Is It The End of the Month Already (Or How I Officially Entered Middle Age)?

Well, It's official. I'm middle-aged. Not that there's anything wrong with it, but I'm there. My wife and I today drove home our new...Honda Minivan!!! The Wagon Queen Family Truckster! You think you hate it now... Actually, I really do like it though I'm not keen on the color. So, I'm going to dump it, put some spinners on and get a flame job on the hood. Some dice in the window and a really loud sound system for those cruises blasting Barney out of the window.

Well, I placed last in Chris' mixed bag competition. Remind me to not make a jazz disc. Ouch! I've picked up some new tunes and am excited to be spinning them. Here goes:

Jethro Tull - Aqualung. Great art rocker from the early '70s. Not too "Yes"-y with a lot of good acoustics.

David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust. What can I say?

Willie Nelson - Stardust. Chris Brown, this one's for you.

John Coltrane - My Favorite Things. Needed it to fill in that 1962 gap. Used for a good price.

Television - Marquee Moon. Where the hell have these guys been and why haven't any of you told me about them? I blame all of you for this. What a travesty. Labeled 'punk' but it's actually good, pop-y rock and roll.

Benny Golson. Cut from 1959 with Mr. P.C., Curtis Fuller and a rhythm section to die for. Looking forward to spinning this one tonight.

Jesse Malin -? New one from rocker/songwriter praised on the Bruce boards. First cut really knocked me out and I'll have fun blasting this one in the car with the windows down.

Also checked out Songbird by Willie Nelson, which was produced by Ryan Adams with the Cardinals backing the Red Headed Stranger. Damn, could one imagine Willie jamming with the Dead? Worth the purchase.

Welcome Back!!

I've been gone quite a bit and for good reason. My router's not operating well and I've had difficulty getting my computer onto the network. This is the first time in a long while I've been able to read e-mail, check the 'Net, and air my laundry. As my wife is repairing the Internet connections, I have to give her kudos for fixing some of the dumb issues that have plagued the laptop for a while. I can finally read comments left on my blog so now i can begin communicating with those who have left little notes about my thoughts. I'm excited about that; I've always wondered what others have had to say about my posts.

Politics, ah, politics. It's great to see the Bushies stew in their own juices. They had the greatest opportunity to turn tragedy into greatness; instead, they used it to destroy historical principles, trust in the system of government and about a thousand years of the rule of law. It'll be nice to see A.G. the A.G. go. Enough of this stuff.

A couple of good friends have asked about personal issues. I'll indulge, only for the sake of catching interested parties up and not boring others with personal and unimportant details. Here goes:
My wife is officially thirty-two weeks pregnant today with our second and third children. We're nervous and excited together. It's not every day that you see your wife's midsection shake and twitch at the hands (head and feet) of two little people inside of her. We are having a boy and a girl and we do have names chosen for each. They're happy and healthy so far and now we just pray that the twins hold on for as long as possible as they need to get their weight up and we neeed to get their room ready! What a ride, I must say, though I continue to see people and their graciousness continue to spoil us with gifts and favors. I truly feel blessed and see that grace and faith do come out in the forms of people's service to others.

My wife is feeling miserable. She doesn't do pregnant very well and continues to battle nausea and vomiting and the health issues that accompany low weight gain. She's only gained fourteen pounds thus far and eight of it is baby. Her figure looks great and I've insensitively teased that bulemia does work. I just pray for her health and sanity as she questions her ability to parent two newborns. I have the easy job and I understand that; the responsibilities on mom's end will be mindblowing.

My older son is now two and a half. He is simply God's greatest gift on earth to me and I love him tremendously. Of course, every parent experiences the same emotions as I am so I won't bore anyone with the pukey stories of toddlerhood. I will say that Lightning McQueen and Sally were the first choices for the twins' names. Thankfully, my wife decided that the adults will pick the names and the children will play with each other. My son does understand that he's going to be a big brother, which side of mommy's tummy each baby rests on and how they will both arrive into the world. We're doing our best to include him on the changes and make sure his world survives the adjustments. Tough job, though. I guess we all go through adjustments when we receive siblings. Thankfully, I don't remember mine but I hear they were tough. Understandably so.

I'm currently on Spring Break and have been enjoying my time preparing the house and wrapping up projects for the babies' arrival. I've fixed and repaired and built things I never knew I could and I'm now going by Tim the Toolman Taylor. Feels good.

Man, wishing I was back in NYC as I see the nightly update on the Allman Brothers Band's Beacon run. Only four nights in and the list of stand out covers and performances are incredible. I still believe this is the best band out there and the ABB has received the greatest disservice in pop music circles. I can imagine that some of them are self-inflicted but there isn't an ensemble out there that can stand toe-to-toe with the musicianship in that group. Truly mindblowing.

Thank you, Walt, for all of your words and influence and impact on my life. I have assumed what you did and you helped name one of my children. Goodbye, my fancy. One hundred and fifteen times, goodbye!

Off By A Decade, Hillary

With your claims of a right-wing conspiracy. The plot thickens with word that the Attorney General and BUSH'S INITIAL PICK TO BE ON THE SUPREME COURT Harriet Miers trying to stack the entire deck of ninety-three federal attorneys based on their loyalty to the administration. Starting in 1994, it started with Congress. Thankfully, the entire impeachment process backfired; however, they still stole the 2000 election giving them the presidency. The goal was actually neither: it was the judiciary. Bush has already been able to place two conservatives and there are prayer chains set up nation-wide for John Paul Stevens to forget his Geritol. In order to work cases to the Supremes, they need ways in the door and by purging the first deck of the nine districts was a start. The Reischtag's not even on fire and yet I'm smelling a lot of smoke coming out of 1600 PA Ave.

All of this continues to make me lose faith in the Republican Party. Guilt by association but how can I continue to trust anyone who still is faithful to the Bush Administration and its supporters in D.C.? How much more can the Bushies take just in this week? The attorney purge; Walter Reed; Cheney again connecting Iraq and al Qaeda; Bush's warm (tongue in cheek) reception in Latin America; what else? I'm just praying that George actively campaigns for the GOP nominee in 2008. He'll help ANYONE other than that person get elected!!!

Neil Young in 1971. What else needs to be said? Remember that scene in Almost Famous (the director's cut) when William Miller's thumbing through his sister's lp collection in his bedroom? Simon and Garfunkel's "America" playing and the audience just beginning to wonder what the film's going to do. Then, there they come: Pet Sounds. Blonde On Blonde. Axis: Bold As Love. The Stones' second album. CSN's first one. Then, wait, what the heck was that one? I don't have that and I've never even SEEN that! Rewind and pause: the cover of one of Cameron Crowe's favorite bootlegs. Neil Young live at Massey Hall in January 1971. Now I have an acoustic show from a month later and it literally smokes itself out of the disc player. I just came home with this one in hand with the dvd and I can't wait to throw it in the player. Seventeen songs in solo form, good voice (even the Kermit the Frog is cool) and what an incredible setlist. Thanks for opening the vault, dude.

Tidbits

Still reeling from the loss of Boston lead singer Brad Delp. While corporate radio has crushed the life and vitality out of all 'classic rock' and most pop music, I still remain a Boston fan. "More Than A Feeling" being played every third song aside, the band's first two albums were absolutely stellar. The band's sound was a little glam, a little heavy metal, a lot of party and a little classical. Delp's vocals were top-notch and when I was in high school, I always kept my first tenor sharp by singing the leads on those first two records. What a bummer.

Van Halen has truly fallen apart but the big question is this: are they still relevant anyway?

Caught Stanley Clarke at Yoshi's on Saturday night. The man did with a bass guitar things I've never seen a musician do. He absolutely floored me with his amazing talent. His out of control drummer demonstrated that jazz drumming doesn't have to be cool but white hot and Clarke's ability to manipulate the sounds of the instrument (tonic and percussive) truly place him in the pantheon of bass greats. My poor writing can not capture Stanley Clarke's brilliant hour and a half set.

The Bush Administration continues to fall as the house of cards it is. Built on fear and abuse, this White House has no other competitor for the most destructive administration in the nation's history. Alberto Gonzalez abusing his AG position? Naaaaaaa. Rove carrying out political hits even against 'apostate' Republicans? No way. The FBI abusing the Patriot Act? Next we're going to find out that Bush manipulated intelligence to send the nation into war...

Crime and Punishment

Libby's guilty, Libby's just doing his job, Libby shouldn't have lied to the grand jury, Bush will pardon Libby, Dick Cheney should be indicted. Of all of the story breaking out of Washington, what truly is apparent is that the Iraq War was not only a lie but a deceit and a bungle to boot. Should a 'grander' jury investigate Cheney and Rove? How much farther can this current administration fall? President Bush is wandering around South America this week trying to get as far as he can from D.C. while still remaining in 'popular' territory and yet thousands of protesters meet him with Nazi flags and Saddam masks. Why is it that a single symbol can capture the feeling of a single nation when one man is truly that symbol? As I've written before (but what the heck do I know?), the greatest danger is Bush's two further years remaining. This will do nothing but further drain the United States of energy, respect and prestige in the world. For those who say, 'the United States will always remain the most powerful nation in the world; to hell with everyone else', the problem is when 'everyone else abandons US when the U.S. needs them. A and THE most powerful nation can always survive an attack when assisted but when the barbarians hit and THE most powerful nation is defenseless on all sides is when power subsides rapidly. Even in 'victory' like Britain experienced in WWII can an empire dissolve; how many more years can the U.S. be the only nation military engaged with terrorism? This nation's people have support, love and envy; it's its leadership that the world detests. Southerners and the Jesus Campers wanted Bush to play the lone ranger; look what we are faced with. Carefull what you wish for.

Al Gore - turn the lights out when you leave the room.

Barack - if you want to talk like a populist, act like one. Know who buys your stocks.

Dick - consider resigning if you want your party to have any hope of winning 2008.

Rudy - Come out of the closet, dude, you're a Democrat for the majority of those who live south of the Mason-Dixon.

John McC - Your age may be a liability. Your flip-flopping may do you in. Stop courting the right-wing extremists and let them either not vote or create a lame third party. Either way, the centrist approach will only help. Stop pandering to the antebellum gentry.

Hillary - carpetbagger that you are, you need to realize that you're killing not only your chances of winning when you speak, you're killing the Democrats' chances of taking 2008.

Mitt - you tied the winner in my class's presidential poll! Either the Mormon vote pulled you through or else not that many people are concerned with your religious affiliation.

John - faggot????!?!!!?!?!!? Yeah, Ann Coulter's the Christian that I want influencing my children. Your problem is that the populist thing only goes from one end of your 28,000 square foot palace to the other. Smart thinking.

Who does this leave? I'm not sure. None of these people are saints but yet everyone should consider just where their strengths lie and how to keep their mojo going for another year and a half. I'm not sure whether I can either stomach that much more Bush time or campaign time.

A student gave me the latest Who album after hating it. The deluxe edition with a DVD snippet from last July. The DVD was terrible; Roger's voice was shot and the performance appeared unrehearsed. The album, however, was truly great. I was impressed at just how much the 71-73 sound was captured in a a modern album with powerful guitar-driven songs and a good flow of songs. Their best? After listening to 'Squeeze Box', this album's defintely the best in my lifetime.

Who the heck is Arcade Fire? Should I buy the record? Should I ignore them?

I know, I know - David Bowie's 'Aladdin Sane' is the greatest record of 1973. Holy ***; how did I not get this album???? 1973 brought about many great things including me. The music was untouchable and this one I finally 'got' as I listened to it twice in my headphones.

American Idol - how underwhelming is Season Six? Are we finally hitting a wall?

Bruce is in the studio with a release date of my son's birthday. It doesn't get any better than this!

March Music Musings

Just thought I'd throw down some ideas about tunage as my beautiful wife and son are playing at the park. I'm supposed to be grading papers and cleaning the house but there's so much flying through my head...

The Grateful Dead's early 70s performances are some of the most magical music ever to be found. 5/4/72 is absolutely choice but this, of countless live shows, is the crux of the Dead problem: HOW to listen to them. See, once you have the studio albums (which makes you brave just in purchasing many of them, they're so spotty), you, as you know, must delve into live Dead. You can either begin with the officially-released stuff (Live - , Europe '72, Dead Set/Reckoning and so forth) or their Dicks Picks catalogue. Or, you can go ape and begin collecting the unofficial and 'real' versions of the shows that float among traders and trading websites. These are the gems. The only problem is, as one who's listened to gazillions of hours of live Dead, is, just which ones to have? You could be a completist and realize that you'll never leave your house again. Or you could collect some from each year as if each year's performance measured a different sound from the band. Problem is, it did. Fans all know that the '72 tour was radically different from the '73 sets and then '74 rolled around and all bets were off. Hit-and-miss '75 and '76 but look out for '77. Then '78 and even parts of '79 and '80. All a different band. The shows clocked in at around three hours, so do make a 'best of' per year or swallow an entire show? Here's another crux: do you stomach yet another El Paso/Mama Tried for the wonderful Eyes of the World? Those pre-Fire On the Mountain Sugar Magnolias are choice but does one really need to hear Bob's part of Let It Grow or The Other One in order to have it? I guess if I caught the band instead of nursed, I would have been able to hit the head many times. Here's one: if one could make a 'best of' setlist clocking in at approximately three hours, what would one want to hear?

Just picked up Charles Mingus' 1956 classic Pithecanthropus Erectus which is stunning. Beautiful hard bop (for lack of a better- and educated label) suite of four songs all interweaving some fantastic bass playing and horn interchange. I'm finding that every jazz record I pick up is worth two pop cd's I sample, though Chris Brown is right about the new Lucinda. All in all, my tastes must be changing. That, or I'm getting bored with so much pop music.

Can anyone supply me with a copy of a recent Eric Clapton show with Derek Trucks in the 'Duane' spot? I won't be able to see them on St. Patrick's Day as planned as I have a staff party. The party itself will be worth missing an overpriced concert but I'd love to hear how the 'Dominos' sound.

Rumor has it that the E Street Band is entering the studio this week in Atlanta. That's good and bad. I'm tired of the production sound and am ready for Bruce to change it up. Secondly, not quite sure about the Clarence spot as it's rumored that he won't tour and possibly won't record. That's fine, but I'm curious as to how Bruce will fill the horn spot. I think he should take the Miami Horns from his Seeger tour and use them in Clarence's spot. That would make for a wonderful change-up. Clarence's playing on the last tour and parts of the Reunion tour was really spotty. He'd nail certain songs and then completely fall flat on others. He's old and tired and I don't blame him for wanting to stay home. He's a senior citizen and doesn't need to be pretending he still has the energy of Bob Dylan or Phil Lesh. We'll see...