The big news this week happened to be the recent discoveries of unrelased Jimi Hendrix material and that was the leadoff of Sony Legacy's taking over the Hendrix Masters. Valleys Of Neptune its called and when you read the reviews out there, you would think that this was the great lost album of great performances. And some of it is fine and even when practicing, Hendrix never seems to screws up, although his rhythm section trips over themselves trying to keep up. But save for a mean Hear My Train A Comin, there's nothing else on this album that would convince me to play it ever again and I sold my copy of the album off. The title track Valleys Of Neptune even sound unfinished, even in it's remix and remastering done by Eddie Kramer, who continues to oversees the recordings and gives it a tender loving care sound. But I still think that overall, there are better versions of most of these songs on other albums. Red House goes on for 8 minites and then Hendrix stops at the final verse and while I'm waiting for it to pick up again, it moves on to the next song. Unfinished and alt takes doesn't make an album and Valleys Of Neptune isn't the place to start should you want to discover the greatest guitarist of the late 60s. It also doesn't mean you should trade your MCA Cds just to get the remastered again CD with bonus DVD, unless you're a completeist or hardcore fan. Hendrix has been dead for almost forty years and in his lifetime recorded only three albums and was working on Cry Of Love which would become First Rays Of The New Rising Sun when he died. Seems like Jimi has had about 20 more albums that have come out plus having his original albums repackaged four times already. Janie Hendrix swears there's about 10 more years of undiscovered and unreleased stuff left and I'm sure I'll pay attention when they do come out but if they're anything like the demos and unfinished versions that is Valleys Of Neptune then perhaps we should stick with Jimi's 3 albums and Hendrix at Monterrey to remember what Jimi was could do when he's alive. Valleys Of Neptune sound like scrapings from the bottom of the barrel.
With Thursday's loss to Michigan (again) the Iowa Men's Basketball team's season has finally come to an end, with a historic 22 losses. The worst team ever since no other Hawkeye team lost twenty games in a season and the wrath of Hawkeye Nation is upon Todd Lickliter, the coach that was supposed to get the team back to respectibility after hot shot AD Gary Barta told Alford time to shit or get off the pot and Alford did get off the pot...to New Mexico to where he's now hailed as savior after guiding the Lobos to 29 wins this season, despite the fact that Alford can't win the first game of the NCAA tournaments. I do give Alford credit that when he was here at Iowa, they did managed to win four games of the Big Ten Championships to get into the BIG DANCE, but like every other team he guided (NCAA's or NIT) they would be one and done. For some reason, Alford rubbed people the wrong way in his tenure at Iowa (perhaps it was the year he took the names off player's jerseys), perhaps it was his cocky attitude hard saying but after winning 26 games in 2005-06, the big disappointment showed up in yet another one and done NCAA game and the next year New Mexico came to rescue him from angry Iowans who wanted more. And When Todd Lickliter was named head coach after a successful run at Butler, the Iowa fans were singing happy days are here again......
.... In three years since Alford's leaving, the Iowa team started having people leave, Tyler Smith the once promising NBA superstar now gun toting dumbass thug booted off Tennessee was one, Jake Kelly was another, and Tony Freeman although the less said about booze head Anthony Tucker the better and every year has been a rebuilding year since the Hawks kept losing their leading point scorer. Which lead to a very young and very inexpierenced team lead by Cory Payne, who couldn't hit free throws or hang on the ball. You think he was trying to build a career as a baker due to all the turnovers he would cause. And although the Hawks could hold their own at home, they were freaking awful on the road and didn't seem to show up on the games with Minnesota and no way anybody should lose to a subpar Michigan team either.
I figured that in three years the Hawks would have a 20 game season but didn't think it would be 22 losses while Alford continues to bask in the glory at New Mexico with 29 victories against various junior colleges and what passes for Mountain West competition although San Diego State beat NM yesterday. I like Todd Lickliter but in three years, it has been one big rebuilding year after another and the question remains who will bolt now that the season is over. And this year despite what Todd said about the team improving, whatever team he was watching differs from mine. And once used to be a sold out Carver Hawkeye is now basically a empty hallway, unless the Ohio State fools fill it up with their fans or Michigan or Illinois. Getting blown out of Wisconsin and Minnesota and Michigan will be the undoing and perhaps firing of Lickliter who'll walk away with a nice send off of 1.2 million dollars and the chance to go someplace else so maybe we're forced to sit through another rebuilding year and hope the incoming freshmen will get this team back to at least 500 and undo the mess that Alford left behind but that's been three years ago and next season will be Lickliter's fault or praise. But time is running out and Todd should thank the Wrestling squad for being number one in the NCAA's and Lisa Bluder for getting the Iowa women's BB team catching fire (although once again they lost to Ohio State due to bad officialing and the ones who did that game admitted they fucked up by not giving the PMS chick a techincal and a BS call that gave Alexander her forth foul-thus giving the buckeyes another championship game) while the guys keep stumbling, and throwing up cinderblocks from 3 point land. Three years isn't enough to develop your team but when you lose 22 in the third year, you may not get back for a 4th. I don't think they should fire Lickliter but anything less than a break even or NIT bid, time to cut losses and move on.
And finally this weekend is daylight savings time. Move the clock ahead a hour and enjoy the extra hour of sunshine (or clouds).
No comments:
Post a Comment