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Silly Country Music Radio

January 27, 2010 in Uncategorized | 2 comments

Let’s not bother with why I’ve been listening to country music radio lately and focus on this one incident.

I first encountered Darrell Scott’s “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive” as a result of the compilation CD’s my father in law makes for us upon occasion. They’re awesome (remind me to tell you about The Contest sometime. Best. Christmas. Present. Evar.). The song is awesome too. Here are the lyrics:

I got rice cooking in the microwave
Got a three day beard I don’t plan to shave
And it’s a goofy thing but I just gotta say
Hey I’m doing alright

Yeah I think I’ll make me some homemade soup
Feelin pretty good and that’s the truth
It’s neither drink nor drug induced
No I’m just doin alright

And it’s a great day to be alive
I know the sun’s still shinin when I close my eyes
There’s some hard times in the neigborhood
But why can’t every day be just this good?

It’s been fifteen years since I left home
Said good luck to every seed I’d sown
Give it my best and then I left it alone
Oh…I hope their doin alright

Now I look in the mirror and what do I see?
A lone wolf there starin back at me
Long in the tooth but harmless as can be
Lord I guess he’s doin alright

And it’s a great day to be alive
I know the sun’s still shinin when I close my eyes
There’s some hard times in the neighborhood
But why can’t every day be just this good?

Sometimes it’s lonely
Sometimes it’s only me
And the shadows that fill this room
Sometimes I’m fallin
Desperately callin
Howlin at the moon…
Ahwoo!
Ahwoo!

Well I might go get me a new tattoo
Or take my old Harley for a three day cruise
Might even grow me a Fu Man Chu…
Oh Aww!

And it’s a great day to be alive
I know the sun’s still shinin when I close my eyes
There’s some hard times in the neighborhood
But why can’t every day be just this good?

And it’s a great day to be alive
I know the sun’s still shinin when I close my eyes
There’s some hard times in the neighborhood
But why can’t every day be just this good?

Travis Tritt did the popular version that you likely heard on the radio. On the way to work this morning I heard the Tritt version — except the version I heard omitted the bridge. That’s the “sometimes it’s lonely” part. That omission completely changes the meaning of the song! It goes from being honest (he’s a lone wolf but knows the price he’s paid) to a silly celebration of shirking all responsibility. As you can tell, this bothered me.

Silly radio. Stop messing up the meanings of songs.

Neil Gaiman vs. Miley Cyrus

October 29, 2009 in Geek, Links, Observations | No comments

File this under “I wish I had thought of it first” (but if I had, maybe I’d be working for Neil Gaiman).

I read Neil Gaiman’s blog. Mr. G is in China now, so isn’t blogging, but his pal Dan is keeping the blog active while he’s behind the Red Curtain. I found today’s entry, both the Twilight spoof and the Miley Cyrus reference, particularly funny. The later certainly fits with the theme of my blog, such as it is.

You see, the thing about that damn “Party In the U.S.A.” song is not that it’s fairly innocuous pop. I’m fine with that. It sticks in my head like a splinter, granted, but I can deal with that. I can even deal with the Brittany Spears name-checking. It’s actually the “It’s a party in the U.S.A.” line at the end of the chorus, which just seems ridiculous and out of place. Why can’t the song just be about you, Miley? Why?

We had the greatest of expectations

October 27, 2009 in Observations | No comments

In high school, we went to Shows. Not concerts. Shows. These were often bands no one had ever heard of at venues that were lucky if they lasted six months. Sometimes, they weren’t at venues at all, but rather at rented halls, clubhouses, or picnic shelters. My first show was at The Fireman’s Clubhouse at Conway Marina. I saw bands at places called The Magic Bus, Club Zero, and the (horribly named) Grunge Garden, which was like seeing punk rock at Applebees. I went to shows at state park picnic shelters. Do people still do that?

Sunday night, Sarah and I went to a show. Well, as close to a show as I have been to in a long time. The Gaslight Anthem played at Tremont Music Hall. Tremont used to be an old warehouse in a warehouse district, though the gentrification of South End is creeping up to it’s doors. You park in an abandoned lot and enter the place through a loading dock. Inside, there are a few pool tables, a bar, a couple of bar tables around a small stage, a Tekken 3 game, then the big stage in another loading bay. I loved it instantly, mainly because it made me feel 15 years younger (after I figured out how to get inside). It’s a place where bands play, not a bar that has live music, not a place to be seen, but a place where bands play.

And bands did play! We arrived a little after 7:00 after grabbing some dinner at Chipotle (see, gentrification just up the street!). The doors had opened at 6:00. Early shows are a nice gesture to the all ages and working crowd. It also helps with us old people. The Loved Ones were already on the stage. I liked them a lot — they have the workingman’s punk rock feel of The Gaslight Anthem with a little more Clash and a little less Bruce Springsteen. After their set, we retreated to the bar. Sarah took advantage of the Pabst Blue Ribbon tall boy special and we watched some baseball until Murder By Death started. MBD was interesting, with a cellist and a singer/guitarist with giant mutton chops. There was lots of Tom Waits there, along with Johnny Cash and rockabilly. I felt like I was listening to the soundtrack for a post-apocalyptic Western (hey, they should TOTALLY do the soundtrack for the Dark Tower miniseries!). The only problem was I wasn’t watching a post-apocalyptic Western. I think I would really like their albums, but their set left me a little flat. You just couldn’t follow the narrative that seemed to be at the heart of a lot of their songs if you had never heard those songs before.

I described the Gaslight Anthem as “the band Bruce Springsteen would have if he were 25 today” and I stick by that assessment. I’ve been listening to them for a few months ever since my friends Josh and Jessica gave me their CD’s. They were great. High energy songs about loss, cars, death, cars, Miles Davis, New Jersey, and cars. They are steeped in classic rock (lots of references to Tom Petty, Bob Seeger, Paul Simon, and Elvis). They are sort of like a younger, New Jersey-ish, more optimistic Social Distortion. Their set was tight, full of energy, and tons of fun. While I was hoping for a Tom Petty cover (I’ve heard they cover both “American Girl” and “Refugee” live), we did get some song intros that featured “Suspicious Minds” and “Tuesday’s Gone.” I could live with that.

As we drove home down 77, flipping through Gaslight Anthem CD’s to find which songs they had played, thinking I should be driving 1958 Chevy instead of our Ford Escape, I was filled with the once familiar but now seldom felt post-show euphoria. This was why I used to go to these things all the time.

And I was home before midnight, which suits the old and has a child me just fine.

Paul is the cute one

September 10, 2009 in Observations | No comments

Yesterday was turned into “Beatles Day” due to the release of all the remastered albums and the Beatles RockBand.  This, of course, meant associated Beatles related events on VH1.  Last night, after watching Sunshine Cleaning with Sarah, I watched some of the Anthology documentary; I tuned in for the part about the White Album.  Here are my random observations:

  • Maybe it was just the live performance they showed, but I didn’t know/had forgotten how wonderfully loud and distorted “Revolution” is.  There’s your prototype for punk and grunge, right there.  Plus the video made John look crazy.
  • Enter Yoko.  I am not as into the Beatles as some, so I never really got the whole “Yoko broke up the band” idea.  But having a tight-knit unit who never really let anyone else into the studio one day, then having one of those guys bring his girlfriend to every recording session the next, could lead to some awkwardness and resentment.  I can get the anger.
  • Needed more about “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”.  I love that song.  Go George!
  • I thought the Ringo love fest was interesting.  Ringo wants to quit because he thinks he’s not as good as everyone else and the other three are best pals.  He goes to tell John and John thinks Ringo, George, and Paul are closer.  Repeat x3.  George sends Ringo flowers and tells him he is awesome.  Ringo stays in the band.
  • Paul is awesome.  First, there is the cool story of “Hey Jude.”  Paul wants to ditch the “the movement you need is on your shoulder” line because “it sounds like a parrot or something”.  John gets what Paul is going for and convinces him to keep the line.  Now Paul can’t sing the line without thinking of John.  Touching.
  • Then there are Paul’s comments on George Martin, Ringo, and George’s retrospective that the White Album should have been just one album because it’s so uneven or at least two separate albums:  (I’ll paraphrase) “It sold.  People like it.  It’s the Beatles White Album.  What more is there to say?”

And, yes, I listened to “Hey Jude” on the iPhone in my front seat on the way to work this morning.

Here beneath the blue suburban skies

September 2, 2009 in Public Introspection | 3 comments

In high school, I drove a 1987 Buick Century. It was brown, with faux-velvet seats that were unbelievably comfortable. It also lacked any semblance of a stereo system, which for my musically budding ears was unacceptable. I had been an early adopter of CD’s; my 15th birthday present was a CD boombox (which still works and now plays Eleanor music at nighttime) and The Cult’s “Sonic Temple”. But there was no way I could afford a CD player for the Buick. So what did I do? I stocked up on D batteries and hauled that CD boombox around with me in the front seat.

I was reminded of this today when driving to work. I wanted to hear some Beatles. We’ve gotten rid of all our CD’s, ripping them all to the hard drive; I’ve subsequently put a bunch of music on my iPhone. So what did I do? I found “Penny Lane” on the phone, turned up the small speaker, and let it play while sitting on the front seat of our Ford Escape.

It all comes back around, I tell you.

Pipe wrench fight

October 16, 2008 in TV | 2 comments

Wil Wheaton posted this.  I agree that “Take on Me” was a pretty seminal video, even for a guy like me who didn’t have cable.

Literal Take on Take on Me

Wishful Music Nostalgia

October 2, 2008 in Observations | 6 comments

The house was empty and cold this morning, so I turned on some LastFM to wake and warm things up.  I started out with acoustic singer-songwriter stuff, but post shower I switched over to the “sounds like REM station”.  About four songs in, Last gave me some Bob Mould, which really made me want to hear some Husker Du.  Impatiently, I switched over to “sounds like Husker Du” and Last dropped me into post-punk nirvana.  As I cooked and ate my breakfast, the station gave me The Minutemen, Mission to Burma, The Wipers, Fugazi, and Black Flag.  The music crept toward the 1990′s, playing some Guided By Voices and, as I went to close the computer and leave the house, Jawbreaker.  It was great.

I could say this music takes me back to the halcyon days of youth, listening to The Minutemen as I rode in the back seat of Jeff’s Delta 88 as we drove to Wilmington to see a show.  I could, but I would be lying.  I’d be lying because I really didn’t listen to those bands in high school, or even very much in college.  Can you be nostalgic for something you never actaully did?

I did ride in Jeff’s Delta.  And we did drive to Wilmington for shows at this wonderful downtown club in an old movie theatre.  But we didn’t listen to the Minutemen or Husker Du.  I knew who those bands were, but they never were played.  Sure, we played the occasional Black Flag tape, and Fugazi rattled around the floor somewhere, due to Ian and our straightedge proclivities, but this was 1992-ish.  These bands from Seattle on this label called SubPop seemed to occupy most of our time.  I also remember a fair amount of hip-hop, actually — Public Enemy, Ice Cube, and Ice-T were in heavy rotation.  We also wore that first House of Pain album out.  I am not sure if I should be embarrassed about that little fact or not.

For a long time, part of my identity was predicated on the fact that I was “into” a certain type of music.  As I get older, I am not sure if I really was into music (I’m certainly not now).  Or maybe I was just faddish in my own way, buying stuff from SubPop wheather it was good or not.  Sure, Mudhoney put out two or three really good albums.  But Tad?  Seriously?  The guy sang through sandpaper and distortion masked their relative inability to form a coherent song.  And not in an on-purpose way.  But I listened to the hell out of Tad, mainly because they were on SubPop and no one else seemed to listen to them.

I think my point here is that I wish I had spent my time listening to music that was good instead of music that was, simply, not what everyone else was listening too.  Except that, given punk breaking all over the place in the early 1990′s, everyone began listening to a lot of music that they hadn’t listened to before.  I died a little inside when Kristi, a popular, preppy girl in my trig class, told us her favorite song was “In Bloom”.  The sudden poularity of music that I once held as my own (or rather, “ours” and we all knew who “we” were) complicated matters even further.  Why didn’t I go and find Jawbreaker, then?

Maybe I am being too hard on myself.  I was a poor kid who lived on a farm outside of Conway in the days before the internet.  How was I supposed to know anything about music?  Still, I think I could do myself a world of good if I went back in time to 1991 and gave myself Double Nickles on the Dime, Let it Be, and some Mission to Burma seven-inches.

Does anyone else feel this way, or is it my own getting older, preoccupation with nostalgia navel-gazing?

Old Fogey Alert — Rock Heroes

September 10, 2008 in Observations | 5 comments

Monday, after I put our daughter down for her nap, I plopped down on the couch for some rest.  Turning on the TV, I caught a commercial for Rock Heroes.  It’s your usual classic rock CD compilation, long on 1970′s hard rock (Alice Cooper) and 1980′s quasi-metal (The Scorpions).  What I found unusual, though, was the tag line: “The biggest collection of rock hits from your favorite video games.”  Apparently, what they’ve done is taken a bunch of songs from Guitar Hero and Rock Band and compiled them on a CD (hence the clever title — Rock Hero — get it?!).  This tag line grabbed me because it drives home the fact that, for a bunch of kids, these games may be the first exposure to these songs.  This freaks me out a little, in the “you’re getting old” way, but I am not sure that it should.  Sure, I had parents who listened to a fair amount of rock and roll, leaving me a legacy of Black Sabbath and Lynrd Sknyrd albums.  And I never completely grew out of high school classic rock phase epitomized by “discovering” Led Zeppelin.  But I was (and am) exposed to a lot of music through various forms of commercial media.  Call me a Philistine, but I wouldn’t know anything about classical music at all but for TV commercials.  Certianly, movie soundtracks have exposed me to lots of music.  Here, I think if the sountracks to Singles (or any Cameron Crowe movie), The Crow, Trainspotting, Garden State, and Dazed and Confused.  So if one grants that video games are a media format on par with movies — a premise I’m at least willing to consider — I am not sure that there’s anything wrong with today’s kids playing along with Bad Company in Rock Band 2, then going out and buying Rock Heroes because they like the song.  Now, whether or not they actually buy CD’s anymore is a different story.

Edit:  Holy Crap.  I just checked out the song list for Rock Band 2.  Not only will the new Guns n Roses song be debuted on the video game, but it has “Tangled Up In Blue”.  That’s right, Bob Freaking Dylan on a video game.  I just don’t know what to make of that.