Christmas 2016

As the final shoppers continue to invade the local stores before Christmas and as we continue to celebrate the pagan holiday of hearing 10 different versions of Holly Jolly Christmas and Have Yourself  A Merry Little Christmas It's basically a time to reflect on making it to this holiday.  And this year we lost many people.  Just last night we lost another rock and roller in Rick Parfitt, longtime player in The Status Quo, Britian's long time boogie band.  To which I think also puts an end to that band.  50 years ago, The Quo came into the scene and gave us Pictures Of Matchstick Men.  Then The Quo went for Bee Gees power poppers to boogie sonic masters with their early 70s albums Piledriver, Quo and On The Level.  They almost called it quits till Bob Geldorf asked them to open up Live Aid.  The Quo continued on.  http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-28640835

Each year Christmas becomes less and less interesting for me.  I don't have children or grandkids and the spirit of gift giving to those kids are just a dream.   And getting older, I really get less interested of checking out band gigs.  I thought I would have an early Friday Night off to look up Karl Hudson and The Buzz but by the time I left, I was too tired to pay him a visit.  But I need to show up at his gigs just to support his band efforts.  The man moved back here from Florida to frigid Iowa and playing to a crowd of 10 people in a bar which somebody would steal one of his microphones, gives good cause that maybe he should have stayed in Florida.  The weather is a hell of a lot nicer there.

I finally sat down to listen to Bob Dylan's Christmas In The Heart CD and come to find it's actually quite listenable, in fact I prefer his Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas over anybody else. I like Christmas Blues and the polka flavored Must Be Santa.  It's product but it's like Christmas With The Townedgers, nothing to get too overly excited about but it is sung from the heart, despite Dylan's wheeze like vocal.  A B grade and a wink . Christgau's take:

Christmas in the Heart [Columbia, 2009]
Funnier than the Chipmunks, give him that ("Must Be Santa," "Winter Wonderland"). * B-

Here in Record World, life is great judging by the ratings.  Over 10,000 for the first time ever, seems like I'm getting more readers looking at the archives and giving hope that this is not a lost cause.  But in the circle of life,  things happened along the way.  Getting back into the music scene and playing more often, recording with The Townedgers and try to balance work with tasks around the house, this place needs an overall or a big ole dump outside to throw things out.  And next year I need to really get rid of this leaning tower of pisa entertainment center for a more sturdier one.  This place is not looking any better than the abandoned school house down the road.   Music continues onward and so does life.  Perhaps five years ago I should have heeded my advice and paid more attention to my love interest rather than post 10 to 15 blogs in social media  talking about it.  Social media is a blessing and an curse and you have to balance out the good and the bad and see if it's worth keeping, your special someone or a blogging hobby.  In the meantime, that special someone now has a new special somebody and is happy about it, and I still have this blog and this subversive life style of social media and music junkie.   I like to think next year to have a special somebody to celebrate Christmas with but as history as shown that will not happen.   Who knows, maybe next year Record World will have 20,000 readers.   And the same 2 followers, which I thank you for your support.

Despite 45 degrees temps and a cold rain, this will be our first white Christmas in three years.  Since December we have had a snowstorm every weekend, last weekend was 2 inches of blowing and drifting snow and  -4 daytime temps.   Which in essence is our typical winter weather in Christmas.  We just been spoiled by two Brown Christmases in passing years. But I don't think the weather isn't as frightful as it seems as we have to deal with dumbass drivers in SUVs or big pickup trucks driving NASCAR speed down the ice slicked highways and by ways with no regard with anything in their way.  Or washing your car off only to be stuck behind the sand and salt trucks trying to do their jobs and I picked the wrong time or road.  And more bad drivers.  Even with two or three cars stuck off the road doesn't deter the texting idiots driving with their knees or Bubba Trump plowing through at 80 MPH.   I like life, but I hate people, especially the ones that do such crap as mentioned above.  This world isn't coming together but rather splitting apart. And judging by the elections this year it does seem we are at the end times.

But everybody has family and everybody has their own agenda. And even to the Texting dudes and dudettes and Bubba Speeder we'll warrant a Merry Christmas to them as well.  Just don't try to kill somebody on their destination too.

(photo: Ivy)

And to the rest of us naughty or nice or both.  Happy Holidays as well.  In terms of naughty I'll take Ivy Doomkitty under my tree any Christmas.

Or another drum set.