Friday Fives – big fish

What’s your go to “comfort movie?”

Big Fish.  Seen it?  If not, stop what you are doing and watch it.  You workin?  drivin? I don’t care.  Maybe you are a surgeon and this is being read to you while you operate.  Quit cutting.  Don’t even sew him up.  That guy doesn’t use his turn signal, why save his life?  Here is the trailer.  it is a beautiful and funny and thoughtful masterpiece.  Not exciting enough?  Ok, how about the cast:  Ewan McGregor, Danny DeVito, Jessica Lange, Billy Crudup, Tim Burton’s wife***, Albert Finney, Steve Buschemi, and its a Tim Burton movie.  While I can’t say empirically its the best movie ever… i can’t think of a better movie.

*** I say that because I have always been annoyed that she has been cast the lead in EVERY Tim Burton movie.  Its’ not that she isn’t a great actress, she is.  I just think maybe she should try once in her life to do something without Tim Burton handing it to her.  They are divorced now, so she will have to audition.  Maybe this is a sexist thing, because I don’t fault Tim Burton for it.  I should.  I place the blame on her, which is totally unfair.  But, there it lies.  At least I am honest, you racists!

What’s your go to  “comfort food?”

Anything involving chicken and a starch.  Probably a creamy and spicy sauce.  My cooking is rarely if ever planned.  I cook every night, but its just pulling together a bunch of yummy random shit we have.

*** note – the wifey would probably tell you that she is the reason that stuff magically appears in the fridge.  And that is goes take planning.  She would prolly be right, if we were speaking.  Of course we are not.  She is to NEVER interrupt me when I am blogging.

What’s your go to “outfit?”
             Same as every white male in North America, a tshirt and jeans.

What song are you currently obsessed with and just can’t stop listening?

Grease.  Not just the album, but specifically the song.  Here is the story, and buckle up.  We gonna be here for a while.  Wifey got me a record player for Christmas, knowing I am tiny bit of a music fan.  We didn’t have any records, so my neighbor brought some over.  One of the records was Grease.  Grease is the bomb!  I had never even seen it until I was like 35.  Any attempts to show me the movie before then would have been met with ‘that’s gay’.  My mistake.  The movie and soundtrack are great.  So, we listened to this 35 year old Grease record which was beat to shit.  It didn’t skip so much as jump.

We loved hearing it so much that we wanted to buy a new one (copy of Grease, that is).  We did, and it sounded like shit.  We did a blind taste test (er… involving neither seeing nor tasting).  We had the old copy of Grease and the brand spanking new copy.  Wifey would switch copies and have me guess 1) which sounded better and 2) which one was the new copy.   The new copy sounded terrible.  Let me be more specific – which is tough to do with something subjective like sound.  The new copy sounded muffled, and slow.  Like… how a cassette sounds.  How could this be?  Considering myself an amateur audiophile (one who fucks records) I had a theory.  I googled it, and it was confirmed.

You know what?  This anecdote is just starting… so I will table it for now.  Maybe I will post it on my music writing site.  Just know this, if you are buy any music made 30 or 40 years ago on vinyl… try and find a 30 or 40 year old record.  The new records were mastered from digital, which is SUPER bad for a record.  It’s a sample.

What’s something that isn’t therapy but feels like it?

Masturbation Reading my bible, Jacuzzi time, Joe Myers guitar playing and singing (click here, pick My Exotic Child, or Eyes Wide Open Doors.  DO IT GODDAMNYOU.  Sorry, he is seriously that good.  I have traveled farther to see Joe play than I have to see Pearl Jam play.  Joe is that good.  and a sweet and wonderful guy.  He is on Spotify, but its only one album.  If you are on Spotify, choose ‘Silver Shoe Lou’.  Honest.  Have I ever, even once, in 18 years on this site demanded you go enjoy some music?  Probably.  But this is even more important.  Here is some youtube stuff.

Can I do all three?  I ain’t sayin I can’t… how about that?  Shut up.  No… YOU shut up.  That isn’t disgusting.  It’s my jacuzzi I can do what I want.  Btw, this hot tub is the BOMB.  It was only about $2500, where the average price is about $5,000.  That top folks over, and totally seals it.  I have had it 6 years and had NO troubles with the top (or any of it),.  My neighbor has one with the more traditional top… a big ass piece of foam wrapped in vinyl.  He has had to replace it several times.  ALSO, this tub works with 120 volt or 220.  Meaning, you can plug this hot tup into a regular socket/outlet.  Perhaps you are thinking ‘that looks like it is made out of plastic’.  It is.  Which means it weather proof, wind proof, rust proof, DOG proof, and its light enough that I can move it if its empty.

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Friday Fives – revalations

1.  What band/artist did you initially dislike, but eventually grew on you over time?

there are lots.  To name a single band, The Cure.  When I was a young, long haired hessian, I thought anything that wasn’t speed metal was “for fags”.  Trust me, I know how wrong that is… the opinion, the mindset, even the F word.  But, this is how 15 year old boys think and behave.  With that said, as a genre, country music is growing on me.  Most of the shit on the radio is still sucky and stupid stereotypes.  But, Johnny Cash, Willy, Zac Brown, Dwight Yoakum… that is really great music.

Please don’t tell 15 year old me I said any of that.  He already hates me for being a ‘total sell out corporate whore’ (his words, not mine)

2.  Where have you made some great musical discoveries? (online, movies, music store, radio?)

that is a good question, since I haven’t listened to radio in about 5 years.  I guess it is friends.  Someone sends me a youtube clip and I will always check it out.  In fact, here is a tip for you.  If you tell me about a band, or a song, I will nod and say ‘sounds good’.  However, I will never go check out that band.  I just forget.  However, if you find said song and email me a youtube link, I will always check it out.  That is the difference

3.  What’s your most played song on your mp3 player?

              Probably ‘visions of johanna‘ from Bob Dylan’s ‘Blonde on Blonde’.

4.  What’s the stupidest/silliest music purchase you have made?

today I bought ‘Lay it Down‘ from Ratt.  It is just a single, but it has the dopest intro riff ever.  I am going to learn it tonight.  Wait, you are reading this Friday, the 15th?  or possibly years later.  Then I have already learned the riff.  See, I wrote this Thursday evening.

Oh, and I bought an audio book from John Douglas. Douglas is the guy who invented profiling for the FBI regarding killers.  Douglas can look at a dead body and say “the person you are looking for is a male teenager with a stutter.  His parents are separated  and he likely lives with his father.  He drives a volkswagon bug”.  Literally, he could be that specific, and be dead on right.  Read “Mindhunter‘ from him.  It is absolutely fascinating stuff.  Well, to me anyway.  So, I bought one of his books on the most grisly cases he has worked.  I bought it on audiobook.  Shortly after, I realized ‘why in the hell would I listen to this driving around?  What the hell is wrong with me?  That is not the way of a buddha. Follow the eightfold path.  right work, right action, right thought… etc etc.”

5.  What music did you discover after college that blew your mind?

              Joe Myers and Tool

Friday Fives – another music cop out

hey all,

Yesterday didn’t go well in ‘IamCorrectistan’. My life is fine, but this website got all jacked up. Then, my editor sent me 5 questions I had answered in the Spring. I did not want to give you used content. So, I am going to do what I always do when I get stumped here. The first 5 songs that come up from my iPhone and my connection to them.

Note, last time I did this I did a whole piece on Amy Winehouse and how she is not overrated. She died the next fucking morning! The proof is right here.

So, here goes.  Hope no ones dies >

Bob Dylan – My Back Pages

Well, I just love Bob Dylan.  Bob Dylan comprises about 30% of my music listening every day.  Right now, in fact, I am listening to my Bob Dylan station on Pandora.  This song has the greatest lyric in the hook.  Good stuff, and deep.  “I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now”.

Big Jim Slade – Ain’t it Free

This is a local band, and some friends.  About 15 years ago, we were all co-workers at Nextel.  This is Slaus, Thad, and the bass players name escapes me.  I think he went by ‘Lopey’.  Anyway, these guys are really great.  They put out an album long ago and I still listen often.  It is called ‘Befuddled’.  They have been broken up about ten years now, probably, with Slaus now living in Atlanta (I think).  I tried to find a youtube clip of them for you, but could not.  It’s a shame, they are amazing.  Note, if you google the band name, another band comes up with same name.   This is why our Big Jim Slade changed their name at the end of their time together to ‘Lemon Engine’.  I wish I could have found their music, it is SO good.  Tell you what, find me and i will burn you a copy

Allman Brothers – Ain’t wastin time no more

Love this song.  Great early rocker from the band.  This cut is from the Red Rocks cd.  Even better is I was at this show (I am at all their shows.  have seen them over 20 times).  Tough story behind the song.  The band was almost done with their landmark lp ‘Eat a Peach’.  Seriously, this album could just be called ‘greatest hits’.  Blue Sky, One Way Out, Melissa, Statesboro Blues.  Anyhow, they were done with this record when their guitarist, Duane Allman, died in a motorcycle accident.  After his happened, Greg Allman went back into the studio to cut this track to honor his brother.  Heavy stuff!

Joe Myers – Alchemy

Joe Myers is an amazing acoustic guitarist.  Possibly the greatest in history.  I kinda grew up watching Joe, as he is a Phoenix musician.  I used to see him every week in college at ASU, and that was 20 years ago.  Now, I didn’t go see him every week because I was a big fan.  No, he was simply the local band at the one place that never carded.  I came to love his music and his musicianship.  I kind of think of him as a friend.  He is still gigging, and I just saw him last summer.  He has CDs on iTunes, and you should buy some.  Here are some clips, dig it!  I have seen Joe probably 30 or 40 times, and it is never enough.  He isn’t just an amazing guitar player, he is a great songwriter, and a hell of a nice guy.

Pearl Jam – Alive

Well, you know I love this band.  This band is the only band I am in a ‘fan club’ for.  Have been since 1997.  LOVE me some Pearl Jam, and of course I see them whenever they come.  There are only 2 bands at this point that i NEVER miss live – Iron Maiden and Pearl Jam.  This song is their big breakthrough anthem off their debut album.  not sure if a better debut record exists.  I can tell you this, though; there is something amazing being in a crowd with 30,000 other people singing along to the chorus.  I put a clip uip above. Well, I’ll just add it here, too.  Dig this voice.  It really is something. 

Oh, and check out this story.  I have probably told it a million times.  The first time I saw them live I had NO idea who they were.  They were just breaking on MTV with ‘Even Flow’, but I didn’t have cable.  I was there to see the other 2 bands:  Nirvana and the Chili’s.  It was pretty much the concert of a lifetime.  one night, one stage – Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Pearl Jam.  All were at the peak of their powers.  Nirvana had just broke through with ‘Smells like Teen Spirit”