The rock anthem. Is there a more grandiose musical statement? Rhetorical question...
I am, (and I think most other people are), particularly fond of the classic rock variety. Perhaps by studying them, we can someday learn of their essence and create more of them. And argue about which is the best...
So, coming up, the anthem dissected...
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
Beatles Lasarium
My 11 year old niece loves the Beatles. Very inspiring, and serves as reminder/indicator of their greatness... (The Beatles recordings will undoubtedly endure along with the best music of all time.) And so we'll be heading to a special Beatles version of Laserium this weekend. Yes... Laserium... http://www.laserium.com/ Whats not to like? I'll make sure I'm in the same state I was in when I saw Laserium when I was in high school...
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Why the Deadheads got it backwards...
One problem with the Deadheads is a clear lacking of objectivity. (And thats fine - nothing wrong with fans worshipping their favorite musicians...)
But the tapes dont lie. No doubt that the Grateful Dead had their great moments, but too often they were listless and sang out of tune. (Damn - just hate sluggish versions of The Wheel. And how can you explain Donna for so long?!?)
Attending the shows - even the less inspired ones - could still be great fun, but thats not what kept everyone coming back. What made the Dead so enduring was simply the songs, and thats where all the other jam bands fall short. Every jam band can jam in E and find a groove... they almost all have good guitarists... and many are way more funky/rockin/exciting than the Grateful Dead. However, what none of the jam bands have ever done was produce a record as good as "American Beauty" and "Workingman's Dead". Its all about the song writing... So many great songs on those early records.
The whole Dead mystic overshadows the greatness of the Garcia/Hunter songwriting team. And even Wier had some good ones... They liked to say "There is nothing like a Grateful dead concert", but if they just stayed in the studio they may have gained more respect from from non-believers.
But the tapes dont lie. No doubt that the Grateful Dead had their great moments, but too often they were listless and sang out of tune. (Damn - just hate sluggish versions of The Wheel. And how can you explain Donna for so long?!?)
Attending the shows - even the less inspired ones - could still be great fun, but thats not what kept everyone coming back. What made the Dead so enduring was simply the songs, and thats where all the other jam bands fall short. Every jam band can jam in E and find a groove... they almost all have good guitarists... and many are way more funky/rockin/exciting than the Grateful Dead. However, what none of the jam bands have ever done was produce a record as good as "American Beauty" and "Workingman's Dead". Its all about the song writing... So many great songs on those early records.
The whole Dead mystic overshadows the greatness of the Garcia/Hunter songwriting team. And even Wier had some good ones... They liked to say "There is nothing like a Grateful dead concert", but if they just stayed in the studio they may have gained more respect from from non-believers.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Why I passed on The Dead
The Dead just rolled into town - I did not make it. The main reason is simply no Jerry Garcia. (If they kept on billing themselves as The Other Ones, how many people wouldn't have even considered going?) Lets face it - even though Warren Haynes may be considered a better singer (and guitarist?), Jerry is so integral to their sound, not to mention their entire "essence" that it just aint the same band. (So now they're a different band. Could they be better? We'll get to that...)
But their was more to it -- going to the shows back in the day (and I only went to about 25) was more than the music... When I was in college, seeing The Grateful Dead meant something. After a great show - and most of them were not - I would feel good for days. And then their was the whole social aspect... meeting up with friends, doing drugs, and having a great a time even the show itself wasn't so good. Maybe if my posse was in tact, that would have been different...
But next entry I should address how they *could* be a better band, and why the Deadheads got it wrong...
But their was more to it -- going to the shows back in the day (and I only went to about 25) was more than the music... When I was in college, seeing The Grateful Dead meant something. After a great show - and most of them were not - I would feel good for days. And then their was the whole social aspect... meeting up with friends, doing drugs, and having a great a time even the show itself wasn't so good. Maybe if my posse was in tact, that would have been different...
But next entry I should address how they *could* be a better band, and why the Deadheads got it wrong...
Monday, April 20, 2009
4-20
Oh man... Anyone watch Family Guy last night, where Brian (the dog) gets busted for pot? Excellent... Brilliant...
Here is an article written by a former police chief on "pot vs. booze". It represents an important perspective on the effectiveness of our laws. Highly recommended:
www.huffingtonpost.com/norm-stamper/420-thoughts-on-pot-vs-al_b_188627.html
Here is an article written by a former police chief on "pot vs. booze". It represents an important perspective on the effectiveness of our laws. Highly recommended:
www.huffingtonpost.com/norm-stamper/420-thoughts-on-pot-vs-al_b_188627.html
Friday, April 3, 2009
The Mother Hips
Outside of the Dead, and Phish, its remarkable how regionalized the Jam Band world is. Thats a topic for another post... If you're not from California, you probably never heard of The Mother Hips. They seem to epitomize a certain type of California stoner sound, which I enjoy, but to some folks may obscure how good they play and sing. Finally got to see them for the first time (it was in Texas ironically) and its easy to see that they are a true band. I don't understand why they are not better known...
My main discover point was actually Pandora, where I learned that I like an awful lot of tracks on "Shoot Out" from 1996. Out of print, but I found a copy on Amazon...
One of the best songs which they played that day was "Time-sick Son of a Grizzly Bear". I can see why the title would put some people off. (took me weeks to remember it, even after plenty of plays.) but its cool... got a Stones-like guitar riff...
Listen:
http://www.rhapsody.com/the-mother-hips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YUV08XwzMw
My main discover point was actually Pandora, where I learned that I like an awful lot of tracks on "Shoot Out" from 1996. Out of print, but I found a copy on Amazon...
One of the best songs which they played that day was "Time-sick Son of a Grizzly Bear". I can see why the title would put some people off. (took me weeks to remember it, even after plenty of plays.) but its cool... got a Stones-like guitar riff...
Listen:
http://www.rhapsody.com/the-mother-hips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YUV08XwzMw
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
impaired?
Why is most drug use considered to be a bad thing? The greatest concern to many is that it leaves the user impaired, and therefore a possible safety hazard. (secondary is health concerns...) That is certainly true for alcohol. Nobody wants drunk (impaired) drivers!
But what if the effect of the drug was to actually enhance your capabilities - not impair them? I can attest first hand that marijuana can do this.
The story takes place on the basketball court, not the concert stage. (I've heard stories form cats who claim to play better when they're high, but listen back bro, that opinion can be debated.) On the basketball court, their is no such debate. If your jumper is going in consistently, you are not impaired. After a months-long slump at my weekly Monday night game in Hollywood, I decided to show up high one week. And sure enough, had one of the best nights I've ever had there. This wasn't me opinion - everyone there saw my shots falling, my passes connecting, the steals I made, and my team winning... Same thing happened at the Sunday afternoon ultimate frisbee game at the Dog Park. I am not a great frisbee player, but I scored 5 of our teams points (in a game to 7) after deciding one day - fuck it - I'm getting stoned before disc today!
This gets into sports psychology. I've could find no studies attempting to evaluate marijuana's effect on athletic performance, but someday I hope to fund one (and make a documentary on it, of course...)
This applies to driving while high. I've found that doing so causes me to be cautious and alert. I am not impaired! If someone driving behind you is "under the influence", 100 times out of 100 you rather they be smoking pot instead of drinking...
But what if the effect of the drug was to actually enhance your capabilities - not impair them? I can attest first hand that marijuana can do this.
The story takes place on the basketball court, not the concert stage. (I've heard stories form cats who claim to play better when they're high, but listen back bro, that opinion can be debated.) On the basketball court, their is no such debate. If your jumper is going in consistently, you are not impaired. After a months-long slump at my weekly Monday night game in Hollywood, I decided to show up high one week. And sure enough, had one of the best nights I've ever had there. This wasn't me opinion - everyone there saw my shots falling, my passes connecting, the steals I made, and my team winning... Same thing happened at the Sunday afternoon ultimate frisbee game at the Dog Park. I am not a great frisbee player, but I scored 5 of our teams points (in a game to 7) after deciding one day - fuck it - I'm getting stoned before disc today!
This gets into sports psychology. I've could find no studies attempting to evaluate marijuana's effect on athletic performance, but someday I hope to fund one (and make a documentary on it, of course...)
This applies to driving while high. I've found that doing so causes me to be cautious and alert. I am not impaired! If someone driving behind you is "under the influence", 100 times out of 100 you rather they be smoking pot instead of drinking...
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