scanned a ton of photographs of my father (who passed away in 1999). I came across one that really hit home in an awful, sad way. I don't know why I'm posting this here, but I'm going to anyway.

My mom and dad in the mid-50s. I don't know anything about the particulars of this photo. It looks like it was taken at one of those booths you used to see in grocery stores and places like that. But good God, just look how happy they are. If those aren't two people who are madly in love then I have never seen any. I doubt they were married at this point, but dad already sports an expression that says, "she's mine". Just a hint of possessiveness, like you just know that if someone were to try and mess around with her he would get the beat-down of his life. And she looks as if she wants nothing more than to let him do it. As for me, I don't remember them being nearly as close as they look like they were then. It's nice, though, to know that they were happy together when I was born.

Now, fast forward to 1976 or 1977 (not exactly sure, but it was one or the other),,,

Oh, my God...what happened? Mom looks like she resents having to pose with him, to even be that close to him. She had bleached her hair not too long before this picture, and I've long suspected that she did it to sort of try and "become a new person" to whatever small extent. I never liked it. I can't quite suss out what dad is thinking/feeling by the look on his face. I know he was kind of stubborn...and he still has this possessive quality in his expression, but instead of being possessive of wanting to keep and protect her, this is more the look of a man who is going to make sure she won't leave. He probably thought he had that job done all the way up until she DID leave, and I guarantee he wasn't looking anything like this when it happened. At any rate, it is a very uncomfortable moment. There's no way of knowing who was the person that requested this photo be taken. Most likely I'm the one who snapped the picture, but I can't imagine me insisting on such a portrait. I'd already settled in my mind the eventuality that they would be divorced sooner rather than later. Most likely dad wanted the photograph taken, which would explain mom's demeanor.

This is what it comes down to. No, not for everyone...hopefully none but the unlucky few...but between these two portraits is the degeneration of a love that seemed so promising but instead deteriorated past the point of no return. What can I say? I guess I should give them credit for toughing it out for as long as they did. They always provided for us (my brother and I). It wasn't pleasant during those last couple of years, what with the constant shouting matches and dad trying to pull us kids into the arguments. No, I don't guess I can say too much good about the situation as it became, other than the aforementioned constant provision.

Yes, it is very, very hard for me to recall those hard times. It always has been. How things would have been so much different had they stayed together. I might still have a relationship with my mother, something I haven't had or wanted in several years. I believe that my father would still be alive today, had they remained a couple...of course I have my reasons for thinking that, but it's not something I want to go into here and now. All that is horrible to remember...but I think this is even worse.These photographs document it. The decay of a relationship that began with such love and promise. That ended with so much bitterness.

I hope to learn a lesson from this...

Music Video of the Week: Matthew Good Band

2011-03-09T14:31:00.000-08:00

"Strange Days"

Matthew Good Band

Cymbalta...no thank you

2011-03-08T06:41:00.000-08:00

I've seen the television ads for Cymbalta, an anti-depressant, and I thought, "hey, this may well be just what I need!" But since I take other medications I wanted to make sure there would be no dangerous interactions. So I googled it and this is what I found:

Common Cymbalta Side Effects:

Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome:

Cough; nausea; diarrhea; constipation; dizziness; dry mouth; fever; frequent urination; headache; lack or loss of strength; loss of appetite; muscle aches; sleepiness or unusual drowsiness; sleeplessness; sore throat; stuffy or runny nose; increased sweating; difficulty sleeping; insomnia; unusual tiredness or weakness; vomiting; weight loss

Less Common Cymbalta Side Effects:

Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome:

Abnormal orgasm; acid or sour stomach; belching; change or problem with ejaculation; decreased interest in sex; difficulty in moving; erectile dysfunction; fear; feeling of warmth or redness of the face, neck, arms and occasionally, upper chest; heartburn; indigestion; joint pain; muscle aching or cramping; muscle pains or stiffness; nervousness; shakiness in legs, arms, hands, feet; stomach discomfort upset or pain; sudden sweating; swollen joints; trembling or shaking of hands or feet

Always notify your doctor if you experience these Cymbalta side effects:

Abdominal or stomach pain; fast heartbeat; blistering, peeling, loosening of skin; chills; clay-colored stools; cold sweats; confusion; convulsions; dark urine; decreased urine output; difficulty swallowing; eye pain; general tiredness; itching, puffiness, or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes, face, lips or tongue; increase thirst; itching; joint or muscle pain; swelling on face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, and/or sex organs; light-colored stools; red irritated eyes; red skin lesions, often with a purple center; redness of skin; sores, ulcers, or white spots in mouth or on lips; swelling of face, ankles, or hands; tearing; tightness in chest; bad breath; upper right abdominal pain; wheezing; yellow eyes and skin

If you experience any of the following serious Cymbalta side effects, stop taking Cymbalta and contact your doctor immediately or seek emergency medical treatment:

difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; hives; an irregular heartbeat or pulse; low blood pressure; dizziness, fainting, lightheadedness or weakness; high blood pressure; severe headache; blurred vision or other difficulty seeing; chills or fever; unusual bleeding or bruising; rash; coma; vomiting of blood

Other Cymbalta side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. If you notice anything unusual while taking Cymbalta, check with your doctor.

***********************************

Uh, did I read that right? OTHER SIDE EFFECTS NOT LISTED??????? As if those aren't more than enough to keep me as far away from this poison as possible? I understand that there are going to be side effects with all medications and that not everyone will experience all, many, or in the rare case, any of them. Still, look at that list and tell me you wouldn't proceed with the utmost caution in deciding if the "cure" is worth the "curse" of these side effects. As for me, I see it as if one were to reach into a basket full of poisonous snakes in order to retrieve treasure. A crap shoot. Playing with fire.

If you're gonna DIE for NOT taking this stuff then I guess you've got no choice. Otherwise...it's up to each individual to choose.

I'll wait until psychiatric medicine has evolved to the point where I don't feel like a guinea pig for taking stuff like this. I consider myself more than lucky that I've been able to find a combination of medicines that manifest relatively few side effects (even if a couple of them are a real pain and detract from my quality of living, at least I won't have red skin lesions with purple centers and white spots on my mouth and in my lips, not to mention vomiting blood and swollen genitalia).

Sigur Row at Akifunu, International Forum Hall, 2003

2011-03-04T14:28:00.000-08:00

Sigur Rós - Akifumu, Int. Forum Hall 2003.04.14 from Victoryrosemusic Blogspot on Vimeo.

2011-03-03T17:47:00.001-08:00

Music Video of the Week: Deerhunter

2011-03-02T06:43:00.000-08:00

"Helicopters"

Deerhunter

JACkory: Your Letter

2011-02-28T11:04:00.001-08:00

The Beatles "Rain" multi-cam

2011-02-26T17:04:00.001-08:00

2011-02-23T09:24:00.000-08:00

My computer was shipped back to me with a broken screen. Fuckers. Fortunately, as it turns out I will be able to get a new one this evening (assuming I find the right model at the right price with the features I need).

Though I am excited about getting the new laptop it's still a bitch because I lost some stuff I really wanted to keep. Not much, but you know...I put a lot of work and effort into cataloging my CD collection into a database...history. I had a slew of Jonsi concert zip files and they're gone, baby gone. Stuff I'd collected to use in my Acid Studio projects...several files I'd ripped from old cassette tapes of bands I used to play in and even a few recordings of my son playing when he was, like, three years old. Luckily I still have the original tapes so it will only be the hassle of doing it all again that makes me angry. Also very lucky that I still have the CD-R software disc for the Acid Studio. It will be the first program I install on the new machine (right after the AVG). However I WILL be losing everything I started on but didn't get a chance to finish as well as the loops, one shots, sound bytes and raw material I've been collecting over the past two and a half years. I'll have to make my Internet "favorites" list all over again...it was stocked pretty full, especially with mp3 music blogs. I'll be able to retrieve some of them that are subscribed to in my reader, and a lot of them were exported to a Delicious account, so I'm hoping the loss on that front won't be too bad.

Oh well...I guess I was ready for a fresh start. At least I'll have a working DVD drive and won't have to use a USB headphone jack. It will probably take a little time to get used to Windows 7 but I don't foresee that being a huge issue. There were 2 or 3 things I didn't like about my VAIO, things that, had I known about them, would have influenced my decision of whether to purchase it or not. It will work out okay, I hope.

Music Video of the Week: Mark Kozelek

2011-02-23T09:09:00.000-08:00

"Katy's Song"

Mark Kozelek

Music Video of the Week: Bryan Ferry

2011-02-16T08:07:00.000-08:00

"Slave to Love"

Bryan Ferry

Sorry I didn't post last week. You'll notice I haven't posted much of ANYTHING in the last week or so. I can't account for the last several days before yesterday, but my computer is currently at the shop with a screwed up AC jack. Required repair, seeing as how the battery in the thing has been dead for a couple of years. I'll also be getting a new DVD drive put in to replace the other that, much like the battery, conked out around that time. Not really essential, as I have made do without it for so long, I could probably get by until I get lucky enough to purchase a new computer (but who knows when that will be? Not soon enough for me, I tell you).

I'm thinking it will be around this time next week that I'll get the sucker back, maybe a little sooner if I get lucky. Until then, there's some really cool shit stored in the archives. Take a trip back in time and see the goodies I have waiting for you.

A difficult question

2011-02-09T09:19:00.000-08:00

I'd like to propose a question...if you choose to respond you may reply in a comment. If you wish to keep your answer private, you can always log in as "anonymous" or, even better, send your answer to my facebook page. It is a very serious THEORETICAL question that will likely make many of you feel uneasy. You may well wish to ignore it for that very reason. I certainly would understand. But I would appreciate the input of anyone who chooses to answer, and much more so for those who would offer the reasons for their answers.

Straight up front, I am interested in the importance of the tenets of religion in a practical manner. Not necessarily the abandonment of faith (unless that is the conclusion that the person arrives to). And it's not necessarily about choosing one faith/belief system over another (once again, unless the individual decides that such action is required in his/her particular instance). That's really all the explanation I think is required, as the purpose of the question is fairly obvious.

Here is the question:

Theoretically, your son or daughter is diagnosed with terminal cancer and realistically has less than a year to live. If you don't have children, substitute with any other VERY close relative or friend. Now, suppose that you learn, in such a manner that absolutely NO doubt can be cast on the "relevator"'s authority, ability and reliability to do as promised, that your relative/friend would be completely healed to lead a very long and productive life...with one condition:

You have to give up/deny a central tenant of your belief system (or lack of belief, if you are an atheist). You may not be told which one, or then again, you might. But one thing is for sure, it will be a belief that would wreck your individual understanding of God. Not that you would completely lose your faith, but you'd definitely have to, more or less, "start over again from scratch, witholding the denied tenet". Example: it could be the Virgin Birth, if you're a Christian. Or even the resurrection. A Hare Krishna devotee might be asked to stop chanting. A Muslim might be required to stop praying towards Mecca daily. A Jew might be expected to halt the practice of infant circumcision.

This is what you're asked to do in order to save the life of your child. Or your mother. Or your father. Sister or brother, whoever and whichever has the strongest emotional attachment to you. If you don't accept the offer, he/she will surely, without a doubt, die within the year. You may live the rest of your life in grief and mourning, tied down to the knowledge that you could have saved his/her life if you'd accepted the terms. You could call it a sacrifice made for the sake of your religion, which you firmly believe to be the inspired revelation and truth of God. Your sacrifice to your faith would be literally the sacrifice OF your loved one.

But, on the other hand, if you DO abandon that certain tenet required of you, what then? If you're a Christian, will you go to hell when you die? If Hindu, will you remain stuck on the Karmic wheel indefinitely as a lower form of being? And how would you go through the rest of your life KNOWING that, according to the religion you've just torn down? Damned for all time, fully aware. Within this scenario there's no way you can gain back what you've given away. Which would be worse? Certain damnation or your remaining years filled with grief and despair at your own hands?

"We'll meet again in heaven", you might say if you'd stuck to your guns and watched your child die. Here's the deal: IS THAT ENOUGH? Is your faith so strong, the certainty of your sureness so infallible that you're willing to take that chance? Not for the sake of others, as this exchange would be between you and the "miracle worker" alone. But you alone will live with your decision. What if your child had not been baptized yet? What if he had never "accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior"? What happens to your idea of "seeing your boy in heaven"?

But is it fair to ask that?

I'm sure it's not "fair" to ask the question I'm asking now, anyway. But it gave me time to reflect on important things when it came to me, and maybe it will do the same for you.

Thanks all, for your consideration, even if you choose not to respond.
jc

Sigur Ros on NPR's Bryant Park Project show

2011-02-05T12:31:00.001-08:00

I'm fairly certain I've already posted this, but it's been a long time ago. Might as well post it again.

2011-02-03T19:59:00.001-08:00

This makes me want to pull my dusty copy of A Course in Miracles off the shelf and read it again.

2011-02-01T15:50:00.001-08:00

Music Video of the Week: Beethoven (Kempff)

2011-02-01T08:21:00.000-08:00

A day early for the Music Video of the Week. I might as well blame it on the blizzard like conditions outside. But that won't do, because we're gonna be snowed in tomorrow anyway. Nowhere to go. There is, however, the chance, loath as I am to even mention it, that the power lines will be down, so I figured I might as well post today while I still have an idea of what exactly I want to feature this week.

The last few days I have been on a real Beethoven kick, and it seems as if the piano sonatas are the forms I keep returning to. By the time I'm done with it I hope to have a much greater appreciation of the great man's music. So here's the complete Moonlight Sonata as performed by Wilhelm Kempf.

1st movement:

2nd movement

3rd movement:

"Moonlight Sonata"

Ludwig Van Beethoven

(performed by Wilhelm Kempf)

2011-01-28T06:06:00.000-08:00

Music Video of the Week: The Clash

2011-01-26T17:05:00.000-08:00

"Rock the Casbah"

The Clash

17th Anniversary Travelogue

2011-01-23T10:06:00.000-08:00

Seventeen years I've been married to my wife. Not all of them were good, but I have to take the blame for those that weren't. She's been nothing but good to me all this time, whether I've wanted to admit it or not. I'm admitting it now. I am sure I had no idea what "love" actually is until I spent a few years with her. It's certainly not like what I thought it was.

We went to Tulsa to celebrate last night so I thought I would write down a travelogue of sorts. This time next year (or several years down the road) I can come back to this and be reminded of the weekend, right down to the trivial details.

We left town just after two o'clock, having run some errands just before. The decision had been made to have dinner at Uno, which is a Chicago style pizza place that I had eaten at a long time ago. I remembered it being very good but that's all. We'd booked a room at the Marriot and planned on checking in immediately after eating.

Unfortunately things began to go awry before we even got to Tulsa. I normally don't use our GPS because we never figured out how to turn off the warning chime that goes off even if you're only going a couple of miles over the speed limit (I found out later that one of my wife's relatives had fixed it). But I decided to go ahead and use it since I wasn't completely sure of how to get to Uno. I didn't bother writing down driving directions, as I had no reason to believe that the GPS would steer me wrong.

But it did.

Oh, I'm sure the issues had more to do with faulty programming...and the fact that we hadn't updated it in a long time and there's a lot of construction on 44. I should have known that the first turn it directed us to make was not the one we should have made. It looked like a residential area. I don't know, it might have gone on through to where we wanted to go, but I wasn't going to risk driving on the slush and ice that was left over from the storm a few days ago (and which, by the way, was beginning to harden again as the temperatures descended). So we backed up and out, listened to the TomTom and turned right again 10 blocks down. At least this street didn't have the ice and appeared to be a through street.

It took us to I-44 and I finally knew where I was. I really thought I had it licked until the construction zone came into view. A massive undertaking, obviously. This is the point, I'm sure, when the GPS' insufficient data programming threw us completely off the path.

It wasn't TOO long a delay (meaning that it didn't take all that long, but ANY delay was TOO long at this point). I did find the street address. Or at least, I found the general vicinity. I've driven by Uno several times and I know what their sign looks like. I wasn't seeing it. We turned the GPS back on and it took us to the exact address. But there was no Uno. Apparently Uno had gone out of business. It would have been nice if their website hadn't said that they still had a location in Tulsa. Instead there was a T.G.I. Fridays...I think that's what it's called. I've seen their commercials on TV. Never struck me as a place I would want to eat at. The wife didn't express any desire to eat there, so we motivated in search of an alternate.

Eventually we decided on the Olive Garden. We both had steak. The wife had some kind of parmesan glazed sirloin (I think) and I had a slightly larger center cut steak, the style of which I could not tell you. Both ordered well done, no pink, as per our usual preference. Unfortunately, as is all too often the occasion, they were not delivered to us in quite the fashion in which we asked for them. Hers was noticeably pink in the middle. I don't think it was quite in the medium rare category, but pretty close. Mine wasn't quite as undercooked. It was only a tad beneath well done. Still, much pinker than I've ever eaten. But what are you gonna do? As for me, I figured I might as well see if I liked it that way (and to be honest, it was actually quite good). For whatever reason the wife decided not to send hers back. Instead she just used more steak sauce than she normally does. Apparently that helps. I personally would not have eaten it. I don't use nearly as much A-1 sauce as I used to. I used to prefer Heinz 57, but I'm just not as fond of it as I once was. A little too sweet. Now it's A-1, and sometimes I'll eat a few bites without any sauce at all (which is something I never would have done a couple of years ago). Most likely by this time next year I won't be using sauce at all. I probably shouldn't eat steak too often, but now that I've developed a taste for it, after so long being ambivalent about it, I will probably just have to cheat.

We checked in at the Marriot after our meal. It wasn't nearly as hard to find as our first would have been and it was still there.

The Marriot. A reputation for upscale accommodations there. I have to admit I felt like a fish out of water when we walked in. Lots of suits and hoity toity dispositions. All men who dressed as if they took fashion cues from Esquire or GQMarriot. I was very disappointed with it. Not to say that it detracted from the over all anniversary celebration. It did not. But when you pay over a hundred dollars a night for a room you don't expect to find a huge cockroach on the bathroom counter, hiding beneath a washcloth. You'd expect the television reception to look as if it wasn't piped in from an antenna. You might expect a microwave oven...nope, not at the Marriot. It shouldn't even be a consideration that the heating would be set to a comfortable temperature. Nope, not at the Marriot. We had it turned up to 85 and still chilly through the whole evening. Of course it must be conceded that the temperature outside was bitterly cold and the glass wall would be of no help. Then again, this is something I would expect from a flea bag cheap one night stand dump. Not a "quality" hotel like the Marriot. To top it off, I found three or four small pieces of what appeared to be Sun Chips when I moved a night stand. No wonder the roaches like that room so much. Is it possible for mice and rats to dwell in a location so far above the ground (8th floor)? If so I think they might find a little something to nibble on in our room.

The next stop was just down the road at the River Spirit casino. Whoa! Now this is one monster of a casino, at least by Oklahoma standards. Like an expensive carnival with countless flashing lights and cacophony that resembled nothing less that a thousand arcane video games gone haywire. We stayed for four hours, until we were both tired, and we still hadn't spent more than half of what we had planned to give to the Native Americans. I had some pretty good luck on the Wheel of Fortune Hawaii game. Won and lost. Won and lost. That's the theme. Didn't expect to walk out of there with any cash (not that I didn't hope), and I was not disappointed.

Next morning we checked out and drove across the street to the IHOP. New York cheesecake pancakes, hash browns (covered with ketchup and tabasco sauce) and a double helping of bacon (one of which was a substitute for eggs, which I won't eat). Coffee and large orange juice, the kind of breakfast that will keep you running till dinner. Never was big on eating at IHOP, but this time it was quite excellent.

As we had money in pocket that we didn't spend at the casino, we went to Barnes and Noble, where I spent at least a couple of hours browsing before the wife insisted that we leave, claiming that I was wearing holes in the carpet from walking back and forth to the different sections. I wound up buying two books on bipolar disorder and a Rolling Stone special edition about the stories behind the Beatles' songs. I may not have bought that Beatles thing but I figured my son would really like to read it. I doubt there's a lot information about them that I don't already know, but I'm sure I'll enjoy reading it anyway.

The trip home was (thankfully) uneventful, seeing as how I knew the route and didn't have to depend on the GPS' outdated information. Well, I SAY it was uneventful. I did miss the Sapulpa exit. I swear I didn't even see it, and neither did the wife. It was no big deal, as the highway we were on would eventually take us to our destination. We'd just have to deal with 7 or 8 extra miles. Actually I'm glad it worked out that way because I'd forgotten how much easier that road is than route 66 (the road I've been using for several years). I'm sure I'll use it from now on, since I have grown to hate 66 with it's treacherous curves and the little towns you have to slow down to get through.

It was a good trip, but it was just as good to get home. We decided to cap the weekend off with dinner at a restaurant in town that has great brisket. They only serve it as a Saturday special and I hadn't eaten it in several months. Wouldn't you know, they were out of brisket. Ribs are also on special Saturday nights. I'm not much of a rib eater at all, but I figured I'd try them and see. It was an hour before we got our order. Not paar for the course at this place, but I WAS hungry and we'd never had any problems before so we cut them a lot of slack. Now, this place has for a theme retro cars and stuff like that. It actually used to be a gas station in the 50s. They've got a line of antique soda bottles lined up in the window, most of which are still full of pop. It's pretty cool, but I found out last night that the placement next to a booth was unwise to say the least. I reached out to take off my coat and wouldn't you know it, knocked one of the bottles over. I tried to keep it from falling but in the process another fell, and in an astounding display of how the domino theory works, a couple more fell down. I managed to get things under control, but not before every single person in the restaurant was looking my way, each one laughing. They even started applauding, a gesture that I'm still unsure of how it applied. Ah, all in good fun, eh? I didn't take it too hard. It's a wonder it hadn't happened before, and that's probably what they were thinking as well.

I didn't like the ribs.

The Walkmen: "In the New Year"

2011-01-21T06:08:00.001-08:00

Music Video of the Week: Dazz Band

2011-01-19T07:55:00.000-08:00

"Let It Whip"

Dazz Band

Don Kirshner R.I.P.

2011-01-18T11:06:00.000-08:00

Don Kirshner

April 17, 1934 - January 17, 2011

There's no way I can express how much influence Don Kirshner wielded in the development of my taste in music. "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert" was my absolute favorite show in the mid-late seventies. The New York Dolls, Sparks, the Sensational Alex Harvey Band...these and numerous other "under the radar" acts found their way into my house and my heart via this weekly hour of serious rock and roll. And that's not even taking into account his creation of the Monkees, who, for better or worse, also had a hand in shaping my musical tastes. For this I remain eternally grateful and if there is a band in heaven I'm sure he is managing it even as we speak.

2011-01-15T09:21:00.000-08:00

THE SYNCHRONISTIC ROCKING CHAIR

The fruits of my boredom.

Music Video of the Week: Test Dept.

2011-01-12T08:02:00.000-08:00

"Total State Machine"

Test Dept.

2011-01-08T08:38:00.001-08:00

Our dog, Sireeno, is scheduled to be neutered on Thursday. A poem to commemorate this momentous, if dreadful, occasion.

I'm dreading the day of the final cut
Betwixt me legs, just under me butt
I don't know how long it will take me to heal
I still have a hard time believing it's real
O, man with the razor, please tell me why
I just want to be like any other guy
What will I do when I get the itch?
What will I do when I find me a bitch?
What can I do when I know she's in heat?
And I've got to tell her I ain't quite complete?
She'll laugh at me, sir, that's what she'll do
How would you feel if it happened to you?
Now I ain't the kind of dog to lay down and beg
And if my mother were here she'd bite your fat leg
But, mister, I ain't ready for this change
I'd rather have tapeworms, be covered with mange
Than to lose these babies, these jewels of mine
I want to be the father of a litter of nine
Nine little puppies who'd look up to me
Proud of their daddy! Proud of me!
But no, to you I'm just buttloads of cash
Ready with your knife, eager to slash
Who told you to do this horrible thing?
Leave 'em alone, sir, just let 'em swing

2011-01-07T20:15:00.000-08:00

1,000 reads at Hello Poetry. A landmark, of sorts, for me.

Click to enlarge

Music Video of the Week: Gerry Rafferty

2011-01-05T09:07:00.000-08:00

Gerry Rafferty

April 16, 1947 – January 4, 2011

Rest in Peace

"Baker Street"

Gerry Rafferty

2011-01-05T08:28:00.001-08:00

2011-01-04T19:49:00.001-08:00

Life's Worst Rock and Roll Moments Pale

2011-01-03T08:46:00.000-08:00

This is a little off-the-cuff rant about a pictorial on the Life magazine website, entitled "Rock and Roll's Worst Moments". Needless to say I was a bit disappointed with their list.

The 13 "moments" they chose were:

1. Altamont
2. Milli Vanilli lip synching fiasco
3. The death of Jimi Hendrix
4. Jerry Lee Lewis marries young cousin
5. Stampede at Who concert
6. Elvis stops making music, starts making movies
7. Payola
8. Tupac Shakur's murder
9. Nightclub fire at Great White show
10. Sid & Nancy
11. Cher introduces auto-tune
12. Woodstock III
13. Chris Brown beats Rhianna

Some legitimate, others not quite so. Anyway...here's the rant:

A decent overview, but "worst"? What about Dimebag Darrell being murdered onstage during a show by a member of the audience? Or the more blatant omission of Lennon's murder? I'd say either one of those qualifies as "worse" than Cher's embracing of auto-tune technology (which never was rock and roll in the first place and never a threat). Kurt Cobain's suicide? Now THAT had an effect on the music and culture of rock and roll.

Kiss recording and promoting a disco song ("I Was Made for Loving You"), now ain't that a harbinger of bad tidings to come?

Sid and Nancy's story, tragic as it may be, is no less harrowing and unsettling as that of GG Allin, whose performance style on it's own could be a guiding light illuminating the death of rock and roll, or it's salvation depending upon who you're talking to. It's death because it took all the conventions of rock and roll and stripped them down to little more than primal aggression. Supporters would respond that such aggression is what rock and roll is all about. I see the position of both sides, though I tend to side with the one that posits his performance (and indeed, lifestyle) as something significantly less than what rock should be about (IMO). His life, his death and the legend are a testament to the extremities to which a person can go in completely wasting their lives. All of which flies beneath the radar of most people, even rock fans. A quick viewing of the documentary "GG Allin: Hated in the Nation" will tell you all you need to know. If you can make it past the first 10-20 minutes, that is. You will definitely see how GG Allin is one of Rock 'n' Rolls Worst "Moments".

And what about Lynyrd Skynyrd's airplane crash, killing, among others, lead vocalist Ronnie Van Zant? That was pretty awful.

Personally I consider the Aerosmith/Run DMC to be a low point in the history of rock music. Oil and water don't mix, and that's why there are so many shitty bands out there trying to milk the unholy rap/rock hybrid.

Phil Spector accused and convicted of murdering his live-in girlfriend...that's pretty low. But you'd think, by viewing these photos in life, that the Milli Vanilli scandal was worse than that (or any of the above). Excuse me, Life...but what the hell did Milli Vanilli have to do with ROCK MUSIC in the first place? The photo layout singles out Jimi Hendrix's death as a "worse moment"...what about Jim Morrison? Or Janis Joplin? Is it okay to single him out and above the multitude of rock stars who kicked it too soon? Terrible moment, no doubt, but you add up all those kinds of moments and you've got hours.

The Payola scandal was...err...well, scandalous. But nothing compared to the way record companies were run, which made it possible for something like this to occur. Record labels, as early as 25 years ago, were not only in the business of selling albums. They also did whatever they had to in order to mold customers taste in music. A lot of people don't know that Sound Scan, the method Billboard uses to track chart success, is a relatively new thing. Have you noticed how the Top 200 CDs these days run the gamut from Susan Boyle to Coldplay to Tim McGraw to Radiohead to countless flash-in-the-pan "American Idol" winners (and "almost wons") to that extremely talented pre-pubescent girl who sings opera so beautifully and got her big break on "America's Got Talent". This diversity reflects the wide palette of musical taste that's common in America. But things were not so representative in the 80s. Practically every single one of the Top 200 Billboard albums was pop/rock. You would never see Garth Brooks at number 5 with a bullet (or even at number 200 with a bomb). And this was all made possible by label reps who could afford to send out P.R. men to lubricate the wheels of commerce. No, it wasn't Payola. But it may as well have been. They just didn't tender cash (at least they didn't get caught again). Lots of other things to barter with, like, say, in-studio appearances by major artists that guaranteed high ratings for the radio station, and in return the station would place said artist's songs into heavy rotation. Lots of other perks for all involved. It wasn't until the shock of Cobain's suicide that what may have been a majority of aspiring musicians decided that playing music for fun and artistic expression trumped hopes of becoming "famous" ("If Kurt couldn't handle fame, what makes me think I can?"). The seeds of the upheaval were planted 25 years ago when the Sex Pistols and The Clash spear-headed the punk movement. With the ascendancy of the Internet these D.I.Y. musicians and bands found the perfect medium for their craft. They could do thing their own way and, with the aid of music hosting sites like Garageband, Reverbnation and others, maybe even attract a few like-minded souls to listen to their stuff. Promotion being little more than exposure, they had no use for PR reps. The labels have become rendered practically obsolete, at least as concerns "rock and roll". Most of the more inventive, creative and original bands, be they indie or not, most likely don't even WANT to be on a major label. It's almost as if being signed to a label carries a social stigma that causes most(?) really good bands to stay away from even the prospect. The ones that DO sign and get fed into the promotion machine are looked upon as "lightweights". There are notable exceptions to this whole schpiel, and I should point out that having an album distributed by a major label is NOT the same as signing a recording contract with them. But for every Coldplay you've got a Nickelback. For every...uh, well, I'm sure I could think of a couple other examples, but I should save the mental effort for something a little less insignificant.

The article also lists Tupac's murder as one of "Rock's Worst Moments". It doesn't take a clairvoyant to know what I'm gonna say next. That's right. TUPAC SHAKUR IS ROCK??? Damn you, Tyler & Perry. Now everybody's all mixed up. No one knows what's what. Shakur's murder was a damn shame...but it had absolutely nothing to do with rock and roll. Come on, now. That's my whole point here. If you're gonna entitle a photo layout "Rock 'n' Roll's Worst Moments" you should at least stick to the genre, music and culture of rock and roll. Besides, everybody knows Tupac is alive.

Likewise, it's a damn shame that Chris Brown beat Rhianna. I got no sympathy for an individual who would raise a hand against a woman. Even if this story had something to do with rock and roll (it doesn't) you have to wonder how a short burst of domestic abuse compares to MURDER (see the bit about Phil Spector early on in this diatribe). Jeez, if I had a dollar for every rap artist who beat on women and didn't get caught (Brown's downfall) I could open up and run a center for battered and abused women. Not to single out the rappers...I'm sure rockers, over the decades, have done no better. But I don't think it's fair for this whole Brown/Rhianna shuffle tarnish the already stained history of rock and roll music.

What's my gripe, then? I don't suppose I have one. Rock and roll, as we have known it, is a dying breed. In fact, I'm afraid that the absolute worst moment in rock and roll is not too far over the horizon...when people will view it in much the same way they do the swing bands of the forties. If you're gonna single out "worst moments" you should at least put some thought behind your choices, and I personally don't think the editors of Life have done that.

Music Video of the Week: Belfegore

2010-12-29T09:33:00.000-08:00

I had all but forgotten this song until downloading it from a file sharing blog a few days ago. O, how I loved it in the early 80s and yes, it holds it's own quite well even now. You can keep you Mission UKs and your Sisters of Mercy...give me Belfegore anyday.

"All That I Wanted"

Belfegore

2010-12-24T04:14:00.000-08:00

Woke up this morning and to my surprise my back teeth weren't hurting. I was foolish enough to point this out to my wife, so of course they started to throb just a few moments later. The worst of it was Wednesday...I can't even describe the agony they put me through that night. I kept it under control most of yesterday, with a well stocked supply of ibuprofen. Never got too serious, but there were a couple of instances when the pain came through, Right now it's not unbearable, but I'm pretty sure that if I hadn't already swallowed a few pills it would escalate into some hardcore hurting. God, I hate toothaches. But this time I have GOT to go to a dentist and have them take care of these particular teeth. Which hints at the reason I haven't already gone. I have a very strong suspicion, borne of the continual erosion of the enamel of my teeth, that any dentist I choose will insist that I have all of my teeth pulled. NO NO NO!!! I can't bear the thought of it. But then again, I don't know how long I can take this pain. I can't drink my Dr. Pepper because of the sugar, and I am addicted to that stuff. I kind of worry about eating spicy stuff, because it gets lodged between the teeth and before you know it the agony is back again in full force.

Well, the Christmas holiday is upon us, so that probably means there won't be an opportunity to visit a dentist until Monday. I guess I should commit to it, and not let it be contingent on whether or not the ache has eased up. I want to be optimistic, but it's hard. The Christmas season is no big deal to me, especially as it has turned into such a commercial holiday. Just last night the wife and I were discussing atheists and Christmas. She is of the opinion that there are atheists who "do" Christmas, and I held firm to my belief that you can't truly celebrate a holiday that's based on something you not only believe in, but deny. She says "They put up Xmas trees and give presents and visit relatives". Well, maybe I'm old fashioned, but you can do that any day of the year. So it's the rituals that are being observed and not Christmas itself. Christmas is just a good day for it, because it's convenient...you can always count of vittles and generosity. The Bible Thumpers will tell you "Jesus is the reason for the season", and as corny as that sounds, it must be admitted that were it not for the birth of Christ the 25th would be just another day. I know there are folks out there who would cry foul at that comment, rightfully pointing out that Christmas was a pagan ritual long before the Roman Catholic Church stole it and made it their own. At the risk of offending the Pagan community I must say that I think the Church was justified in doing this. From what I understand the Church had already established it's stronghold by the time it usurped these particular aspects of their rituals. I certainly don't think they did it FOR the pagans. I'm not so sure of how they treated the pagans at the time, if they expected them to hop on board the bandwagon and leave the rest behind. The more I think about it, though, the more I am convinced that, unfortunately, that's probably exactly what happened.

It's too late to fret about now, that's for sure. I'll zip it for now, seeing as how I'm not a scholar. I have my own reasons for being ambivalent about the holiday. Now this toothache will just be the icing on the cake this your.

Ho ho ho.

2010-12-22T16:51:00.001-08:00

Not sure what I was thinking when I did THIS.

Music Video of the Week: My Bloody Valentine

2010-12-22T09:20:00.000-08:00

"Soon"

My Bloody Valentine

2010-12-22T09:12:00.000-08:00

2010-12-18T07:03:00.000-08:00

Tried to post this as a response to Grey Calx' comment on the Ken's Pizza review a couple of posts down. Apparently there is a character limit for comments, so I will post it here and hope he gets a chance to see it.

*****************

Actually we boycotted Ken's for three years while as they continued to employ a manager who was rude and had no talent whatsoever for management, the result of which being lack of cleanliness and a general decline in overall service. We recently heard that she had either quit or been fired so we decided to give them another chance. The issues seemed to have been resolved, but after all that time I was reminded of just how bad the pizza is. You know, you get used to it as time goes by, but then you take a break and come back..whoo. It's not so bad that I won't eat it again, but when compared to practically any other pizza restaurant it comes out on the losing end every time.

The Ken's in Sapulpa is actually very good. I don't know who has the franchise there but it's not the guy from Prague. The have an evening buffet every night, whereas the Ken's in Prague only has them on Tuesday nights.

And since I wrote that review there have been two restaurants that most definitely qualify as the best in town, leaving Ken's in the dust. Cowpokes is a barbecue place (duh..with a name like Cowpokes what do you expect?). The food there is delicious, though I have had problems with the brisket not being quite warm enough for my tastes. The barbecue sauces are excellent. But the big deal in Prague is an authentic Mexican restaurant called Juana's. It's pricier than anything else in town, but the portions and especially the quality of the food set it far above anything else. It's good enough that I would recommend it to people who lived several miles away, that the trip would be worth it.

I've never eaten at a Simple Simons, but I feel safe in assuming that it HAS to be better than Ken's. Hell, those frozen Totino's pizzas are better than Ken's. And I'm not sure if Greer still charges a quarter for nasty tap water. Knowing him he's probably jacked up the price to 50 cents.

Shilling secrets

2010-12-18T06:43:00.000-08:00

When I first saw "PostSecrets" on the Internet several years ago I was impressed. I felt like it was a profound examination of the deepest recesses of people's psyches. And I suppose it still is, even if it's increasing popularity has likely attracted more bogus "secrets" than sincere ones.

The concept of the blog is that people send anonymous postcards with their "deepest, darkest secrets" on the front, along with artwork, original or not, that fits with it. A lot of really disturbing stuff comes in. You can't help but feel better about your own issues when you see just how fucked up other's can be.

Then the owner of the blog, Frank Something-or-another decided to publish a book of these postcards. That bugged me, because it meant that he was profitting from material consisting of the work, thoughts, inspiration etc. of others who received no credit other than a cursory "thank you to all who participated", and certainly no royalties. If memory serves I think he said something about the funds generated from the sales of that first book would go primarily to a suicide prevention program or something along those lines. I don't know exactly how much he personally earned from that book, after publishing costs and the charity cut. But no matter. It's not cool to put that stuff out there under your own name, even if the idea was your own.

Well, now there are, count 'em, FIVE Post Secret books and Frankie has taken to his blog to sling them. He admits that he makes $1.50-$2.50 for every book sold. He says, "That doesn't sound like much"...HUH? Not much? These books sell like hotcakes, and there are five of 'em to sell. That's gotta be a LOT of money. He says it will help keep the site alive (must be a very expensive domain name he's buying). Pooh. He admits that the book royalties help him support his "very understanding family". Which no doubt means he doesn't have a day job, living off of book sales, and living quite well, mind you.

So what's wrong with that? It was the guy's idea, after all. I respect that. But there's something very creepy about taking these postcards, which were sent anonymously, presumably for the website alone, meaning without the thought of ever winding up in a series of books that sell millions of copies. That make money from the guy who solicited them. I'd been under the impression at the start that it was a not-for-profit project. Well, no more, no more.

Yes, it irks me. It irks me even more that he would ask his readers, on his blog, to "consider buying one or all five of the PostSecret books this holiday season for yourself or as gifts". Then he goes on to say "Of course the other way you can SUPPORT THE PROJECT is by mailing in your secrets." Uh, yeah. If the project you want to support is Frank Warren's $1.50-$2.50 per book sale lifestyle.

I'm sure there are many of Warren's supporters out there who could give me myriad reasons why it's proper and okay for him to publish these books. They sell, right? That should be proof enough, I suppose. It's only natural that a person be recognized for a brilliant idea and the wherewithall to set the wheels in motion to see it realized. But I had a sneaky supicion, even when I first kept up with the site all those years ago, that he was itching to compile a book and make some cash. I was disappointed when the first one came out. Now there are five and I'm disgusted.

Oh, and he gets money on the live speaking circuit, too. That would be quite a show to see. I'm sure I would walk out of that auditorium enlightened. What a creep.

2010-12-16T05:10:00.000-08:00

Sorry, once again I've been lax in posting a music video of the week. I think I'll give it a rest this week. Sorry fans. Instead here's a review of a local pizza eatery, Ken's Pizza, that I wrote about 5 years ago. My opinion of the place has changed since then (and not for the better), but most of it is still accurate. Then again, this particular piece was written BEFORE we found a dead fly on the bottom of a thin crust pizza we ordered out. No joke.

You take the good with the bad...: The GOOD: Ken's has a decent salad bar, and the Alpine Italian dressing has always been a favorite. Their Nachos El Grande is a very tasty change of pace, as is their mexican pizza. For the most part their thin crust pizzas are good (sometimes better than others). There are a couple of girls on the wait-staff who are just great and the service, in general, is decent.
Ken's Tuesday Night buffet and their all-you-can-eat lunch buffets are the best deals in town...most of the folks who are "Ken's Haters" have just eaten there so many times that they've burned themselves out on what Ken's has to offer.

The BAD: David Greer must be a real cheapskate to charge 25 cents for a glass of water. TAP WATER, at that.
The Tuesday night buffet, though it is a great value and good food, is just too popular for it's own good. The buffet turns into something that resembles a feed trough on a farm, with customers crowding around it and muscling in on each other to get that last slice of pepperoni.
Their deep pan pizza never seems to get cooked thoroughly, and has a doughy taste and consistency that is unpleasant to me.
It would be nice to have some music playing instead of the chatter of the two televisions. As far as I'm concerned, those Pentecostal Holiness folks are more than welcome to shut those suckers down for a while. If I wanted to watch TV while eating I would have ordered carry-out and dined at home.
It is also disquieting to see their new (Assistant?) Manager working in the kitchen with a full beard (as I saw last night 12-02-05). Isn't there some kind of health code that states that food service workers must be clean shaven? I've worked in food service and was required to shave my beard...what's up with this guy?
The shredded cheddar cheese on the sald bar...it's fake. That's right, they use imitation cheese on the salad bar. That's weak.

OVERALL: Okay, so it might look like I have more bad to say about Ken's than good, but really I think Ken's is the best place in Prague to eat (since Double Daves closed down there's really no reason to drive all the way to Shawnee for pizza when you've got Ken's).
Still, it's not as if I drink water with my meals to save money...I prefer it over sodas because it doesn't interfere with the taste of my food...but lemme tell ya, if they're gonna make me pay even a quarter for a glass of water I think I deserve some Evian or maybe even Perrier. If all I'm getting is Prague city water I could just fill up a canteen and bring it with me.

2010-12-13T18:07:00.001-08:00

hOME aLONE

2010-12-10T12:52:00.000-08:00

This is a poem I posted to the HelloPoetry site a few months back. I'm surprised at how well it has been received. At this point it has been read 244 times and 11 people have tagged it as a favorite. By the way, my pen name at the site is J of the Fields, in case you want to see more. Or you could just go to my poetry blog, Bipolar Confessional, and see the ones at HP and many more.

"hOME aLONE"

It's too soon to live in memories
I try to convince myself
Years don't change everything
I try to convince myself
This is no prison I'm living in
I have the keys, the locks are not broken
I try to convince myself I have a reason
For not using them

Grab a pen and some paper
Some of these are important
I just know they are
These are the things that made me what I am
Aren't they?
The sum total of all my experiences, right?
I need to chronicle and catalog
Separate the wheat from the chaff
This will set me straight
Or maybe not...could be a waste of time

Time takes them away, one by one
Teases, bringing some back
Then snatching them away again
Despite my best efforts
To hoard them
Years don't change everything
The cruel workings of time
Are eternal

Of this I am convinced

I've sacrificed freedom
To live in a cage
To settle for memories
For fear that hurt would break in
And make itself comfortable
Quick to remind me of the memories
It helped make

I'm convinced I have no reason
To break these chains
An empty house, alone
Is better than such bad company

Music Video of the Week: Paul McCartney (in honor of John Lennon)

2010-12-08T07:34:00.000-08:00

I think this one speaks for itself.

"Here Today"

Paul McCartney

John Lennon
1940-1980
Rest in Peace

Music Video of the Week: Fugazi

2010-12-02T07:34:00.000-08:00

Late again, but at least not by much. I'll try to get on the ball in the future.

"Waiting Room"

Fugazi

2010-11-30T19:17:00.000-08:00

Sorry, no Music Video of the Week last Wednesday. I don't know if I just forgot or if the omission had something to do with aching wrists or continual vision issues. I don't remember if I posted about our dog chewing up the lenses of my new glasses...I was almost a week using a back-up pair that is at least 4 years old. In fact, they are the last pair I had that were worth a shit. They still do okay when it comes to distance, but I can hardly read with them. Especially on the computer. So that may well be the reason I didn't post the video...and I know there are hundreds of people out there who wait with bated breath to see who will be featured in the weekly showcase. And though my dog seems to have chomped them yet again I can guarantee that I will not forget my duties tomorrow.

2010-11-24T17:18:00.001-08:00

The Third & The Seventh from Alex Roman on Vimeo.

2010-11-21T06:17:00.001-08:00

Our dog chewed up the lenses in my glasses so I’m having to wear a much older pair until they get repaired. I’m actually surprised that I can see as well as I can through them. They don’t do well at very long distances and I can’t read anything, but at least I’m not falling around legally blind as I would be if I wore none at all. My only fear is that the good pair will take a little more “getting used to” after my eyes have adjusted back to these. If luck holds out I will have my regular pair back and good as new by early next week. The Thanksgiving holiday may prevent their delivery, though, and if that turns out to be the case I won’t have them even at this time next week. I do not relish that possibility. The dog has been forgiven, seeing as how he’s only a puppy and puppies do that kind of thing. He needs to learn that stuff on the table is not for his amusement.

I got a real “wake up call” Friday. Jeff asked me if I wanted to play a few songs for an Employees Recognition Day thing at the newspaper where his wife works. I was eager to do it, having not played in front of people in a long, long time (the same was true of Jeff). It was to be an informal jam kind of affair. I wasn’t sure about the level of professionalism they all expected, but lucky for us there weren’t all that many paying much attention. They were serving chili and I guess most of the employees were getting in on that action. Maybe 15 people in the place where we were set up, and of those there were probably 5 who were paying any attention at all.

I have to wonder what those 5 people thought. I couldn’t find the rhythm in any of the songs. The few songs I tried to sing sounded like shit. Jeff had trouble, too. I hate to think what our “audience” thought about our duet. The worst thing about it was not being able to think of the next song to play. This was to be a very low-key affair so we didn’t think it necessary to bring song lists. Big mistake. We found ourselves dragging out old shit that we promised ourselves never to play again. Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here”, “Can’t You See” by the Marshall Tucker Band. I felt we fared better on the original songs we pulled out, but you just can’t be sure anyone’s even listening if they don’t recognize the tune. Jeff did “Someone’s Been Lying Here”, which really is a fine number that might well have done something had an established country artist taken it. And I did “The Ladder”, which I’ve always thought highly of (my friends like it a lot, so that’s why). I don’t know what they thought of it, because they weren’t applauding, not for us or for the other two guys who were also playing for the jam. I have a hard time thinking of how to describe what they played. They did “I’ll Fly Away” twice, and made me wonder if that old gospel music was their stock in trade. Their line-up consisted of an acoustic guitarist (who had a badge pinned to his belt, so I assumed he was a lawman), and a very mild-mannered banjo picker. For the first few songs I was convinced that this banjo man was not too many steps above “beginner status”. But then he did “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” and nailed that sucker flat. I guess he poured all his rehearsal time into getting that one down perfect. I’ll say this for them both: they were soft spoken and seemed extremely docile. I might not have noticed that had I not wondered how an officer of the law could act so much like a pussy. They did another song called “Prayed Up”, a not-so-clever play on words in which the term “paid up” is conjured to less than clever effect (IMO).

It was okay by me, though, because it meant that we weren’t the only ones who sucked so bad. It meant that the whole affair was so off-the-cuff that it didn’t matter whether or not we were competent musicians. This was no professional gig. You can bet on that.

My son’s album is almost complete. We’ve been working on it since June, and I know that seems like a long time to be on one project, but you have to take into consideration that we only get to do it one day a week. We’ve missed two or three weeks as well, so when you take that into consideration I suppose we’re doing quite will. Had we done it five days a week I’m sure it would have taken less than a month to complete. As it is, though, it’s a toss-up over whether the record will be in the can by our projected release date. Now that I think about it, most likely we will NOT have it done when we hoped, calculating what still needs to be recorded and the mixing/mastering process. Will take a small miracle. Or I suppose we might have a chance if we do it a couple of extra days next week, since my boy will be on Thanksgiving break. But I somehow doubt that, because Jeff will probably doing something on that day as well. Will be lucky if we get to do our usual Sunday.

Anyhoo, I figured I’d better write something, what with all the inactivity here in the Listening Room. Does that make sense? “All the inactivity”? I don’t think it does.

Music Video of the Week: Blue Oyster Cult

2010-11-17T12:54:00.000-08:00

"Don't Fear the Reaper"

Blue Oyster Cult

Cirque du Soleil: "Viva Elvis"

2010-11-15T06:58:00.000-08:00

My latest record review was published yesterday on the Vintage Rock websites. I think it's probably the best one I've written so far, though there are plenty of grammatical gaffes. I probably should have done a little more re-writing, but I guess I was satisfied with what I came up with, because I would not turn something in that I thought wasn't good enough to go online. It was also somewhat difficult because I really didn't like the record. Normally I'm able to spin something flattering from just about anything I write about. But this disc was especially insulting to my memories of Elvis' music. I couldn't find too much to recommend it. Anyway, the review is what it is. I hope you enjoy it.

Cirque du Soleil - Viva Elvis

When I was first told of a Cirque du Soleil tribute to Elvis Presley, I thought, Hey! That's not a bad idea! After all, Cirque du Soleil was responsible for the huge extravaganza that was The Beatles Love. It seemed only logical that the King of Rock would be a topic worthy of their talent and hard work. If not for the influence of Presley there is a good chance that the Beatles might never even have existed. At the very least their music would not have sounded anything like what it did.

Not only did he provide a muse for the Fab Four, by that time he'd already opened the ears of "the kids" to rock and roll music (a feat that earned him much scorn from parents of those same kids). Too many people in this day and age have ho idea why Elvis is "The King". A good part of it is because he was one of the first artists to successfully introduce black music to the white man. Sounds absurd, doesn't it? A relic from the days of segregation and, unpalatable as it certainly is to consider, that was the state of affairs in the 50s when Elvis first began recording. In light of that, it doesn't really matter how many records the man has sold (and/or still sells, post-mortem). It's what he has already DONE that counts. That's why he's afforded regal status.

Which is probably for the best...or WAS, I should say. Eventually even his own performances descended into mediocrity in his final years. His core audience had been reduced to vacationing housewives looking to re-live the "good old days". You can kind of see how his music lost a lot of its relevance. Is Viva Elvis an attempt to bring some of that relevance back? Or is it justanother nostalgic "Those were the Days" free-for-all geared at reaching the folks in Vegas who he catered to during his final years? A little bit of both, I say. With both successes and failures on both fronts.

If you go into Viva Elvis hoping for the same ingenious magic that was evident in The Beatles Love, you will be disappointed. I want to say “sorely disappointed.” but that tag would only apply if you were expecting a similar mash-up style implemented on the Love show. If you aren’t familiar with what a “mash-up” is, don’t worry. It’s not exactly a household word. A “mash-up” is a musical composition which incorporates at least two song elements that fit well together (hence, “mashed up”). Usually more than one band/artist is featured in any given mash-up, but this isn’t always the case. I’ve got one in my collection that mixes and matches the Beatles’ “I Am The Walrus” and “Ball of Confusion” by the Temptations. If you’d never heard the original songs individually you’d never know there were two instead of one (does that make sense, even?). Actually, Beatles mash-ups aren’t all too hard to find on the Internet. But Love kicked it up several notches by virtue of sound quality alone. That’s not even counting the fact that the sequencing is more creative and extensive than what you’ll ever download from a music blog. Love is one huge, marvelous mash-up with stellar production…which is what you WON’T be getting with Viva Elvis. No doubt part of this is because the man was a SINGER…his talents didn’t extend to writing the music he was singing to. Besides, that stuff’s so DATED, right? Apparently the Viva Elvis people thought so, because the most obvious thing about the album is how “fleshed out” the arrangements are. Not only is the overall SOUND ratcheted up, even whole chord structures are modified.

It’s not necessarily a bad idea. Somewhat jarring, though, when you’ve grown up with the actual Elvis songs. Still, Presley’s voice, given a digital polishing, sounds better than ever, even if it IS floating on top of music that was recorded in a studio 100 times more advanced than any he ever actually recorded in. Hearing all this gloss and sheen I found myself missing the barebones quality of the arcane Sun sessions. I couldn’t help but think that there was no way Viva Elvis could get to those of us who believe his career as a legitimate rock and roll star ended on the day he enlisted in the service. Perhaps it’s for the dying breed of “Elvis could do no wrong” fanatics who will snatch up any and everything even remotely associated with the man. Or maybe it’s meant to be a cool souvenir to help you relive an exciting evening spent with Cirque du Soleil. And it’s obvious that the label hopes to bring some younger listeners into the Presley fold. I mean, come on! They’ve even got DJ Pocket on board to scratch some vinyl. What’s that you say? Who the hell is DJ Pocket?

Bottom line for me, despite any intentions on the part of the label, I just don’t know. The thing is an enigma to me. The concept, I accept, is a clever one. But what it all boils down to is this: Viva Elvis is a novelty record. My tolerance for novelty records is pretty low and this one, though very well done, is just that. Without the accompanying visuals in the stage show it’s kind of hard to really get a feel for what is actually going on here. Some of the sequences and sampled voice clips are downright bizarre when excised from the visuals. A perfect example can be heard in the first two minutes of the record. It’s an introduction, of sorts, filled with the sound of rabid female Elvis fans loudly expressing their devotion, the majestic strains of “Also Sprach Zarathustra” (also known is some parts of the south as “Elvis’ Theme Song”) and a host of other semi-related sound bytes. A heavy bossa nova beat descends into the maelstrom and competes with the Strauss piece for rhythmic domination. Not too sure which wins, but it didn’t sound like either was doing what it meant to be doing. The two wildly differing styles battle it out for almost two minutes. TWO MINUTES! Get on with it, brotha.

This all leads to a chopped up version of “Blue Suede Shoes.” You may actually find yourself wishing the intro was even longer when you hear this rendition. One of the coolest things about “Blue Suede Shoes” is in how the music breaks for the vocals with each line (similar to what he did with “Heartbreak Hotel,” which is also presented in mind boggling fashion on Viva Elvis). Well that’s all been re-arranged for this version. The pulsing bass and drums flow monotonously through the whole song. All of the music (save bass and drum) is practically stripped from the song and when guitars finally do come around they sound more like U2’s “Desire” than anything resembling the actual song.

Elvis Presley Enterprises signed off on this whole mess. I have to wonder what Elvis himself would have thought of how this song has been butchered? I won’t presume to speak for the dead, but were it my opinion being solicited I’d have to say that the first order of business at the next board meeting would be all about filling the empty seats left vacant, unwillingly, as a direct result of letting this tune get trampled on so hard.

Okay, so that’s pretty harsh. I admit there are a couple of nice sections scattered throughout the CD’s 42- minute duration. “Burning Love,” for instance, lends itself particularly well to a modern re-make. It at least has that going for it. Yet it’s barely enough to save the tune from the reconstructed chord changes. This chord mangling is pervasive in all of the songs presented here. It’s almost as if the people responsible for Viva Elvis just didn’t like the original chords and decided it would be better to throw in a few of their own.

More strangeness ensues. Can you imagine “That’s All Right” set to a musical hybrid of David Gray and Jet? As far as I’m concerned the end result sounds tailor made for an annoying television commercial.

The pre-release publicity for this album seemed to place no small amount of significance on the fact that Brendan O’Brien produced three of the 12 tracks on the record. “That’s All Right” was the first of that trio. I’m not gonna knock O’Brien. He’s done very well for Pearl Jam. So what if I was disappointed in the two albums he cut with Bruce Springsteen? None of that makes a hill-of-beans as far as Viva Elvis is concerned. Fact is that the songs he worked on here are quite indiscernible from those the other producers did. BIG names like Serban Ghenea, Robert Meunier and Erich van Tourneau. I guess they’re big names, I don’t know. Just because I’ve never heard of them certainly doesn’t mean they aren’t big names.

“Love Me Tender” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love” are both done up as duets with Dea Norberg and Sherry St. Germain, respectively. More big names. Both of these ladies could probably hold their own with the American Idol set, but they’ll never be mistaken for Aretha Franklin. The third of the Brenden O’Brien tracks, and the finale to the disc, is “Suspicious Minds.” It starts out quite promising. I guess it HAS to, since this one could well be considered the peak of Elvis Presley’s recording career. It’s a well-loved song. It’s a great song, no other way to put it. It’s hard to screw up such a classic song. Good thing O’Brien’s on top of things. Sounds awesome the first couple of minutes, like I’d hoped the whole album would. Elvis’ voice is powerful enough to raise some goose bumps and for once the instrumental music seems perfectly fitted to the part. An almost haunting sound that merges with a heavily processed guitar. You might even mistake it for the signature style of U2’s axe man The Edge. It’s a sound he has honed and milked over the course of 25+ years. It’s wisely pulled back on “Suspicious Minds” to make way, one would assume, for Presley’s priceless voice. Everything moves along smoothly, even beautifully. It does, that is, until the 1:35 time marker comes around, at which point the mood is totally destroyed by the entrance of the garage band who practice down the street from where you live. With only a brief respite the rockers come back and don’t leave until the song is over. Makes me want to drag out the original and listen to it just to get the bad taste out of my ears.

I’ve raked this record over the coals, I realize. And to be honest, that kind of bugs me. I want SO MUCH to like “Viva Elvis” - or perhaps I mean “what I thought it could have been.” It teases just enough to make you think, “Wait a minute!
This ain’t so bad after all!” But then something comes along so wretched that you wonder how you came to the conclusion that it could possibly be redeemed in the first place.

Of course, I’m looking at it (listening to it) as if it were a typical CD release, not even thinking about the Cirque du Soleil aspect. That’s an important facet, too, because the one thing I can tell you with certainty is that Viva Elvis is, at its core, a SOUNDTRACK album. I don’t see it as being considered as much more than that. That’s how it comes across. Were I to experience the Cirque du Soleil event, I would no doubt buy a copy at the merchandise stand. But the only reason for purchasing it would be to remember the show itself. I’d probably never listen to it again. If times really got tough it would be one of the first discs in my collection to be sacrificed to the weird dude behind the counter at the used CD store.

2010-11-13T16:18:00.000-08:00

Henryk Gorecki, Rest in Peace

2010-11-13T06:08:00.000-08:00

Henryk Gorecki

December 6, 1933 - November 12, 2010

Today I mourn the passing of one of the most significant composers in contemporary orchestral music. His 3rd Symphony has long been my favorite work in that genre. The arrangement he completed of the choral work "Totuus Tuus" is nothing short of stunning. You would do well to find out for yourself what a talented, gifted individual he was, and here are a couple of links to Amazon for you to purchase his these two works. If you enjoy classical music even a little bit you will no doubt enjoy these records.

Symphony No. 3
(Symphony of Sorrowful Songs

"Totuus Tuus"
from "Evocation of the Spirit"
Robert Shaw Festival Singers

HENRYK GORECKI

Music Video of the Week: Buffalo Tom

2010-11-10T14:23:00.000-08:00

"Tail Lights Fade"

Buffalo Tom