The last day in February is today and in some ways it's like the ending of winter. Here in the state we usually go by Dec 1 to February 28 as our winter, once March comes around we begin to think spring. Which means we go from icestorms and snowstorms to tornados and the rainy season that tends to flood the basement. Spring also means the forthcoming of birds, building their nest all over the foundation of the house and with the arrival of the dammed redwings divebombing anything that moves another sign of spring forthcoming.
This winter hasn't been the bitch like last year's was. Snow from Thanksgiving to April 1st, only to see it melt away by 10 inch rainfalls and contributing to the historic flood of last year that which I doubt we'll recover in this lifetime. Thankfully this winter after decemeber the training of snowstorms finally stopped and after a cold spell of 36 below one night this winter was much better getting around than last. No more repeat of 60 inches of snows and 25 inches of rain in may.
We been through a lot it seems, with a lousy economy done in by 6 years of Republican Me Myself and I's and two years of Nancy Pelosi and her in it for herself idealogy. And it seems like each and every company in town is following one another by laying people off left and right and the big idea is to include a one cent option tax. Funny how we wanted change back 2006 and we got it all right, but in the wrong direction. The flood didn't do shit for anybody but make most of CR a dark and creepy place where abandoned or unliveable houses remain and made this new government CR as inept as Moe Larry and Curly running this town. The Taxacrats keep trying to tax every damn thing they can think of, while the Republicants sit on their big fat merry go round and do nothing but bitch about how the Taxacrats got us into this mess. As I said before, 2008, Mother Nature did her damnest to destroy this Cedar Rapids but Kay Halloran and company seem to be doing a fine job of that themselves.
It seems that the only place that seems to be doing anything good is our friends at Kaplin University, formerly Hamilton Business College to which in this Great Depression 2, all you see everywhere is billboards for Kaplin, even e-commericals from Kaplin are online and on the afternoon television shows to which you will see no fewer than at least 10 commericals touting the wonderous things that Kaplin can do with you. I can't find a job cuz I got no expierence, got no expierence cuz I got no Job. I'm so tired, I hate my job bla bla bla. So, spend 5,000 more dollars per year to get a worthless two year degree like I did when I went to HBC, now Kraplin University. One year of worthless computer programming that didn't get me squat but a temp job that eventually became the job that I'm at today. Thanks to Kraplin University I'm now a Print Operator 2 and I owe it all to Kraplin University. RIIIIIIIGHT.
It's not that I don't care much for Kraplin or Kaplin but rather their commercials are so dammed annoying that you can't help but firebomb the damn place for flooding tv with their worthless rhetoric. The business world is cut throat and a two year Kraplin degree won't even get you in to even clean the fucking toilets at these places. And with the downturn of places to work, there isn't much to consider since they won't pay you more than 9 bucks an hour and you're paying back a loan for worthless courses. I'm sure Kaplin is alot better teaching things now than HBC did back in my day. Out of all the 35 computer programmers that gradurated, only one did get a job soon after while the rest of us ended up going the temp route or still work two jobs to pay off their damn debt to HBC. And so Kaplin has all this income to flood radio and TV and the net to promote their programs, to show dumbwitted 20 somethings about I CANT GET A JOB on these commericals and we all know these talented actresses and actors have never set foot into Kaplin. They wouldn't know Kaplin from Ebonics. But in this day and age Kaplin has all these wonderful programs that could make you become a security guard up at my place of work for 5000 a year, so you can make 7.50 an hour guarding our workplace.
And you'd think that in this depression and age we would get better workers?!? Seems like our temp pool gets dumber and dumber as the years progress on. Appently, somebody in the other department was smoking a joint in the smoke shack, another gang banger was drinking a 40 Oz in the parking lot. If that's the case, well if they came from Kraplin University, we're certainly getting our money's worth from these halfwits.
Perhaps Kaplin isn't that bad but then again, it's nothing different than what Kirkwood is putting out. And Kirkwood is probaly cheaper but one could probaly sue Kraplin for false advertising for not getting you that quality job in computer programming. But in this day and age, you're probaly laid off from computer programming since that none of the CEOs and big shots don't take their own pay cut for the sake of the company.
You're on your own. And that's the one thing that Kaplin doesn't teach you after you get your diploma from there.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Top Ten Of The Week-Remembering Randy Bewley
Some bands make a return engagement this week in Top Ten Land but don't
hold it against me. It's simply of bands that I wanted to listen to.
Plus a couple nods to the latest installment of Little Steven's
Underground Garage new Coolest Songs In The World Volume 8. I'm still
surprised that I'm still collecting the overlong digipak myself. But
first, a moment of silence to Randy Bewley, guitarist from Pylon who
passed away due to a heart attack. Pylon was the more underground
Athens band in the early 80s that brought us the B-52s and REM.
Sometimes Vanessa Hay pops in here to say hello. Randy will be missed.
1. Already Gone-The Eagles 1974 I suppose I'm losing my street cred by adding another overplayed classic from this band but this is my favorite Eagles song in their history. Not even Sheryl Crow could screw this song up but I'm sure she'll take her best shot at it.
2. Escape The Nest-Editors 2007 With the hoopla surrounding Coldplay and Radiohead I'm shocked that this band never made it big on the charts. I think they sound a bit more danceable than The Killers ever did and that includes their debut. Even Mark Prindle gave them a favorable review. Perhaps that was the kiss of death. Mark Prindle knows more than you do Bob Lefsetz (sometimes).
3. A Round-The Gimmecaps 1991 Side project of Wilco bass player/guitarist John Stirratt who made this album but didn't see it get released till about six years later probaly to capitalize on John's Wilco fame. Kinda sounds more in tune with the Danny Whitten led Crazy Horse years. But then again I don't expect too much of y'all out there to go find it.
4. Days-David Bowie 2003 Mr Major Tom's albums of the the past couple decades sucked except for Reality which bombed and pissed Bowie off to the point that he hasn't made anything new since then, but Little Steven thought so much of this song that he included it on the latest installment of Coolest Songs In The World Volume 8 which you can get at your local FYE store, if your local FYE store is still in business. Not to be confused of the same name song by The Kinks.
5. Together And Free-Climax Blues Band 1977 This was the followup to their number one smash Couldn't Get It Right and it bombed on the charts. But they're still getting their royalties from Couldn't Get It Right to which they must have gotten it right in the first place. Later they scored with 1980 MOR hit I Love You, which played at many a wedding in the 1980s.
6. Parachutes-Cold play 2000 For all their recorded output they were up and down. I did like Viva La Vida, didn't care much for X and Y. Liked A Rush Of Blood To The Head, and didn't care much for their debut album to which I finally got around to hear. Too much of the dreaded R word for comparison.
7. Turn To Stone-Joe Walsh 1974 Two versions of this you know about. The first one comes from his Barnstorm album and a bit more prog rock, the second a minor hit from So What. One of a few songs that my side project is trying to figure out how to play.
8. Chinese Burn-The Len Price 3 2007 This UK Band owes more to The Kinks/Who than the Coldplay/Radiohead that UK Bands tend to favor. Which is why I prefer The Len Price 3 for their following true rock and roll roots and not the flavor of the month cowpie that you hear on the radio.
9. Red Firecracker-The Jayhawks 1989 Since Gary Louris and Mark Olson made their CSPS concert last week, I've been pulling out their Jayhawks albums of long ago and realize how good their first two albums still are after all these years. This is the most Crazy Horse sounding and it seems like every Americana band had their share of Neil Young/Crazy Horse albums.
10. Dream Again-Franz Ferdinand 2009 I think this week's top ten we have had more songs from this decade in quite a while. Which all goes to show that I haven't given up on the music of today if you can believe that. But with the music industry in a tailspin and all we get to hear on the radio is Sheryl Crow and that GD Bad Day song from Daniel Prowter, no wonder nobody gives a shit about music today. FF has survived three albums on a major label so they are that rare occasion. And the jury is still out on FF, if people will remember them 10 years from now it's hard to say. Tonight: Franz Ferdinand is them trying to do something different and they miss more than they hit, but give them enuff time and by the time you get around to track 11 you get to hear this moody piece that does feel a bit out of place with the dance music. Give them credit for trying to be a bit different. That's all we ask for.
And Peter (easy rider) Fonda turned 69 on Monday. Another reminder of how time is flying by.
Mark Prindle counterpoint on....
Franz Ferdinand - I HATE THIS BAND. Scottish hookless disco-rock with arrogant, weedy vocals. To me, they represent everything that's wrong with today's so-called "rock" music, and it boggles my mind that ANYBODY IN THE WORLD finds this shit appealing.
1. Already Gone-The Eagles 1974 I suppose I'm losing my street cred by adding another overplayed classic from this band but this is my favorite Eagles song in their history. Not even Sheryl Crow could screw this song up but I'm sure she'll take her best shot at it.
2. Escape The Nest-Editors 2007 With the hoopla surrounding Coldplay and Radiohead I'm shocked that this band never made it big on the charts. I think they sound a bit more danceable than The Killers ever did and that includes their debut. Even Mark Prindle gave them a favorable review. Perhaps that was the kiss of death. Mark Prindle knows more than you do Bob Lefsetz (sometimes).
3. A Round-The Gimmecaps 1991 Side project of Wilco bass player/guitarist John Stirratt who made this album but didn't see it get released till about six years later probaly to capitalize on John's Wilco fame. Kinda sounds more in tune with the Danny Whitten led Crazy Horse years. But then again I don't expect too much of y'all out there to go find it.
4. Days-David Bowie 2003 Mr Major Tom's albums of the the past couple decades sucked except for Reality which bombed and pissed Bowie off to the point that he hasn't made anything new since then, but Little Steven thought so much of this song that he included it on the latest installment of Coolest Songs In The World Volume 8 which you can get at your local FYE store, if your local FYE store is still in business. Not to be confused of the same name song by The Kinks.
5. Together And Free-Climax Blues Band 1977 This was the followup to their number one smash Couldn't Get It Right and it bombed on the charts. But they're still getting their royalties from Couldn't Get It Right to which they must have gotten it right in the first place. Later they scored with 1980 MOR hit I Love You, which played at many a wedding in the 1980s.
6. Parachutes-Cold play 2000 For all their recorded output they were up and down. I did like Viva La Vida, didn't care much for X and Y. Liked A Rush Of Blood To The Head, and didn't care much for their debut album to which I finally got around to hear. Too much of the dreaded R word for comparison.
7. Turn To Stone-Joe Walsh 1974 Two versions of this you know about. The first one comes from his Barnstorm album and a bit more prog rock, the second a minor hit from So What. One of a few songs that my side project is trying to figure out how to play.
8. Chinese Burn-The Len Price 3 2007 This UK Band owes more to The Kinks/Who than the Coldplay/Radiohead that UK Bands tend to favor. Which is why I prefer The Len Price 3 for their following true rock and roll roots and not the flavor of the month cowpie that you hear on the radio.
9. Red Firecracker-The Jayhawks 1989 Since Gary Louris and Mark Olson made their CSPS concert last week, I've been pulling out their Jayhawks albums of long ago and realize how good their first two albums still are after all these years. This is the most Crazy Horse sounding and it seems like every Americana band had their share of Neil Young/Crazy Horse albums.
10. Dream Again-Franz Ferdinand 2009 I think this week's top ten we have had more songs from this decade in quite a while. Which all goes to show that I haven't given up on the music of today if you can believe that. But with the music industry in a tailspin and all we get to hear on the radio is Sheryl Crow and that GD Bad Day song from Daniel Prowter, no wonder nobody gives a shit about music today. FF has survived three albums on a major label so they are that rare occasion. And the jury is still out on FF, if people will remember them 10 years from now it's hard to say. Tonight: Franz Ferdinand is them trying to do something different and they miss more than they hit, but give them enuff time and by the time you get around to track 11 you get to hear this moody piece that does feel a bit out of place with the dance music. Give them credit for trying to be a bit different. That's all we ask for.
And Peter (easy rider) Fonda turned 69 on Monday. Another reminder of how time is flying by.
Mark Prindle counterpoint on....
Franz Ferdinand - I HATE THIS BAND. Scottish hookless disco-rock with arrogant, weedy vocals. To me, they represent everything that's wrong with today's so-called "rock" music, and it boggles my mind that ANYBODY IN THE WORLD finds this shit appealing.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Rock N Roll and Gary Louris with Mark Olsen
I haven't been to a concert in about ten years. Last time I think it was The Blue Rags and that was May 20, 1998; I know that cuz I got the poster in front of me. When Bruce at the pawn shop told me that Gary Louris and Mark Olsen, was coming to CSPS I agreed to join up with him there. That was Monday when I pop into town.
Tuesday, I got hit bigtime with the flubug that has been going around. I hate winter, last month it was the damn cold that stuck around for the first twenty days and then this week the damn flu. I spent Tuesday in bed and slept away most of the day and night and felt well enough to go to work the next day but come Thursday I wasn't doing too well but I did slept in for a couple hours before phoning Bruce to get me a ticket, cuz I was going to go see Gary and Mark even if I looked like death warmed over.
Gary and Mark were the cornerstone of the fabled Jayhawks, who made a fabled debut that's hard to find but a Twin Tone album Blue Earth and the first two American Recordings albums were their high water mark. They have such perfect harmonies on those songs such as Waiting For The Sun and Two Angels alternative rock hits of the early 90s and then radio quit playing them, Mark left the Jayhawks and Gary carried on with a couple more albums before pulling the plug on The Jayhawks and settling into a solo career. Mark married Victoria Williams, did a couple albums together and then got divorced. But Gary did help out on Mark's last album which paved the way for their brand new effort called Ready For The Flood, released on New West Records.
I've never been to CSPS but it looks like one of those turn of the century opera houses. Good harmonics and a pleasant place to get together it seems. It was only Gary and Mark and their voices blended in beautifully. As if there was a third voice harmonizing with them. They were meant to play together, to sing together and they played most of the songs off their latest although I wasn't familar with the album. But in a nice gesture, Mark announced that all the proceeds sold from the album at CSPS would go for flood relief. And they did play some of the older and familar Jayhawks songs such as Waiting For The Sun and Two Angels and Blue, their biggest hit. They saved it for last.
I think Mark was suffering from either a cold or flu since he wasn't too receptive at the autograph booth but he was gracious enough to sign the flyer that I had. But I did get to shake Gary's hand after he signed it and he did managed to come up and talk to us before moving on to Chicago for the next show. I can see why people speak highly of Gary when he plays on their albums. Excellent guiarist that fits the mood perfectly.
Gary did mentioned that it's much easier to play in a acoustic setting rather than a electric setting and from tonight's show I can see why. I never did see The Jayhawks when they touring here in the early 90s but when I hear the harmonies that these two guys did tonight, they reminded me of The Everly Brothers of the 50s and Simon And Garfunkel. But what they did tonight at CSPS was just about picture perfect.
Tuesday, I got hit bigtime with the flubug that has been going around. I hate winter, last month it was the damn cold that stuck around for the first twenty days and then this week the damn flu. I spent Tuesday in bed and slept away most of the day and night and felt well enough to go to work the next day but come Thursday I wasn't doing too well but I did slept in for a couple hours before phoning Bruce to get me a ticket, cuz I was going to go see Gary and Mark even if I looked like death warmed over.
Gary and Mark were the cornerstone of the fabled Jayhawks, who made a fabled debut that's hard to find but a Twin Tone album Blue Earth and the first two American Recordings albums were their high water mark. They have such perfect harmonies on those songs such as Waiting For The Sun and Two Angels alternative rock hits of the early 90s and then radio quit playing them, Mark left the Jayhawks and Gary carried on with a couple more albums before pulling the plug on The Jayhawks and settling into a solo career. Mark married Victoria Williams, did a couple albums together and then got divorced. But Gary did help out on Mark's last album which paved the way for their brand new effort called Ready For The Flood, released on New West Records.
I've never been to CSPS but it looks like one of those turn of the century opera houses. Good harmonics and a pleasant place to get together it seems. It was only Gary and Mark and their voices blended in beautifully. As if there was a third voice harmonizing with them. They were meant to play together, to sing together and they played most of the songs off their latest although I wasn't familar with the album. But in a nice gesture, Mark announced that all the proceeds sold from the album at CSPS would go for flood relief. And they did play some of the older and familar Jayhawks songs such as Waiting For The Sun and Two Angels and Blue, their biggest hit. They saved it for last.
I think Mark was suffering from either a cold or flu since he wasn't too receptive at the autograph booth but he was gracious enough to sign the flyer that I had. But I did get to shake Gary's hand after he signed it and he did managed to come up and talk to us before moving on to Chicago for the next show. I can see why people speak highly of Gary when he plays on their albums. Excellent guiarist that fits the mood perfectly.
Gary did mentioned that it's much easier to play in a acoustic setting rather than a electric setting and from tonight's show I can see why. I never did see The Jayhawks when they touring here in the early 90s but when I hear the harmonies that these two guys did tonight, they reminded me of The Everly Brothers of the 50s and Simon And Garfunkel. But what they did tonight at CSPS was just about picture perfect.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Top Ten Of The Week-Happy Birthday Jenna B
Jenna turned the big 28 on Monday, which means she's still two decades
behind me. She works in our Inserting department, gets to hear me call
her bad names when we play Uno, and likes to go partying after work.
Hope this doesn't sound like one of those cheesy Match.Com single ads
but she's a sweetheart. I'm too old and not her type. But we still
like her. Happy Birthday Jenna.
I've been stuck with the damn flu this weekend so if I seem a bit out of it you can blame the drugs and the lack of food. If there's anything good bout this is that we do lose weight.
The Songs Of The Week.
1. Quarter To Three-Gary U.S. Bonds 1961 One of those Outer Space recordings, it sounded like it was from outer space, this song gave Gary his first number one hit and gave us Gene "Daddy-G" Barge on saxophone to which I'm sure Clarence Clemons learned a thing or two from him. The CD that I bought that has this actually has Gary Bond's autograph. But whoever had this cd didn't think it was worth keeping. CD Crabby, Home of the discarded CDs of yesterday.
2. You May See Me Walkin-Ricky Skaggs 1981 The first top ten country single from Mr. Skaggs. And for the first five years being on Epic Records, Skaggs was no stranger to the top ten country songs of the week. Sony Music doesn't care much for Ricky anymore, so most of his albums are now in cut out bins, but a UK label Gottdiscs issued Skaggs' first two Epic albums, to which they sure will be collector's items. Gottdiscs closed up shop last year. Their loss, our gain.
3. Power Of Love-King's X 1988 They have been around putting out albums non stop for over twenty years and most if not all of their albums have been keepers with perhaps the exception of the Please Come Home Mr. Balbous album that never did much for me. Their first album is a bit rough around the edges but they do have this nice little number you can sing along. Then again, you might you have other things to do than listen to good music.
4. Tears Of The World-Uriah Heep 2008 Dinosaur band alert. Yes the Heep is still around and they made this album that Universal did put out (why? I donno, perhaps as another tax write off?) and actually this version of Heep has been around for almost twenty years with the exception of the drummer who got replaced. I'm surprised that Best Buy even had a copy of this album.
5. Keep Me In Your Mind In 59-Austin Wright 1959 Perhaps I'm just wasting space on putting this tune up, I know most if not all of you know who the hell Austin Wright was. Don't ask me, I found this on a CD compilation called Stompin 4, a collection of late 50s-early 60s rock and rhythm and blues from unknowns. And yup, I found this in the Clarence bins at HP Books too. Look, it's simple folks, the Crabb Top Ten is to entertain you and also make you go seek out the obscure. And teach you a thing or two about music of the past six decades. This CD may have been part of the inventory of Ratz Records. Seems like whoever had those cds have pawned them up at HP books. May could have been from the old Relics from years past but I doubt that.
6. Take It Easy-The Eagles 1972 Happy now? A familiar song from overplayed classic rock land. BTW, Wally world has gotten the Eagles catalog on sale for 7 dollars as I guess the deal that The Eagles did with Wally World is now lapse and Wally World is trying to clear inventory. Which isn't a bad thing. But I do miss the Bernie Leadon/Randy Meisner version of the Eagles more than the money making tandem of Joe Walsh and T.B.Schmidt.
7. Trying To Get To You-The Eagles 1954 But I betcha y'all don't remember this little doo wop group that had a minor hit on Mercury. And Elvis noticed since he covered this song.
8. Delta Lady-Leon Russell 1970 And I can't believe this was the guy that arranged most of the sessions of Gary Lewis And The Playboys, Brian Hyland or the Crickets without Buddy Holly. Sure Joe Cocker does a cool version but Leon's version was much more wilder.
9. La la la la la-The Blendells 1964 These guys were on the same label with The Premiers (Farmer John anybody?) and like The Premiers got on a major label Reprise. You can find this on the DCC compilation Toga Rock or East Side Sound. Supposedly a cover of a Motown hit, though dammed if I know who did it.
10. Tend My Garden-The James Gang 1970 The beginning of this record reminds me of a sunrise and one of the most beautiful introduction in the history of classic rock. But of course Classic Rock Radio doesn't play it but old time underground FM stations did back in the mid 70s. It's amazing nowadays that we have all these types of musical outlets but the playlist are so damn narrow that you can't hear a good song such as this one since it don't fit the format. Which is why I miss the Underground FM stations. They had no format. The DJ's played what they wanted to hear and that's how we got hooked on variety.
There was a reason why we call it the good old days.
Some CD reviews of note or catching up.
Coldplay-Parachutes (EMI) 2000 Finally got to hear this record and I don't think much of it. They got better with the next album and their latest but this is pretty wimpy.
Dancehall Stringbusters-Crunchy Guitar Instros From The 60s (Sundazed) An uneven collection of guitar instros from the early 60s mostly on the Swan Label. Best numbers comes from Link Wray (Jack The Ripper) to which one would wish that Sundazed would get the Raybeats version on CD before we're dead and gone.
Ramsey Lewis-Goin South (Verve Reissue of the Cadet 1967 album) In glorious digipak, this is the album that introduced me to Ramsey Lewis, via a 45 that I got for 9 cents at Ben Franklin in Waterloo around 1968. I have no idea why I collected Ramsey Lewis 45s but I always enjoyed Ramsey's boogaloo take on One Two Three, the Len Berry number. EWF's Maurice White plays drums on this album.
I've been stuck with the damn flu this weekend so if I seem a bit out of it you can blame the drugs and the lack of food. If there's anything good bout this is that we do lose weight.
The Songs Of The Week.
1. Quarter To Three-Gary U.S. Bonds 1961 One of those Outer Space recordings, it sounded like it was from outer space, this song gave Gary his first number one hit and gave us Gene "Daddy-G" Barge on saxophone to which I'm sure Clarence Clemons learned a thing or two from him. The CD that I bought that has this actually has Gary Bond's autograph. But whoever had this cd didn't think it was worth keeping. CD Crabby, Home of the discarded CDs of yesterday.
2. You May See Me Walkin-Ricky Skaggs 1981 The first top ten country single from Mr. Skaggs. And for the first five years being on Epic Records, Skaggs was no stranger to the top ten country songs of the week. Sony Music doesn't care much for Ricky anymore, so most of his albums are now in cut out bins, but a UK label Gottdiscs issued Skaggs' first two Epic albums, to which they sure will be collector's items. Gottdiscs closed up shop last year. Their loss, our gain.
3. Power Of Love-King's X 1988 They have been around putting out albums non stop for over twenty years and most if not all of their albums have been keepers with perhaps the exception of the Please Come Home Mr. Balbous album that never did much for me. Their first album is a bit rough around the edges but they do have this nice little number you can sing along. Then again, you might you have other things to do than listen to good music.
4. Tears Of The World-Uriah Heep 2008 Dinosaur band alert. Yes the Heep is still around and they made this album that Universal did put out (why? I donno, perhaps as another tax write off?) and actually this version of Heep has been around for almost twenty years with the exception of the drummer who got replaced. I'm surprised that Best Buy even had a copy of this album.
5. Keep Me In Your Mind In 59-Austin Wright 1959 Perhaps I'm just wasting space on putting this tune up, I know most if not all of you know who the hell Austin Wright was. Don't ask me, I found this on a CD compilation called Stompin 4, a collection of late 50s-early 60s rock and rhythm and blues from unknowns. And yup, I found this in the Clarence bins at HP Books too. Look, it's simple folks, the Crabb Top Ten is to entertain you and also make you go seek out the obscure. And teach you a thing or two about music of the past six decades. This CD may have been part of the inventory of Ratz Records. Seems like whoever had those cds have pawned them up at HP books. May could have been from the old Relics from years past but I doubt that.
6. Take It Easy-The Eagles 1972 Happy now? A familiar song from overplayed classic rock land. BTW, Wally world has gotten the Eagles catalog on sale for 7 dollars as I guess the deal that The Eagles did with Wally World is now lapse and Wally World is trying to clear inventory. Which isn't a bad thing. But I do miss the Bernie Leadon/Randy Meisner version of the Eagles more than the money making tandem of Joe Walsh and T.B.Schmidt.
7. Trying To Get To You-The Eagles 1954 But I betcha y'all don't remember this little doo wop group that had a minor hit on Mercury. And Elvis noticed since he covered this song.
8. Delta Lady-Leon Russell 1970 And I can't believe this was the guy that arranged most of the sessions of Gary Lewis And The Playboys, Brian Hyland or the Crickets without Buddy Holly. Sure Joe Cocker does a cool version but Leon's version was much more wilder.
9. La la la la la-The Blendells 1964 These guys were on the same label with The Premiers (Farmer John anybody?) and like The Premiers got on a major label Reprise. You can find this on the DCC compilation Toga Rock or East Side Sound. Supposedly a cover of a Motown hit, though dammed if I know who did it.
10. Tend My Garden-The James Gang 1970 The beginning of this record reminds me of a sunrise and one of the most beautiful introduction in the history of classic rock. But of course Classic Rock Radio doesn't play it but old time underground FM stations did back in the mid 70s. It's amazing nowadays that we have all these types of musical outlets but the playlist are so damn narrow that you can't hear a good song such as this one since it don't fit the format. Which is why I miss the Underground FM stations. They had no format. The DJ's played what they wanted to hear and that's how we got hooked on variety.
There was a reason why we call it the good old days.
Some CD reviews of note or catching up.
Coldplay-Parachutes (EMI) 2000 Finally got to hear this record and I don't think much of it. They got better with the next album and their latest but this is pretty wimpy.
Dancehall Stringbusters-Crunchy Guitar Instros From The 60s (Sundazed) An uneven collection of guitar instros from the early 60s mostly on the Swan Label. Best numbers comes from Link Wray (Jack The Ripper) to which one would wish that Sundazed would get the Raybeats version on CD before we're dead and gone.
Ramsey Lewis-Goin South (Verve Reissue of the Cadet 1967 album) In glorious digipak, this is the album that introduced me to Ramsey Lewis, via a 45 that I got for 9 cents at Ben Franklin in Waterloo around 1968. I have no idea why I collected Ramsey Lewis 45s but I always enjoyed Ramsey's boogaloo take on One Two Three, the Len Berry number. EWF's Maurice White plays drums on this album.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Observations: Chipole, Craig Erickson, Old Pussy
Special thanks to Russ and Deb for a nice birthday celebration a couple
weeks later. Went to get some Mexican and I guess I need to work on my
Espanol. I was trying to tell Deb about wanting to get some Chiplote
and couldn't say it right. Way I say it sounds like Jalopy, meaning old
junk car. Fuck, I couldn't say Beef Casita at Taco Time and when I
finally got the term right, the place closed up and I'm not feeling all
that gung ho to go to Ames for Beef Casita. Debbie couldn't keep a
straight face when I told her, she ordered it beforehand, ya know
Chiplote? (Chi-Pol-lay). The correct way of saying it is
Chipotle.....chi...po te
(From Spanish, "L" is silent)....Okay got it, silent L. Next time I'm ordering Mole instead. Or just a number 16 dinner plate. :-P
We went out to see Craig Erickson doing a acoustic set at Mahoney's, first time I've been there in about 20 years and the female violinist was interesting for about two songs and the bass player was in a zone of his own and Craig Erickson remains the best CR guitar player but I prefer him in a electric setting myself. The drummer was terrible, couldn't do a decent roll and when he tried to stretch out a bit would lose a beat. Sure in my old age and a musician, I tend to be a bit more critical about our brother drummers but he did have a nice set of sparkling Z's and A Crashes. But Mahoney's is a very small and crowded bar and I'm not into small and crowded bars. Hell, my basement is bigger than Mahoney's. Met some interesting girls up there, one had a size 32 pair of plastic pants and a size 38 booty. While I was outside getting some fresh 8 above zero air, some other chick went by and smiled and said something about something I couldn't understand. Cold weather must have gotten her speaking in tongues. Nice girl but sometimes you wonder.
And of course, old Smokey, seems to love me a lot when I go visit my best friend. He sure loves to pop on my lap and pull his claws out and make me his very own pin cushion and I can't get rid of him whatsoever, unless I'm in a leaning position. He poked a hole in my new shirt tonight and that was the last time he got near me. But then again you put him down on the ground and he returns ten seconds later. Not all there for sure but he has mellowed a lot since the move, probably because he's Alpha Cat. And crazy too but I'm also just as temperamental as Smokey. And not as forgiving too. It's that Crabb mentality.
And the inability to say Chiplote too.
(From Spanish, "L" is silent)....Okay got it, silent L. Next time I'm ordering Mole instead. Or just a number 16 dinner plate. :-P
We went out to see Craig Erickson doing a acoustic set at Mahoney's, first time I've been there in about 20 years and the female violinist was interesting for about two songs and the bass player was in a zone of his own and Craig Erickson remains the best CR guitar player but I prefer him in a electric setting myself. The drummer was terrible, couldn't do a decent roll and when he tried to stretch out a bit would lose a beat. Sure in my old age and a musician, I tend to be a bit more critical about our brother drummers but he did have a nice set of sparkling Z's and A Crashes. But Mahoney's is a very small and crowded bar and I'm not into small and crowded bars. Hell, my basement is bigger than Mahoney's. Met some interesting girls up there, one had a size 32 pair of plastic pants and a size 38 booty. While I was outside getting some fresh 8 above zero air, some other chick went by and smiled and said something about something I couldn't understand. Cold weather must have gotten her speaking in tongues. Nice girl but sometimes you wonder.
And of course, old Smokey, seems to love me a lot when I go visit my best friend. He sure loves to pop on my lap and pull his claws out and make me his very own pin cushion and I can't get rid of him whatsoever, unless I'm in a leaning position. He poked a hole in my new shirt tonight and that was the last time he got near me. But then again you put him down on the ground and he returns ten seconds later. Not all there for sure but he has mellowed a lot since the move, probably because he's Alpha Cat. And crazy too but I'm also just as temperamental as Smokey. And not as forgiving too. It's that Crabb mentality.
And the inability to say Chiplote too.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Crabb Bits: Sheryl Crow, Taco Time Closed Down
I hate Sheryl Crow. Last time I ate at the now closed Taco Time on
Tuesday they were playing Soak Up The Sun, and then on Friday when I had
to go to CiCi's Pizza instead guess what they were playing and guess
what got stuck in my head this morning? Geezus the torture never stops,
especially when you have so many tunes and the only one you hear is
Sheryl fucking Crow. Good thing I don't work at a restaurant with the
satellite radio tuned to Overplayed Crap of the 90s on. I'd make the
evening news the hard way.
I stopped in the Taco Time driveway for a bit to look over the closed shop and things inside look as they were before. Hoping that somebody will take it over and hopefully we can have TT once again, otherwise it's a long and barren drive to Ames. And if that's the only reason to drive to Ames outside of seeing what Hastings doesn't have for music then I guess it's back to Taco Bell again. I guess no matter had I ask Keith if he needed any assistance from me to keep it open, he'd probaly say no, nothing we can do about it. Maybe being stuck back from the main highway had a lot to do with it, but if we think about it, there wasn't much in terms of ads on the radio or TV about it. Keith n Connie are good people but victims of the rising wave that is the Great Depression 2 and it seems to be getting higher. And I wonder if we're high above ground not to get caught up in that tide.
I just ate there Tuesday and when I went over there today before going to work, I found that the Taco Time had all the shades pulled and everything dark inside. I guess it was bound the happen. The last few times I ate there I was the only person in there and I figured that Keith Miller was looking a bit more worried each day. I hope it's only temporary but if not, looks like if we want Taco Time we'll have to go to Ames or hop a plane to Portland or Seattle.
Geez.
Seems like every place I go to and enjoy eating there they always seem to close up. Mi Casa is one, Moreno's is another and now we lose Taco Time. Just two days ago I had dinner there and now going back up there it's gone. Just like that. I suspect that maybe being stuck in the back forty from Edgewood that location was hidden from view. But I know that most of the time i ate there, I was the only one in there. Perhaps they close in hopes of reopening when spring comes around. Perhaps not, looks like Taco Bell won
I stopped in the Taco Time driveway for a bit to look over the closed shop and things inside look as they were before. Hoping that somebody will take it over and hopefully we can have TT once again, otherwise it's a long and barren drive to Ames. And if that's the only reason to drive to Ames outside of seeing what Hastings doesn't have for music then I guess it's back to Taco Bell again. I guess no matter had I ask Keith if he needed any assistance from me to keep it open, he'd probaly say no, nothing we can do about it. Maybe being stuck back from the main highway had a lot to do with it, but if we think about it, there wasn't much in terms of ads on the radio or TV about it. Keith n Connie are good people but victims of the rising wave that is the Great Depression 2 and it seems to be getting higher. And I wonder if we're high above ground not to get caught up in that tide.
I just ate there Tuesday and when I went over there today before going to work, I found that the Taco Time had all the shades pulled and everything dark inside. I guess it was bound the happen. The last few times I ate there I was the only person in there and I figured that Keith Miller was looking a bit more worried each day. I hope it's only temporary but if not, looks like if we want Taco Time we'll have to go to Ames or hop a plane to Portland or Seattle.
Geez.
Seems like every place I go to and enjoy eating there they always seem to close up. Mi Casa is one, Moreno's is another and now we lose Taco Time. Just two days ago I had dinner there and now going back up there it's gone. Just like that. I suspect that maybe being stuck in the back forty from Edgewood that location was hidden from view. But I know that most of the time i ate there, I was the only one in there. Perhaps they close in hopes of reopening when spring comes around. Perhaps not, looks like Taco Bell won
History Of The Music World 2001
The next year 2001. 9/11 stands out and so does a few albums. And a
lotta forgotten ones along the way. Documenting what was out there.
1. Paul Rodgers-Electric (CMC International 41:43) B-
2. HANK-The Power And The Glory (MOM Music 40:46) C+
3. Ozark Mountain Daredevils-Time Warp (A&M 75:49) B
4. Dixie Jam Band-Jamming For DJB (Go West 52:42) B+
5. Head East-Live On Stage (A&M 38:44) B
6. Tsar (Hollywood 36:21) B
7. Ultimate Fakebook-This Will Be Laughing Week (550 Music 41:05) B
8. Louis Armstrong-Ken Burns Jazz (Legacy 78:17) A-
9. Sleighed-The Other Side Of Christmas (Hip O 39:38) B-
10. Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes-Super Hits (PIR/Legacy/Epic 62:38) A-
11. Best Of Darryl Hall & John Oates (RCA 68:48) A-
12. Ornette Coleman-Ken Burns Jazz (Columbia 76:04) A-
13. Double Trouble-Been A Long Time (Tone Cool 43:22) B+
14. Lifehouse-No Name Face (Dreamworks 55:21) B-
15. U2-All That You Leave Behind (Interscope 49:13) B-
16. Jeff Beck-You Had It Coming (Epic 36:00) B-
17. Kentucky Headhunters-Songs From The Grass String Ranch (Audium 53:17) B+
18. Hangdogs-Beware Of Dog (Shananchie 44:10) B+
19. American Hi Fi (Island 49:03) B-
20. The Townedgers-There's Nothing Left (Radio Maierburg 62:09) A-
21. Buck Owens-Young Buck (Audium/CMF 43:17) A-
22. Dwight Yokam-Tomorrow's Sounds Today (Reprise 49:22) B+
23. Minus 5/Fresh Young Fellows-Let The War Against Music Begin A-
24. Old 97's-Satellite Rides (Elektra 44:33) B+
25. Blue Mountain-Roots (Blue Mountain Records 38:40) A-
26. Johnny & The Hurricanes EP Collection (See For Miles 67:55) A-
27. Big Country-20th Century Collection (Mercury 53:00) B
28. Train-Drops Of Jupiter (Columbia 48:31) C
29. Rage Against The Machine-Renegades (Epic 60:36) B+
30. Face To Face-Standards And Practices (Vagrant 31:26) B+
31. Slobberbone-Everything You Thought Was Right Was Wrong Today (NW 52:22) B-
32. Hootie & The Blowfish Scattered Smothered & Covered (Atlantic 56:06) B
33. The Living End-Roll On (Reprise 52:40) B
34. The Kinks-BBC Session (Sanctuary 49:46-53:22) B+
35. Five For Fighting-American Town (Aware/Columbia 45:37) C
36. Stalk Forest Group-St Celicia (Rhino Handmade 73:56) B-
37. Very Best Of Toots And The Maytals (Island 69:00) A-
38. Shades Apart-Sonic Boom (Universal/Republic 40:42) B+
39. Bare Jr-Brainwasher (Virgin 41:13) B+
40. Whiskeytown-Phemonia (Lost Highway 56:10) B-
41. Diplomats Of Solid Sound (Prescription 45:30) B
42. Blue Oyster Cult-Curse Of The Hidden Mirror (CMC 51:00) B
43. Stone Temple Pilots-Shangra La Da Di (Atlantic 47:21) B-
44. Eric Clapton/BB King-Ridin With The King (Reprise 61:19) A-
45. Goo Goo Dolls-Ego, Opinion, Art & Commerence (WB 78:10) B+
46. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (Virgin 57:10) B
47. Anthrax-Madhouse (Island 62:25) B
48. Treble Charger-Wide Awake Bored (Nettwerk 40:41) C
49. Alice In Chains Live (Columbia 66:09) B-
50. Jimmy Eat World (Dreamworks 46:41) B+
51. Freddy Johnston-Right Between The Promises (Elektra 38:00) B
52. Puddle Of Mudd-Come Clean (Geffen 48:11) A-
53. Bob Dylan-Love And Threft (Columbia 57:30) A
54. AC/DC-Stiff Upper Lip (Columbia 47:09) B-
55. Here Come The Derailers (Lucky Dog 39:30) C+
56. Dr. Hook-Super Hits (Columbia 35:11) B
57. POD-Satellite (Atlantic 54:11) B+
58. Yayhoos-Fear Not The Obvilous (Bloodshot 46:30) A-
59. Head East-20th Century Collection (A&M 52:03) B+
60. Drivin N Cryin-Ultimate Collection (Hip O 78:48) B+
61. Jerry Butler-The Philadelphia Sessions (Mercury 71:03) A
62. Anthenaeum (Atlantic 40:38) C
63. The Strokes-Is This It? (RCA 35:50) B
64. The Verve Pipe-Underneath (RCA 44:48) A-
65. John Hartford RCA Legends (RCA Heritage 40:13) B-
66. Diffuser-Injury Loves Melody (Hollywood 45:00) C-
67. Tractors-Fast Girl (Audium 51:26) B-
68. Incubus-Morning View (Epic 58:20) B+
69. The Yo Yos-Uppers And Downers (Sub Pop 41:19) A-
70. Bliss 66-Trip To The 13th (Epic 40:41) C-
71. Gloritone-Fainter Farther Still (Hayden's Ferry 43:22) B
72. Elton John-Songs From The West Coast (Universal 54:10) B+
73. Starch Martins-Dressing Up The Failure (White Rose 43:34) C+
74. Montgomery Gentry-Carrying On (Columbia 50:38) B+
75. Pistoleros (Found Music 35:49) B+
76. Green Day-International Super Hits (Reprise 60:43) A+
77. Stevie Ray Vaughn-Live In Montreaux (Epic 42:12-76:32) A-
78. Ministry-Greatest Fits (WB 72:43) B
79. Shaver-The Earth Rolls On (New West 44:17) B+
80. Doyle Bramhall 2-Welcome (RCA 68:27) A-
81. Great Plains-Length Of Record (Old 3G 71:32-73:22) B+
82. Creeper Lagoon-Take Back The Universe (Dreamworks 50:33) C+
83. SR 71-Now You See Inside (RCA 42:28) C+
Some reissues of note
The Pentangle-Castle Music
Blue Oyster Cult's first three Columbia albums
The Band's Reissues
The Producers-S/T and You Make The Heat on One Way
1. Paul Rodgers-Electric (CMC International 41:43) B-
2. HANK-The Power And The Glory (MOM Music 40:46) C+
3. Ozark Mountain Daredevils-Time Warp (A&M 75:49) B
4. Dixie Jam Band-Jamming For DJB (Go West 52:42) B+
5. Head East-Live On Stage (A&M 38:44) B
6. Tsar (Hollywood 36:21) B
7. Ultimate Fakebook-This Will Be Laughing Week (550 Music 41:05) B
8. Louis Armstrong-Ken Burns Jazz (Legacy 78:17) A-
9. Sleighed-The Other Side Of Christmas (Hip O 39:38) B-
10. Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes-Super Hits (PIR/Legacy/Epic 62:38) A-
11. Best Of Darryl Hall & John Oates (RCA 68:48) A-
12. Ornette Coleman-Ken Burns Jazz (Columbia 76:04) A-
13. Double Trouble-Been A Long Time (Tone Cool 43:22) B+
14. Lifehouse-No Name Face (Dreamworks 55:21) B-
15. U2-All That You Leave Behind (Interscope 49:13) B-
16. Jeff Beck-You Had It Coming (Epic 36:00) B-
17. Kentucky Headhunters-Songs From The Grass String Ranch (Audium 53:17) B+
18. Hangdogs-Beware Of Dog (Shananchie 44:10) B+
19. American Hi Fi (Island 49:03) B-
20. The Townedgers-There's Nothing Left (Radio Maierburg 62:09) A-
21. Buck Owens-Young Buck (Audium/CMF 43:17) A-
22. Dwight Yokam-Tomorrow's Sounds Today (Reprise 49:22) B+
23. Minus 5/Fresh Young Fellows-Let The War Against Music Begin A-
24. Old 97's-Satellite Rides (Elektra 44:33) B+
25. Blue Mountain-Roots (Blue Mountain Records 38:40) A-
26. Johnny & The Hurricanes EP Collection (See For Miles 67:55) A-
27. Big Country-20th Century Collection (Mercury 53:00) B
28. Train-Drops Of Jupiter (Columbia 48:31) C
29. Rage Against The Machine-Renegades (Epic 60:36) B+
30. Face To Face-Standards And Practices (Vagrant 31:26) B+
31. Slobberbone-Everything You Thought Was Right Was Wrong Today (NW 52:22) B-
32. Hootie & The Blowfish Scattered Smothered & Covered (Atlantic 56:06) B
33. The Living End-Roll On (Reprise 52:40) B
34. The Kinks-BBC Session (Sanctuary 49:46-53:22) B+
35. Five For Fighting-American Town (Aware/Columbia 45:37) C
36. Stalk Forest Group-St Celicia (Rhino Handmade 73:56) B-
37. Very Best Of Toots And The Maytals (Island 69:00) A-
38. Shades Apart-Sonic Boom (Universal/Republic 40:42) B+
39. Bare Jr-Brainwasher (Virgin 41:13) B+
40. Whiskeytown-Phemonia (Lost Highway 56:10) B-
41. Diplomats Of Solid Sound (Prescription 45:30) B
42. Blue Oyster Cult-Curse Of The Hidden Mirror (CMC 51:00) B
43. Stone Temple Pilots-Shangra La Da Di (Atlantic 47:21) B-
44. Eric Clapton/BB King-Ridin With The King (Reprise 61:19) A-
45. Goo Goo Dolls-Ego, Opinion, Art & Commerence (WB 78:10) B+
46. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (Virgin 57:10) B
47. Anthrax-Madhouse (Island 62:25) B
48. Treble Charger-Wide Awake Bored (Nettwerk 40:41) C
49. Alice In Chains Live (Columbia 66:09) B-
50. Jimmy Eat World (Dreamworks 46:41) B+
51. Freddy Johnston-Right Between The Promises (Elektra 38:00) B
52. Puddle Of Mudd-Come Clean (Geffen 48:11) A-
53. Bob Dylan-Love And Threft (Columbia 57:30) A
54. AC/DC-Stiff Upper Lip (Columbia 47:09) B-
55. Here Come The Derailers (Lucky Dog 39:30) C+
56. Dr. Hook-Super Hits (Columbia 35:11) B
57. POD-Satellite (Atlantic 54:11) B+
58. Yayhoos-Fear Not The Obvilous (Bloodshot 46:30) A-
59. Head East-20th Century Collection (A&M 52:03) B+
60. Drivin N Cryin-Ultimate Collection (Hip O 78:48) B+
61. Jerry Butler-The Philadelphia Sessions (Mercury 71:03) A
62. Anthenaeum (Atlantic 40:38) C
63. The Strokes-Is This It? (RCA 35:50) B
64. The Verve Pipe-Underneath (RCA 44:48) A-
65. John Hartford RCA Legends (RCA Heritage 40:13) B-
66. Diffuser-Injury Loves Melody (Hollywood 45:00) C-
67. Tractors-Fast Girl (Audium 51:26) B-
68. Incubus-Morning View (Epic 58:20) B+
69. The Yo Yos-Uppers And Downers (Sub Pop 41:19) A-
70. Bliss 66-Trip To The 13th (Epic 40:41) C-
71. Gloritone-Fainter Farther Still (Hayden's Ferry 43:22) B
72. Elton John-Songs From The West Coast (Universal 54:10) B+
73. Starch Martins-Dressing Up The Failure (White Rose 43:34) C+
74. Montgomery Gentry-Carrying On (Columbia 50:38) B+
75. Pistoleros (Found Music 35:49) B+
76. Green Day-International Super Hits (Reprise 60:43) A+
77. Stevie Ray Vaughn-Live In Montreaux (Epic 42:12-76:32) A-
78. Ministry-Greatest Fits (WB 72:43) B
79. Shaver-The Earth Rolls On (New West 44:17) B+
80. Doyle Bramhall 2-Welcome (RCA 68:27) A-
81. Great Plains-Length Of Record (Old 3G 71:32-73:22) B+
82. Creeper Lagoon-Take Back The Universe (Dreamworks 50:33) C+
83. SR 71-Now You See Inside (RCA 42:28) C+
Some reissues of note
The Pentangle-Castle Music
Blue Oyster Cult's first three Columbia albums
The Band's Reissues
The Producers-S/T and You Make The Heat on One Way
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Top Ten Of The Week-Happy 200th Birthday Abe Lincoln
Looks like the Grammys(TM) seem to be more Crabb themed with Robert
Plant/Alison Krauss getting five awards for their breakthrough Raising
Sand album and Coldplay getting a few for their album Viva La Vada too
but I didn't watch the awards at all. I ended up watching SCTV/Night
Gallery DVD shows on Crabb TV. The more I get to watch SCTV to more it
appears that the show was ahead of the times. Ya think the musician
guest stars today would appeared in sketches like Dr John or John
Mellencamp did back then. Perhaps this was the final golden age of
television although I think the SCTV season three may have been the best
season prior to them reaching NBC on the friday night slot. Still
twice as better than SNL was and ten times better than ABC's long
forgotten Friday's show, which shining moment was when Dave Edmunds and
Nick Lowe's Rockpile played on that show.
I don't think much of the media today, the TMZ Perez Hilton taboids that call Jessica Simpson fat. I do think she calls a lot of attention upon herself but judging by the Star pics of the Fat Jessica, she looks all right by me. Maybe better. I also give her credit for her concerts, at least she's not lip synching.
I haven't been any concerts in over ten years, the last one I went to may have been the Blue Rags at Gabes in 98 and really haven't cared much to pay fifty bucks to see some over the hill band. The Ticketmaster convenience fees made me boycott most of them. But I continue to read from the likes of Bob Lefsetz and others about the death of the major label and the death of music today simply of the fact that no nothings, lawyers and accountants plus the evil doings of the fucked up RIAA have turned off the buying public. The RIAA is the major hemorrhoid on the ass of the music industry. Sales don't drop off by a third this decade because of flukes, shutting down the original Napster and the wonderful copy protect CDs did them in. I'm sure a couple years from now we won't have cd stores to shop since everything will be downloaded, or if cds are available they're be in crappy digipaks, another RIAA ploy to take over the world. It's funny, when I started blogging bout the top ten I didn't know I was documenting the death of the music as it happens. But then again, the ratings for The Crabb report at My Space are down big time too. Guess it's not like what it was when it was the toast of The Roost at MSN.com. But then again I had some help from Brooksie and Starman and it was great to feed off their energies. I'm sure Mark Prindle is also wondering about where everybody is at too.
And a Happy 200th Birthday to Abe Lincoln.
Songs of the week.
1. Memories Are Made Of This-Dean Martin 1956 Number one for eight weeks this is the most stripped down Dino that Capitol ever put out. Gale Storm had a hit with this in the same year and Johnny Cash has covered it too. We don't call Dino rock and roll but he was my favorite of all the rat packers. Hard to believe he's been gone for 20 years now but it seemed like yesterday that we got the news that he died.
2. Repetition-Helmet 1990 Gotta watch out for those mood swings here in Top Ten Land. I don't think radio would ever dare anybody to play Dean Martin and then move into Page Hamilton. This was Aggro Rock before the term was ever coined. On the downside, Helmet was also the forebearer of Nu-Metal which gave us Korn, Deftones and Limp Bizkit. Not exactly a fair exchange.
3. Teenage Head-The Flaming Groovies 1970 One doesn't hear much of the Roy Loney led band, since most of their albums go in and out of print as well as the Cyril Jordan led Groovies of the mid to late 70s with their power pop rock. In fact, the Sire compilation only has this one tune from Roy Loney. Perhaps Sire didn't want to pay royalties to BMG or Sony for the rest of the story of this San Francisco band that sounded like they came from England.
4. Bangalore-The Blazers 1963 There was a bridge between Buddy and The Beatles and it came from the likes of surfing music and in the early 60s there was no shortage of that. Sometimes I do feel that surf music gets a bad rap since people only associate surf music with early Beach Boys or Jan and Dean but Dick Dale or Link Wray also figure into this as well. This is a minor, regional hit that has a Dick Dale like guitar lead with a rumbling bass and cascading cymbals to give the listener as they are "hanging ten" or "shooting a curl". Surf music was honest back then and didn't have to rely on Pro Tools to make it sound real. This would sound mean in Quadraphonic.
5. Switching To Glide-The Kings 1980 The band's biggest hit and it's actually part two of This Beat Goes On but Elektra did know where to splice the edit at. Stoopid lyrics but fun to sing if you had one too many Budweisers. Balance within my hands indeed.
6. Fistful Of Love-Antony And The Johnsons 2005 Lou Reed plays guitar on this number and I still can't figure out the dood singer called Antony, who sounds like a cross between Boy George and Pavarotti. Bob Lefsetz was singing the praises of their latest album but I found this for two bucks at HP Books and think I got taken. If this is the future of rock and roll, then I may as well retire and take my scratchy records and cds with me. I still like to know how Antony got Reed to play guitar and do the spoken introduction to this.
7. Let's Talk About Girls-Chocolate Watch Band 1966 Let's do. This band, I never got much into since they're more dated sounding than the 13th Floor Elevators but this song was punk rock fun before punk rock. Listen to that rave up chorus and tell me if that doesn't get you to go rocking, or go pick up chicks on the strip. You can't nowadays, you're too old.
8. Talkin About You-Bob Wills 1969 I have yet to hear a Bob Wills album that doesn't make me smile. This was late in his life and he was using session musicians perhaps and most of the songs off this album are instrumentals but Bob takes the lead vocal on this Ray Charles cover and does it the Bob Wills way, lots of AHHHH Haaaas, and YEAH. And if Bob was hoopin and hollering it meant he was having fun in the studio. Sure the Tiffany Transcriptions are classic and people speak fondly of the Columbia years but The MGM, Kapp years hold their own. Even the problematic Tomato CD with the bad mastering features gold among the rust. Texas swing was around before Bob and still is after his passing 34 years ago but Texas Swing remains Bob Wills, no matter how hard Asleep At The Wheel tries. And they try very well.
9. Ox Driver-The Modern Folk Quartet 1963 My brother worries about me when I start playing folk music such as this. These guys did make a appearance on the Teen exploitation music Palm Springs Weekend to this band played this song during the live music scene. Next to surf music, folk music was the rage of 1963 and although it's more dated now than the freak out Psychedelia of the 1966 era, a lotta folkies would go on to form more meaningful rock or pop bands. One of these guys went on the The Association.
10. High School Confidential-Mudcrutch 2008 Tom Petty has been keeping busy, reforming this band and doing the voiceover of Lucky on King Of The Hill and he seems to be a natural for voice overs of hicks in cartoons. Mudcrutch made a belated first album and although I liked it enough and so did Bob Lefsetz, old fuddy daddy Robert Chirstgau didn't and perhaps Christgau's brains has been eaten away due to all the world music and rap he listens to per month. Whereas yours truly preferred three chords and the truth and no pro tools to screw things up. This is off the live EP that Reprise stuck out just before the holidays and it's a very brief four song with the long 15 minute Crystal River the highlight but this song was the encore and for five old geezers on stage they can still rock out harder than Fall Out Boy or the other bands that kids love. But I guess funtime is over for Mudcrutch as Petty decides to go back to his other day job, The Heartbreakers. But I do have to say that Lucky, his alter ego in King Of The Hill has continued to keep my interest in watching that show which I think is the second longest running cartoon comedy going, next to The Simpsons. One of the rare reasons why I watch TV.
And it so goes.
I don't think much of the media today, the TMZ Perez Hilton taboids that call Jessica Simpson fat. I do think she calls a lot of attention upon herself but judging by the Star pics of the Fat Jessica, she looks all right by me. Maybe better. I also give her credit for her concerts, at least she's not lip synching.
I haven't been any concerts in over ten years, the last one I went to may have been the Blue Rags at Gabes in 98 and really haven't cared much to pay fifty bucks to see some over the hill band. The Ticketmaster convenience fees made me boycott most of them. But I continue to read from the likes of Bob Lefsetz and others about the death of the major label and the death of music today simply of the fact that no nothings, lawyers and accountants plus the evil doings of the fucked up RIAA have turned off the buying public. The RIAA is the major hemorrhoid on the ass of the music industry. Sales don't drop off by a third this decade because of flukes, shutting down the original Napster and the wonderful copy protect CDs did them in. I'm sure a couple years from now we won't have cd stores to shop since everything will be downloaded, or if cds are available they're be in crappy digipaks, another RIAA ploy to take over the world. It's funny, when I started blogging bout the top ten I didn't know I was documenting the death of the music as it happens. But then again, the ratings for The Crabb report at My Space are down big time too. Guess it's not like what it was when it was the toast of The Roost at MSN.com. But then again I had some help from Brooksie and Starman and it was great to feed off their energies. I'm sure Mark Prindle is also wondering about where everybody is at too.
And a Happy 200th Birthday to Abe Lincoln.
Songs of the week.
1. Memories Are Made Of This-Dean Martin 1956 Number one for eight weeks this is the most stripped down Dino that Capitol ever put out. Gale Storm had a hit with this in the same year and Johnny Cash has covered it too. We don't call Dino rock and roll but he was my favorite of all the rat packers. Hard to believe he's been gone for 20 years now but it seemed like yesterday that we got the news that he died.
2. Repetition-Helmet 1990 Gotta watch out for those mood swings here in Top Ten Land. I don't think radio would ever dare anybody to play Dean Martin and then move into Page Hamilton. This was Aggro Rock before the term was ever coined. On the downside, Helmet was also the forebearer of Nu-Metal which gave us Korn, Deftones and Limp Bizkit. Not exactly a fair exchange.
3. Teenage Head-The Flaming Groovies 1970 One doesn't hear much of the Roy Loney led band, since most of their albums go in and out of print as well as the Cyril Jordan led Groovies of the mid to late 70s with their power pop rock. In fact, the Sire compilation only has this one tune from Roy Loney. Perhaps Sire didn't want to pay royalties to BMG or Sony for the rest of the story of this San Francisco band that sounded like they came from England.
4. Bangalore-The Blazers 1963 There was a bridge between Buddy and The Beatles and it came from the likes of surfing music and in the early 60s there was no shortage of that. Sometimes I do feel that surf music gets a bad rap since people only associate surf music with early Beach Boys or Jan and Dean but Dick Dale or Link Wray also figure into this as well. This is a minor, regional hit that has a Dick Dale like guitar lead with a rumbling bass and cascading cymbals to give the listener as they are "hanging ten" or "shooting a curl". Surf music was honest back then and didn't have to rely on Pro Tools to make it sound real. This would sound mean in Quadraphonic.
5. Switching To Glide-The Kings 1980 The band's biggest hit and it's actually part two of This Beat Goes On but Elektra did know where to splice the edit at. Stoopid lyrics but fun to sing if you had one too many Budweisers. Balance within my hands indeed.
6. Fistful Of Love-Antony And The Johnsons 2005 Lou Reed plays guitar on this number and I still can't figure out the dood singer called Antony, who sounds like a cross between Boy George and Pavarotti. Bob Lefsetz was singing the praises of their latest album but I found this for two bucks at HP Books and think I got taken. If this is the future of rock and roll, then I may as well retire and take my scratchy records and cds with me. I still like to know how Antony got Reed to play guitar and do the spoken introduction to this.
7. Let's Talk About Girls-Chocolate Watch Band 1966 Let's do. This band, I never got much into since they're more dated sounding than the 13th Floor Elevators but this song was punk rock fun before punk rock. Listen to that rave up chorus and tell me if that doesn't get you to go rocking, or go pick up chicks on the strip. You can't nowadays, you're too old.
8. Talkin About You-Bob Wills 1969 I have yet to hear a Bob Wills album that doesn't make me smile. This was late in his life and he was using session musicians perhaps and most of the songs off this album are instrumentals but Bob takes the lead vocal on this Ray Charles cover and does it the Bob Wills way, lots of AHHHH Haaaas, and YEAH. And if Bob was hoopin and hollering it meant he was having fun in the studio. Sure the Tiffany Transcriptions are classic and people speak fondly of the Columbia years but The MGM, Kapp years hold their own. Even the problematic Tomato CD with the bad mastering features gold among the rust. Texas swing was around before Bob and still is after his passing 34 years ago but Texas Swing remains Bob Wills, no matter how hard Asleep At The Wheel tries. And they try very well.
9. Ox Driver-The Modern Folk Quartet 1963 My brother worries about me when I start playing folk music such as this. These guys did make a appearance on the Teen exploitation music Palm Springs Weekend to this band played this song during the live music scene. Next to surf music, folk music was the rage of 1963 and although it's more dated now than the freak out Psychedelia of the 1966 era, a lotta folkies would go on to form more meaningful rock or pop bands. One of these guys went on the The Association.
10. High School Confidential-Mudcrutch 2008 Tom Petty has been keeping busy, reforming this band and doing the voiceover of Lucky on King Of The Hill and he seems to be a natural for voice overs of hicks in cartoons. Mudcrutch made a belated first album and although I liked it enough and so did Bob Lefsetz, old fuddy daddy Robert Chirstgau didn't and perhaps Christgau's brains has been eaten away due to all the world music and rap he listens to per month. Whereas yours truly preferred three chords and the truth and no pro tools to screw things up. This is off the live EP that Reprise stuck out just before the holidays and it's a very brief four song with the long 15 minute Crystal River the highlight but this song was the encore and for five old geezers on stage they can still rock out harder than Fall Out Boy or the other bands that kids love. But I guess funtime is over for Mudcrutch as Petty decides to go back to his other day job, The Heartbreakers. But I do have to say that Lucky, his alter ego in King Of The Hill has continued to keep my interest in watching that show which I think is the second longest running cartoon comedy going, next to The Simpsons. One of the rare reasons why I watch TV.
And it so goes.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Top Ten Of The Week-The Music Did Not Die
Top Ten Of The Week-The Music Did Not Die & The Levee Is Not Dry
If there's anythng similar to 50 years ago, the weather was chilly and cold and like 50 years ago, we had a Alberta Clipper come through the state but unlike 50 years ago, the front came through earlier and when the Surf shows started up, the moon was out, the snow was gone but the NW winds gusting around 20 miles an hour making one poor Los Lonely Boys player remarked how cold it gets up here in the midwest. But another musician remarked that the concert could be pulled off in Clear Lake than New York or LA simply of the fact that this was a real as show could get and take you back to 1959. Los Angeles would be warmer but the cold artcic chill made you feel as if Buddy,The Big Bopper and Ritchie were still in spirit. It's also a far cry from the cold and barren cornfield to which Roger Petersen, wide-eyed and eager to please but taking on the Alberta Clipper with the blinding snows and cutting winds, he paid the ultimate price and getting the worst of it all, being called the villian and taking three up and coming musicians in the process. For trying to do the right thing and keeping warm in the harshest of winters, Buddy become a legend as did Richie and The Big Bopper. The questions remain had they waited till morning when the clipper went through the state or stayed on the bus, there would be a new king of rock and roll and he may have been Buddy or Ritchie and JP Richardson would have been a sought after producer. But the old black and white pictures of The Big 3's last night on Earth is replaced by a plague and monument out in that cornfield and tuesday night, people actually treked out there from The Surf to check it out, and to feel the elements. And then they went back to celebrated the music of three hall of fame rockers till the early morning hours.
"and good old boys drinking whiskey and rye, singing that the music will never die"
And from the heavens, Buddy along with The Big Bopper, Ritchie and Waylon smiled.
The Top Ten Of The Week.
1. Stoned Cowboy-Fantasy 1970 A FM underground classic still played on Beaker Street, the Arkansas insitution led by Clyde Clifford but yours truly has this 4 minite edit on a 45 that I bought from Marion TV and Records when downtown Marion had their very own record store and one didn't have to travel. In fact when we were young, going to the big city meant going to the downtown Woolworth's. Memories of a long ago and far away.
2. Tribute To Buddy Holly-Mike Berry And The Outlaws 1961 Tribute records are scary and for the most part people would rather not listen to them. Case in point is Waylon Jennings' 1963's The Stage, heartfelt but nobody wants to listen to it as much as nobody wants to see the plane wreckage. This song, produced by Joe Meek, a freak upon himself to the point that he ended his life and his landlord Lady 8 years after Buddy's passing but for a tribute song this is not as morbid as Three Stars or The Stage. Joe Meek was a wunderkind producer and if you hear a Joe Meek produced song, you'd know it. Meek may have been the most paranoid man this side of Charlie Manson. This record was released on Coral Records in 1962 but didn't place on the charts. The people perferred Last Kiss somehow.
3. Time Will Crawl-David Bowie 1987 KRNA played the hell out of this song back then when they switched from albums to CDs and back then there wasn't much in CDs so they played what they had for CDs alot. Really not a bad song, nor was the album Never Let Me Down but critics hated this. It wasn't Aladdan Shane nor Ziggy Stardust or The Thin White Duke and it had Peter Frampton playing lead guitar for Fuck's sake. And it seemed like anything with Mr. Do You Feel Like We Do on any album back then was the kiss of death. Not exactly, but in fact Peter does a nice guitar playing job considering it was the 80s and that cold stale digital production that dates itself. But Never Let Me Down is a good record, if you want bad Bowie try listening to Earthling, or Heathen or Outside. That can be a bit trying.
4. Modern Don Juan-Buddy Holly 1956 At this time, Buddy was trying to be marketed as a country star and it wasn't working but this song has a bit more rockabilly than Owen Bradley would have liked. Didn't sell as a single but The Lonesome Strangers did a wonderful cover of this in 1986.
5. Born To Be Wild-Steppenwolf 1968 Why do I think this came out in 67 when it didn't? Could it be I'm losing my mind or getting demetria? Yup this song is overplayed on every radio station 40 years after the fact but this version comes off a MCA Complation of hits of the 50s and 60s compiled by Steve Hoffman and this is the full version complete with a flubbed up ending to which it got edited at the 3:28 mark, this goes ten second further and if you don't hear it, you're not missing much. But I like this fine.
6. Mr. Soul-Buffalo Springfield 1967 RIP Dewey martin. Another rocker deciding to move up to the great gig in the sky.
7. Looking For A Love-Bobby Womack 1974 I had to find a best of to try to figure out what credituals that got Bobby into the RnR HOF and the fine folks at FYE had a best of in the dollar bins. He's more known as a soul man in terms of Let's Get It On type of music but I do notice that Bobby can rock a little bit on this remake of his 1963 hit for Sam Cooke's SAR label to which EMI couldn't get it licensed but Bobby did have a top five hit with this song but I know KCRG or KLWW never played it here but I'm thinking WLS in Chicago did play it. Still think he's a bit overrated but this song rocks.
8. Cosmo's Rockin-Paul Rodgers And Queen 2008 Such a public and critical outcry on this latest release from Paul, Roger and Brian that I thought this was going to be a turd till I heard the album and I think it does rock although it reminds me more of Free than Freddie Mercury or Bad Company. There is some thought to this record and it's noted that it owes more to the blues based of the 70s than the high pompousness that was Great Queen. For the most part Paul doesn't attempt to hit the high notes and settles into that easy groove I come to expect from him. This song is probaly the most Queen sounding and everybody got off the bus after track one but we all know there's much much worse out there. And I still don't get TV On The Radio either. Sue me.
9. Why The West Was Won-Jimmy Davis And Junction 1987 Hay Crabby, I didn't know you were listening to Richard Marx, we never thought of you as a Richard Marx fan. That Richard Marx album is pretty damn good huh? Whatta mean you're not listening to Richard Marx, this isn't Richard Marx?!? Sure sounds like him. Nope fool, this is Jimmy Davis and he made one album for a MCA offshoot label and got help from Joe Walsh and somebody named Richard Orange. I'm thinking myself it's Richard Marx under a alias. You remember Alias don't ya? Richard Marx played in that band too smartass. Oh he didn't? Oh it was the guy from Sheriff who made that limp ballad When I Am With You which they were playing up at Skate Country back around 1982? He sure sounded like Richard marx too. That Richard Marx, he sure saved 80s rock and roll back then. Oh you were asking what I was listening to? Richard Marx, now go away.
10. More Often Than Never-The Swimming Pool Q's 1989 They made a couple albums for A and M before before moving on to Capitol and losing Anne Richmond Boston's vocals in the progress although she did design the album cover to this recording. Jeff Calder remains an acquired taste for the alternative crowd and this record is spotty but this final track on the vinyl is a nice Stonesy rocker that ends things on a happy note. The CD gives you two bonus tracks. This album also is mixed by one Brendan O'Brien who was just starting out but he would eventully go on to bigger and better things. Everybody's gotta start somewhere.
RIP Lux Interior, frontman of The Cramps.
Steve Martin just isn't funny anymore if we have to see him do remakes of The Pink Panther or Cheaper By The Dozen but he's a great banjo player. I think I more inclined to hear him play banjo than do Inspector Cluelessou.
On the subject of the Octuplets Momma, 33 and 14 kids later, she's no Dugger. I think the Duggers have a way of not fleecing the public like Nadya Suleman is doing. I mean who's going to pay for the babies? Certainly in these days and times the California Taxpayers are not going to be too happy supporting this woman. I'm all in favor of people having babies, but when you have 14 kids and you're 33 years old and still living at home, that's doesn't endear you to the rest of the world. Enough with the litters babe.
I would also love to see congress pass a law banning pharmaceutical drug companies from touting over the counter drugs on TV. I am seeing way too much of "talk to your doctor about such and such drug". And get rid of the fucking Viagara and Cialisis crap with the separate bathtubs. If people are horny they sure in the hell not going to be in fucking separate bathtubs. Who thinks of this stoopid shite? If you going to promote the little blue pill, better start promoting condom and birth control commercials. Jes saying. And while we were at it, ban the yeast infection and female hygiene commercials too. Course if we did that, there wouldn't be much for commercials anymore now would it?
Dry Bar Bar Q on C St SW, i went there again for another slice of Peach Cobbler. If I go back to a place twice in one week it must mean that they got some great eats up there. I can do Bar B Q once a couple weeks but this peach cobbler might get me there every week for desert.
Rock N Roll and Cat-Logic
I'm not a big fan of cats. Didn't say I hate cats but I'm always skittish around them. I'm a dog person. Dogs are more friendly and are loyal, cats will use you and abuse you when vulerable.
I don't have dogs of my own but I consider Chelsea, the wondering black lab across the street to be my very own. She loves coming over, getting her belly rubbed and we sometimes play around the yard before I need the oxygen tank or a chiropractor. My parents have a smart German Shepard, Maggie May this dog can sense a thunderstorm two states away. I don't have any pets of my own here at home simply of the fact that I cannot care for them twenty four seven. But Cheslea knows that this neighbor has dog treats and usually waits, sits down and sticks out her paw (Miss Lefty) and so I give her a couple when I think it's time to her to go home. Lovely dog but she's getting to be 8 years old and like me, getting a lot of gray around her belly.
My best friend Russell married a fine woman in Debbie and she's truly a cat fan. When she moved out here she has two cats of her own. Lucy was one of them and we did okay till I was petting her and she slashed my thumb and it bled for about an hour. In the times they have been together they bought three cats, Cosmo later Smoochy and Don Julio, the latter two who had to be put down due to a fire last year. Cosmo and Julio both loved me in ways that everytime I go over there one or the other would sit on my lap for a while. And then the alpha cat is none other than Smokey, the ten year old grey cat who a split personality that reminds me so much of my last GF Isabella, nice at times but watch out he could turn on you. And you don't do that to a skepital person such as me. I know a couple years ago when we went out for my birthday party, Smokey was rubbing around my leg and then all of a sudden was trying to bite me kneecap than ran away. Since then, I haven't totality forgiven Smokey of this and started calling him Psychocat. He's doing better, probaly of the fact he's Alpha Cat and the only one at home, a lot more nicer but once he gets on you, thinks you're a pin cushion and drive his nails into your body. He also likes to climb up you and bite you on your ears too. He does that to Russ or Debby but he doesn't do that to me, he don't have the chance.
Kinda reminds me of Lovey, the female cat that has her own building at my brother's car repair shop. She talks to you, purrs and sometimes does the things that Smokey does and I'm thinking this is the perfect cat for Smokey but Lovey would rule the roost.
Russ and Deb always tries their damnest to pawn cats on me but I keep telling no. I said no to Cosmo, no to Lucy, no to Sid and definly no to Smokey although I'm sure that cat would have a field day out in the area. But there would be guide rules for our fellow pussies to follow. I have a waterbed so that pretty much keeps them out of the bedroom or get their claws removed. Tempermental people should not have cats since cats are tempermental too and if one decides to lay their claws into myself and hiss they might be thrown out the door. There's a few people I know that might be a worthy girlfriend but they have cats and basically it's love/hate for me and the felines so I keep it plutonic and say no to any more advancement. It's easier to win over somebody that has dogs than someone with cats. And the rewards are better too.
With the floods of last year, this city of CR will have a cat explosion. Lots of abandoned or empty houses, plenty of cats to hang in there and keep the mice population in control. And I'm sure somewhere in this town or even out here with all the junk cars my brother has around we might even have one of two kittys that might consider this to be their home (wrong em boyo). As I told Russ, I'm not against people having cats if that's what they want and as much as I like the ones that you have around here, I'm not into cats. I had one too many bad expierences with them and basically to keep the peace, better to have them someplace else, with people that will take care of them (although in this day and age there are idiots that can't take care of them take em out on in the country and throw them out to fend for themselves). Like kids, cats are wonderful when they're somebody elses.
I perfer Black labs more.
I don't have dogs of my own but I consider Chelsea, the wondering black lab across the street to be my very own. She loves coming over, getting her belly rubbed and we sometimes play around the yard before I need the oxygen tank or a chiropractor. My parents have a smart German Shepard, Maggie May this dog can sense a thunderstorm two states away. I don't have any pets of my own here at home simply of the fact that I cannot care for them twenty four seven. But Cheslea knows that this neighbor has dog treats and usually waits, sits down and sticks out her paw (Miss Lefty) and so I give her a couple when I think it's time to her to go home. Lovely dog but she's getting to be 8 years old and like me, getting a lot of gray around her belly.
My best friend Russell married a fine woman in Debbie and she's truly a cat fan. When she moved out here she has two cats of her own. Lucy was one of them and we did okay till I was petting her and she slashed my thumb and it bled for about an hour. In the times they have been together they bought three cats, Cosmo later Smoochy and Don Julio, the latter two who had to be put down due to a fire last year. Cosmo and Julio both loved me in ways that everytime I go over there one or the other would sit on my lap for a while. And then the alpha cat is none other than Smokey, the ten year old grey cat who a split personality that reminds me so much of my last GF Isabella, nice at times but watch out he could turn on you. And you don't do that to a skepital person such as me. I know a couple years ago when we went out for my birthday party, Smokey was rubbing around my leg and then all of a sudden was trying to bite me kneecap than ran away. Since then, I haven't totality forgiven Smokey of this and started calling him Psychocat. He's doing better, probaly of the fact he's Alpha Cat and the only one at home, a lot more nicer but once he gets on you, thinks you're a pin cushion and drive his nails into your body. He also likes to climb up you and bite you on your ears too. He does that to Russ or Debby but he doesn't do that to me, he don't have the chance.
Kinda reminds me of Lovey, the female cat that has her own building at my brother's car repair shop. She talks to you, purrs and sometimes does the things that Smokey does and I'm thinking this is the perfect cat for Smokey but Lovey would rule the roost.
Russ and Deb always tries their damnest to pawn cats on me but I keep telling no. I said no to Cosmo, no to Lucy, no to Sid and definly no to Smokey although I'm sure that cat would have a field day out in the area. But there would be guide rules for our fellow pussies to follow. I have a waterbed so that pretty much keeps them out of the bedroom or get their claws removed. Tempermental people should not have cats since cats are tempermental too and if one decides to lay their claws into myself and hiss they might be thrown out the door. There's a few people I know that might be a worthy girlfriend but they have cats and basically it's love/hate for me and the felines so I keep it plutonic and say no to any more advancement. It's easier to win over somebody that has dogs than someone with cats. And the rewards are better too.
With the floods of last year, this city of CR will have a cat explosion. Lots of abandoned or empty houses, plenty of cats to hang in there and keep the mice population in control. And I'm sure somewhere in this town or even out here with all the junk cars my brother has around we might even have one of two kittys that might consider this to be their home (wrong em boyo). As I told Russ, I'm not against people having cats if that's what they want and as much as I like the ones that you have around here, I'm not into cats. I had one too many bad expierences with them and basically to keep the peace, better to have them someplace else, with people that will take care of them (although in this day and age there are idiots that can't take care of them take em out on in the country and throw them out to fend for themselves). Like kids, cats are wonderful when they're somebody elses.
I perfer Black labs more.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Radio Up Yours
The Performance Rights Act - which would require radio stations to pay
royalties to artists and labels for songs they broadcast over the air -
will be reintroduced into the new 111th Congress this week, according to
a letter signed by members of the U.S. House of Representatives
Judiciary Committee.
Songwriters already receive royalties when their songs are broadcast but the legislation is aimed at ending the exemption that terrestrial radio currently enjoys from paying royalties to artists, musicians and master recordings copyright owners.
Webcasters, satellite radio, cable radio services and all other non-terrestrial broadcasters already pay both performance and songwriting royalties, as does terrestrial radio in every one of the 30 countries that comprise the Organization of Economic Cooperation & Development, except for the U.S., according to a primer that A2IM sent its members today.
The planned legislation, which will be submitted by the chairman of the Judiciary Committee John Conyers; Rep. Howard L. Berman; Rep. Darrell Issa; Rep. Marsha W. Blackburn; and Rep. Paul W. Hodes, was previously introduced in the prior 110trh congressional session as H.R. 4789, and in the Senate as S. 2500 on Dec. 18, 2007.
Artists and labels have been lobbying for artist performance royalties from radio stations for years, while the National Assn. of Broadcasters has long opposed paying such royalties under the claim that radio play serves as promotion that drives music sales.
..
By Ed Christman NY
More backward thinking from your friendly Major Labels who look out for the best interest of their artists right? In a perfect world perhaps but in this world no. The Major Labels refused to believe that we are in a new Great Depression and they can't seem to give up their Limos and Jets and contributing to Global Warming. Is it going to be the point that the fucking idiots are going start asking people putting their favorite songs up just in top tens for fucking royalties too??? Now that the artists and labels have finally gotten their congressmen in due to their contributions I suppose it's time for Congress to return the favor and give bailouts to the big 4 labels for their hookers and blow. Sure ain't going to help the minor selling artists on the labels.
Music is the only thing I know that people can't enjoy listening to without copilous amounts of bullshit from lawyers, accountants and CEOs who have no fucking clue about music but the bottom dollar. We have seen the Four Horsemen of the Music Apocalypse, or at least three of them. 1. The Telecommunications Act of 1996, 2) Polygram being bought out by Edgar Brotman and evetually turned it into the giant beast Universal and number 3) The Sony Copy Protect CD Rootkit of 2005 that started the big downtrend in music. Is this Performance Rights Act the final Horsemen that will kill off music once and for all? Wasn't radio supposed to be the promoting of new artists and music? From what I hear when I turn on the radio, it sure isn't doing a good job of promoting anything outside of playlists that are 25 to 30 years old.
The music you hear on free radio today, or top forty is shitty at best and nobody remembers it. Remember My Love is like Wo? No you don't, nobody does. We have Lady GaGa at number one for weeks with her crap but you won't remember her at the end of the year or five years from now. I think the NAB, The National Association of Broadcasters might have it wrong, radio doesn't promote the new artist or the rock artist of today but they have a good argument in opposing this stupid law aiming to try to pad the profits for the major labels who simply are on borrowed time and still try to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs or make it difficult for down-loaders to download music. Fuck the major labels anyway.
Buy used.
Songwriters already receive royalties when their songs are broadcast but the legislation is aimed at ending the exemption that terrestrial radio currently enjoys from paying royalties to artists, musicians and master recordings copyright owners.
Webcasters, satellite radio, cable radio services and all other non-terrestrial broadcasters already pay both performance and songwriting royalties, as does terrestrial radio in every one of the 30 countries that comprise the Organization of Economic Cooperation & Development, except for the U.S., according to a primer that A2IM sent its members today.
The planned legislation, which will be submitted by the chairman of the Judiciary Committee John Conyers; Rep. Howard L. Berman; Rep. Darrell Issa; Rep. Marsha W. Blackburn; and Rep. Paul W. Hodes, was previously introduced in the prior 110trh congressional session as H.R. 4789, and in the Senate as S. 2500 on Dec. 18, 2007.
Artists and labels have been lobbying for artist performance royalties from radio stations for years, while the National Assn. of Broadcasters has long opposed paying such royalties under the claim that radio play serves as promotion that drives music sales.
..
By Ed Christman NY
More backward thinking from your friendly Major Labels who look out for the best interest of their artists right? In a perfect world perhaps but in this world no. The Major Labels refused to believe that we are in a new Great Depression and they can't seem to give up their Limos and Jets and contributing to Global Warming. Is it going to be the point that the fucking idiots are going start asking people putting their favorite songs up just in top tens for fucking royalties too??? Now that the artists and labels have finally gotten their congressmen in due to their contributions I suppose it's time for Congress to return the favor and give bailouts to the big 4 labels for their hookers and blow. Sure ain't going to help the minor selling artists on the labels.
Music is the only thing I know that people can't enjoy listening to without copilous amounts of bullshit from lawyers, accountants and CEOs who have no fucking clue about music but the bottom dollar. We have seen the Four Horsemen of the Music Apocalypse, or at least three of them. 1. The Telecommunications Act of 1996, 2) Polygram being bought out by Edgar Brotman and evetually turned it into the giant beast Universal and number 3) The Sony Copy Protect CD Rootkit of 2005 that started the big downtrend in music. Is this Performance Rights Act the final Horsemen that will kill off music once and for all? Wasn't radio supposed to be the promoting of new artists and music? From what I hear when I turn on the radio, it sure isn't doing a good job of promoting anything outside of playlists that are 25 to 30 years old.
The music you hear on free radio today, or top forty is shitty at best and nobody remembers it. Remember My Love is like Wo? No you don't, nobody does. We have Lady GaGa at number one for weeks with her crap but you won't remember her at the end of the year or five years from now. I think the NAB, The National Association of Broadcasters might have it wrong, radio doesn't promote the new artist or the rock artist of today but they have a good argument in opposing this stupid law aiming to try to pad the profits for the major labels who simply are on borrowed time and still try to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs or make it difficult for down-loaders to download music. Fuck the major labels anyway.
Buy used.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Buddy Holly 50 Years Later
There's a old picture of a plane crash that was taken on a barren and
snowblown field in Iowa. You may have seen it on the web but it is
perhaps the most unsettling reminder of the day that the music died. In
reality the music didn't die in 59 on a cold windy day in Iowa, after
Buddy Holly, tired of cold buses with no heaters decided to rent a
airplane to catch up on some laundry and get ready for another show in
the barren of winter. Sad to say that night at the Surf Ballroom turned
out to be the final showing of what could have been something that
could have changed the face of rock n roll. Buddy along with Richie
Valens were on their way to bigger and better things and JP Richardson
stuck big with a novelty hit but The Big Bopper was also a very good
songwriter and producer. Sadly that night, an Alberta Clipper was
coming from Canada and bringing the chill of a quick snowfall and heavy
winds and big drop in temps and with a pilot too eager to please and not
enough experience, it all led to the final finale.
It's a sad feeling beyond knowing when you see the up and coming rock stars laying face down in a cornfield, hoping they didn't suffer upon impact. Being thrown out of the plane, I'm sure that may have been the cause but Roger Peterson the unlucky pilot fared worse to the point that he was tangled inside the plane. In front of the plane laid Richie, while Buddy was to the side and wearing a lighter coat. The Big Bopper, got thrown across the fence. All the promises of a new and exciting rock and roll laid in the wasteland of some cornfield northwest of Mason City. And so the story begins.
Driving home tonight from work, I felt the weather that Buddy and JP and Richie may have gone through. We had a Clipper go through, had a bit of a snowstorm, and felt the winds blow stronger and the skies cleared off to reveal a chilly half moon. Not unlike when they boarded the plane and headed into the teeth of a Alberta Clipper, if only they would have waited.......
In my band's I always wanted to be more like Buddy than Elvis but also growing up with the sounds of The Who, I wanted to make something that sounded like Buddy leading The Who and probably failed at that attempt. I wondered tonight as I try to type this out, what made Buddy decide to take a winter tour through the Midwest, into the dead of winter when before global warming, the winters were just as a bitch as they are today. It was the dark ages back then, no internet, no cds and no My Space to showcase the happenings. Would have been wonderful had it was possible. I suppose the great debate remains if Richie Valens would have been the new king of rock and roll, or Buddy would have continued his path with his general ideas from the Apartment tapes. Perhaps Richie Valens would have defined rock and roll more so but with Buddy and Richie passing away, rock and roll didn't die but it certainly was in critical condition. Elvis Presley would go into the Army and never would return to the wild rockabilly rock he did in the mid 50s, Jerry Lee Lewis would marry his 13 year old cousin and piss off the world and Little Richard gave up rock and roll at that time to be a preacher against the devil music. And the only ones who carried on the rock and roll spirit were Frankie Avalon, or Fabian or the ghastly Paul Anka and their sanitized bubblegum rock.
It has been said that Elvis was the king of rock and roll but to my Buddy Holly may not have not known it at the time, but the British kids across the pond took his music to heart and they started coming up with what would be known as the British Invasion four years later with The Beatles leading the way and The Hollies with their close knit harmonies to which you can hear in Buddy's songs. But Buddy himself did follow the lead of Elvis Presley by covering his songs out in his garage in Lubbock with Jerry Allison. But although Elvis did choose great cover versions, Buddy stood out by writing his own material which might led him to be into rock royalty and so did Richie Valens. One of these two had they live may well replace Elvis to the throne but in the course of history, Elvis did return from the Army and still have the ladies and a fired up performances but most of his music after was not the same as it was in the wild 50s.
50 years later, there was a sold out crowd at the Surf Ballroom to celebrate the fifty years since Buddy's last performance and even some of the guys that were there did show up to be there. Tommy Allsup, Dion, Bobby Vee, they returned and so does the fans of the music, braving the 5 degree weather just like it was back then. Funny place about Iowa, it's paradise in the fall but hell in the wintertime with the frozen fire that is snow and the biting winds from the northwest that could turn your skin to frostbit blue in minites. I hope someday that I could make a pilgrimage to Mason City and retrace the steps from the Surf to the cornfield that became the next to last resting place for three up and coming musicians whose lives were cut short before their time. Best I can do right now is to celebrate their memory by playing their music and remembering how good they were and still are today.
Because, if you think about it the music never did die. It still lives.
It's a sad feeling beyond knowing when you see the up and coming rock stars laying face down in a cornfield, hoping they didn't suffer upon impact. Being thrown out of the plane, I'm sure that may have been the cause but Roger Peterson the unlucky pilot fared worse to the point that he was tangled inside the plane. In front of the plane laid Richie, while Buddy was to the side and wearing a lighter coat. The Big Bopper, got thrown across the fence. All the promises of a new and exciting rock and roll laid in the wasteland of some cornfield northwest of Mason City. And so the story begins.
Driving home tonight from work, I felt the weather that Buddy and JP and Richie may have gone through. We had a Clipper go through, had a bit of a snowstorm, and felt the winds blow stronger and the skies cleared off to reveal a chilly half moon. Not unlike when they boarded the plane and headed into the teeth of a Alberta Clipper, if only they would have waited.......
In my band's I always wanted to be more like Buddy than Elvis but also growing up with the sounds of The Who, I wanted to make something that sounded like Buddy leading The Who and probably failed at that attempt. I wondered tonight as I try to type this out, what made Buddy decide to take a winter tour through the Midwest, into the dead of winter when before global warming, the winters were just as a bitch as they are today. It was the dark ages back then, no internet, no cds and no My Space to showcase the happenings. Would have been wonderful had it was possible. I suppose the great debate remains if Richie Valens would have been the new king of rock and roll, or Buddy would have continued his path with his general ideas from the Apartment tapes. Perhaps Richie Valens would have defined rock and roll more so but with Buddy and Richie passing away, rock and roll didn't die but it certainly was in critical condition. Elvis Presley would go into the Army and never would return to the wild rockabilly rock he did in the mid 50s, Jerry Lee Lewis would marry his 13 year old cousin and piss off the world and Little Richard gave up rock and roll at that time to be a preacher against the devil music. And the only ones who carried on the rock and roll spirit were Frankie Avalon, or Fabian or the ghastly Paul Anka and their sanitized bubblegum rock.
It has been said that Elvis was the king of rock and roll but to my Buddy Holly may not have not known it at the time, but the British kids across the pond took his music to heart and they started coming up with what would be known as the British Invasion four years later with The Beatles leading the way and The Hollies with their close knit harmonies to which you can hear in Buddy's songs. But Buddy himself did follow the lead of Elvis Presley by covering his songs out in his garage in Lubbock with Jerry Allison. But although Elvis did choose great cover versions, Buddy stood out by writing his own material which might led him to be into rock royalty and so did Richie Valens. One of these two had they live may well replace Elvis to the throne but in the course of history, Elvis did return from the Army and still have the ladies and a fired up performances but most of his music after was not the same as it was in the wild 50s.
50 years later, there was a sold out crowd at the Surf Ballroom to celebrate the fifty years since Buddy's last performance and even some of the guys that were there did show up to be there. Tommy Allsup, Dion, Bobby Vee, they returned and so does the fans of the music, braving the 5 degree weather just like it was back then. Funny place about Iowa, it's paradise in the fall but hell in the wintertime with the frozen fire that is snow and the biting winds from the northwest that could turn your skin to frostbit blue in minites. I hope someday that I could make a pilgrimage to Mason City and retrace the steps from the Surf to the cornfield that became the next to last resting place for three up and coming musicians whose lives were cut short before their time. Best I can do right now is to celebrate their memory by playing their music and remembering how good they were and still are today.
Because, if you think about it the music never did die. It still lives.
Monday, February 2, 2009
The Super Bowl Commericals
I think the commercials we seen this super bowl were a lot better than the garbage they spewed out last year but for three million dollars per 30 second they better hold me attention. Some did, most didn't but oh well.
Faves
The Bud Light Office Meeting-Most of the time Bud Light's commericals make me switch the channel but this little ditty about the dood making fun of the economy and watching him get thrown out of the building got laughs from myself and Russ, my best friend.
Doritos Crystal Ball Commerical-I think this one got the biggest laugh and was the best. Uh, don't wish on the cystal ball and throw it at the boss' gonads, you might find yourself in the uneployment line.
The Teleforia Box of Roses commerical. Nothing says I love you like Dead Flowers tellin you how ugly you are. Funny.
The Budweiser Clydesdale Commericals, I think I like the Generations of Clydesdale better than the other ones but usually we get quality when Budweiser decides to show the horses off.
Denny's Breakfast Commercial with Martin Scorace: This one had me LOL. When martin trying to tell the rest of the guys of what he's going to do, the waitress keeps adding more ready whip to his pancakes. However, we don't have anymore Denny's up here, they're all closed up, so have to go to IHOP or Perkins'.
Bridestone Mr Potato Head and Mrs Potato Head losing her lips due to a bump.
The Coke Zero Polamulu Parody of Mean Joe Greene
The annoying.
The E Trade Baby-I can't imagine this being the best of the commericals but since there's a lot of folk out there that like computer generated talking babies you can add it to your list of best but it's on my worst of. Every time I see this Etrade Baby, I switched the channel. Fucking scary.
The Pepsi Bob Dylan/Will I Am Forever Young thingy.
The Pepsi MacGruber Parody....These commericals make me want to drink Coke. My best friend wife Debbie cracked a rib laughing at that remark of mine.
GO Daddy.Com Nothing more annoying then seeing these commericals saying if you want to see the rest of this log on to a computer. Nice if you have highspeed but since it's TV MA for commericals better not to access it at work.
The Coke Bug Commerical...Makes me want to drink RC Cola.
Career Builder.Com Some people this is classic, I think it got more annoying as it went on. There's a fine line between clever and stupid, and this commerical goes both ways till the end when it stays over on the side of stupid.
What was missing. The Miller High Life Guy although he appears in a 10 second thingy yelling HIGH LIFE. Guess Miller's was on a budget.
Bring back, The Budweiser Froggies.
Faves
The Bud Light Office Meeting-Most of the time Bud Light's commericals make me switch the channel but this little ditty about the dood making fun of the economy and watching him get thrown out of the building got laughs from myself and Russ, my best friend.
Doritos Crystal Ball Commerical-I think this one got the biggest laugh and was the best. Uh, don't wish on the cystal ball and throw it at the boss' gonads, you might find yourself in the uneployment line.
The Teleforia Box of Roses commerical. Nothing says I love you like Dead Flowers tellin you how ugly you are. Funny.
The Budweiser Clydesdale Commericals, I think I like the Generations of Clydesdale better than the other ones but usually we get quality when Budweiser decides to show the horses off.
Denny's Breakfast Commercial with Martin Scorace: This one had me LOL. When martin trying to tell the rest of the guys of what he's going to do, the waitress keeps adding more ready whip to his pancakes. However, we don't have anymore Denny's up here, they're all closed up, so have to go to IHOP or Perkins'.
Bridestone Mr Potato Head and Mrs Potato Head losing her lips due to a bump.
The Coke Zero Polamulu Parody of Mean Joe Greene
The annoying.
The E Trade Baby-I can't imagine this being the best of the commericals but since there's a lot of folk out there that like computer generated talking babies you can add it to your list of best but it's on my worst of. Every time I see this Etrade Baby, I switched the channel. Fucking scary.
The Pepsi Bob Dylan/Will I Am Forever Young thingy.
The Pepsi MacGruber Parody....These commericals make me want to drink Coke. My best friend wife Debbie cracked a rib laughing at that remark of mine.
GO Daddy.Com Nothing more annoying then seeing these commericals saying if you want to see the rest of this log on to a computer. Nice if you have highspeed but since it's TV MA for commericals better not to access it at work.
The Coke Bug Commerical...Makes me want to drink RC Cola.
Career Builder.Com Some people this is classic, I think it got more annoying as it went on. There's a fine line between clever and stupid, and this commerical goes both ways till the end when it stays over on the side of stupid.
What was missing. The Miller High Life Guy although he appears in a 10 second thingy yelling HIGH LIFE. Guess Miller's was on a budget.
Bring back, The Budweiser Froggies.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Crabb Bits: Christgau, Kings Of Leon, Nick Lowe, Amy Bokowski
Robert Christgau is getting to be an old fuddy duddy. I've been reading
his Consumer Reports since high school which shows you how far we go
back but I'm beginning to think that he's becoming more worthless as the
years go on. He listens to rap listens to world music and seems to
hate rock and roll in this day and age. Most baby boomers do now but we
certainly disagree on his month outlook. He gives GnR's Chienese
Democracy a B plus, poopoos Fall out Boy (B minus-turd of the month) and
gives more turds to Mudcrutch and Secret Machines and basically The
Secret Machines fall under the prog rock and Christgau prog rock
anyway. He didn't like The Killers' Day and Age (I took a pass myself)
or the Offspring (I think I agree with him for once this month). But
then again I disagreed with him on TV on The Radio's last album (He gave
it a A, I gave it two turds), so basically it's critic vs critic this
month. Maybe Jay Reatard might be worth a look but I blew this month's
allowance on jam band Tea Leaf Green's massive 3 CD album that came out
last month. Or (ahem, Mr. Christgau) Mudcrutch Live to which I enjoyed
the 14 minute version of Crystal River up till the forever ending which
gave me nightmares of Bruce Springsteen extending the end of his
showstoppers. Even Paraphernalia quit doing 8 minute endings to Rocky
Mountain Way.
On the subject of Kings Of Leon, I finally decided to leave it at a B minus and sold my copy and the Fleet Foxes in exchange for the SCTV DVD that I have seen for 15 bucks at Half Priced Books. Which is why I didn't buy SCTV at full price, Shout Factory's inventory has been seeing itself into the cutout bins at HP Books or FYE. I could have gotten brand spankin new reissues of Marshall Tucker or Johnny Guitar Watson for 8 bucks sealed. I did buy Bill Cosby's long forgotten 1969 first season for 10 bucks and managed to get two box sets DVDs of SCTV although I passed on the one that had Martin Short. SCTV was classic TV when they appeared on Friday nights on NBC in 1980, but once Martin Short jumped on and Rick Moranis left the show went downhill although not as down in the cesspool like Saturday Night Live of the 1990s and this decade before Tina Fey gave it new life with her Sarah Palin act.
Nick Lowe was on Austin City Limits Saturday Night and amazing to see him go from Jesus Of Cool to a folk troubadour. He'll be forever in my eyes, part of the best rock band of the late 70s in Rockpile with Dave Edmunds and he did a fine job reinventing some of his old songs to the folk guitar sound but he was always a bit of a folkie with Brinsley Schwartz, Britain's answer to Creedence if you think about it. He's has not interest me since 1989's Party Of One but he did a funny version of All Men Are Liars. He kinda looks like Fred Glynne from the Munsters era at age 60 with completely sliver but not gray hair.
I spent super bowl Sunday with Russ and Deb and we got to watch a classic game although the Cardinals lost. But it all goes to show that Big Ben the QB may have the best QB coming out of the draft that gave us Eli Manning and Phillip Rivers. I actually like Big Ben better than the others and although he's now won two super bowls, we all know that in college football, he never did beat the Iowa Hawkeyes ;-)
And finally my take on the Fleet Foxes album that everybody is raving about. I played it this weekend and although I like some of the harmonies and it starts out pretty good, although the comparisons have been to CSNY and Brian Wilson Pet Sounds era Beach Boys, the lead singer sound like the guy from My Morning Jacket and it's very echoery. Good for mellowing out but then again I think if I want to hear music like this I will stick with CSNY or Pet Sounds, or even British folk like Nick Drake or John Martyn. The Fleet Foxes remain a B grade.
On the subject of John Martyn, as much as I like British folk music, I tended to think Martyn was a bit too eccentric for even me to appreciate him although I did pull out his Road To Ruin album, recorded with ex wife Beverley Martyn. It's a bit more jazzier and Beverley sings a bit more than she did on Stormbringer, the John Martyn album that I reference more often than his solo stuff. Don't expect Universal to rush reissue John's cds, but they're still available on imports.
And finally, The superbowlsupergirl website will probably be shut down now that Amy Bokowski didn't raise enough money but she did provide some interesting blogs and kept us up to date on her search for Mr. Soulmaterightguy. Again I don't take stock on the Mr Right/soulmate hoo ha, I find that being with Mr or Miss Right is not all going to be fun and games. And it's not my way of telling people what to do about love and realtionship, I'm the last source who would know. And Miss Bokowski would ignore me anyway if I came down her way and promise an everlasting love but not an everlasting bank account. Soulmate? Get real. A everlasting friendship? Perhaps. But usually that what leads to be a soulmate, a good friend. But then I'm better off doing top tens and giving the finger to Rush Bimboo, the Oxycondin right wing bullshotter. It's what I do best. And I do it damn well don't cha think?
PS: And finally, the grand total. $6,340 was raised for Amy Bokowski's superbowl add campaign which means she was 2.4 million short but CNN Headline News did air her commerical. Too bad I didn't see it, we don't get Headline News. So Amy, we here at Crabb Incorporated are sad you didn't get your add on Super Bowl Sunday but here's hoping you will find Mr. Right eventually. Probaly not me but then again, I'm not for everybody. But I still love everybody.
a comment from one of y'all out there on Rush Dimbulb Superstar American.
Rush is simply an obese frustrated blowhole who hasn't seen his winkydo in over 30 years. He has however, seen Ann Coulter's many times.
Even Sarah Palin couldn't see Rush's manspam from her house if Rush was standing on her deck chowing on pork rinds.
On the subject of Kings Of Leon, I finally decided to leave it at a B minus and sold my copy and the Fleet Foxes in exchange for the SCTV DVD that I have seen for 15 bucks at Half Priced Books. Which is why I didn't buy SCTV at full price, Shout Factory's inventory has been seeing itself into the cutout bins at HP Books or FYE. I could have gotten brand spankin new reissues of Marshall Tucker or Johnny Guitar Watson for 8 bucks sealed. I did buy Bill Cosby's long forgotten 1969 first season for 10 bucks and managed to get two box sets DVDs of SCTV although I passed on the one that had Martin Short. SCTV was classic TV when they appeared on Friday nights on NBC in 1980, but once Martin Short jumped on and Rick Moranis left the show went downhill although not as down in the cesspool like Saturday Night Live of the 1990s and this decade before Tina Fey gave it new life with her Sarah Palin act.
Nick Lowe was on Austin City Limits Saturday Night and amazing to see him go from Jesus Of Cool to a folk troubadour. He'll be forever in my eyes, part of the best rock band of the late 70s in Rockpile with Dave Edmunds and he did a fine job reinventing some of his old songs to the folk guitar sound but he was always a bit of a folkie with Brinsley Schwartz, Britain's answer to Creedence if you think about it. He's has not interest me since 1989's Party Of One but he did a funny version of All Men Are Liars. He kinda looks like Fred Glynne from the Munsters era at age 60 with completely sliver but not gray hair.
I spent super bowl Sunday with Russ and Deb and we got to watch a classic game although the Cardinals lost. But it all goes to show that Big Ben the QB may have the best QB coming out of the draft that gave us Eli Manning and Phillip Rivers. I actually like Big Ben better than the others and although he's now won two super bowls, we all know that in college football, he never did beat the Iowa Hawkeyes ;-)
And finally my take on the Fleet Foxes album that everybody is raving about. I played it this weekend and although I like some of the harmonies and it starts out pretty good, although the comparisons have been to CSNY and Brian Wilson Pet Sounds era Beach Boys, the lead singer sound like the guy from My Morning Jacket and it's very echoery. Good for mellowing out but then again I think if I want to hear music like this I will stick with CSNY or Pet Sounds, or even British folk like Nick Drake or John Martyn. The Fleet Foxes remain a B grade.
On the subject of John Martyn, as much as I like British folk music, I tended to think Martyn was a bit too eccentric for even me to appreciate him although I did pull out his Road To Ruin album, recorded with ex wife Beverley Martyn. It's a bit more jazzier and Beverley sings a bit more than she did on Stormbringer, the John Martyn album that I reference more often than his solo stuff. Don't expect Universal to rush reissue John's cds, but they're still available on imports.
And finally, The superbowlsupergirl website will probably be shut down now that Amy Bokowski didn't raise enough money but she did provide some interesting blogs and kept us up to date on her search for Mr. Soulmaterightguy. Again I don't take stock on the Mr Right/soulmate hoo ha, I find that being with Mr or Miss Right is not all going to be fun and games. And it's not my way of telling people what to do about love and realtionship, I'm the last source who would know. And Miss Bokowski would ignore me anyway if I came down her way and promise an everlasting love but not an everlasting bank account. Soulmate? Get real. A everlasting friendship? Perhaps. But usually that what leads to be a soulmate, a good friend. But then I'm better off doing top tens and giving the finger to Rush Bimboo, the Oxycondin right wing bullshotter. It's what I do best. And I do it damn well don't cha think?
PS: And finally, the grand total. $6,340 was raised for Amy Bokowski's superbowl add campaign which means she was 2.4 million short but CNN Headline News did air her commerical. Too bad I didn't see it, we don't get Headline News. So Amy, we here at Crabb Incorporated are sad you didn't get your add on Super Bowl Sunday but here's hoping you will find Mr. Right eventually. Probaly not me but then again, I'm not for everybody. But I still love everybody.
a comment from one of y'all out there on Rush Dimbulb Superstar American.
Rush is simply an obese frustrated blowhole who hasn't seen his winkydo in over 30 years. He has however, seen Ann Coulter's many times.
Even Sarah Palin couldn't see Rush's manspam from her house if Rush was standing on her deck chowing on pork rinds.
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