Stuff Running 'Round My Head

But I Don't Want to Talk About China Grove

2012-02-02T13:46:00.000-08:00

I think I mentioned a couple of months ago that the tape player in my car gave up the ghost, leaving the radio as the only remaining option. I spend most of my time going back and forth between two stations, one that plays "oldies" and the other that plays new stuff, and sometimes reaches back a little further than that. I start with the oldies in the morning to get the traffic report, and then start switching back and forth when one of the stations starts to annoy me. Which happens quite a bit.

The worst thing about the "oldies" station is that its definition of "oldies" is ridiculously limited. I mean, come on - you're mining close to three decades of material here, and I have to listen to "China Grove" by the Doobie Brothers on three consecutive days? I enjoyed the Doobies as much as anyone in the early 1970s, but jeez - they did record some other songs.

Apple of my eye?

2012-02-01T10:34:00.000-08:00

It's been close to two decades since I've used Apple products on a regular basis. Until the mid-1990s the office I worked in had Macintosh computers, but then converted to PCs. Since then, all of the computers and the music devices I've used have been PC-based. It's not that I'm a warrior in the Mac vs. PC battles; that's just the way it worked out.

Suddenly, that all has changed. In November I received in iPad as a gift, and last week I received an iPod (32G iTouch model) as a gift (there's a story behind these gifts, but now is not the time to tell it). Suddenly, I'm awash in Apples.

Let's start with the iPad. Above all, I would have to say that it is a great toy, and I don't intend for that to be an insult. If nothing else, it's gotten me back into Twitter, because the Twitter app makes the interface easy to follow. The key to any successful iPad is in the apps that you select, and so far I've found some great ones and haven't yet shelled out a penny. I can follow NFL scores, NBA scores, golf scores, check my Facebook page, read the Bible (I'm not what you would call the most religious guy in the world, but the app allows you to read the Bible over the course of a year), downloaded some free classic books (Dickens, Joyce, some others), as well as some work-related documents. I've also been pleasantly surprised by how handy it can be with work, especially when teamed with a laptop.

I'm still getting used to the iPod, but so far no major complaints. Well, one. I can't say that I'm a fan of how iTunes manages a music library; Windows Media Player is much simpler to use and manage. And I think I will probably continue to use my 8G Sansa for running, because I'd be too damn scared that I'd drop or somehow otherwise ruin the iPod.

But you know, since these were gifts, it's probably churlish of me to complain at all.

Filler

2012-01-30T15:48:00.000-08:00

I'm about to leave one job and begin another, so my mind has been a bit preoccupied lately - but rest assured that new posts are on the way soon.

And since I don't have much to add in the way of expert analysis, I'm picking the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, by a score of 23-20.

Netflix Catchup - Holiday Potpourri

2012-01-25T22:16:00.000-08:00

And so begins the first Netflix catchup of the year, albeit with films all watched in 2011.

A Christmas Carol (Zemeckis). Every December, I read “A Christmas Carol,” so I’m pretty familiar with the story and the dialogue. When this came out I had absolutely no desire to see it, because the trailers emphasized what appeared to be “spectacular special effects.” And of course, everyone knows that the reason to watch “Christmas Carol” is for the Star Wars-like effects. But it was a few nights before Christmas, and we found ourselves in the holiday spirit, so we gave it a shot. And, it was a lot better than I expected. For the most part, it was a faithful retelling of the classic (and great, I might add) story, and the effects only rarely got in the way of the story. But on the other hand, why sacrifice any of Dickens’ great writing for some special effects that a) didn’t add anything of value for the adults in the audience, and b) probably scared the wits out of any kids in the theater?

Winter’s Bone. An outstanding film perched on the precipice of greatness. Jennifer Lawrence is spectacular as 17-year old Ree Dolly, who in the absence of her father and mother (the mother is there, but spends her days staring into space, unable to communicate or contribute) is forced to fend for herself, her 12-year old brother and 6-year old sister in the deepest backwoods of rural Missouri. The sheriff comes knocking at the door one morning, to let the family know that the father has skipped out on his bail, and unless he turns up soon, the house that was put up for collateral is going to be taken away from the family. And thus begins Ree’s quest to find her father, a cooker of meth who could very well be dead. And if he is dead, then Ree must provide some proof of that.

The movie (directed by Debra Granik) does an outstanding job of depicting the desolate life led by Ree and her family. It is the very definition of a hard life, and hard territory. There are no innocents; even the sheriff (the always dependable Garrett Dillahunt) strikes the viewer as sinister. And Lawrence’s performance is not the only great one in the movie; John Hawkes is just as good as her uncle, Teardrop – a man who radiates danger from every pore of his body.

“Winter’s Bone” is less about good and evil than it is about degrees of evil – and what it takes to survive in country that one might call evil.

Morning Glory. You could say that “Morning Glory” is the polar opposite of “Winter’s Bone.” Big stars (Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton), cute, young up-and-coming stars (Rachel McAdams, Patrick Wilson), a somewhat unbelievable “down on her luck girl makes good” story (in this case, as the producer of a morning television news magazine show), and…well, the theory is that hilarity, of course, will ensue.

Truth be told, the movie had its moments, mostly featuring Ford and Keaton. And Rachel McAdams is cute. Overall, serviceable entertainment but I can’t imagine forking over money to have seen it in a theater. But that’s what Netflix is for, right?

Holiday Flicks

2012-01-24T21:46:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow it will have been a month since Christmas, so what better time to write a little bit about the holiday flicks we saw last/this year? There were only three, so this won’t take long.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. I’ve seen both of the Downey/Law Sherlock Holmes movies now, and I still can’t say that I completely buy the concept of Sherlock Holmes as action figure. I prefer the modern day version starring Benedict Cumberbatch (who will become a lot more famous when he plays the villain in the next “Star Trek” movie) and Martin Freeman (who could become a household word by this time next year, after playing Bilbo Baggins in “The Hobbit”) – even though it stretches the concept by setting the action in the here and now, it is truer to the spirit and the tradition of the classic Conan Doyle stories.

Having said that, the movies are enjoyable, and a decent way to spend two hours. The action scenes are well done, and there is solid chemistry between Downey Jr. and Jude Law. The second outing is probably a bit better, mostly because the villain this time around is Moriarty. Jared Harris does a good job playing the man who is Holmes’ peer when it comes to mind-play, and in the case of these movies, a good fist fight. Noomi Rapace is OK as the female lead, although it seems as if anyone could have played the role.

This isn’t the kind of movie that wins (or gets nominated for) a bunch of awards. What it does is make money, and given that I suppose we should just be thankful that it provides solid entertainment.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. When I first heard that this was being made, my reaction was “why?” I’d seen the Swedish version, and found it to be a solid adaptation. But David Fincher’s version is definitely stronger, and even though it’s been snubbed by the Oscars, will always be remembered for providing Rooney Mara with one of the best star-making turns in recent memory. She is nothing short of spectacular, and is the perfect manifestation of Lisbeth Salander. In fairness, the movie as a whole is not as good as that performance; it’s definitely not in the realm of Fincher classics like “Se7en” and “The Social Network.” But it’s within shouting distance of greatness, and for that alone deserves to be billed as superior entertainment. Too dark for some, no doubt (except for the idiot who brought his 4-year old daughter to the showing that we attended) – but superior entertainment nonetheless.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. I was really excited to see this, for one reason only – the selection of Brad Bird as Director. Over the years, Bird has proven himself to be a brilliant animator, having directed “The Iron Giant,” “The Incredibles” and “Ratatouille.” I couldn’t wait to see what he would do at the helm of a mindless action flick, because I thought it would be fascinating to see if he could do for actors what he has done for his animated characters.

And Bird doesn’t disappoint. There are two action sequences that are as good as anything you’ll ever see in a movie. One is shown in all the commercials, where Tom Cruise is running on the side of a skyscraper in Dubai. But the one I liked even better takes place at the end, when Cruise and the bad guy are battling inside one of those automated parking garage where giant robot arms move the cars around. The scene felt like something from a classic Warner Brothers cartoon; just substitute Bugs and Elmer for Cruise and the bad guy, and you get the idea.

I have to admit that there were times when I had absolutely no idea what was going on, and I’m still trying to figure out exactly why Jeremy Renner was in this movie, but hey, if you like action and you can stand the sight of Tom Cruise, it’s hard to imagine that you won’t like this one.

Top 50 Albums, #36 - "Peter Gabriel" (1980)

2012-01-23T20:30:00.000-08:00

People who became Peter Gabriel fans with the release of “So” in 1986 (and I’m quite certain there were a lot of them) were probably shocked the first time they first heard his 1980 release, the third of four albums that were titled, simply, “Peter Gabriel.” Number 3 is the one with the melted face on the cover, and that photo (a manipulated photo from a Polaroid SX-70; anyone remember those?) is the perfect representation of the slice of vinyl within.

The tone of the album is set from the moment the first song begins. Thunderous drums (courtesy of Phil Collins, Gabriel’s old mate from Genesis) in a martial beat, followed by one of the most frightening vocals you’re likely to hear anytime, anywhere. The song is called “Intruder,” and it’s about as far away from “In Your Eyes” as one can possibly imagine. It begins like this:

I know something about opening windows and doors
I know how to move quietly to creep across creaky wooden floors
I know where to find precious things in all your cupboards and drawers

Slipping the clippers
Slipping the clippers through the telephone wires
The sense of isolation inspires
Inspires me

To appreciate the full impact of the song, you have to listen to the way that Gabriel sings the words “telephone wires.” It’s the musical equivalent of fingernails on a chalkboard, almost as if Gabriel was hiding behind a corner and decided to jump out and scream, “boo!” And that’s just the beginning – nearly every song on the album brings with it a feeling of being oppressed, of being dominated by someone from the outside who is pulling strings that the protagonist doesn’t even realize are there. To quote Dave Marsh, “when the music thunders with power chords, there’s no hint of resolution or redemption: just the sound of the weak being trampled by the strong.”

There are a lot of standouts on the album, but the ones that resonate most deeply are (in addition to the aforementioned track) “No Self Control,” “I Can’t Remember,” “And Through the Wire,” “Games Without Frontiers” (“If looks could kill…they probably will, in games without frontiers, war without tears…”) and “Not One of Us.”

And then there is the album’s closer, “Biko.” Gabriel’s tribute to Stephen Biko is one of his first forays into African rhythms, and one of the greatest songs in his catalogue. It moves slowly enough that you can hear every word, feel every beat, inexorably moving through the awful details of the story, but finally leading to these great lines:

You can blow out a candle
But you can’t blow out a fire
Once the flames begin to catch
The wind will blow it higher

And then finally, to the lines to which the entire album has been leading:

And the eyes of the world are watching now

And with that, the album is over. Sometimes, the best one can hope for in a world of oppression and being oppressed is to reach a point where hope is not entirely out of the question.

Peter Gabriel (1980) • Produced by Steve Lillywhite and Peter Gabriel

Intruder/No Self Control/Start/I Don’t Remember/Family Snapshot/And Through the Wire/Games Without Frontiers/Not One of Us/Lead a Normal Life/Biko

49ers-Giants

2012-01-22T16:53:00.001-08:00

Closing in on three minutes left in the half, I find myself strangely calm. The game has gone exactly according to script so far, but I'd feel a lot better about things if the defense could put a little more pressure on Manning, at least more consistently. Aside from the long pass to Vernon Davis, the offense hasn't done much, but they've had a few plays that showed potential - "just missed" sort of plays.

Gonna be a tense second half, that's for sure.

UPDATE - Let me amend that previous statement by saying that unless the 49ers can figure out a way to put some pressure on Eli Manning, they're not going to win this game.

UPDATE II - Well, they figured out a way to put pressure on Eli Manning. They didn't figure out a way to replace Ted Ginn Jr. What a way to lose.

American Top 40 Flashback - "I Wish"

2012-01-20T12:51:00.000-08:00

It may seem crazy to say something like this, but there are times when I wonder if Stevie Wonder (no pun intended) is underrated. The sheer depth and breadth of his musical journey is astonishing, beginning with his incarnation as "Little Stevie Wonder" through the elder statesman who can still kill it, even today.

Even if you only considered Wonder's output in the 1970s, he is the very definition of a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He's almost like the Willie Mays of rock music. Can hit, hit with power, field, and do it all with undeniable charisma.

He may have hit a creative high peak with "Songs in the Key of Life," released late in 1976. This was the first single from the album, and it rocketed straight to #1, as it deserved to.

The great Stevie Wonder, with "I Wish" - the number #1 song this week in 1977.

Top 50 Albums, #37 - "August and Everything After"

2012-01-16T13:35:00.000-08:00

I was a little late to the party with “August and Everything After,” but once I got there, I made the best of it. The album was released in September 1993, and almost immediately some of its best known songs began to hit the radio. I liked what I heard – from first listen, it was evident that “Mr. Jones” was one of those classic singles that stays with you for a generation. “Omaha” was also a strong song. So why didn’t I buy the album? At this point, who knows? I probably bought fewer albums in the early 1990s than at any other time in my life, mostly because we’d just had our first child, we’d bought a house, and we didn’t have a lot in the way of discretionary funds. That’s as good an excuse as any, I suppose.

But I remember, almost to the day, the moment when I realized that I had to have the album – it was a Saturday on the first weekend August 1994. We were at the home of a friend of my brother’s for a wedding shower; he was getting married later that month. At the time my wife was pregnant with our second child, and at that point the odds were no better than even that we’d be able to make the (out of town) wedding, depending on…you know, the baby thing. The album was playing on the stereo, and I quickly realized that there was much, much more to the record than just “Mr. Jones” and “Omaha.” By the time of the big day (the wedding and the birth, both of which occurred on the same day, and yes we made it to the wedding, but that is a story for another day), I was completely hooked.

“August and Everything After” is an album that rewards repeated listening. Like an onion, you peel the layers away in order to get to the real depth of the matter. The aforementioned songs are probably the most immediately accessible, along with “Rain King” and “A Murder of One.” Peel those layers away, and you find songs like “Perfect Blue Buildings,” “Ghost Train,” and “Sullivan Street.” Beneath that level lies the true heart of the album, a trio of songs that perhaps are not immediately accessible, but well worth the effort to know better: “Round Here,” “Anna Begins,” and “Raining in Baltimore.” On the first go around, each of those songs may strike the listener as a bit inscrutable. But like few others, they are proof that sometimes, you have to work your way inside of song to truly appreciate it.

There are some who dislike the vocal style of Adam Duritz, and there have been songs on subsequent albums where he over-emotes to the point of being almost annoying. But the approach works perfectly on the debut record, creating a nice dichotomy with the straightforward instrumental backing. And like him or not, he is the face of the band, I would challenge most fans to name even a second member of the group. And besides, Duritz is a Cal Bear, and a loyal fan – even playing the role of sideline reporter on a couple of occasions during Cal football games. The production is also solid, a no-frills effort turned in by T-Bone Burnett – crisp, clear and sounding much different from some of T-Bone’s more recent productions, which have tended at times to throw in everything but the kitchen sink.

Overall, Counting Crows has had a very solid career, and with their debut album they went way beyond that – it was then, and remains now, a great album.

August and Everything After (1993) • Produced by T-Bone Burnett

Round Here/Omaha/Mr. Jones/Perfect Blue Buildings/Anna Begins/Time and Time Again/Rain King/Sullivan Street/Ghost Train/Raining in Baltimore/A Murder of One

49ers-Saints

2012-01-15T01:18:00.000-08:00

Wow.

49ers fans were spoiled for a long time - from 1981 until 2002, there were very few times when the team was not in contention. But the last decade brought us back to Earth; not only was the team not in contention for a title, they were rarely in contention for anything. Sometimes they would seem to be making progress, and then before you knew it you were saying things like "one step forward, two steps back." Players like Frank Gore, Vernon Davis and Patrick Willis formed the nucleus of what one would think was a playoff team, but they never quite seemed to make it to that next level. Many times, they fell far short of that.

And then came 2011. In retrospect, we shouldn't have doubted Jim Harbaugh, not after what he was able to pull off with the Stanford Cardinal. But 13-3? That was the same record as the legendary 1981 49ers, the team that kick-started a dynasty. But this team surely was not in that league, right? Well, now I'm not so sure.

Right now, all I know is that today's game against the Saints was one of the greatest football games I've ever seen. And that fourth quarter? That may have been the most dramatic quarter of football I've ever seen, at any level. Someone - I think it may have been Don Banks at SI - commented that it was like a great championship fight, where two exhausted warriors traded painful blows in the final rounds. And for a moment, it appeared that the amazing Drew Brees would walk out of the ring with the belt around his waist. But wait, no - in the end, it was the much maligned Alex Smith, the man that 49ers fans have kicked around for so long, who landed the last blow.

It was exhausting. It was frustrating. It was even aggravating. But in the end, it was glorious. And now, you have to wonder whether anything will stop this team. Frozen tundra? Bring it on, baby.

American Top 40 Flashback - Gregory Abbott

2012-01-13T08:36:00.000-08:00

Last week, I started a "25th Wedding Anniversary Theme" by featuring the song that was the first fast dance song at our wedding reception. This week, we'll counter with what was the first song played during mealtime at the reception.

Those who know me will not be surprised to learn that I programmed all of the music for our reception. Having been to way too many weddings where I was frustrated and/or disgusted with the music choices, I wasn't going to take any chances for our own wedding. I still have all the tapes, and we still play them around the time of our anniversary.

"Shake You Down," Gregory Abbott - the #1 song on this date in 1987. A piece of classic, smooth soul - the kind you don't often hear these days. Also worth noting is that Mr. Abbott is an alumnus of both Cal and Stanford, which means that he must hate himself on Big Game week.

Jump Starting the Top 50

2012-01-12T12:25:00.000-08:00

Well, this has gone a little more slowly than I originally anticipated. It’s been more than two months since the last post in this series, but fear not – the Top 50 Albums of All Time list is about to return. And just to whet your appetite, here is an overview of the albums we’ve covered so far:

50. Some Girls, Rolling Stones
49. Madonna
48. Los Angeles, X
47. Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, Elton John
46. Actually, Pet Shop Boys
45. Decoration Day, Drive-By Truckers
44. Life’ll Kill Ya, Warren Zevon
43. Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, Lucinda Williams
42. Graceland, Paul Simon
41. Black Cadillac, Rosanne Cash
40. Making Movies, Dire Straits
39. Rocket To Russia, The Ramones
38. (tie) Siren and Avalon, Roxy Music

You can find each review (plus some bonus extras) here.

That’s not much ground covered in a span of 7-8 months, but at this stage of my blogging life, I know better than to make promises about picking up the pace. The one promise I will make is that this project will be finished before the world comes to an end on December 12.

Wrapping Up the BCS

2012-01-11T14:46:00.000-08:00

As long as we’re on the subject of football, I might as well share some thoughts on Monday night’s less than stellar BCS Championship Game.

And by “less than stellar,” what I’m really saying is “boy, that game really sucked.” If you ever needed proof positive that two great football teams don’t always make for a great football game, then I would present this game as Exhibit A (I suppose that Exhibit B would be about 2/3 of the Super Bowl games). This was the kind of game that makes me angry; I didn’t enjoy it at all.

When Alabama played LSU in November, I was rooting for Alabama. And that, even though it was a low-scoring game decided by field goal kicking, was a great game – tense, hard-hitting, extremely well-played on defense. But this time around I was rooting for LSU, mostly because I wasn’t looking forward to the controversy that would arise over how bad the BCS sucks if ‘Bama won. Besides, I do think that LSU was a truly great team. It’s not every team that blows out 3 BCS bowl champions over the course of a season, as well as some other outstanding (or at least bowl-bound) teams.

But man, did they stink up the joint on Monday night. For most of the game they looked truly awful on the offensive side of the ball, and while Alabama had a lot to do with that, they didn’t have everything to do with that. Stating the obvious, the quarterback play in particular was…shall we say…sub-par, as was the offense’s ability to make any adjustments that allowed the team to successfully do what great football teams do as a matter of course – move the ball, make first downs, and score touchdowns. A lot of that has to be laid on the coaching staff, particularly the decision (or non-decision, if you prefer) to leave Jordan Jefferson in at quarterback. Mind you, I’m not saying that Les Miles is a bad coach. You can’t do what he’s done at LSU if you’re a bad coach. But I will say without hesitation that Les Miles is not the coach that Nick Saban is. Not an insult; just one of those “it is what it is” things.

As for the BCS…dear God, please make it go away. Please, please please…let’s move to a “plus-one” format. And while we’re at it, let’s figure out some way to make the BCS games more interesting as a whole. Don’t get me wrong – you put a major bowl game on TV on a weeknight, and I’m going to watch it. But can we please do something to ensure that the best teams are in those games?

As for the coverage of the game, I found Brent Musberger highly annoying – and I had really grown to like him on the Saturday night games. He’s no Keith Jackson, but I thought he did a great job this season, and that he and Kirk Herbstreit made a great team. But on Monday night, it was as if he suddenly morphed into Dick Vitale. That works for Dick Vitale (well, sometimes), but it was just embarrassing to hear it coming from Musberger. Tone it down, dude!

Let’s see, do I have anything else to complain about? Oh yeah, the fact that USC’s return to postseason prominence (which I do expect will occur next year) may leave me in a position of having to root for them in next year’s BCS Championship Game. Because if it does come down to USC and a team from the SEC, which I think is a distinct (or at least realistic) possibility, you’d better believe that I’ll be rooting for USC.

30 Years Ago Today

2012-01-10T20:52:00.000-08:00

The single greatest moment in the history of the San Francisco 49ers, and my all-time favorite moment in sports. And if you know me, you know that is saying something.

I remember the day very well. I was a senior at Cal, and was back at school to begin the Winter Quarter, which would begin the following day. The night before, our dorm had a huge party, and let's just say that I got a little carried away with the alcohol. Back in those days, alcohol was all over the dorms, even though few of us living in them were over 21. Officially sanctioned parties included alcohol on a regular basis, and each floor also received an allowance each quarter to use as they saw fit. By now, you can probably guess what my floor used its allowance for.

In any event, the main drink that night was Cold Duck. I kid you not. And for the sin of drinking Cold Duck and thinking it was cool, I was rewarded with what was almost certainly the most blinding hangover I've had in my life.

And yet, I was up in the TV room on the 7th floor by 10 the next morning, in time to watch San Diego play Cincinnati in the AFC Championship - a game that is pretty famous on its own, since it was played in sub-arctic temperatures. I knew I must have gotten a little out of hand the night before, when a guy that I didn't even know that well said to me, "wow, I didn't expect to see you in here this early."

But there I was, and there I would stay for the entire day - watching one of the most famous games in modern NFL history. It was the game that jump-started a dynasty, and turned the 49ers from long-time also-rans into one of the great championship units in all of sports.

The entire drive is worth watching, if only to remind you a) what a key role Lenvil Elliot played in it; b) that the game was covered not by Summerall and Madden but by Vin Scully and Hank Stram (reportedly, Scully was so upset at not being named the lead announcer for the Super Bowl two weeks later that he immediately severed ties with CBS), and c) what ridiculous clothes people were wearing in 1982.

Enjoy. It never gets old.

Exploring A Cliche

2012-01-08T20:11:00.000-08:00

"That's why they play the game."

Three years ago, I made the mistake of calling the Arizona Cardinals the worst team to make the playoffs in the history of the NFL. All they did after that was go on one of the best playoff runs in recent history, coming this close (hold up thumb and forefinger) to winning the Super Bowl.

And that's why I didn't say the same thing last week about the Denver Broncos, even though I was beginning to think the same thing about them. But the truth of the matter is, with the parity that we see in today's NFL, that there really isn't that huge a gap any more between 15-1 and 8-8. Sure, three of the Wild Card weekend games were close to being blowouts, but to my thinking the Pittsburgh-Denver game had the biggest potential to be a rout, and as we all now know, it didn't quite turn out that way.

You can watch a clip of the winning play here.

A couple of comments about the play. Number one, I missed it live. Since this sort of thing never happens, I figured it was safe to go outside and set up the barbecue for dinner. And my reward for that was walking back in and seeing the massive celebration out on the field. But, no matter. It was still very cool.

Number two, Tim Tebow on that play looked just like Steve Young throwing the slant route pass to Jerry Rice. Just sayin'.

Number three, major kudos to Phil Simms for his comment, while the ball is still in flight, "got 'em." Just matter of fact, but that is exactly why Simms is one of the best.

And lastly, just listen to the crowd noise - how it grows as Thomas gets closer to the end zone, but just explodes once he crosses the goal line.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, regardless of what you think of Tim Tebow, is exactly why we watch pro football. The Patriots better watch out - because a team like this one can be very dangerous.

Happy Birthday Elvis

2012-01-08T15:24:00.001-08:00

American Top 40 Flashback - The Bangles

2012-01-06T10:44:00.000-08:00

Back from the nearly dead, we bring you the weekly American Top 40 Flashback. I'm not sure how much longer it will be around, since I have a feeling that I'm repeating myself. But until I come up with something better and/or more interesting, we'll keep going with this.

I've found that this song, as popular as it was in the day, tends to be polarizing - people either love or hate it. There seems to be very little in-between.

I've always enjoyed it, and in fact, it was the first fast song we played at our wedding reception. And since our 25th anniversary is coming up next month, it seemed like a good idea to start off 2012 with this old chestnut. Plus, I once saw the band live, well before anyone knew who they were.

"Walk Like An Egyptian," The Bangles.

What the...?

2012-01-04T21:01:00.000-08:00

In their infinite wisdom, the scheduling Gods of the Pac-12 have scheduled the Big Game (that's Cal-Stanford for those of you unfamiliar with the moniker) for October 20 in 2012. Which means that the rivalry game for those two teams will be played in mid-season, rather than the traditional Saturday before Thanksgiving spot on the schedule.

This is a travesty...and having attended 13 Big Games in my lifetime, I can tell you that it just won't be the same. From what I've read, both schools have pledged to work with the Pac-12 to ensure that future Big Games are put back in their rightful spot on the schedule. One can only hope that they're successful.

Untied Airlines?

2012-01-03T17:06:00.000-08:00

I've had my frustrations with United Airlines over the years. In fact, with one exception, all of my negative experiences on a plane have taken place on United. The other was on Southwest, but considering I've flown Southwest about 20 times more often in the past decade, I'm willing to give them a pass. Especially since they took immediate steps to remedy the situation.

But you have to give United credit for persistence. What you see here is each of the United MileagePlus Explorer Card solicitations I've received at work since September.

And no, I haven't opened a single one.

First Look: 11/22/63

2012-01-03T12:25:00.000-08:00

One of my Christmas presents was the new Stephen King novel, "11/22/63." Based on the title alone, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what it is about. Man goes back in time, and tries to change history - in this case, stopping the Kennedy assassination. All well and good, even though given the history of the author and the subject matter we can probably guess that a happy ending is not in store.

The book is a behemoth - I mean, you could literally kill someone with this book; it's that big. As of last night I'm on Page 158, and I've barely made a dent - in total, it's 850 pages long. From a review that I read (which was a mistake, because it gave away a key plot detail), the book doesn't even begin to delve into the life of Lee Harvey Oswald for another 200 pages or so.

What you might not know - and I'm going to be careful not to give too much away here - is that the first section of the book takes place in Derry, Maine, the site of "It," which to this day is what I think is King's masterpiece. The point at which the protagonist arrives in Derry is shortly after the events of "It" (the 1958 section, that is), and before long the protagonist encounters some of the earlier book's key characters. If you haven't read "It," that will mean absolutely nothing to you. But if you have, then it should be tremendously meaningful. I know that it gave me a little chill up my spine, at the point I realized exactly what was happening.

As for "11/22/63" itself, all I can say right now is that it feels like one of King's good ones - maybe even a great one. But there's a long way to go. Stay tuned for further developments.

Wrapping Up Another Season

2012-01-02T14:12:00.000-08:00

For the past several years I've been in two Fantasy Football leagues, but I've never had a night and day experience in them like I did this year.

In one league, I built my team around Aaron Rodgers.

In the other, I built my team around Michael Vick.

Guess which team finished dead last at 3-10, and which won the championship at 11-5.

But the championship didn't come easy - since that league utilizes all 17 weeks of the NFL season (something I will again lobby against next year), I was without the services of Mr. Rodgers, and did not have the foresight to acquire Matt Flynn for the week. I also made one huge roster blunder, sitting Marques Colston in favor of Willis McGahee (who, in fairness, had a good day). But I was saved by Victor Cruz, who brought me from way back to score a 106-101 victory that wasn't secure until the bitter end (my opponent had Jason Witten of the Cowboys). It's my first title in a while, and it felt pretty good.

As for the real NFL, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the number of teams who made the playoffs while playing horrible football in December. And although I'll be rooting for the 49ers, you've got to like the Packers to repeat. But...don't count out the Niners, or the Saints, or even the Ravens.

Wrapping Up The Season

2012-01-02T11:52:00.000-08:00

I'll admit it - the holiday season is my favorite time of the year. Now, before you attack me for starting a "War on Christmas" by my use of "holiday" rather than "Christmas," please know that I consider Thanksgiving to be a key part of the season, one with a separate identity that's just as important as Christmas Day.

As my friends and colleagues know, my main Christmas obsession is with Christmas music. For the past five years, I've compiled a special Christmas CD, one that includes some well-known chestnuts but mostly focuses on obscure songs by sometimes obscure artists that most people (including me) have never heard in their lives. My general rule of thumb with Christmas music is that it goes away on the day after Christmas, but as the years have gone by, it's become a hard rule to keep. I spend a lot of time with these songs - for example, I've already compiled a working list of songs for next year's CD, and sometime around mid-October I'll begin the task of sequencing - which may not sound like a big deal, but you have to remember you're dealing with an obsessive here. It's a big deal.

So I'll miss the music, and have a hard time getting Christmas songs out of my head for the next few weeks. But most of all, I think I'll miss the lights. The picture above is of our family (TV) room, taken shortly after midnight a few days after Christmas. There's something very peaceful about sitting in a room, late at night, that is illuminated by nothing more than Christmas lights.

So, farewell season...and we'll see you again in about 11 months.

Memorializing

2012-01-02T11:20:00.000-08:00

I'm updating my sidebars today, and just wanted to memorialize 2011. These are the albums I bought (or was given) in 2011:

Beyond the Sun - Chris Isaak
Metals - Feist
Tell My Sister - Kate & Anna McGarrigle
Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns - John Hiatt
Sky Full of Holes - Fountains of Wayne
Move Like This - The Cars
Destroyed - Moby
Ukelele Songs - Eddie Vedder
Bon Iver - Bon Iver
Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes
Tin Can Trust - Los Lobos
Paper Airplane - Alison Krauss and Union Station
So Beautiful Or So What - Paul Simon
Angles - The Strokes
Decoration Day - Drive-By Truckers
Collapse Into Now - R.E.M.
Volume 2: High and Inside - The Baseball Project
Smart Flesh - The Low Anthem
Let England Shake - PJ Harvey
Brothers - The Black Keys
This is Happening - LCD Soundsystem
The Guitar Song - Jamey Johnson
Go Go Boots - Drive-By Truckers
The Grand Theatre Vol. 1 - Old 97s
Olympia - Bryan Ferry
Low Country Blues - Gregg Allman
The King Is Dead - The Decemberists
Small Craft On A Milk Sea - Brian Eno
Sigh No More - Mumford and Sons
Halcyon Digest - Deerhunter
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye West

And these were the books I read in 2012. Way too few, I can tell you that much.

Composed, by Rosanne Cash
When Will There Be Good News?, by Kate Atkinson
Popular Crime, by Bill James
The Last Picture Show, by Larry McMurtry
Those Guys Have All The Fun: Inside the World of ESPN, by James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales
The Fifth Witness, by Michael Connelly
The Sentry, by Robert Crais
Live Wire, by Harlan Coben
The First Rule, by Robert Crais
Just Kids, by Patti Smith
Caught, by Harlan Coben
The Girl Who Played With Fire, by Stieg Larsson
Moonlight Mile, by Dennis Lehane
The Reversal, by Michael Connelly

And just for the record, the albums I'm starting off with on my 2012 list were bought last week...but I haven't even had time to listen to them all in their entirety, so for all intents and purposes they are 2012 albums.

The 2011 Song of the Year - "Rolling in the Deep"

2011-12-31T16:26:00.001-08:00

Is there any other choice? Of course not. “Rolling in the Deep” dominated 2011 the way that the 1998 New York Yankees dominated baseball and the 1989 49ers dominated the NFL – destroying everything in its path, and leaving no prisoners.

This is the kind of song that will last generations – people who haven’t even been born yet will hear it for the first time, and feel an excitement that comes with only the best and most classic rock songs – songs like “Like A Rolling Stone,” “Gimme Shelter,” “Born to Run,” "I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)," and “Every Breath You Take.”

This is one angry song, as evidenced by the lyrics from the first minute or so of the song, which appear below. “Rolling in the Deep” has a lot more in common with something like PJ Harvey’s “Rid of Me” than it does with your typical breakup song.

And with that, I bid you adieu for 2011, and thank everyone who has landed on the blog, whether by accident or on purpose. Here’s to good times in 2012.

There's a fire starting in my heart
Reaching a fever pitch, it's bringing me out the dark
Finally I can see you crystal clear
Go ahead and sell me out and I'll lay your shit bare
See how I'll leave with every piece of you
Don't underestimate the things that I will do

There's a fire starting in my heart
Reaching a fever pitch
And it's bringing me out the dark

The scars of your love remind me of us
They keep me thinking that we almost had it all
The scars of your love, they leave me breathless
I can't help feeling
We could have had it all
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
Rolling in the deep
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
You had my heart inside of your hand
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
And you played it to the beat
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)

Songs of the Year - #2 - "Pulaski"

2011-12-31T15:55:00.000-08:00

When it comes to the songwriting chores for Drive-By Truckers, Mike Cooley isn't anywhere near as prolific as Patterson Hood. But when he comes up with a great one, it's really, really great.

And here is a version with the entire band:

The story is a familiar one (one that brings Elvis' "Long Black Limousine" to mind), but it's rarely been told as sharply as it is here.

Listen closely, because you'll be rewarded. Just don't expect a happy ending.

Songs of the Year - #3 - "Runaway"

2011-12-31T15:46:00.000-08:00

And yes, before you start with me, I do know that this one was also released in 2010. But for me, it was a 2011 song, and since the album from whence it came was released last November, I'm giving myself another mulligan.

I'm not a fan of modern rap per se, but there's no question that Kanye's 2010 album "My Dark Twisted Fantasy" richly deserved to top all of the year-end polls last year, including Pazz 'n Jop in the Village Voice. Even though I wouldn't want it for a steady diet, there's really little doubt that it was the best album released last year.

And this was the best song on it:

Kanye even shows some astute self-reflection here, something that at times has been in short supply.

Songs of the Year - #4 - "Here Lies Carl Mays"

2011-12-31T10:27:00.001-08:00

The Baseball Project started out as a lark - a group of veteran musicians, including Steve Wynn from The Dream Syndicate and Peter Buck of R.E.M., getting together in their spare time to write and play songs about baseball. Two terrific albums in (the first one is the best, but the second one is just fine), the project shows no signs of slowing down.

This is my favorite song on the second album, an elegy to Carl Mays, the man made famous in baseball history (infamous is probably the better word) for throwing the pitch that killed Roy Chapman. This tells his story, and it is a great (albeit sad) one.

Songs of the Year - #5 - "The Dance Class"

2011-12-31T10:06:00.000-08:00

OK, so technically this song (and at least one other) in my Top 5 was released last year. But it was late in the year, and for me that means it was a 2011 song.

The Old 97s are a band that defines consistency - their work is always good. But every now and then, they come up with an album that is much better than good - as was the case with their last effort, "The Grand Theatre Vol. 1." Which, by the way, you can download right now on Amazon.com for $5.

Songs of the Year - "Time Spent in Los Angeles"

2011-12-30T23:26:00.001-08:00

I still haven't quite decided if this band is the second coming of Jackson Browne or just a clever pastiche of his early to mid-1970s style, but for now a song this good makes such deliberations irrelevant - even if there are a couple of lyrics in there that are way more awkward than anything Browne would have come up with on his worst day.

But it's a great song, nonetheless.

And tomorrow...the Top 5 of 2011.

Songs of the Year - "Born This Way"

2011-12-30T22:53:00.000-08:00

Sure, it sounds like Madonna's "Express Yourself," but I'd be willing to be at least half of the people saying that wouldn't have given Madonna the time of day in 1984, or 1994, or 1999...you get the idea. A great pop song is a great pop song, and although I wouldn't consider myself a huge Gaga fan, I know a great pop song when I hear it.

Songs of the Year - "Sad Song"

2011-12-30T13:41:00.000-08:00

What I love about this song is how, when the music starts, you first think you're going to be hearing "My Best Friend's Girl," and then you think you're hearing "Let's Go." But no, what you're hearing is "Sad Song," from The Cars first album of new music in almost 25 years.

At the time I commented that it was either a very good album or a very good joke, and after six months of listening, I think it is probably a bit of both.

Songs of the Year - "Paradise"

2011-12-30T11:43:00.000-08:00

Coldplay seems to inspire a lot of negativity from a lot of people, but I have no problem with them. And when they come up with a song like this, why quibble?

"Paradise," as performed on Letterman.

Songs of the Year - "Hell on Heels"

2011-12-30T10:15:00.000-08:00

This one sort of speaks for itself, don't you think?

Songs of the Year - "Ray's Automatic Weapon"

2011-12-29T11:17:00.000-08:00

I'm surprised - very surprised - that "Go Go Boots," the 2011 effort from the Drive-By Truckers, isn't showing up on more "top of the year" lists. It's certainly their best album in a while, maybe going all the way back to 2003.

In any event, the band just keeps truckin' on, and this Patterson Hood gem is the second-best song on the album (hint, hint).

Songs of the Year - "Apothecary Love"

2011-12-29T11:03:00.001-08:00

I posted this one once before, but it's still great - The Low Anthem, with "Apothecary Love."

Songs of the Year - "Discoverer"

2011-12-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

R.E.M. called it quits this year, almost 30 years in. It was a magnificent career, and if you want to make an argument for them being the best American band of the past 25 years, I'll listen.

What makes this song so great is how it is instantly recognizable as R.E.M., while sounding completely fresh and new. The album from whence it came, "Collapse Into Now," was a fine farewell.

Songs of the Year - "Springsteen"

2011-12-28T23:56:00.001-08:00

I suppose it was inevitable that I would love this song. Eric Church is trading in nostalgia here, but the strength of the song just overpowers that, and much like Bob Seger's "Night Moves" and The Blasters' "Border Radio," the song transcends the time that it was written about.

Songs of the Year - "Lonely Boy" II

2011-12-28T13:55:00.000-08:00

I got an email from a friend and reader in Long Beach who said one could dance to this song, but he wasn't sure he was the one.

Helpful guy that I am, I thought I would post this to help him out a bit.

Songs of the Year - "Helplessness Blues"

2011-12-28T09:08:00.001-08:00

There's still plenty of time for me to change my mind, but the sophomore effort from Fleet Foxes didn't quite click for me the way the debut did. Having said that, the album is very good, and contains some truly great songs - including the title track.

The way the song changes gears in midstream is part of its power. And in this live performance, you can see that the band is becoming much more confident in its own ability to perform songs that sound almost pristine on the records.

Songs of the Year - "Lonely Boy"

2011-12-27T23:43:00.001-08:00

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The Black Keys, one might say, are on fire right now. And "Lonely Boy" is one smoking song. Here's a performance from The Colbert Report.

Songs of the Year - "Someone's Gonna Break Your Heart"

2011-12-27T09:56:00.000-08:00

Today we move on to Fountains of Wayne, masters of the Pop-Rock hook, with "Someone's Gonna Break Your Heart," off of their 2011 album "Sky Full of Holes."

2011 Songs of the Year

2011-12-26T16:18:00.001-08:00

The Musical Advent Calendar is over, and the Christmas songs are all packed away until the day after Thanksgiving. But the party isn't over, because there's still a few days left to celebrate what were my favorite songs of 2011.

We start off with the incomparable Alison Krauss, who released an outstanding album this year ("Paper Airplane") with her longtime band, Union Station. This song, Richard Thompson's "Dimming of the Day, is just further proof that her voice is one of the most memorable in music.

"Dimming of the Day"

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T12:55:00.000-08:00

"Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them, for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which people did not have their fill of laughter in the outset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady in less attractive forms. His own heart laughed, and that was quite enough for him."

- "A Christmas Carol," by Charles Dickens

Day 24 - "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"

2011-12-24T10:22:00.000-08:00

And as always, we close out the Musical Advent Calendar with the greatest rock Christmas song, courtesy of the ageless and timeless Darlene Love.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Day 23 #2 - Elvis. Christmas.

2011-12-23T15:23:00.001-08:00

Day 23 - Lieber. Stoller. Elvis.

2011-12-23T14:18:00.000-08:00

The second greatest rock 'n roll Christmas song.

Day 22 - "Gee Whiz, It's Christmas"

2011-12-22T11:15:00.000-08:00

The idea for today's selection comes from clear across the country; specifically, the Washington D.C. area.

Carla Thomas, with what must surely be her best known song - "Gee Whiz, It's Christmas."

Netflix Potpourri

2011-12-21T12:45:00.001-08:00

I freely admit from the outset that these capsule reviews won’t do justice to any of these films. But I can’t stand the thought of not saying something about every film I’ve watched this year on Netflix.

“Biutiful” is a powerful movie driven by the great performance of Javier Bardem. Bardem plays Uxbal, a man in literal and spiritual pain – he is dying of cancer, and has spent much of his life in the midst or on the outskirts of the criminal underground in Barcelona. Even with the bad things he has done, he is essentially a good man who is trying to do right by his children. He desires to do what he can to make things right before he dies. But this is a film by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, so one knows going in that the journey will not be an entirely pleasant one. Some of what Uxbal faces (trying to reconcile his relationship with his troubled wife) is moving, and some of it (the episode with the gas heaters) is telegraphed from a mile away. But thanks to Bardem, whose pain is etched within every line on his face, it all feels real. Well worth seeking out for his performance alone.

And now for something completely different. “The Trip” is basically a two-man show, the two men being Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. Coogan is about to embark on a road trip to examine some of the most chi-chi restaurants in the U.K., accompanied by his best friend, Brydon. The two of them talk, talk, and talk. And nearly all of it is laugh out loud funny. Most memorably, the two do battle over who performs the best Michael Caine impression (they’re both spot on, in my book), from each era of his long career. But that’s not the only reason to see the movie – if you want to cheer yourself up on a dank wintry day, you could do a lot worse than put this one in your queue.

“Limitless” is a thriller that, upon reflection, really makes no sense at all. It’s about these pills that give you super-human powers, both mentally and physically (sign me up for a trial!). I’m not going to delve very deeply into the plot, except to say that the more you think about it, the less sense it all makes. This is a story that has holes so huge that a Death Star could navigate through them. But having said that, I enjoyed it. It’s mindless fun, the pace never lets up, Bradley Cooper demonstrates that he can do more than act in “Hangover” movies, and even Robert DeNiro puts in a turn that isn’t embarrassing. The story may not stand up to scrutiny, but in the end the execution makes up for it.

I’m not really sure what to say about “The Conspirator,” directed by Robert Redford. It tells the story of Mary Surratt’s trial, shortly after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The production is very classy, as one would expect from a Redford enterprise, and the acting is sold – particularly Robin Wright as the doomed Surratt. But I can’t say that I was ever that engaged, and to be perfectly honest, I had a tough time staying awake at times. Recommended for history buffs, but maybe not cinephiles.

“Knocked Up.” This one stays true to what I would call the Judd Apatow formula – starts out very funny, drags a bit in the middle, and closes with more funny stuff. My favorite part of the movie was Seth Rogen’s pals, and while I recommend it, I can’t say that it displaced “The 40 Year Old Virgin” from its pedestal as my favorite Apatow movie. One of these days, he’s going to make a masterpiece. He hasn’t yet.

And with the exception of the two we watched last night, I do believe that brings me up-to-date.

Day 21 - "Sleigh Ride"

2011-12-21T11:00:00.001-08:00

OK, let's pick up the pace a little bit...with this rockin' version of "Sleigh Ride" from Brian Setzer and Orchestra, with an assist from Brad Paisley.

Rock those holidays!

Day 20 - "Marshmallow World"

2011-12-20T10:36:00.000-08:00

Because nothing says "Christmas" like those zany Rat Packers, right?

Dino and Frank...enjoy!

Happy Birthday

2011-12-19T22:04:00.000-08:00

21 years ago tonight, it started to get very cold in Sacramento.

The due date for our first child was already past, so we knew that it was going to happen at any time. That night, we shared a bottle of champagne with a friend, because as Debra said, "I can't imagine a glass of champagne is going to do any harm at this point."

Around 2:30 a.m., we drove to the hospital. We were there for quite a while; in fact, over the course of the next 12 hours we would go through all three doctors who made up the practice that was overseeing the birth of our child.

And it just kept getting colder.

In the morning, Debra's mother and grandmother came to the hospital, and my mother and father joined them soon thereafter. We were there for quite a while. On this occasion, there was plenty of time for an epidural. And by the time he was born, we had quite a crowd going.

At 5:17 on December 20, 1990 Son #1 was born. Every moment of that time is etched upon my memory; I can remember each moment as if it were yesterday.

That night, it got so cold that all the pipes in our house froze. I unfroze them the next morning with a portable hair dryer. To this day, it remains the coldest night in Sacramento of my lifetime. When we came home from the hospital two days later, my mom and dad were able to keep a stash of frozen food in their trunk, because the high temperature never got above freezing. It was a cold day outside, but it was filled with warmth inside the house.

And tomorrow, that baby boy turns 21. It hardly seems possible.

Happy birthday!

"Into the Wild"

2011-12-19T14:37:00.001-08:00

I found Sean Penn’s “Into the Wild” to be a powerful and deeply affecting movie. Based on the book by Jon Krakauer, “Into the Wild” tells the true story of Christopher McCandless (played by Emile Hirsch), a young man from a well-to-do but highly dysfunctional family who, upon graduation from college, decided to go off on his own and “live off the land.” His travels took him across the country, through the Midwest, down to Arizona, into Mexico for a brief sojourn, back up through Southern California, and finally on to his final destination – both literally and figuratively – Alaska.

McCandless’ journey is presented as one of rebellion, but what lends the movie part of its power is that he doesn’t come across as particularly sympathetic. He’s likeable and earnest, and without question he had to live through some very difficult times – some of which are told in flashbacks, filling in the back story of his parents, who are played by Marcia Gay Harden and William Hurt. But even with that, there are times when his motives seem suspect – as if he cares less about “the wild” than he does about hurting his parents. When the end is near, when he has finally achieved his ultimate goal only to find that it is about to kill him, I was left with the impression that he was finally learning – too late – the lessons that those he encountered on his journey were trying to teach him.

The role of McCandless would have been perfect for the young Sean Penn; alas, that person no longer exists. Hirsch is fine but not great, and in fact is outshone by nearly all of his co-stars. Hurt and Harden are wound tight as a drum as his parents; Vince Vaughan is totally believable in one of the first roles where I’ve seen him playing a character other than “Vince Vaughan;” Catherine Keener is terrific (as always) as one half of a hippie couple that interact with McCandless on two different occasions (Brian Dierker, the other half of the couple, is also quite good); and Hal Holbrook is simply heartbreaking as a man who has lived through much worse than McCandless and managed to come out the other side intact.

In their own ways, each of the characters described above realize that what McCandless is doing is foolish; that someday, given time and reflection, a healing can take place that has nothing to do with going into the wild. I may sound like an old fuddy-duddy saying something like this, but the thought processes that led McCandless on his journey were incomplete – they were immature. As Wayne Westerberg (Vaughan) says to him at one point, “you're a hell of a young guy, a hell of a young guy. But I promise you this. You're a young guy! Can't be juggling blood and fire all the time!”

Penn’s direction is solid; he allows the story to tell itself in its own time. The cinematography is wonderful, as is the score, consisting primarily of original songs written by Eddie Vedder. Overall, it’s well worth the investment of time (it’s a long movie, almost 2.5 hours long), and thought-provoking, and ultimately very, very sad.

Day 19 - "Merry Christmas Baby"

2011-12-19T12:39:00.000-08:00

Frank Sinatra once called him "the only genius in the business." To which Ray Charles replied, "Einstein was a genius. Not me."

One might beg to differ, after watching his sizzling version of this holiday chestnut.

Day 18 - "Get Down Santa"

2011-12-18T09:24:00.000-08:00

Well, on the Christmas music spectrum, I think this is about as far from yesterday's entry that you can get:

That's right - Get Down, Santa!

Day 17 - A Choir Showdown

2011-12-17T09:57:00.000-08:00

No Christmas music collection is complete without at least one record by the Kings College Choir and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I have one of each, and although I lean slightly towards Kings, both are amazing.

Here, we hear each of them tackling what is only one of the most beautiful songs ever written, "O Holy Night."

Enjoy - and cast your vote!

Day 16 - "The Christmas Song"

2011-12-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

You can make fun of me if you want, but to this day I would argue that Andy Williams' Christmas Album (the first one, with the red cover) is one of the all-time best, superior even to the most famous holiday albums from Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra.

This live performance is from around the time that the album was released, and it is a great performance.

Day 15 - "Sugar Rum Cherry (Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy)"

2011-12-15T11:17:00.000-08:00

The Duke - one of my favorite musical artists, period.

Wish it were a live performance, but one can't have everything.

Cars, Radios, and Boston

2011-12-15T11:14:00.001-08:00

I’ve never had a CD player in my primary vehicle. For years, I listened to tapes that I’d made for myself, some of them close to 30 years old (including the tape that I made for our wedding reception, almost 25 years ago now). And then, a few months ago I finally discovered the joys of the “thingy” (technical term) that you can insert into your tape player that allows you to listen to the songs on your MP3 player. The very definition of awesome.

And then, just a couple of weeks ago, tragedy. The tape player died, leaving me with the sole option of listening to the radio on my drives to and from work. There are some good aspects of that; for instance, without the radio I never would have known about the accidents this morning on both of the freeways that I can take to work. But for the most part, it is strictly a hit-or-miss proposition. There are a couple of local stations that I can stomach, but I usually spend most of my drive going back and forth between two (sometimes three), annoyed either at a song I don’t much care for or the incessant droning of the advertisements.

[Believe it or not, this is leading to something].

One of the stations on my rotation is an oldies station, one that treats the musical universe as if it began in 1964 and ended in 1979. Now, don’t get me wrong – I like oldies as much as the next guy, and find myself actively enjoying a lot of what they play. For instance, in recent days they’ve been playing “More than a Feeling” by Boston quite a bit. Say what you will about the band – and what I would say is that they were a flash in the pan – but one can’t deny the greatness of that song (although the Single edit is a big cheat), or of the first album in general.

All of which reminded me that I had intended at some point to start talking about some of the albums that almost made my Top 50 list – the “honorable mentions,” if you will. And Boston’s self-titled debut album certainly makes that list. I don’t listen to it that much anymore and the sound is unquestionably dated, but I also have no problem saying that it’s one of the strongest debut albums of the past 40 or so years. Part of its appeal is that it evokes such strong memories in me – the release of the album coincided with the beginning of my junior year in high school, and the damn thing was played almost constantly on the radio through the end of my senior year. So each of the songs on it, depending on when they first hit the radio – coincide almost perfectly with some of the key milestones in my life at that time. I hear “Peace of Mind,” and it takes me right back to the early summer of 1977, listening to the song at maximum volume while prepping the grill area at McDonalds for the morning rush. I hear “Long Time,” and I think about singing the song with my buddies in the car, driving home from a basketball game. I hear “Smokin,” and I think of the jukebox at Crestview Lanes, on which I played that song every Friday after finishing our bowling league games for that week. I could go on, but you get the idea.

It is a really good album, and I’m happy to designate it as my first “honorable mention.”

Day 14 - "Skating"

2011-12-14T09:04:00.000-08:00

New age music is not exactly my cup of tea, but I've always been a fan of George Winston. I've also always been a fan of Vince Guaraldi, and a fan of "A Charlie Brown Christmas." Put them all together, and you've got an irresistible brew.

"Skating," written by Vince Guaraldi and performed by George Winston.

Day 13 - "That's What Christmas Means to Me"

2011-12-13T14:19:00.000-08:00

One of the classic Christmas pop songs of all time - Stevie Wonder, with "That's What Christmas Means To Me."

And with that, we are (believe it or not) more than halfway home.

Day 12 - "Deck the Halls"

2011-12-12T08:17:00.000-08:00

Are flash mobs passe? I have no idea. If so, consider this one performance art. It's very well done, and fits in nicely with the spirit of the season.

Day 11 - "Soul Cake"

2011-12-11T12:23:00.001-08:00

I'm not quite sure what look Sting is trying for here, but notwithstanding his choice of attire, this is my favorite song on his "On A Winter's Night" album. In fact, I included it on my annual Christmas CD this year.

Day 10 - The King

2011-12-10T10:16:00.000-08:00

The legend.

The legendary television special.

A legendary Christmas song.

Does it get any better than that?

Day 9 - Bing and Frank Spend Christmas Together

2011-12-09T08:28:00.000-08:00

I think I've posted this one before, but if memory serves, it was taken down from YouTube before the end of that holiday season. Here's hoping for better luck this time around.

A couple of observations:

- One would think that a couple of swingin' guys like Frank and Bing could get a date for Christmas Eve. But perhaps they, in that rarified air that only legends can breathe, just enjoyed each other's company more.

- It would appear that this night is destined for tragedy, as the dynamic duo appears to have an open Weber kettle in their apartment. I believe the instructions discourage that sort of thing.

Bing & Frank, checking in today with "White Christmas."

Netflix Catchup: "Stones in Exile"

2011-12-08T12:44:00.000-08:00

Before I tuned into this the other day, I read Steven Rubio's review, and since I agree with everything he said, I'll link to it here.

A little further down the road, you'll be reading what I think about the album when it shows up on my all-time Top 50 list, but for now suffice to say that I love the album, so there was no reason why I wouldn't enjoy this. In addition to what Steven wrote, it was fun to see Mick and Charlie returning to the site where the album was recorded, and trying to remember exactly where each instrument was set up. And I might add, looking none the worse for wear, especially Charlie in a really cool suit.

And Steven is right - Bobby Keys is hysterical (I had no idea he was good old southern boy), especially when he tells the story about showing Charlie how to do the drum parts on "Shake Your Hips" and then comments about how ludicrous it was for Bobby Keys to be trying to tell Charlie Watts how to play the drums.

Steven is also right about what Anita Pallenberg looked like back in the day - I'm not sure "luminous beauty" does her justice. Of course, the brief glimpse we get of what she looks like today (essentially, a female version of Keith Richards) serves to remind us that you can't live the lifestyle that she and Keith were living back in the 1970s and not have it do a lot of damage.

There's also a very telling comment from Jake Weber (who served as the Stones' "Chief Joint Roller" at age 8 during that summer), who correctly notes that what he was witnessing at the time was a descent into a darkness from which Keith almost did not emerge. It was decadent for certain, but at the time one could have been forgiven for overlooking that because it also epitomized what the outlaw world of rock and roll was all about.

And then, of course, there's the music. 40-plus years later, it's amazing to me that "Exile" was not greeted at the time as the masterpiece that it clearly is. But that's a story for another day.

Well worth seeking out, especially if one is a fan of the Stones.

Day 8 - The Great Louis Armstrong

2011-12-08T09:27:00.000-08:00

One of the greatest voices in the history of popular music - one that cuts through the cheese like a knife.

Louis Armstrong, checking in with "White Christmas."

RIP, Harry Morgan

2011-12-07T13:08:00.000-08:00

Harry Morgan, so brilliant as Colonel Potter on MASH for 8 seasons, died today at the age of 96. Though my knowledge of his acting career does not go beyond MASH and Dragnet, the two roles for which he is best known, I know from reading what others have written about him that he was the real deal.

Check out these tributes:

- From Ken Levine, head writer on MASH for several of Morgan's seasons.

- From Alan Sepinwall, TV critic extraordinaire.

R.I.P.

Day 7 - "After The Holidays"

2011-12-07T10:11:00.000-08:00

Well, if this isn't the most depressing Christmas song of all time, it certainly has to be in the Top Five.

I would not consider myself a huge fan of Judy Garland, but watching this gives me chills. This was about six months before her death, and when you realize that she was only 47, you get a sense of what life had done to her.

It's also an interesting historical artifact if only for seeing what passed for tasteful holiday decorations on the set of The Tonight Show in the late 1960s.

"After the Holidays," Judy Garland.

Netflix Catchup - "Before Sunset"

2011-12-06T15:02:00.001-08:00

The best moment in “Before Sunset” takes place in the back seat of a car. Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) are talking, and he is telling her about what his marriage has become and how often he has thought about her over the years, since that one night they spent together in Vienna, nine years earlier (the story told in “Before Sunrise”). She is visibly moved by what he is saying, and you can see from the expression on her face that she desperately wants to reach out and touch him, caress his head, and say that things are all right. She reaches out, but pulls back at the last second, unsure of what to do. It’s perfect, because it is the perfect illustration of how the two can’t quite figure out what they have going.

It’s a credit to Hawke, Delpy and director Richard Linklater that they were able to create a sequel that approaches the magic generated by “Before Sunrise.” What the two movies have in common is that they’re essentially a 90-minute conversation between the two characters; where they differ is in the tone of the conversation and the setting (Vienna then, Paris now). Jesse is now a successful author on a book tour, and has written a book based on the night that he and Celine spent roaming the streets of Vienna. She shows up at his book signing, and for the next hour, they walk through the streets of Paris, talking about that earlier night, how their lives have changed, and why they’ve never let go of their shared memory.

When “Before Sunrise” came to an end, one could be forgiven for hoping that was the end of the story, because then each viewer could come up with their own story of what happened to these two characters. To try and recreate the magic was a risk, but in the end “Before Sunset” succeeds, because at the end you’re still left with that sense of mystery. What happens next? There is now talk of a third movie, and there’s no reason to think that the artistic team behind the first two can’t pull it off again.

Day 6 - "Winter Wonderland"

2011-12-06T08:54:00.000-08:00

A very nice, bluegrass-tinged performance from Mark O'Connor and Jane Monheit.

Netflix Catchup - "Stranger than Fiction"

2011-12-05T17:55:00.001-08:00

I’m finding that the older I get, the movies that interest me the most are the ones that try to do things that no one has tried before. Even if they aren’t wholly successful, at least they’re pushing the boundaries, and are original – a precious commodity in this age of sequels and “reboots.”

“Stranger than Fiction,” directed by Marc Forster and starring Will Ferrell, is just such a movie. This is a movie that you really have to pay attention to, as I discovered upon first viewing when I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open. It tells the story of Harold Crick (Ferrell), an IRS agent with OCD who one morning suddenly begins to hear a voice narrating his life. The movie also tells the story of the narrator, Kay Eiffel (played by Emma Thompson), an author who is suffering from writer’s block, and cannot quite figure out how to deal with her main character – Harold. So are we to believe that Harold lives in a fictional world? Or is Harold truly schizophrenic, as a psychiatrist suggests early on in the movie?

It is with the character of Professor Jules Hibbert (a great, understated performance from Dustin Hoffman) that the two worlds are bridged. Declining a pharmaceutical cure to his ills, Harold seeks out Dr. Hibbert to try and determine, based on the narration he is hearing in his head, who might be writing the story of his life. On Dr. Hibbert’s advice, Harold tries to figure out whether he is living out a tragedy, or a comedy. And in doing so, he becomes closer to the young woman that he is auditing, a law student turned baker named Ana Pascal (Maggie Gyllenhall) who, through the sheer force of her personality, begins to bring Harold out of his shell.

All of the performances – those listed above, plus other supporting roles from Tom Hulce, Linda Hunt and Queen Latifah – are spot on. But the real revelation is Will Ferrell, who here plays it straight in much the same way that Bill Murray played it straight in “Lost in Translation.” Frankly, I’ve never been a big Ferrell fan, and I didn’t think he had this performance in him. But based on the evidence of “Stranger than Fiction,” Ferrell’s real future is in the kind of understated roles that other comics like Steve Martin and Robin Williams have succeeded in.

If I had to choose on word to describe “Stranger than Fiction,” I think it would be “delightful.” Whether one world, the other, or both is a fantasy is ultimately irrelevant. The direction is crisp, the acting is sharp, and the story leaves you wanting more. And, the use of music is terrific – always a plus in my book.

Random Monday Morning Notes

2011-12-05T09:44:00.000-08:00

Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year. Great choice by SI of Mike Krzyzewski and Pat Summit as the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year. This has been a rough month for iconic coaches, for very good reasons - and while one can get carried away very easily with the "coach as mentor/great person" meme, there seems little doubt that both coaches deserve that honor. For their excellence as human beings, as well as excellence on the court.

Tebow. No matter what you think of the guy (and everyone sports fan in the world has an opinion), the story is one of the most compelling ones in years. And now, it looks as if the Tebow Show may be coming to NBC next Sunday night, which will serve only to increase the hype and the scrutiny. My opinion? Oh yeah, I have a few. One, the guy is a winner, plain and simple. You don't do what he is doing right now if you aren't a winner. Some guys have it, and some don't. Two, I can't see him ever becoming a long-term great at the quarterback position. Three, I'm not sure that matters. Clearly, Tebow is a unique player, and if the Johns Elway and Fox can figure out a way to ride that to the playoffs (or even further), than it really doesn't matter how bad Tebow's stats or his mechanics are. Four, the constant proselytizing makes me really uncomfortable. With regard to his faith, I have no doubt that it is genuine. I have no doubt that he is doing good and great things away from the football field. It still makes me uncomfortable, and I much prefer the approach that Aaron Rodgers takes with his own faith. To read about that, head on over to Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback column at SI.com. You'll have to go to page 4 or 5 to get there.

The Black Keys. I could only make it through the first song because I was exhausted, but if the rest of the new album is as good as that one, song, their new album may end up at #1 on my best-of list for 2011.

BCS. No question that these are the two best teams in college football. No question that the rematch is a farce. Until the minds that matter in college football come up with a better alternative (the plus-one game makes sense to me), we're going to end up with a ridiculous controversy like this every year.

That's all for now.

Day 5 - Swingin' With Santa and Louis

2011-12-05T08:21:00.000-08:00

I used this one for my annual Christmas collection a few years back, but until now have never been able to find it on YouTube. I would have preferred a live performance, but in this case I'll take what I can get.

And so, today we present Louis Prima, with "What Will Santa Claus Say (When He Finds Everybody Swinging)?"

RS Greatest Guitarists

2011-12-04T14:31:00.001-08:00

In recent years, Rolling Stone has made a cottage industry out of its “100/500 Best…” issues, which probably says more about Jann Wenner’s point of view than anything else. But I can’t really argue with the premise, because it is entertaining to hear what current artists and critics have to say about the masters of the past.

In the current issue, it’s the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.” While many of these lists are great argument starters, that’s not really the case here, because everyone in the world knew that Jimi Hendrix was the greatest guitarist of all time well before they picked up this magazine. It’s really impossible to argue against the premise of Hendrix as greatest ever, although I suppose it would be fun to see someone try. There’s just no disputing that he did more with less than anyone who’s ever picked up the instrument. Of the albums of his that I own, my favorite is a live recording from Winterland, because it truly shows what he could do at the spur of the moment, in the heat of battle.

Since we got the Clapton cover, I should say a few words about him as well. He comes in at #2 on the list, another choice I won’t quibble with (although I would have been tempted to put Keith Richards there). For a long time I thought Clapton was overrated, because I happened to start buying his albums right around the time (late 1970s) that he was entering into his “mellow” phase. There were certainly some flashes of greatness on “The Fuse” from “Slowhand,” but outside of hearing “Layla” on the radio, I could never quite figure out what all the fuss was about.

What turned my opinion were two performances – one on the “Just One Night” album, where he laid down some incendiary solos on some old Robert Johnson songs; but more than that, a joint appearance on a late night TV show (I can’t even remember which one) with Robert Cray. Cray is an outstanding blues and rock guitarist, and his “Strong Persuader” album may be better than any single album that Clapton has recorded in his career. But that night provided a great opportunity for comparison, because both Cray and Clapton play Fender Stratocasters – so they were on a level playing field, so to speak. And on that night, Clapton just blew Cray away – getting sounds out of his Strat that Cray couldn’t even begin to approach.

As for the rest of the list, I’d say that Jeff Beck, Eddie Van Halen, Joe Walsh and Slash seem ranked a little high, while Neil Young, Prince, Richard Thompson and Lou Reed seem way too low. But that probably says more about my taste in music than anything else. And one other quibble – I might have found room for either Gary Rossington or Allen Collins on the list. “Free Bird,” anyone?

Day 4 - Johnny and Friends

2011-12-04T10:15:00.000-08:00

Let's try something a bit different today. This is an excerpt from the December 23, 1970 episode of the Johnny Cash Show, with Johnny and June sharing a little quality time with their friends The Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison and others.

But there is a Christmas song within, as Roy turns in a beautiful version of "Pretty Paper."

For me, this is some awe-inspiring stuff. Enjoy!

Day 3 - Otis!

2011-12-03T22:40:00.001-08:00

"Merry Christmas Baby," from the incomparable Otis Redding.

Day 2 - Vince Guaraldi Trio, with an assist

2011-12-02T06:36:00.000-08:00

Two enduring classics - "A Charlie Brown Christmas," and "Christmas Time Is Here" by the Vince Guaraldi Trio.

"Oh that we could always see such spirit through the year."

The Musical Advent Calendar is Back!

2011-12-01T06:50:00.000-08:00

You know you've been waiting for it all year, and now it's back - the fourth (or fifth) annual Musical Advent Calendar.

Today, we kick off the festivities with a nice, jazzy version of "Carol of the Bells" by Drew Davidsen.

It's December - it's now OK to say "Merry Christmas," and you can even enjoy holiday ads without guilt.

The Merry Christmas Theme

2011-11-28T21:33:00.000-08:00

The posts this week are going to be few and far between, because I'm in San Diego for the marathon week otherwise known as the governance meetings and annual conference of the Association that I work for.

But I'm pleased to debut the holiday color theme for December, as well as provide you with a glimpse of the view out of my home for the next 6 days - the Marriott Marquis Marina in San Diego.

Not bad, eh?

"Composed," by Rosanne Cash

2011-11-25T15:08:00.000-08:00

I have no qualms at all declaring Rosanne Cash’s “Composed” to be a great book.

The cover of “Composed” identifies the book as a memoir, and that is key to understanding what it is about. This is not an exhaustive biography. You’re not going to find a lot of specific details about various topics that people might be interested in – how Johnny’s marriage to Vivian fell apart, how Rosanne’s marriage to Rodney Crowell fell part – but that’s also the main reason why the book is so successful. This is an emotional book, a book that shares Rosanne’s point of view about many of the happenings of her [admittedly very interesting] life, and how those happenings shaped her voice as a person and as an artist.

I should confess that Rosanne has held a spot in my own personal music pantheon for a long, long time – believe it or not, even longer than her father. That being the case, it surprises me that she felt for years that her voice was inadequate, because I always thought it was incredibly strong – indeed, her greatest attribute until she fully developed as a songwriter. Reading throughout, it’s clear that she is her own harshest critic – which is probably a good thing for a musician to be.

More than anything else, this is a book of stories, stories that are told roughly in chronological order. Moving moments are sprinkled throughout, with an enormous emotional payoff near the end when she quotes extensively from the eulogies that she delivered over a period of 18 months for June Carter Cash, Johnny Cash, and Vivian Liberto Distin, her mother. There are so many interesting things in the book, it’s hard to single any one out, but I especially enjoyed the section where she describes how “Black Cadillac” came about, and have to admit I was a bit pleased to see her say that John Leventhal (her husband and producer) felt that a gauntlet had been thrown with the production work performed on six of the album’s songs by Bill Bottrell and responded with his own best work. Pleased, of course, because I completely agree with that assessment.

But no matter. One of my very favorite stories, near the end of the book, is when Rosanne recounts a visit (with her daughter, Carrie ) to Falkland, Scotland, where the family name originated, and a town her father had visited years before. This is a long excerpt, but I think it illustrates perfectly the reasons “Composed” is such a wonderful book.

On our arrival in Falkland late in the morning, we were disappointed to find that the palace was closed for the holiday week. Just about everything was closed down, in fact, except for a little restaurant at the top of the hill, where we had a ploughman’s lunch of bread, cheese and pickles – a more satisfying meal than one offered by any four-star restaurant. After eating, we wandered next door to look in the window of the Old Violin Shop. Almost immediately my eye was caught by a beautiful old teapot, which was nearly identical to one I had inherited from June after her death the previous May. It was a squat, cream-colored porcelain vessel with a delicate pattern of pink and gold flowers and flourishes around its middle. I wanted it badly, but the shop, like all the others in town, was closed. I then noticed a note pinned to the door saying that if assistance was needed, to call a certain number. After several tries, I reached a very polite gentleman who said he was just finishing his lunch but promised to come shortly to let us in. Carrie and I waited in the car, as the weather was turning quite bitter. A few minutes later Bob Beveridge, the owner, appeared and invited us inside. After he carefully retrieved the teapot from that window, I began looking around at the instruments, books, china, paintings, and other collectibles. As Carrie and I began exclaiming to each other about the wondrous collection he had assembled, Bob noted our American accents and inquired if we had come to research our Scottish roots. I told him that I already knew the origin of my Scottish ancestry, and I was merely visiting the place my family name originated.

“Like Johnny Cash?” he asked, in a friendly manner, after asking my surname.

I hesitated, as I seldom told strangers who my father was, but I felt an impulse to confide in him.

“Yes, like Johnny Cash. He was my father,” I said quietly.

His eyes widened. “I have something to show you,” he said, and left the room.

He came back with a photograph of himself with my father, taken during the filming of the television special. He then began telling me the story of my father’s visit.

My father liked to sit on a small cement post in front of the palace, Bob recalled, and to gaze at the square. All the townspeople came to speak to him, and he was unfailingly gracious and kind, which drew even more of the locals to him. He remembered that, one day, my father was in his car and came upon a boy whose bicycle had broken down in the road, so he picked him up and took him home. This boy, Bob explained, was now a man in his thirties, lived around the corner, and still loved to tell the story of the day he was driven home by Johnny Cash. Bob knew about my dad’s fateful meeting with Major Crichton-Stuart on the plane to Asia, and he told me more stories of those few days, twenty-two years earlier, when Johnny Cash, along with a film crew and his special musical guest, Andy Williams, had taken over the town of Falkland, and how the people had loved him and he had loved them back.”

Wonderful stuff. “Composed,” by Rosanne Cash – highly recommended.

Yes, It Was As Good As It Looked

2011-11-24T21:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving Eve

2011-11-23T17:23:00.000-08:00

"The dirty little secret of the dinner is melted animal fats: in all the recipes, somewhere it says, "Melt a quarter-pound of butter.""

- Garrison Keillor

The Sixth Floor

2011-11-21T21:14:00.001-08:00

11/22/63 will always be day of infamy for those who lived through it. That day is the earliest memory I have; when your mom cries all day, that tends to stick with you. At the time, I didn’t have any idea what was going on, but I still remember that day clearly – even though I was only 3 years old.

During my Super Bowl trip to Dallas, I had the opportunity to visit The Sixth Floor Museum, the museum housed in the former Texas School Book Depository, where Lee Harvey Oswald (assuming, of course, that you are not a conspiracy theorist) fired the shots that killed President John F. Kennedy. Perhaps because of that first memory, I’ve always been fascinated with the presidency of Kennedy, as well as the assassination. And although the concept of housing a museum on the floor where the shots were fired (at one point during the tour, you walk past the windows where Oswald was perched, and can look down to see the view that he had on that fateful day) might be considered morbid by some, it is very well done, presenting a chronicle of Kennedy’s life and times as well as the circumstances of the assassination. It’s hard not to be moved by the experience.

These photos were taken outside, and confirmed what I remember reading once – the site of the assassination is something that you expect to be much bigger than it actually is. In fact, when you see the road where the motorcade was proceeding, it’s hard to imagine that the President of the United States was allowed to ride in an open limousine through such a small space. I suppose that times were simpler then, but on that day those times changed forever.

What is somewhat morbid is the fact that a large “X” is painted on the street at each of the points where a bullet struck the President (see above photo, at roughly the spots where people are standing). Which, of course, makes it easy to have someone take a picture of you “on the spot.” Why you would want to do such a thing is beyond me, but it was very popular on that day. And the shot where the ground is shrouded in snow? That is the infamous Grassy Knoll, also much smaller than I had pictured it in my imagination.

48 years ago. R.I.P.

The Perfect Antidote to Black Friday

2011-11-21T12:39:00.000-08:00

One of my all-time favorite essays.

WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS
by Garrison Keillor

It is a wicked world in which the power of any individual to cause suffering is so great and the power to do good is so slight; but here we are, the week of our beloved national feast, our annual homecoming, and signs of loving Providence are everywhere around us.

I am thankful to be alive. In Minnesota the lakes are freezing over in late November, and some men who envision a leadership role for themselves take their snowmobiles out onto the thin ice and fall through and drown in the cold water--their last thought in this life: "Boy, was this dumb or what?"--and so far I have not been one of them. Caution was bred into me: I never played with guns or made a hobby of pharmaceuticals or flung myself off a cliff while clinging to a kite. I read books instead. I read books in which men hearken to wild imperatives, and that is enough for me.

I am thankful for living in a place where winter gets good and cold and you need to build a fire in a stove and wrap a blanket around you. Cold draws people closer together. Crime drops. Acts of kindness proliferate between strangers. I have been in Los Angeles on a balmy day in January and seen the glum faces of people poking at their salads in outdoor restaurants, brooding over their unproduced screenplays. People in Minnesota are much cheerier, lurching across the ice, leaning into the wind as sheets of snow swirl up in their faces. Because they feel needed and because cold weather takes the place of personal guilt. Maybe you haven't been the shining star you should have been, but now is not the time to worry about it.

I am thankful for E-mail, which allows us to keep in touch with our children, and for the ubiquity of fresh coffee, the persistence of good newspapers, the bravery of artists, the small talk of sales clerks, the general competence and good humor I encounter every day. None of us is self-sufficient, despite what some politicians claim. Every good thing, every morsel of food comes directly from God, who expects us to pay attention and be joyful, a large task for people from the Midwest, where our idea of a compliment is, "It could have been worse."

I am thankful, of course, for Thanksgiving, a joyful and simple day that never suffered commercial exploitation and so is the same day as when I was a boy and we played touch football on the frozen turf and came to the table sweaty and in high spirits and kept our eyes open for flying food. My sister had good moves; you'd look away for an instant, and she'd flip her knife and park a pat of butter on your forehead. Nobody throws food at our table now, but in the giddiness of the festive moment, I have held a spoonful of cranberry for a moment and measured the distance to Uncle Earl, his gleaming head, like El Capitan, bent over the plate.

As I grew up, Thanksgiving evolved perfectly. It used to be that men had the hard work, which is to sit in the living room and make conversation about gas mileage and lower back pain, and women got the good job, which is cooking. Women owned the franchise, and men milled around the trough mooing, and if any man dared enter the kitchen, he was watched closely lest he touch something and damage it permanently. But I bided my time, and the aunts who ran the show grew old, and young, liberated lady relatives came along who were proud of their inability to cook, and one year I revolted and took over the kitchen--and now I am It. The Big Turkey. Mr. Masher. The Pie Man.

Except for gravy and pie crust, which take patience and practice, Thanksgiving dinner is as easy to make as it is to eat. You're a right-handed batter in a park that's 150 feet down the left-field line—it doesn't take a genius to poke it out.

Years of selective breeding have produced turkeys that are nothing but cooking pouches with legs. You rub the bird's inside with lemon, stuff it with bread dressing seasoned with sage and tarragon and jazzed up withchunks of sausage and nuts and wild rice, shove it in a hot oven; meanwhile, you whomp up yams and spuds and bake your pies. The dirty little secret of the dinner is melted animal fats: in all the recipes, somewhere it says, "Melt a quarter-pound of butter."

Think of the fancy dishes you slaved over that became disasters, big dishes that were lost in the late innings. Here's roast turkey, which tastes great, and all you do is baste. You melt butter, you nip at the wine, and when the turkey is done, you seat everyone, carve the bird, sing the doxology and pass the food.

The candles are lit in the winter dusk, and we look at one another, the old faces and some new ones, and silently toast the Good Life, which is here before us. Enjoy the animal fats and to hell with apologies. No need to defend our opinions or pretend to be young and brilliant. We still have our faculties, and the food still tastes good to us.

Walt Whitman said, "I find letters from God dropped in the street, and every one is signed by God's name." Thanksgiving is one of those signed letters. Anyone can open it and see what it says.

Reasons To Be Thankful, #1

2011-11-19T13:39:00.001-08:00

I really don't think it's possible to have too many books.

"When Will There Be Good News?"

2011-11-17T22:13:00.001-08:00

Kate Atkinson novels are constructed like a jigsaw puzzle. Until you get to the end, you are never quite sure how the pieces are going to fit together. The characters are the pieces of the puzzle, and the trick is in trying to figure out how, even though the pieces are far apart, they’re going to become part of a whole by the end.

“When Will There Be Good News?” continues the remarkable string of Atkinson triumphs that began with the magnificent “Case Histories” and continued with the outstanding “One Good Turn.” Like the first two books, one of the featured characters is Jackson Brodie, but here he is in a distinctly supporting (although critically important) role. Technically, you would have to call Atkinson’s books mysteries, but consider this: this is a story, at least in part, about a woman and child who are missing. And it is on Page 285 that Jackson Brodie is engaged to try and find the mother and daughter. That’s not what you would call your typical mystery.

There are two things that Atkinson does in each of her books that are just brilliant. One, she creates characters that are believable, sympathetic, and have depth. In “Good News,” there are at least four – Brodie, of course; but also Detective Chief Inspector Louise Monroe (who reminds one just a bit of Jane Tennyson, from “Prime Suspect”), Dr. Joanna Hunter, and perhaps most of all, 16-year old Reggie, the young woman who instinctively knows what is going on before anyone else has a clue.

The other thing that Atkinson does so brilliantly is to capture the reader from the very first chapter, in this instance with a snapshot of abject terror, as a young mother is out walking with her children. A strange man appears, and as Atkinson writes, “Everything was bad. There was no question about it.” That scene sets the stage for everything that follows, years later. And when the pieces of the puzzle finally come together at the end, the payoff is well-earned and entirely satisfying.

If you haven’t read a Kate Atkinson book, now is as good a time as any to start.

Presidents Cup

2011-11-17T20:51:00.000-08:00

It’s pretty cool watching live golf on a fall evening from the other side of the world, especially when you’re watching some of the world’s best golfers (in the Presidents Cup) playing on one of the world’s best golf courses (Royal Melbourne, in Australia).

But watching for the last couple of nights, I think I’ve put my finger on the difference between the Ryder Cup (U.S. vs. Europe) and the Presidents Cup (U.S. vs. the world, excluding Europe). Watching the last two nights of Presidents Cup matches, I’ve enjoyed them a great deal, but I don’t feel as if I really care who wins. Yes, I want the U.S. to win, but if they don’t, whatever – it’s just an exhibition for fun, right? But when I watch the Ryder Cup, you’d better believe I care.

Maybe it’s just tradition, and maybe over time the Presidents Cup will feel the same way. Right now, it doesn’t quite feel that way.

I'm Busy, But It Is Big Game Week

2011-11-16T19:52:00.000-08:00

This is the shirt I'll be wearing on Saturday.

Clarification

2011-11-15T18:51:00.000-08:00

"Got all of this stuff twirling around in my head."

- Herman Cain

I rise to Mr. Cain's defense. He was not, in fact, stumbling with a question about Libya. He was intending to promote this blog, and just got the title a bit wrong.

And Then...

2011-11-15T17:13:00.000-08:00

...there is the Cal coffee cup. I do believe that coffee tastes better when consumed from a Cal cup, but I don't have any hard data to back that up.

Go Bears!

2011-11-15T10:56:00.000-08:00

I've been remiss in my Big Game posts, so this will have to suffice for now.

What every self-respecting Cal fan should have in their office.

It's Blue and Gold Week!

2011-11-13T10:19:00.000-08:00

In honor of Big Game week, the blog is going blue and gold.

Also, expect lots of pictures like this one.

Happy Veterans Day

2011-11-11T09:13:00.000-08:00

George A. Johnson was the Great Uncle of Patterson Hood, guitarist and singer for the Drive-By Truckers. He passed away in October, but his memory will always live on in the lyrics of the great song that Patterson wrote about him - "The Sands of Iwo Jima."

George A. was at the movies in December '41
They announced it in the lobby what had just gone on
He drove up from Birmingham back to the family's farm
Thought he'd get him a deferment there's was much work to be done
He was a family man, even in those days
But Uncle Sam decided he was needed anyway
In the South Pacific over half a world away
He believed in God and Country, things was just that way

Just that way…..

When I was just a kid I spent every weekend
On the farm that he grew up on so I guess so did I
And we'd stay up watching movies on the black and white TV
We watched "The Sands of Iwo Jima" starring John Wayne

Every year in June George A. goes to a reunion
Of the men that he served with and their wives and kids and grandkids
My Great Uncle used to take me and I'd watch them recollect
about some things I couldn't comprehend

And I thought about that movie, asked if it was that way
He just shook his head and smiled at me in such a loving way
As he thought about some friends he will never see again
He said "I never saw John Wayne on the sands of Iwo Jima"

Most of those men are gone now but he goes still every year
And George A's still doing fine, especially for his years
He's still living on that homestead in the house that he was born in
And I sure wish I could go see him today

He never drove a new car though he could easily afford it
He'd just buy one for the family and take whatever no one wanted
He said a shiny car didn't mean much after all the things he'd seen
George A. never saw John Wayne on the sands of Iwo Jima

Happy Veterans Day, everyone.

Ghosts of Manila

2011-11-09T21:50:00.001-08:00

A very nice Bill Simmons column about "Ghosts of Manila," a great book by Mark Kram about (and this is the subtitle that appears on the cover) "the fateful blood feud between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier."

This line from Simmons says it best:

"One thing's for sure: Heading into that third fight, Joe Frazier genuinely hated Muhammad Ali. Even if Ali never intended to kill Frazier, he quickly realized there was no other recourse."

The Main Event

2011-11-09T17:12:00.000-08:00

So I watched way more of the Final Table of the World Series of Poker than I should have last night. Let's just say it was multiple hours and leave it at that.

For the first time, the Final 3 (which became the Final 2 after only four hands) was shown "almost live" on ESPN, with just a 15-minute delay. On the down side, showing it live has the major drawback of not being able to see the players' hole cards. But on the up side, the commentary of Antonio Esfandiari was absolutely brilliant throughout. I still can't believe how often he was correct about what cards each player was holding. I guess that's why he's a professional.

While I was rooting for the Czech Republic's Martin Staszko (who proves my theory that great chess players are now going for poker instead!), I have no problem with the victory by Germany's Pius Heinz. They both seem like entirely decent guys (albeit a little short on the charisma side), unlike some (Jamie Gold) who have won the title in the last decade. When I finally gave up Staszko still had a lead, but based on the way Heinz had chipped away at it before the close of the $1/2 million blind round, I had a funny feeling he was going to catch up.

But hey, you've got to sleep sometime.

Smokin' Joe Frazier

2011-11-07T21:17:00.000-08:00

“I heard somethin’ once. When somebody asked a marathon runner what goes through his mind in the last mile or two, he said that you ask yourself why am I doin’ this. You get so tired. It takes so much out of you mentally. It changes you. It makes you go a little insane. I was thinkin’ that at the end. Why am I doin’ this? What am I doin’ here in against this beast of a man? It’s so painful. I must be crazy. I always bring out the best in the men I fight, but Joe Frazier, I’ll tell the world right now, brings out the best in me. I’m gonna tell ya, that’s one helluva man, and God bless him.”

• Muhammad Ali, the morning after the Thrilla in Manila, October 1975

When I was a kid, Joe Frazier was my favorite boxer. At that time, I hated Muhammad Ali – I had never seen him fight, and I had absolutely no appreciation for his talent or his role in history. But hey, I was only 9 years old – what did I know?

As a fighter, Joe Frazier was indeed a “beast of a man.” To a young kid, he looked positively invulnerable as he blasted through the heavyweight division, at that time still sans Ali. Whether it was George Chuvalo, or Buster Mathis, or Jerry Quarry, or Jimmy Ellis – none of them stood a chance against the ferocity of Frazier. Bobbing and weaving, avoiding the best anyone had to offer, and then the left hook striking like a cobra, and more often than not the opponent was on his back, looking up at the lights of the arena.

But always in the shadows, there was Ali. The Ali who returned to the ring in 1970; the Ali who could recite poetry and spin a yarn in ways that Frazier could only imagine. And eventually, the Ali who would taunt Frazier mercilessly, as if he were somehow less than human. That only fueled the fury of Frazier, and led to what was justifiably called the Fight of the Century. And thus began a trilogy of terror that would cement the names of both men in the annals of sports history, but also alter their lives immeasurably through the pain that each would inflict on the other.

Frazier won that first battle, but paid dearly in the process, spending three weeks in the hospital afterward. He was never the same fighter; in early 1973, he came as close to losing his life in the ring as one possibly can, pummeled by the first incarnation of George Foreman, who some will remember was not the kind and almost cuddly character he would become later in life. That fight, the entirety of which is available on YouTube, is truly frightening to watch. From the first time Frazier hits the canvas (accompanied by the immortal call of Howard Cosell, “Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!) until the end, you really wonder if Frazier will exit the ring with his life. The scariest thing of all is hearing Angelo Dundee, Ali’s trainer who was at ringside that night, literally screaming at the top of his lungs to the referee, “Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! STOP IT!”

Meanwhile, Ali was miraculously returning to form (including a controversial win over Frazier in the rematch), culminating in a masterful defeat of Foreman in Zaire. That led to the inevitable rubber match, and although both fighters were clearly past their prime, it remains one of the greatest fights in the history of the sport. Ali clearly thought that Frazier was spent, and came out fast, hoping to end it quickly – within the first three rounds, if possible.

There was a moment in the third round that said a lot about both men. Near the end of the round, Ali was playing around on the ropes, trying to lull Frazier (as he did to Foreman) into the “rope a dope.” Literally nothing was happening, and then out of nowhere came a burst of punches from Ali, for a brief moment looking like the Ali of the mid-sixties. You see it today, and you wonder, “how can a man withstand such punishment?” And then, out of the blue, came a classic left hook from Frazier which caught Ali clean on the chin, and you could tell that Ali was stunned, hurt, and realizing that he was in for a long, long night.

After that night, for both men it was a story of long, and sometimes sad, decline. Ali in time would become an American hero, and I would argue that was richly deserved, but at the same time I would remind people that without Joe Frazier, he never would have reached the heights – at least in the ring – that he did.

Joe Frazier, R.I.P.

Top 50 Albums, #38 - "Siren" and "Avalon," Roxy Music

2011-11-07T11:32:00.000-08:00

There used to be this ad (in the Fifties, I suppose) for a cigarette: You're Never Alone with a Strand! A guy alone in the street; belted raincoat, turned down hat brim; fog, drizzle, blurred neon lighting; three in the morning and he'd just left a party or come to the end of an affair or arrived off a train; down but cool (cigarette cool) and romantic, weary — a private eye at the end of a case. I always thought it was Frank Sinatra.

That was one role Bryan Ferry had figured out for himself.

Something else there used to be was two artists called Gilbert and George whose work of art was themselves. They exhibited daily in a classy gallery. Elegant, suited, disdainful, they'd stand there all day while people paid to look. Later on a little song and dance act became part of the picture.

That was something else Bryan Ferry wanted to be — a work of art.

• Simon Frith, review of “Siren,” Rolling Stone, 1975

Prepare yourself, because there may be some who consider this a bit of a cheat. But hey, it’s my list, right?

There were three distinct periods in the career of Roxy Music. The first period, which I’ll call the Brian Eno period, encompassed their first two albums, “Roxy Music” and “For Your Pleasure.” The second, which I’ll call their middle period, began after Eno was replaced on keyboards by Eddie Jobson; this “era” included three great albums – “Stranded,” “Country Life,” and “Siren.” And then the last period began when the group reformed in 1979. This time around, the band was a band in the same sense that Steely Dan was a band in the latter parts of their career – in other words, you had Bryan Ferry, Phil Manzanera, saxophonist Andy MacKay, plus a cast of session players (although the great drummer Paul Thompson, an original member of the band, appeared on one album). This final period featured the albums “Manifesto,” “Flesh + Blood,” and “Avalon.”

The Eno period has its proponents, but I prefer the other two. I think that if you polled most Roxy fans, they would select without hesitation the middle period as being stronger than the other two; however, I think the last two periods were equally effective, albeit very different. Again, I’ll use the Steely Dan comparison. In much the same way that the only thing Steely Dan’s “Countdown to Ecstasy” and “Pretzel Logic” had in common with “Aja” and “Gaucho” was the Steely Dan moniker, the only thing that “Country Life” and “Siren” have in common with “Flesh + Blood” and “Avalon” is that they all say “Roxy Music” on the cover.

“Siren” begins with what is possibly the greatest sound effects intro in the history of rock music. You hear a set of heels clicking, a car door opening, the car starting, and then a quick guitar chord and a deep bass line (along with MacKay’s sax, lurking in the shadows), and before you know it you’re into “Love is the Drug,” which is certainly among the best songs the band ever recorded. The song is a microcosm of everything the band was doing well at that time – Ferry’s lounge lizard lyrics, coupled with a sound that was as close to Earth Wind & Fire as it was to classic British art-pop. And the story it tells is a familiar one:

Late at night I park my car
Stake my place in the singles bar
Face to face, toe to toe
Heart to heart as we hit the floor
Lumbered up, limbo down
The locked embrace, the stumble round
I say go, she says yes
Dim the lights, you can guess the rest
Oh — catch that buzz
Love is the drug I'm thinking of.

“Dim the lights, you can guess the rest,” indeed. That is the mindset that powers “Siren” throughout, whether it’s fast songs (“Both Ends Burning,” and I bet you can figure out what that one is about), mid-tempo songs (“She Sells”) or ballads (“Just Another High”).

By the time of “Avalon,” seven years later, a lot had changed. I can understand why fans of the earlier work might think of it as being “slick.” Slick though it may be, it’s brilliantly so – put simply, it is one of the most perfect pop albums ever made. Again, the very first track, “More Than This,” is key to the album’s success – and this time, the lyrics matter less than the sound. On this album, Bryan Ferry achieved something that was as close to perfection as he’d ever get. He was the guy alone in the street, and a work of art, all at the same time.

For me, the best example of the album’s perfection is the penultimate song, “True to Life.” It is an absolutely exquisite song from start to finish, but never more so than when Phil Manzanera contributes the lightest of guitar tones – not really a solo – near the end of the second chorus. It’s a small note, but the kind of note that makes you wonder whether it was intended, or just an accident of recording. In any event, it’s beautiful, and though barely a second long, one of the greatest moments in the history of the band.

Two albums, the better part of a decade apart, with different sounds and different players – but linked by the great presence of Bryan Ferry.

Siren (1975) produced by Chris Thomas
Avalon (1982) produced by Rhett Davies and Roxy Music

Siren: Love is the Drug/End of the Line/Sentimental Fool/Whirlwind/She Sells/Could It Happen to Me?/Both Ends Burning/Nightingale/Just Another High

Avalon: More Than This/The Space Between/Avalon/India/While My Heart is Still Beating/The Main Thing/Take a Chance With Me/To Turn You On/True to Life/Tara

Netflix Catchup - "The Kids Are All Right," "Never Let Me Go"

2011-11-06T11:54:00.000-08:00

OK, deep breath. As usual, I’ve fallen behind with my random comments about films seen via Netflix. So here are a couple to get the catch-up started:

The Kids Are All Right. For me, this one was a mixed bag. This is my own ignorance talking, but I don’t know if this was meant to be an accurate representation of a same-sex relationship with children, or a commentary on what others perceive such a relationship to be like. As a case in point – the scene where the couple is watching male gay porno – awkward moment for the kids, or inside joke? Either way, I’m not sure the scene worked.

I found Annette Bening’s character to be almost insufferable, and am a little surprised that she got all the acting kudos over Juliette Moore. But overall, I thought the best performances by far were from the two kids, Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson. Or maybe it’s just that their characters felt less forced and better written. Either way, they felt like real people, while Bening and Moore rarely advanced beyond case studies.

I thought how the film handled Mark Ruffalo’s character was probably its greatest weakness. I’m not arguing that he was a guy with a ton of depth, but neither did I think that he deserved the ending that he got (I won’t say anything more about it to avoid a spoiler). The way he was used, it was obvious that he was little more than a plot device to advance the story about the two female leads, and their relationship with their kids. Which would be OK, except that the middle third of the film left the viewer with the expectation that there might be difficult choices ahead for the entire family. Instead, those choices were avoided almost entirely.

Never Let Me Go [Spoiler Alert]. In a word, haunting. Based on a novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, the movie follows three characters – played by Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield and Keira Knightley as young adults – who are raised in what appears to be a loving, supportive boarding school. Well, yes – but there is a catch. It turns out that the residents of the school are in fact clones, who are being raised for organ harvesting when they reach adulthood. When they eventually die, as they all do, they are said to have reached “completion.”

There are a couple of plot points that drive the narrative – one is the love triangle between the three main characters, and the other is the notion that “deferral” might be an option. In other words, if the clones are able to demonstrate that they are in love and do indeed have souls (a point driven home by the prominence of an art gallery at the boarding school – it is suggested that this is how such decisions are made), they can be allowed to live a normal life. The former story is fairly standard fare, albeit done tastefully and well; and the latter is poignant, in that we really know how things are going to end up well before the end actually comes. What lends the film its power is its premise, which is executed well and results in the adjective I mentioned earlier. I would not go so far as to call “Never Let Me Go” a classic, but it is certainly thought-provoking. And it sticks with you.

Friday Night Lights 2011

2011-11-06T10:26:00.000-08:00

With son #2 set to graduate next May, this will be the last Pleasant Grove football season we get to enjoy as the parents of a member of the band. If you'd told me six years ago that it would be this much fun, I probably would have laughed in your face. But it's been great, although watching a winner is always fun.

Considering that PG only opened its doors in the Fall of 2005 (with just two classes), the rise of the football team to prominence in the area is pretty amazing. Consider the last five seasons:

2007 - 9-1 regular season, one victory in the playoffs

2008 - 8-2 regular season, three victories in the playoffs, lost section championship final

2009 - 7-3 regular season, two victories in the playoffs

2010 - 9-1 regular season, four victories in the playoffs, won section championship (Division I)

2011 - 9-1 regular season, top seed in Division I playoffs

This season, the Eagles have won games by the score of 77-7, 63-14, 58-7, 48-10, and 63-3. Right now it appears that the only thing that could stop them would be injuries; they've lost a lot of good players this year.

This picture was taken from the field during halftime of the game against Folsom, when the parents of the senior band members were introduced to the crowd. A fun night, and the best game of the year - a 48-34 win over our biggest rival (and a team that won a state championship just a year ago).

Go Eagles!

Thoughts on the Game of the Century

2011-11-06T09:57:00.000-08:00

First things first - that was not a classic game. Now, don't get me wrong - I enjoy a defensive struggle as much as anyone, but to qualify for the "classic" moniker, a game has to have some classic moments - positive moments. Think of the two games that CBS used to illustrate "great games of the century" - Texas-Arkansas 1969, and Nebraska-Oklahoma 1971. Those were truly classic games, enlivened on both sides of the ball by great play. In the former, you had James Street's still amazing scramble which ended up as a touchdown, plus a play later on that they didn't show, the amazing long pass on 4th down that led to the Longhorns' winning TD. And in the latter, of course you had the amazing punt return by Johnny Rodgers, but you also had both teams picking themselves up off the canvas on numerous occasions.

Last night you had all the requisite elements for a classic, but in the end there's no escaping the fact that Alabama lost the game because of some truly horrendous field-goal kicking. I'll bet Nick Saban will think about making that a higher priority when he's looking at prospects next year. And frankly, the decision to go for the FG in overtime was a bad one. A long pass probably would have failed, but it was a certainty that a long field goal would fail.

Having said that, there's little doubt that those were the two best teams in the nation we were watching last night, although I don't think either one is invincible (well, we know one isn't, already). LSU deserves to be a heavy favorite to bring home the crystal, and Oklahoma State sure isn't gonna stop 'em, but I do think that a great game from Stanford would result in a potential classic. Ask me again after next week, when the Cardinal play that offensive machine from up north. If they win that game easily, we could end up with a true classic come January (sorry OSU fans - after what happened last night I just can't see the Cowboys as a true contender).