Vapid Consumerism

So with the economy boosting season happening going to the store is quite the chore. Last minute shoppers, store employees, kids running around, parents yelling and of course the hot and naked waitresses....wait a minute....that last one didn't happen. Though with the large numbers of people packed into stores of all types [all types of people and stores for that matter] trying to get that[those] last gift[s] I am not even sure I would have notice nudity at all....sad but true. Which brings me to the thought that popped into my mind on the way home. Everyone knows how kids [and alot of adults for that matter] get the gifts they want, play with them for a few hours or days and that's the end of it...why isn't shopping at second hand stores more popular this time of year? You can usually find something in good shape that can be destroyed by the rug-rats and save yourself the money. Or even better yet....why not get your kiddies lists and pick out what is the best toy they are asking for and get it....then donate it to "Toy For Tots" so an underprivileged child gets something good instead of the usual Dollar Store rejects that they would normally get. Just a thought.



Tonight I share a bit of Joe Walsh....Enjoy!

Joe Walsh ~ Second Hand Store

T-minus 5 days and counting

With Christmas fast approaching I am into my usual finishing up holiday buying/planning and trying to figure out what my top 10's for the year will include. While I have been doing this I have also been trying to fit in R.E.M. Live but while it isn't a bad set it isn't great either. And there have been many a CD that has caught my ear this year. So while I cannot bring myself to include that set in my year-end lists I can include a little something special for you [my one or two readers] that may be appreciated.





This is a set that I was given by a record rep back when I was still working as a disc-jockey. I'm not sure how rare it is, but it is a very good representation of Michael and the guys live. Heck, Bill Berry is still part of the group on these tracks. So enjoy "Songs That Are Live" from 1995.

R.E.M. ~ Crush With Eyeliner [Live in Detroit; 6/6/95]

R.E.M. ~ Tongue [Live in Detroit; 6/7/95]

R.E.M. ~ I Don't Sleep, I Dream [Live on Saturday Night Live; 11/12/94]

R.E.M. ~ Country Feedback [Live in Athens, GA; 11/19/92; The second time this song was EVER performed]

Help! and other Beatles related stuff

Just recently got the new Help! DVD. Incredible job on that one. The picture and sound quality are both great and the extras are really good too.



Tonight I will share some outtakes from the recording of the LP...I hope they are appreciated!



The Beatles from "Alternate Help!" ~ Ticket To Ride [Take 2; John Vocal; No Fade; Single Tracked]



The Beatles from "Alternate Help!" ~ You've Got To Hide Your Love Away [Take 5]



The Beatles from "Alternate Help!" ~ You're Gonna Lose That Girl [Take 3]

Drugs are bad....M-Kay!!

I spent most of the early part of the day anticipating the Mitchell Report on the baseball steroid era. When it was finally released I lost interest. Yeah, I know it's just a cover to the actual problem with steroids and human growth hormone. At this point does it matter who is to blame? The fact of the matter is the baseball players union will not allow blood testing and that is the only type of test that would clear up this contraversy. Well at least some of the Yankees were named and that's never a bad thing.



As the day has been going on all I could think of is how much this whole issue is bugging me and listening to Led Zeppelin. Here is the one song that most typifies my feelings on the whole situation.

Led Zeppelin ~ Live ~ What Is And What Should Never Be

The drive and the point after

I have been and will always be a fan of specific sports teams. I have never been a bandwagon jumper and never will be. My teams are the World Champion Boston Red Sox, The currently 13 and Oh New England Patriots, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia Flyers and college football's Penn State Nittany Lions. Been through good and bad times with all of these teams but I will never turn my back on any of them. It's odd how sports runs in stretches. A few years ago the Sawx couldn't buy a championship, now they have 2 in 4 years. The Celts looked horrible and now they look like contenders again. You get the picture.

After the Patriots demolished the Steelers [Guarantee be damned!!] my wife and I went into town to pick up some needed household items and were discussing music along the way. I realized, except for a live set and doing the theme at the beginning of The Simpsons Movie, Green Day really hasn't been heard from lately. I was wondering what Billie Joe and the guys had been up to lately.

Yesterday, I found out.



It seems the trio has decided to do yet another side project. This one being way different than the '80s new wave-ish sound that was incorporated into The Network. Now they are doing garage rock kinda like The Hives. Check it out below or get the whole 6 track EP here Stop Drop and Roll

The Foxboro Hot Tubs ~ Highway 1

By the way...Foxboro is the city that the Partiots call home.

A Long Day's Winding Ever Slowly Into Night

After a long day of working on household projects and taking care of bills I tend to want to relax. That just could not happen today. My wife is going through her winter blues and my youngest son is still favoring me with every song he and his elementary school sang to me and all the parents in the area from the traditional holiday concert. I am feeling stressed and nothing helps me wind down better in the winter time than a nice warm beverage and some Warren Zevon. So tonight I share some of my favorites from WZ. Thanks to the fine folks at the Internet Archive for supplying these.

Warren Zevon ~ Splendid Isolation ~ Live 1996

Warren Zevon ~ Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner ~ Live 1988

Warren Zevon ~ I'll Sleep When I'm Dead ~ Live 1976

Awake and realizing I have no coffee here...

So yesterday was the debut/test of this new thing I am trying to do and as I wandered through the rest of my day I was thinking....Do I REALLY want to do a music blog? To which I also thought, there are bunches of blogs out there focused on music yet none that cover MY favorites all the time. I NEED to do this. So here I am back blogging. I think this will evolve into a fun type of outlet...once I get to doing it more consistantly. I am going to try to put up here musings and tunes that haven't been previously available to the listening/reading public via the blogs. Maybe it will work maybe not. Perhaps I am fooling myself and I have no ability to do what I want to do...One doesn't know until one tries.

So I thought I should build on yesterday and explain why I put up the Ray Davies...."Working Man's Cafe" is by far my favorite CD released this past year. The only way it could have been better was if he had gotten together with his brother and made the The Kinks reunion CD that everyone has been anticipating for the past 3 or 4 years at least.

For today I am gonna put up my favorite track from Steve Earle's latest "Washington Square Serenade". Solid effort by him on this whole set. Special notice should be given to the track "Days Aren't Long Enough" a beautiful duet with Allison Moorer and my second favorite from the CD. It sounds to me like Mr. Earle has finally gotten a complete set of tunes that fit together perfectly. It's about time.

Steve Earle ~ Jericho Road