Crabb Bits: The End Of Borders Bookstores, Solon Beer Days

I'm getting confused on the Ratings that I continue to keep up upon.  Can't complain about the Brains Blog running away with over 740 views but whatever happened to the Last Beeker Street Notes, that was at 52 views then went to 50 to 48 and now out of the top ten.  Looks like we'll go beyond the 1,000 view mark for this month but it may go down to the final day or two.

Seems like there's a death clock going for Borders, the beleaguered book chain. By 5 PM Monday Borders will be liquidated and will be a thing of the past.  Only Borders I go to is the one up in Dubuque from time to time and Davenport.  Being an old traditionalist, I still enjoy going to Borders and seeing what they have in the bargain bins.  The way things are going, I probably won't make it to the Dubuque Borders should they close their doors.  Nicole says that Borders always had a crappy customer relations whenever she went up there and the online sign up was bogus at best.  To me though, Borders did have a better selection of tunes than Barnes & Noble and when I went up to Dubuque a couple months ago, found a Best Of Paul Desmond and Hot Tuna Best of for six bucks.  The old Borders by Fiesta Mall in Mesa was my go to place when I was down in that area and got to see some live entertainment in the process.  The Davenport and Dubuque stores were not super stores so they managed to hang around a while longer but once they start closing the super stores down it was a matter of time.  Maybe I'll sneak up to Dubuque one more time to say goodbye to Borders before its a thing of the past....

Nicole asked me when the Madison summer bargain hunt will happen.  The logical guess would be withing a couple weeks but with 90 degree temps and no AC in the car might make a very long trip.  Everybody knows I'll be up there, question remains when.  With summertime in full force here in Iowa, temps will be up in the 90s, dew points in the 70s and we'll be sweating gallons.  On a plus side, I actually lost about 20 pounds and can now fit into those size 34 pants that I couldn't first of the year.  On the negative, it's been a stress diet.....

Closer to home Solon Beer....Beef days return tonight and Saturday so that town will be hot and hoppin.

Death never takes a holiday.  Jerry Ragovoy, one of the best producers and songwriters of the 60s died from a stroke at age 80.  Although he was more famous for helping the career of Janis Joplin, I considered his production work with Howard Tate to be even better.  For a good example find Howard Tate's Get It While You Can, the Verve Recordings, or Rediscovered, Tate's comeback 2003 album for Private Records with Jerry behind the controls.

Cascade has their Rockin By The River Concert this weekend.  Guy Clark headlines on Saturday.  Guy Clark one of the best songwriters out there.  Worth going if you have 35 dollars laying around.

The new Yes Fly From Here (Frontiers) is Drama Part 2 since Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn return to produce and write the majority of songs.  The hardcore Yessers complain no Jon Anderson, no Yes but Drama was a fine album in its own wake.  Fly From Here is better produced but the songs don't stand out all that much.  In fact Yes doesn't rock all that much till the finale Into The Storm, which has great vocals from everybody but the end gets bogged down by a grand finale that kinda fizzles.  Benoit David owes more to Trevor Rabin or Horn than he does Jon Anderson but he does hold his own as vocalist.  Steve Howe solos on Solitude.  The Fly From Here Suite that occupies the first half is uneven.  Although this album has been getting good reviews I consider it to be the slightest of the Yes albums (The Ladder and Magnification were better to these ears)

George Thorogood 2120 S Michigan Ave (Capitol)

Another pretty good album from George and the Destroyers to which he celebrates the music of Chess Records, the music that I grew up too.  Even though Muddy, Howlin Wolf, and Willie Dixon has been gone for over twenty years, Thorogood still remains committed to this type of music.  He still feels the loss of Bo Diddley, but keeps the Chess Records sound in tact with Buddy Guy appearing on Hi Heal Sneakers.  Buddy  Leach, the old geezer sax player adds some touching sax work here and there and Charlie Musselwhite, blows harp on My Babe and the title track.  And of course Thorogood goes for the blues boogie on Two Trains Running (Still A Fool) which is what he does best.  Certainly in this day and age 2120 S Michigan Ave may not be sell millions of copies but it is just as good as Bad To The Bone.  Just not as overplayed.

Grades
Yes-Fly From Here B-
George Thorogood & The Destroyers-2120 S Michigan Ave B+