tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24197010771309731072024-03-13T05:50:28.126-05:00The Regular RecordThe mission of this blog is to review, discuss and appreciate various music and musicians. Your contributions on these topics will be both welcome and appreciated. From major label to indie release, all music is fair game.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419701077130973107.post-63099932387655560652014-08-03T16:16:00.000-05:002014-08-03T16:16:24.590-05:00Paul McCartney: Target Field, Aug. 2, 2014My wife, my parents and a number of friends and I went to Paul McCartney's show at Target Field in Minneapolis. It was amazing! Sir Paul did 39 songs (40, if you count the Jimi Hendrix tribute), and he was in spectacular form. His voice was great, his energy was high, you could tell the week of rest he'd had between shows rejuvenated him. I've never seen him dance or smile so much (and he's an entertainer, he does this kind of stuff regularly), and he actually wiggled his bottom at one point. He was feeling the love!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLymVZqmCcwaw1daU2U_iPnQq3XfsNoesX63ASFbWgIw_J8J46nL3ZMafJz4HdxgL_6yDE9bIL8F_Ug2zf_BppJPEWnNmyrd7tafqt0vTj2O74wbH812hHdxHwcL-Z775AV9Av__aycIQ/s1600/P8020078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLymVZqmCcwaw1daU2U_iPnQq3XfsNoesX63ASFbWgIw_J8J46nL3ZMafJz4HdxgL_6yDE9bIL8F_Ug2zf_BppJPEWnNmyrd7tafqt0vTj2O74wbH812hHdxHwcL-Z775AV9Av__aycIQ/s1600/P8020078.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
Here are some photos I took Saturday from Target Field. I'm not a photographer, but I thought I'd share what I had. :)<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoMCNDV1U8LoofyXB7diJdzm7v6_73VlVfXvj0HIFwK-5fNdPuLsDVDN56r7ObNDsVwaDPRXDngAPtKVZlgS6miYPVbDFi7tPTHRc7ECg_R8aUOoA4maADlFlLxPc_frMWBICH-xU6HK0/s1600/IMG_0987.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoMCNDV1U8LoofyXB7diJdzm7v6_73VlVfXvj0HIFwK-5fNdPuLsDVDN56r7ObNDsVwaDPRXDngAPtKVZlgS6miYPVbDFi7tPTHRc7ECg_R8aUOoA4maADlFlLxPc_frMWBICH-xU6HK0/s1600/IMG_0987.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNjMIzTXiHOjvQj_T3a1YwIlZb0SMc5WCFxRfmDpZUq5T5wBb-iOM-Y55ZrGHEXboJnDyVdc09LfKOyjCz84KEdxyBQ0HdcWb1fZHdZ7E9a2Uyq_BDTxnt8Ox-7YEM7gNpfiF_xl39Zl8/s1600/IMG_0988.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNjMIzTXiHOjvQj_T3a1YwIlZb0SMc5WCFxRfmDpZUq5T5wBb-iOM-Y55ZrGHEXboJnDyVdc09LfKOyjCz84KEdxyBQ0HdcWb1fZHdZ7E9a2Uyq_BDTxnt8Ox-7YEM7gNpfiF_xl39Zl8/s1600/IMG_0988.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmioMXzFJLRGCJlk-qRs-VBV65UjKIJ93e6_Sn6k0m-k49M2KzQb2yfzUaHdnkPmmxR7tScPgRxLGxOgsMwfXlY-HrzsLOXZpjZ_aVDUHQRpSAyls-53lkbMcr4zGOvDlK0mszBm_QRY/s1600/IMG_0989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmioMXzFJLRGCJlk-qRs-VBV65UjKIJ93e6_Sn6k0m-k49M2KzQb2yfzUaHdnkPmmxR7tScPgRxLGxOgsMwfXlY-HrzsLOXZpjZ_aVDUHQRpSAyls-53lkbMcr4zGOvDlK0mszBm_QRY/s1600/IMG_0989.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbqbPSSfLddlufKcSKzJeb3FcY_pazwd4TZvsZgeKCEtejVPCPluzlPfdjj_0zlaMb-5X4inD6KYnCiboied3HkF73AwA9AfNh8crTjaziofiQXXnGxUgw4A_EInHlhlveDrAdZ9Ea_8/s1600/IMG_0990.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbqbPSSfLddlufKcSKzJeb3FcY_pazwd4TZvsZgeKCEtejVPCPluzlPfdjj_0zlaMb-5X4inD6KYnCiboied3HkF73AwA9AfNh8crTjaziofiQXXnGxUgw4A_EInHlhlveDrAdZ9Ea_8/s1600/IMG_0990.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUt4za6MMJeOPJmEH0uFCg_cVRa_OOZSXUb02JbBUp9ab6lNGWhNPD-xfHIDZhw2MMWPJe_k7AM3NBzt1A3Cuob0QVNtRuH0Z8mB_-Sjm21F_QwtQnVxwwSx1v0qezl7axnHDmyVZKr98/s1600/IMG_0992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUt4za6MMJeOPJmEH0uFCg_cVRa_OOZSXUb02JbBUp9ab6lNGWhNPD-xfHIDZhw2MMWPJe_k7AM3NBzt1A3Cuob0QVNtRuH0Z8mB_-Sjm21F_QwtQnVxwwSx1v0qezl7axnHDmyVZKr98/s1600/IMG_0992.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMtOF7pQ6d5X1n35y1qYFYPEP5KXWBPad4l-AlPpaJEDtgArZvfpiBelS5Ld9mFgeaeDGNbkC1aAdtoLWRh5PbFs_Kj9bMniausq9yNG5Mf5k_i-_1O0Eot8iJc9vHusf_x1sZZc49kTQ/s1600/IMG_0993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMtOF7pQ6d5X1n35y1qYFYPEP5KXWBPad4l-AlPpaJEDtgArZvfpiBelS5Ld9mFgeaeDGNbkC1aAdtoLWRh5PbFs_Kj9bMniausq9yNG5Mf5k_i-_1O0Eot8iJc9vHusf_x1sZZc49kTQ/s1600/IMG_0993.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfeXU9tZiyGWS_NmldlMZ0IRS6ICK38T4gUpLPvwwKFfD3T1t-GQ1b-k749x9DXowiPtrzJ_vf2NTluFKK7aYRgsZy0lGp5erhdKn8GYmu6cIwnjaHBEepPPsXzk1aLJO7u0KiLQb9p0/s1600/IMG_0994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfeXU9tZiyGWS_NmldlMZ0IRS6ICK38T4gUpLPvwwKFfD3T1t-GQ1b-k749x9DXowiPtrzJ_vf2NTluFKK7aYRgsZy0lGp5erhdKn8GYmu6cIwnjaHBEepPPsXzk1aLJO7u0KiLQb9p0/s1600/IMG_0994.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKmNmOXcdmv5YlLbfYQpQMt4-604Kv93nA1iCwPiISS9rlKuW5SKbQychiFtjZH2xLlQ4IiDoLeztrxI6ryYqSEPBgzjRYb_W3N7kUDdnIl0290j4f9YmX7QtC1IsQ2bMBnBxuZXIQGo/s1600/IMG_0996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKmNmOXcdmv5YlLbfYQpQMt4-604Kv93nA1iCwPiISS9rlKuW5SKbQychiFtjZH2xLlQ4IiDoLeztrxI6ryYqSEPBgzjRYb_W3N7kUDdnIl0290j4f9YmX7QtC1IsQ2bMBnBxuZXIQGo/s1600/IMG_0996.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskrfyqS2pKf2rtigeFb2pU4I_R7KUPGseeSKR-wG0rWoGWgBZdpQMFPWGxat4ZVxKhlU-IjCMYaUr2-tBwABe-UBmji-D6VGDk86Fkhu02RPg1KgTcJZungy5GBT2ziQT3Ocu1f8miFM/s1600/IMG_0997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskrfyqS2pKf2rtigeFb2pU4I_R7KUPGseeSKR-wG0rWoGWgBZdpQMFPWGxat4ZVxKhlU-IjCMYaUr2-tBwABe-UBmji-D6VGDk86Fkhu02RPg1KgTcJZungy5GBT2ziQT3Ocu1f8miFM/s1600/IMG_0997.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPNyxWy81p5_6jiCxbFd2QuiuC4TR9nTjmufAeEmq4MidQ4UJ4bcG52ujO582QndXOYiyoeKF0Dy6RYzIyT7Nw7nYe0zkW8RBHcMvL6BvgSvbIwDkmth6277oTk7oeGdwLkIfKJrAb8w/s1600/IMG_0999.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPNyxWy81p5_6jiCxbFd2QuiuC4TR9nTjmufAeEmq4MidQ4UJ4bcG52ujO582QndXOYiyoeKF0Dy6RYzIyT7Nw7nYe0zkW8RBHcMvL6BvgSvbIwDkmth6277oTk7oeGdwLkIfKJrAb8w/s1600/IMG_0999.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwSBZqXWisQca_F_IUf0tOeR7dqe0ya1fZfVGjzyXYCjO2Tlj19gCnM_pTnZilK1vpgqmHRf_1esruNuggQwgDDs_eobtYjXnUBZ8MrCCBBzyjPZqZbO1yJs_ok5E5TvhY0bnDFdVJ9xA/s1600/IMG_1008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwSBZqXWisQca_F_IUf0tOeR7dqe0ya1fZfVGjzyXYCjO2Tlj19gCnM_pTnZilK1vpgqmHRf_1esruNuggQwgDDs_eobtYjXnUBZ8MrCCBBzyjPZqZbO1yJs_ok5E5TvhY0bnDFdVJ9xA/s1600/IMG_1008.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdloFCOitQhQfDU0ns6WwTrtY0j3k_nEqKlvADp_4PNHKg8UExVGeoKudvwpppCemeopNcyjfD4r0xyz2bDbWzHn-DwKe5sM0sjmaR4h1-wXpl49rxkO9FkE3hXfxg1GoumYhSXbtIlYI/s1600/IMG_1011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdloFCOitQhQfDU0ns6WwTrtY0j3k_nEqKlvADp_4PNHKg8UExVGeoKudvwpppCemeopNcyjfD4r0xyz2bDbWzHn-DwKe5sM0sjmaR4h1-wXpl49rxkO9FkE3hXfxg1GoumYhSXbtIlYI/s1600/IMG_1011.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5YIRvW_7iNnRt5_MYbOgov-kBCuBbq4hMyqSYPm7lN4xseNd6ApqRJu2QfhfYKhY5cpWQ6kcfHTdyTvDeCDj-14wCgTnONbBU8OxRi0gB99Sg1oDhZkbTwyr6pzpeCQysQ7okvs5nSJk/s1600/IMG_1015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5YIRvW_7iNnRt5_MYbOgov-kBCuBbq4hMyqSYPm7lN4xseNd6ApqRJu2QfhfYKhY5cpWQ6kcfHTdyTvDeCDj-14wCgTnONbBU8OxRi0gB99Sg1oDhZkbTwyr6pzpeCQysQ7okvs5nSJk/s1600/IMG_1015.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjquGMgLFgOfq9H2EZgPl2lj1E8MrnKJ7xbAsALbjlyQn9bH3I7836AEVl2eZeh_3x6YuV6jbKK8i2g7otJSNnvY0TSbHBouNxzxAiiX4WDG4cwT1TkzUHRaj8bYBLKthNKQRV1MWEOKTk/s1600/IMG_1018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjquGMgLFgOfq9H2EZgPl2lj1E8MrnKJ7xbAsALbjlyQn9bH3I7836AEVl2eZeh_3x6YuV6jbKK8i2g7otJSNnvY0TSbHBouNxzxAiiX4WDG4cwT1TkzUHRaj8bYBLKthNKQRV1MWEOKTk/s1600/IMG_1018.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvAYFEyBZb5C_n2dAH1BE85uk2_s4qlpwBlwyVAI8iKHrGUE8YuM80SdS_iEoZWDijjjstk7PLGhp3jfadpbFYBAvP4ZabcY5ZKypKR70HRCYjlw2ErZgIi_q_aIDOweZQ5t9tXei3qcs/s1600/IMG_1021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvAYFEyBZb5C_n2dAH1BE85uk2_s4qlpwBlwyVAI8iKHrGUE8YuM80SdS_iEoZWDijjjstk7PLGhp3jfadpbFYBAvP4ZabcY5ZKypKR70HRCYjlw2ErZgIi_q_aIDOweZQ5t9tXei3qcs/s1600/IMG_1021.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNW1i14hj5BskY3M5sHCd7Cf3f8kJ3KimECSepyJGnBsmmDUc6ud8t9tdjLSZBrzIOx9IZniUvn5YwIU2fKL71W8GOqfx_nKMW7WX_QrCgOpBpS_7PMNytk7cZXzteJK5WpjmYxmOGWk/s1600/IMG_1022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNW1i14hj5BskY3M5sHCd7Cf3f8kJ3KimECSepyJGnBsmmDUc6ud8t9tdjLSZBrzIOx9IZniUvn5YwIU2fKL71W8GOqfx_nKMW7WX_QrCgOpBpS_7PMNytk7cZXzteJK5WpjmYxmOGWk/s1600/IMG_1022.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvGedZr_sVjv_CdOFclINZbJOT7889IcSC1I-bEvaK_XEmxNw7QKAIWTEuc0x_zdn5m4ERA1NnHJfafQM4LhhFQ0up7J2b5_yOoRIIRymlh5k0V5ELmAFZlVzhusKwdCpNnrwxbw3WqR0/s1600/IMG_1024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvGedZr_sVjv_CdOFclINZbJOT7889IcSC1I-bEvaK_XEmxNw7QKAIWTEuc0x_zdn5m4ERA1NnHJfafQM4LhhFQ0up7J2b5_yOoRIIRymlh5k0V5ELmAFZlVzhusKwdCpNnrwxbw3WqR0/s1600/IMG_1024.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6gONzidSMa6mM0kOXDuKlDve5844a1tDZw9xh2aXB9VAJ8BxuSrstgGquX13SZcA9rk6-uN6Wqho3uqyGkbEz0XvwHIKGk3fXGF2fMbAyAFbHkrJBfPUuneJ30wIu-Vm_v1TTGZ300o/s1600/IMG_1025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6gONzidSMa6mM0kOXDuKlDve5844a1tDZw9xh2aXB9VAJ8BxuSrstgGquX13SZcA9rk6-uN6Wqho3uqyGkbEz0XvwHIKGk3fXGF2fMbAyAFbHkrJBfPUuneJ30wIu-Vm_v1TTGZ300o/s1600/IMG_1025.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3AEDGBtbgXCC2SVeLnMI06DrphyphenhyphenrRD16d3AZajqCqVPWWJzZf6DdFGF1GEDPNNcyG0tvGuFsMFui_gTv6hjZ92ayWfNihAyRNRChAD6G5P1LiuUNKYTYDTO5d0Ynzw7VgVIrtGRrcH_c/s1600/IMG_1026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3AEDGBtbgXCC2SVeLnMI06DrphyphenhyphenrRD16d3AZajqCqVPWWJzZf6DdFGF1GEDPNNcyG0tvGuFsMFui_gTv6hjZ92ayWfNihAyRNRChAD6G5P1LiuUNKYTYDTO5d0Ynzw7VgVIrtGRrcH_c/s1600/IMG_1026.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitmPjfOCC2u0TyK9TLBIHNE1qXYsLTw3Sypz2mCvx7a5J2ZfvE9k_ULOwmorH3UBIaAWYQS_UC9ghe4_kP-Bm8qvWHVpRY3iu-bpRhGxf8mS9MUIWMvi0TC4e3U_-a49H6mIRI8ggcZOI/s1600/IMG_1029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitmPjfOCC2u0TyK9TLBIHNE1qXYsLTw3Sypz2mCvx7a5J2ZfvE9k_ULOwmorH3UBIaAWYQS_UC9ghe4_kP-Bm8qvWHVpRY3iu-bpRhGxf8mS9MUIWMvi0TC4e3U_-a49H6mIRI8ggcZOI/s1600/IMG_1029.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZtzsByBcePYpT7c4cNNo6zwzLesPX8pJZLz79Rux1VI2AFbCivIdzoDqbzGT1C7lo-W6SNUgnWKiZDbqHSCi-mcj668WgnRkA8RWx6_zW_YxMyIzWOPHo4P6Drb21TK9S8zk82mpXHpU/s1600/IMG_1030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZtzsByBcePYpT7c4cNNo6zwzLesPX8pJZLz79Rux1VI2AFbCivIdzoDqbzGT1C7lo-W6SNUgnWKiZDbqHSCi-mcj668WgnRkA8RWx6_zW_YxMyIzWOPHo4P6Drb21TK9S8zk82mpXHpU/s1600/IMG_1030.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0tyVp8Haa4fNZFd4xuIQzkVN4PEjHRd42qM4j9NtIuHugHjCS5pD0RApbI76zl-cXH_6YnBroUBo-3ZK6WcamC4N_x0NQDqcCXnyRhEwhXJ7EWu7banqjzL0angcjJ4b4VXoZjUQDoo/s1600/IMG_1033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0tyVp8Haa4fNZFd4xuIQzkVN4PEjHRd42qM4j9NtIuHugHjCS5pD0RApbI76zl-cXH_6YnBroUBo-3ZK6WcamC4N_x0NQDqcCXnyRhEwhXJ7EWu7banqjzL0angcjJ4b4VXoZjUQDoo/s1600/IMG_1033.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPftnEaZSAOG28nC9dPft1_3bnE5Fjq9h6ejMRTP-XNglFzxpxW7qP5yz2AXLg8fYfdbHTlVJT2yGbuODxzu7x7bLFg9m2M4WqOEWhOvXoTYBoLtuvq9nnAnv_s5u_hnDtuXmBc7RWZ5Q/s1600/IMG_1034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPftnEaZSAOG28nC9dPft1_3bnE5Fjq9h6ejMRTP-XNglFzxpxW7qP5yz2AXLg8fYfdbHTlVJT2yGbuODxzu7x7bLFg9m2M4WqOEWhOvXoTYBoLtuvq9nnAnv_s5u_hnDtuXmBc7RWZ5Q/s1600/IMG_1034.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIFJQekittwLSXuvBIlzROUPLRMWurSkc0SaB7k2_cyapGr011jHE6h47lHUY4bPF9DzFSdaKtCl3t8Blw3bYTOR0JBA4lBz5eCH5-_9fUQxlXTtesIGqCotNH0b5u4Zlc7WBGGvGuV7s/s1600/IMG_1035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIFJQekittwLSXuvBIlzROUPLRMWurSkc0SaB7k2_cyapGr011jHE6h47lHUY4bPF9DzFSdaKtCl3t8Blw3bYTOR0JBA4lBz5eCH5-_9fUQxlXTtesIGqCotNH0b5u4Zlc7WBGGvGuV7s/s1600/IMG_1035.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnN3RYdkGnlE4iOGKYYQ3Rr_pt2DV-C-ElVImkhlvIoX600M9YoFOHf1JLYWq2GZpYy4bhz-YrMlLOsaxyIgPOexCAi3fyvUhwnRwCwXT1nDK-IPZ0GaLQQdhx51LqACQLeGqpUP2m4M/s1600/IMG_1036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnN3RYdkGnlE4iOGKYYQ3Rr_pt2DV-C-ElVImkhlvIoX600M9YoFOHf1JLYWq2GZpYy4bhz-YrMlLOsaxyIgPOexCAi3fyvUhwnRwCwXT1nDK-IPZ0GaLQQdhx51LqACQLeGqpUP2m4M/s1600/IMG_1036.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqIKY14wSNemn4Q4r99qh7wtp0PPp2fys1jLfD1qzUYr0hoUeQxDUr2KQ0YwvoRw_9KdjHzTgg9jIcgUYla5WOcL5qzfZxL__gu57K_zuKkaMEBl-gW-kwCo8e04EKkKMyYu3yEPq4N2k/s1600/IMG_1039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqIKY14wSNemn4Q4r99qh7wtp0PPp2fys1jLfD1qzUYr0hoUeQxDUr2KQ0YwvoRw_9KdjHzTgg9jIcgUYla5WOcL5qzfZxL__gu57K_zuKkaMEBl-gW-kwCo8e04EKkKMyYu3yEPq4N2k/s1600/IMG_1039.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9v3jO99zC9KPRODRfaQlMYlpU6jSY7EySk060dSMeFhsba18OQxtjwe2EZR5J4-HiFPCCDkk3bAV4mSd2-byQ8DStZHhaP52PThZu9f3Mx2ZnHGuEmvu_luEiHbIhO8LMewVIlWH-EGE/s1600/IMG_1040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9v3jO99zC9KPRODRfaQlMYlpU6jSY7EySk060dSMeFhsba18OQxtjwe2EZR5J4-HiFPCCDkk3bAV4mSd2-byQ8DStZHhaP52PThZu9f3Mx2ZnHGuEmvu_luEiHbIhO8LMewVIlWH-EGE/s1600/IMG_1040.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ut1fPMVjhUKhE5jFsD5J0bZ3XZnZgx7AOWDpgXXys_hxv13vfJbK1HK-tSJZHyUCx8lV1v5mkTXqI2YRJb72-t2OrfIU69O4bIauVUP1FjR7VSOlLCo5C3W_NLOpVDURdceVEhXx7Jg/s1600/P8020068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ut1fPMVjhUKhE5jFsD5J0bZ3XZnZgx7AOWDpgXXys_hxv13vfJbK1HK-tSJZHyUCx8lV1v5mkTXqI2YRJb72-t2OrfIU69O4bIauVUP1FjR7VSOlLCo5C3W_NLOpVDURdceVEhXx7Jg/s1600/P8020068.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKAdOsLS8jBXTuIQd6r9OqjsPJaec9F8BAX3ppacuo9Al0C_u-mGH3M2RVpTuzptY1L5j2ReY75CXj38jr_COa0d6GJiF6hwjtMPKpbu5HM-ddm1y4fQJP9dV7HH5NqL0SdnLZhbKVCE/s1600/P8020069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKAdOsLS8jBXTuIQd6r9OqjsPJaec9F8BAX3ppacuo9Al0C_u-mGH3M2RVpTuzptY1L5j2ReY75CXj38jr_COa0d6GJiF6hwjtMPKpbu5HM-ddm1y4fQJP9dV7HH5NqL0SdnLZhbKVCE/s1600/P8020069.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZHWUQv2aGb3V2MuteI8H0gBvvhC-_FEKm7DqzwHLeh01y70_zHG3slrUIYY0fjSgBGM606lLOdSkAG8aFK6xFqN0JkLOkYXngrWEBS_StTnMGpUbTE22Af4p_NFD2TqTmdrx__PKvQ2I/s1600/P8020070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZHWUQv2aGb3V2MuteI8H0gBvvhC-_FEKm7DqzwHLeh01y70_zHG3slrUIYY0fjSgBGM606lLOdSkAG8aFK6xFqN0JkLOkYXngrWEBS_StTnMGpUbTE22Af4p_NFD2TqTmdrx__PKvQ2I/s1600/P8020070.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdiJWegXdzYDjrzRnwFoXvj1gezemJ63aoIkvLJQDomVB9RulDMtW_42j7fFf-8qbvUUZYLLGvVbOo3UqrxJdCi2PeT9d7xoZJL8egQtEpzXjBbuYTuImRMoRrpPPCx29dumbk5xCimY8/s1600/P8020071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdiJWegXdzYDjrzRnwFoXvj1gezemJ63aoIkvLJQDomVB9RulDMtW_42j7fFf-8qbvUUZYLLGvVbOo3UqrxJdCi2PeT9d7xoZJL8egQtEpzXjBbuYTuImRMoRrpPPCx29dumbk5xCimY8/s1600/P8020071.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxWOtJEK52BWNbI4BheUcccHLQo1XmlDovjM5HE3K2SNuJ_jtSCvJt5i6iYq2vEH3PJk0a7KyqRE7K91oyaK1mOGSqQzX0hGbmrI-EYG7XlHA9HV3Ws9-RW7ul5G9tPnpqCOkreR7WAI/s1600/P8020072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxWOtJEK52BWNbI4BheUcccHLQo1XmlDovjM5HE3K2SNuJ_jtSCvJt5i6iYq2vEH3PJk0a7KyqRE7K91oyaK1mOGSqQzX0hGbmrI-EYG7XlHA9HV3Ws9-RW7ul5G9tPnpqCOkreR7WAI/s1600/P8020072.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrvaFkLcI1tSmIhf_HI3tWnZaYfqhsr13LEZARmzn0BqUiq5tcK7tnIlKCS33psiMqbJBYgjPqjCrwZpq5m9ZvISy1YY71ILFWEOZQ8Bk7y3jncBx6OV_yRXYZgBuhNu2xaSEEvQ_jbw/s1600/P8020073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrvaFkLcI1tSmIhf_HI3tWnZaYfqhsr13LEZARmzn0BqUiq5tcK7tnIlKCS33psiMqbJBYgjPqjCrwZpq5m9ZvISy1YY71ILFWEOZQ8Bk7y3jncBx6OV_yRXYZgBuhNu2xaSEEvQ_jbw/s1600/P8020073.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_aj4BkoyQ9LapD1IRshdRKKIaMxv1fcvIfAE_zbfzQXUPuIQI9wrTorEu_HwuVb1Jz4OrvZWjcXI8LnkWQIUi4NzIwfaxo09l4d0wBX0iE01uO-f0BrTybBJmFARt5jOzHY1XK0h-pzM/s1600/P8020074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_aj4BkoyQ9LapD1IRshdRKKIaMxv1fcvIfAE_zbfzQXUPuIQI9wrTorEu_HwuVb1Jz4OrvZWjcXI8LnkWQIUi4NzIwfaxo09l4d0wBX0iE01uO-f0BrTybBJmFARt5jOzHY1XK0h-pzM/s1600/P8020074.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNQhG6496S0S-BLnmF0K6JTtQf82hxvEfTvnjUg8xhCfw_ux61Uzj7grZNEZf30v7Vz9biy9rboLaYM7WPkroUScQCUNGwA8vmpU8o03_-leLWClaYDg5tey__nnHmiZ3CcMpftKFYPw/s1600/P8020075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNQhG6496S0S-BLnmF0K6JTtQf82hxvEfTvnjUg8xhCfw_ux61Uzj7grZNEZf30v7Vz9biy9rboLaYM7WPkroUScQCUNGwA8vmpU8o03_-leLWClaYDg5tey__nnHmiZ3CcMpftKFYPw/s1600/P8020075.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmpq1CVa8EMuAjBgUwE3DtpLjeMseB-lPl5y6BLjN16i6oitT0HtStQlp9_lsrVKEHGI9iVa3av123L83h7Qq7s4ANIfoxgSFC94jke15_s7nz0EghmS_ZIj-RlMjj0pK9CY0OofUhm8E/s1600/P8020076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmpq1CVa8EMuAjBgUwE3DtpLjeMseB-lPl5y6BLjN16i6oitT0HtStQlp9_lsrVKEHGI9iVa3av123L83h7Qq7s4ANIfoxgSFC94jke15_s7nz0EghmS_ZIj-RlMjj0pK9CY0OofUhm8E/s1600/P8020076.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNV4zg1q3tmuv0JIUF3SmAWdqfkZNd9zsALCgwZmDVQqNztSbbwAg5_M2rYRUwocF3aUaY1lodjGtxhlutvC8wmjeM60SSdom9NgEQcZLgV7Plw1YhotvdwmQaluhEv9T_DUwDLsRetVM/s1600/P8020077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNV4zg1q3tmuv0JIUF3SmAWdqfkZNd9zsALCgwZmDVQqNztSbbwAg5_M2rYRUwocF3aUaY1lodjGtxhlutvC8wmjeM60SSdom9NgEQcZLgV7Plw1YhotvdwmQaluhEv9T_DUwDLsRetVM/s1600/P8020077.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhpUohsbPk8-zF41c86Orciee4kBQNB9Ry4Znjx2ySvRCtHIp95FHYBJIG_gCmGNKUuYtU9v3BnYM_Xi2d05_p2BOFl8dUnBfprYXNhYJdv1W1Ti_WbdoJ4qYwUg6QP1bn4QGpE9i0ZQ/s1600/P8020078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhpUohsbPk8-zF41c86Orciee4kBQNB9Ry4Znjx2ySvRCtHIp95FHYBJIG_gCmGNKUuYtU9v3BnYM_Xi2d05_p2BOFl8dUnBfprYXNhYJdv1W1Ti_WbdoJ4qYwUg6QP1bn4QGpE9i0ZQ/s1600/P8020078.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwkMcWBzFcq_UKMXj6EhDqxtAa1BfFtF6SJ1SWE9jbIXDrFg3ksTiusrH8iXEvsuEWYCjhJz8uTYVV7aTEr83cTliJsH24HGb5sQUvrO2hccY0mvsjByLopwnEcWDxDMxz10KnQr8Z1zA/s1600/P8020080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwkMcWBzFcq_UKMXj6EhDqxtAa1BfFtF6SJ1SWE9jbIXDrFg3ksTiusrH8iXEvsuEWYCjhJz8uTYVV7aTEr83cTliJsH24HGb5sQUvrO2hccY0mvsjByLopwnEcWDxDMxz10KnQr8Z1zA/s1600/P8020080.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUJRUAHWD-pFe_AEE_NFLWL5eAhWek_lud_1kvx4Rv0raEDYfogFCTGXRI3InxMkThmWemLjZQIR14mVGvMj1i6Yh6GqXKoWmC-P4WULKzXq9Oz5dAY54CccZbIAb_HDw8pdEWqHZj1w/s1600/P8020081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUJRUAHWD-pFe_AEE_NFLWL5eAhWek_lud_1kvx4Rv0raEDYfogFCTGXRI3InxMkThmWemLjZQIR14mVGvMj1i6Yh6GqXKoWmC-P4WULKzXq9Oz5dAY54CccZbIAb_HDw8pdEWqHZj1w/s1600/P8020081.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrm4gzb8YDDnM1yrBfShf9xAegNmm9DcDNCK5wP9kljFYwLAtvFAynGQ-U3fwJNox9a0ugCzhdEEBwTUwrbzUtRMivvyLvpmD9RmzGAWRggODeY8sJn8ZNgBMSKx8i5P1ZSWiEL_eNPV8/s1600/P8020082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrm4gzb8YDDnM1yrBfShf9xAegNmm9DcDNCK5wP9kljFYwLAtvFAynGQ-U3fwJNox9a0ugCzhdEEBwTUwrbzUtRMivvyLvpmD9RmzGAWRggODeY8sJn8ZNgBMSKx8i5P1ZSWiEL_eNPV8/s1600/P8020082.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvn_2MccqjerkLwKyJtBfnzJCftIkFG_OeCXi8aLvZFEwTmEk33M-5bb6f1M6cGRgl2M1JPvIoVmhFJl7-luYb2Zz2yMrLewiE8CkqdRECbGwKW17ZewqGcGSRCPgmXuPRFWqbSh4Y4oQ/s1600/P8020085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvn_2MccqjerkLwKyJtBfnzJCftIkFG_OeCXi8aLvZFEwTmEk33M-5bb6f1M6cGRgl2M1JPvIoVmhFJl7-luYb2Zz2yMrLewiE8CkqdRECbGwKW17ZewqGcGSRCPgmXuPRFWqbSh4Y4oQ/s1600/P8020085.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pNyUwKw2ecdSQVKEWxyoSeMqNYxplwV_TuZz56NQidOi4Nu0i6N2-pVLT-e_h9QedcjFKaXBsQaLAVk27ujy6CsAiaUDm_zxodNSOkJu69Yh49D0Joga9p8-VJuhDknNl3pqY43WA7Y/s1600/P8020087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pNyUwKw2ecdSQVKEWxyoSeMqNYxplwV_TuZz56NQidOi4Nu0i6N2-pVLT-e_h9QedcjFKaXBsQaLAVk27ujy6CsAiaUDm_zxodNSOkJu69Yh49D0Joga9p8-VJuhDknNl3pqY43WA7Y/s1600/P8020087.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4VUMUiHgZi0jNnVgi8t9WZQzN8c5qFL1n14J2v6hGabyOtv_fbBCIp01VFN8kxIgSRnsPKDm9kJ8IuljsfE_vW_HbLVuaLklpaEXVbinQjEW0bkaF34hGQfKexh2sr3ibA2VYp4hjHH4/s1600/P8020088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4VUMUiHgZi0jNnVgi8t9WZQzN8c5qFL1n14J2v6hGabyOtv_fbBCIp01VFN8kxIgSRnsPKDm9kJ8IuljsfE_vW_HbLVuaLklpaEXVbinQjEW0bkaF34hGQfKexh2sr3ibA2VYp4hjHH4/s1600/P8020088.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMtlsa1NmHX13D9TjCdcnwC1sXNvAGh-0AEP6HiwpbQlkoPD9tHqlNap349JGYfIpOBMPp09PdJRq9Vgv_xzFfcNUb37Uzg0CmTOOPBvkxk3MMqzAtEyWTroSghdLblHSWld6FEUuxBPg/s1600/P8020089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMtlsa1NmHX13D9TjCdcnwC1sXNvAGh-0AEP6HiwpbQlkoPD9tHqlNap349JGYfIpOBMPp09PdJRq9Vgv_xzFfcNUb37Uzg0CmTOOPBvkxk3MMqzAtEyWTroSghdLblHSWld6FEUuxBPg/s1600/P8020089.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGtDAAQa4RX15fe4GE03HU1A5H8COiBVvASWD1j2ocPMqHCxe-mVBdANYfXMYnGDhuWIFm4LhC4_tMPGsUnC_pQs1vDbDgRQuiZBhA-FYTw-W6vGEoA9RQnMfzh-jHXLj5zFPpJJsZClE/s1600/P8020090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGtDAAQa4RX15fe4GE03HU1A5H8COiBVvASWD1j2ocPMqHCxe-mVBdANYfXMYnGDhuWIFm4LhC4_tMPGsUnC_pQs1vDbDgRQuiZBhA-FYTw-W6vGEoA9RQnMfzh-jHXLj5zFPpJJsZClE/s1600/P8020090.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXvMDs7Vhkb-SiLpRQbWVdGNodGEzcfKYEvCIWaqo5IAEBfe-wViTlhPe_2HaahNeIZkbVZKfzDbUeHluNvW3-HOX4tX1tdGJ8mQE-mHpu238HWySuIdYcc2_6hQ4eBvMIiywDmp-sVo/s1600/P8020095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXvMDs7Vhkb-SiLpRQbWVdGNodGEzcfKYEvCIWaqo5IAEBfe-wViTlhPe_2HaahNeIZkbVZKfzDbUeHluNvW3-HOX4tX1tdGJ8mQE-mHpu238HWySuIdYcc2_6hQ4eBvMIiywDmp-sVo/s1600/P8020095.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHT16d-jEk0yoAmd8sPsbnrXULT6N62p3Xi-jWPye_R1KN3ilk2Gv6RIw8XZegTIeXCXV5bnwBWYyT7J9vDCgurNA9m73fDKVlnbikpZmwqkaWWpsQr5WvBeGwKM8YFKcMO5k8GJQvW4/s1600/P8020098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHT16d-jEk0yoAmd8sPsbnrXULT6N62p3Xi-jWPye_R1KN3ilk2Gv6RIw8XZegTIeXCXV5bnwBWYyT7J9vDCgurNA9m73fDKVlnbikpZmwqkaWWpsQr5WvBeGwKM8YFKcMO5k8GJQvW4/s1600/P8020098.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitzKxpFSa1ktNvROr79mKx3pfaSoJsp9OVYK6KBFJvTDhud59xzyj-FD4sap0rzF_ajE9AtdSr2L-nOh29JtGAl4yOYSl7trvMCnlNss1UUlAOmD21gkh9sxtFr9cGkn0PmFqmSAURMxg/s1600/P8020099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitzKxpFSa1ktNvROr79mKx3pfaSoJsp9OVYK6KBFJvTDhud59xzyj-FD4sap0rzF_ajE9AtdSr2L-nOh29JtGAl4yOYSl7trvMCnlNss1UUlAOmD21gkh9sxtFr9cGkn0PmFqmSAURMxg/s1600/P8020099.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_QxZZcmVOHnTfaTsGCO_Tx5ePzs7xmydExsPF9KlhPt9-h5C95wcdy05lU_AtWPAV2PQaufxX2562rIm7-X_cZUVmEswzyXg3bbAzX50E-XXxWolSuYDqczJwYZ8y43mEjv6heooPAaw/s1600/P8020100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_QxZZcmVOHnTfaTsGCO_Tx5ePzs7xmydExsPF9KlhPt9-h5C95wcdy05lU_AtWPAV2PQaufxX2562rIm7-X_cZUVmEswzyXg3bbAzX50E-XXxWolSuYDqczJwYZ8y43mEjv6heooPAaw/s1600/P8020100.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
And here's a column I wrote before the concert, in anticipation of the show: <a class="twitter-timeline-link" data-expanded-url="http://tinyurl.com/lhbfe7l" dir="ltr" href="http://t.co/3FlUEwXLwE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="http://tinyurl.com/lhbfe7l"><span class="js-display-url">tinyurl.com/lhbfe7l</span><span class="invisible"></span><span class="tco-ellipsis"><span class="invisible"> </span></span></a><br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Minneapolis, MN, USA44.983334 -93.26666999999997644.8035955 -93.589393499999971 45.1630725 -92.943946499999981tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419701077130973107.post-21699259167475666302014-04-30T18:55:00.002-05:002014-04-30T18:55:58.693-05:00It's been FOREVER, and my apologiesHi there, folks.<br />
<br />
Like so many bloggers, I'm afraid I let my blog go dark for a long time there.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtHX35Slr96XDD2UwwEUnKeq3anhvRf-mNvgDDnkMFcYnGMZUObhu4qm4-VzX0DwAuqZEI-_C7ZyG3536e3icaFW-92GHmHT6ES8qtjnr_FDOHWixm4Mil6IuFgqc4OGZSAqIaSRwKIU/s1600/paperpencil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtHX35Slr96XDD2UwwEUnKeq3anhvRf-mNvgDDnkMFcYnGMZUObhu4qm4-VzX0DwAuqZEI-_C7ZyG3536e3icaFW-92GHmHT6ES8qtjnr_FDOHWixm4Mil6IuFgqc4OGZSAqIaSRwKIU/s1600/paperpencil.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The reasons were many. First, I've just been so busy with real life. Honestly, since my job has me at a computer for so many hours each day, it gets difficult to want to sit in front of a monitor during my free time. Second, a lot of the music I've been listening to the last year or so has either been stuff I've blogged about, OR is new stuff that I haven't really digested. I try to be a reasoned opinion giver, having taken the time to let music settle with me before I give opinions on it.<br />
<br />
The third reason isn't as fun or even as understandable, perhaps, but it was a factor in my taking a break: I was getting so many requests from people who just wanted links to the music I was discussing. As I've said since the beginning, I don't provide downloads. I strongly encourage everyone to buy music, or to go through sites where artists and companies get compensated when the music is enjoyed (be it Spotify, YouTube, etc.).<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<br />
With this third factor, I was feeling like my words were often being ignored as people just looked for download links. I LOVE music discussion, I enjoy the opinions and contributions of other music lovers, and I just lost a lot of enthusiasm for sharing my thoughts when they so often seemed to take a back seat to people who wanted free tunes.<br />
<br />
I don't know when (or if) I'll return to active blogging. I've been contributing a music column to the place where I work, so I still have that outlet.<br />
<br />
Please understand, I'm not blaming others for why I haven't posted. Really, the first reason is probably the biggest factor overall. A blogger can't complain about the audience he or she has, and I appreciate the heck out of everyone who visits my li'l nook on the Internet.<br />
<br />
I've gotten some really nice comments and feedback on the blog in the last few months, even though I haven't had any new posts in quite a while. I've appreciated all of that! Maybe it'll be time soon to start cranking more music stuff back out on The Regular Record.<br />
<br />
We'll see how it goes!<br />
<br />
My best to you all.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/mc4KqEFkzTI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419701077130973107.post-28947200729435845092012-11-28T19:57:00.002-06:002012-11-28T20:20:05.856-06:00New acquisition: Beach Boys new vinylHowdy all.<br />
<br />
It's been more than a month since my last post. Sorry about that. Between work, a week of vacation and a general malaise, I haven't been too inspired to hop on and blog about music. Hope everyone can understand that, as I'm sure we've all been there.<br />
<br />
On Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving in the United States, when shopping becomes insane and people camp out in front of stores to take advantage of sales in preparation for Christmas), there was a Record Store Day event. I didn't go to this event, as I was visiting family at the time.<br />
<br />
When I got back into town on Monday night, I stopped by the local indie music store to see if any goodies were left. As luck would have it, there were two great pieces still waiting to be picked up. One was a "Hallelujah" 45, with the A-Side as the original Leonard Cohen recording and the B-Side featuring Jeff Buckley's cover. Both versions are amazing, and having it as a new 45 RPM record is pretty groovy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHfwzvBIhfwgRHct53USlPOZ_Rg4hyphenhyphenBmwhrYhPx3T863DP-bvGM1xaXeBTwGV4Jiu3G0UKjDQjJ4GYRBpz5Imy_NuGsKLb0D7s-Mjpl2vF-1crHIr1aZrn0NCPDL-ZNCpSvHgca931No/s1600/Hallelujah.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHfwzvBIhfwgRHct53USlPOZ_Rg4hyphenhyphenBmwhrYhPx3T863DP-bvGM1xaXeBTwGV4Jiu3G0UKjDQjJ4GYRBpz5Imy_NuGsKLb0D7s-Mjpl2vF-1crHIr1aZrn0NCPDL-ZNCpSvHgca931No/s320/Hallelujah.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
The other piece I picked up was actually the one I was most interested in (Rolling Stones, White Stripes, Bob Dylan and many others were very enticing ... but they'd already sold out). I was able to buy a copy of The Beach Boys' vinyl release of "Surfin' Safari" / "409" / "Isn't It Time" (the single version, not the album version) / "From There to Back Again."<br />
<br />
It's pretty awesome! I thought I'd share my good fortune with you folks, as those of you who'd find this blog entry can appreciate my pleasure at snagging this item (and the "Hallelujah" piece, too).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHZTg0IiB_xHC78wD1t_LK58KuKy3kP32KnQUxSsIKddHgxhLnwmA5twbwJkOP69mwhhjfhjWVQn0tx2nYye1fbtKx19X5i48jHGmnE7oH161Dz1VtNT5X_3x9FIkc3Rky7aEm2cC54hQ/s1600/BB2012vinyl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHZTg0IiB_xHC78wD1t_LK58KuKy3kP32KnQUxSsIKddHgxhLnwmA5twbwJkOP69mwhhjfhjWVQn0tx2nYye1fbtKx19X5i48jHGmnE7oH161Dz1VtNT5X_3x9FIkc3Rky7aEm2cC54hQ/s320/BB2012vinyl.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWuhnAQEl-tBFW6RvYyWYF-2FaOe7YUJ2CC0TkGl-iI2-xrN3GKW4n-feTC6J_UiEFqLikBEaP4_5_qkmOGbCxI4KW8RmyOqAgVzvYuKJnwXH_uIa5J2h1LfE_1BkulHLEX61RK5h4wKU/s1600/BB2012vinylback.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWuhnAQEl-tBFW6RvYyWYF-2FaOe7YUJ2CC0TkGl-iI2-xrN3GKW4n-feTC6J_UiEFqLikBEaP4_5_qkmOGbCxI4KW8RmyOqAgVzvYuKJnwXH_uIa5J2h1LfE_1BkulHLEX61RK5h4wKU/s320/BB2012vinylback.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
OK, that's all I have for now. Hope to be back in the blogging swing, soon. I hope everyone out there is doing OK, and that your lives / health / jobs are all going well.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419701077130973107.post-64617626421930996792012-10-13T01:54:00.001-05:002012-10-15T00:04:34.245-05:00Spending some time with The BandThe Band ... Wow. Now THAT is a band. (Now is the time for a collective groan.)<br />
<br />
I've been listening to The Band a lot lately. It's been time well spent!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFSIeq_cmm9wBUtucJUrw5_oLR0GYaIbPLrb62RSYnb6HM_5Sha320WP-gaFOclfYDJpgFtswLgqrZ5Rdu8qRNytP1ykRAxrxXBV_-dhXeDGRkPifLEKltmtEGWBDQ572nDkghuGNMURo/s1600/theband.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFSIeq_cmm9wBUtucJUrw5_oLR0GYaIbPLrb62RSYnb6HM_5Sha320WP-gaFOclfYDJpgFtswLgqrZ5Rdu8qRNytP1ykRAxrxXBV_-dhXeDGRkPifLEKltmtEGWBDQ572nDkghuGNMURo/s320/theband.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I came to the group years ago (like, oh, around 2000) through the usual path ... I was getting into Bob Dylan, and I kept reading about The Basement Tapes and the group that Bob recorded them with. There were no Lennons or McCartneys in this group. No George Harrison, no Ringo Starr. No Clapton. No superstars.<br />
<br />
The Band were musicians. Veterans of the road. Rhythm and blues, country and western, rockabilly, rock and roll, gospel ... Throw that in a blender, add some Walt Whitman, some Bach, some Canadian winter and a dash of Arkansas moonshine -- out comes The Band.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/3LAcP_v-j3I/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3LAcP_v-j3I&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3LAcP_v-j3I&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Robbie Robertson (guitar), Levon Helm (drums, mandolin), Richard Manuel (piano), Rick Danko (bass) and Garth Hudson (keyboards) crafted music that is so quintessentially American, so vivid and surreal (and yet somehow also subtle) ... conjuring images of a time and of places that surely MUST have existed, as the mind starts painting pictures of the scenery and people just minutes into their materials.<br />
<br />
Robertson, Manuel, Danko and Hudson came from our northern neighbor Canada, and Helm hailed from the south of the United States. Together, they created music that was gritty and beautiful, imperfect and sublime, haunting and rewarding.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/SDyLukweBGw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
The group's first three albums ("Music from Big Pink," "The Band" and "Stage Fright") are absolute classics. Their covers album ("Moondog Matinee") is one of the greatest collections of covers that any group has managed to piece together (many of the covers transcend the very idea, and exist comfortably alongside the original recordings). The two live albums released by the original group configuration during their hey-day ("Rock of Ages" and a big portion of "The Last Waltz") are high-water marks of concert recordings, period.<br />
<br />
The Canadian contingent fell in love with American blues and R&B by hearing the music on late-night radio. They all developed an enjoyment of performing at a young age, performing for family and friends long before they ever found each other. Hudson was (and still is) a bit of a genius, mastering music and understanding chords and progressions to such a depth that he became a bit of a maestro in the live setting. (Later, after he was approached to join a young version of The Band, he was able to gain tacit approval from his parents by taking the role of tutor to the other members.)<br />
<br />
Helm, well, he grew up in the south. Strumming a guitar, banging out a beat, singing and laughing and having a good time were important. That he grew up in the very region that so entranced Robbie Robertson, who had visions of the trains and of Civil War ruins and of shady characters and carnivals and backwoods rural America, gave The Band the voice and soul that their best music provided.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/jREUrbGGrgM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
These guys gigged throughout Canada, hooking up with Ronnie Hawkins and serving as his regular band for a spell. When they really were on fire, it was a sight to see. Levon and The Hawks (as The Band touted themselves around this time) were a road band that could rock and roll, stomp and excite as good as anyone else.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/OZeDvbyaJA4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
In the mid 1960s, when Bob Dylan went electric and Rock (without the "and roll") seemed to be born, Levon and The Hawks hooked up with Bob (though Helm didn't quite groove with things and departed) and Dylan blew the fans away with the sound provided by this backing group.<br />
<br />
In 1967, after the amphetamine craze of 1965/1966, Dylan recuperated in Woodstock. Robertson, Manuel, Danko and Hudson were also living in Woodstock, and the five would gather in the basement of a house known as Big Pink to woodshed. Some new songs, some covers, a smorgasbord of music, a treasure trove of tunes. Helm came back and joined in. All of this material became known as "The Basement Tapes," and some of the songs would see commercial release in 1975 (and in various box sets afterward).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/0HSRxzCKfiE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
It was here that Levon and The Hawks became The Band.<br />
<br />
"Music from Big Pink" came first, released in 1968, it's about as far from The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and The Doors as you can get. Sometimes jarring, sometimes understated, but always beautiful ... From the sublime yearning vocals of Richard Manuel to the howl of Levon Helm, from the delightful keyboard madness of Garth Hudson to the tasteful guitar fills of Robbie Robertson, to the brilliant bass fills and harmony lines from Rick Danko, "Big Pink" is a startling and refreshing album from start to finish.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/QoRq73Hnwrg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
No stone is left unturned. From the remarkable energy of "Chest Fever" to the entrancing pull of "I Shall Be Released," The Band turn in a debut that seemed almost impossible to top.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/EKirVyxf0do?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
Richard Manuel's vocal performances, especially, are beyond perfect. Delicate, soulful, perfect in an imperfect way (a delivery so heartfelt can be nothing but pure, even if there's a waver to it). His songs "Lonesome Suzie" and "In a Station" are overlooked marvels.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/V90X9bvMRZI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
The next year, The Band released an album that many consider to be among the greatest rock albums of all time. "The Band" seems to be a living, breathing testament to post-Civil War dust bowl America. Tales of southern pride bent and broken, of unions and failed crops, of desperation and love and dances ... This is Americana of the highest order.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/EisXJSsULGM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
The characters here are colorful, believable and in no way herald some false sentimentality for bygone years. Rather, one feels almost like the lyrics and music are drawing pictures and orchestrating historical films in a way. This is no pining for the way things were as much as it seems to be a very contemporary address ... The Band makes history come to life.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://1.gvt0.com/vi/oHy_XeBMagU/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oHy_XeBMagU&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oHy_XeBMagU&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br />
Robbie Robertson's music takes on a character and tone that stood apart from the sounds of 1969. Nothing in contemporary rock sounded this pastoral. Whereas Joe Cocker howled to the heavens and Ten Years After brought hard rock to the masses, Richard Manuel and Levon Helm transported listeners with insecurity and whiskey smoothness on "King Harvest (Has Surely Come)." Seldom has poverty and the fears (and hopes) of what tomorrow may bring been so believably expressed.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/lxzQChNxQQ8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
If 1970's "Stage Fright" seems to be slightly less fulfilling than the previous two records, that's only because "Big Pink" and "The Band" set such amazingly high standards. "Stage Fright" has an energy and steps away from the suspended time set by those albums. "Stage Fright" is a bit more contemporary, but it's no less fulfilling or engaging. And given that Robbie actually did suffer from stage fright, much of the material seems to carry a much more personal edge.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/jTbX_XYo6xI/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jTbX_XYo6xI&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jTbX_XYo6xI&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br />
Drugs, the burdens of growing fame and expectation and the start of drifting friendships can be found in the album. Levon's voice has an uncharacteristic tone on "Strawberry Wine" that some ascribe to his abuse of heroin, and Richard Manuel contributed his last two songs for The Band on this record ("Sleeping" and "Just Another Whistle Stop"). Time on the road and the difficulty of finding a mature path certainly informs the music on this album more than on its predecessors.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/MMxmLZSdr8w?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
But where the album really shines for me is on the track "The Shape I'm In." Whether this is commentary on Richard Manuel as his dependency on alcohol and harder drugs was taking its toll on him, or whether it was a broad overview on rock and roll indulgence, it has an undeniable groove and a vulnerability that hooks the listener.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/00VkP7v-VaM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
"Stage Fright" has its share of characters and scenery. Take "The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show" for example. It's kind of a similar to the Neil Diamond track "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show" from 1969. There are saints and sinners, losers and winners ... and they are all at The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show. It may lack some of the depth and imagery of songs like "The Weight," but it's pleasing in its own right and really stood out in the live setting.<br />
<br />
After "Stage Fright," The Band really started to drift. Robbie had assumed a larger role in the band as the rest of the band members stopped contributing material and seemed more interested in having a good time than rehearsing and coming up with new material. There were heights left, to be sure, but there were some low times as well.<br />
<br />
"Cahoots," the group's fourth album, isn't exactly inspired. It has a few good tracks, like "Life is a Carnival" and their take on Bob Dylan's "When I Paint My Masterpiece." But the rest of the album fails to conjure the magic or imagery of the first three.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/-PuC7xyJsBQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
Following "Cahoots," The Band decided to record a series of shows that kind of capped the first part of their career. An amazing and engaging collection of concert material, "Rock of Ages" may be the pinnacle of The Band's output. It has an energy and zest that even the first two albums don't capture, and all The Band members are still at their performing peaks. All of their best songs are here, as well as some exciting covers.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/XNVFu7c3yMU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
Next came their ultimate covers album, "Moondog Matinee." The song choices are inspired, and all members of the group have a chance to shine with great vocals and great instrumental flourishes. A particular favorite of mine is "Mystery Train," which Robbie penned some additional lyrics to (with the permission of Sam Phillips).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/rQFE113iDx4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
Following the rush of working on "Rock of Ages" and "Moondog Matinee," The Band reunited with Bob Dylan to work on Dylan's "Planet Waves" album and for the resulting "Tour 74" concert series, which generated the live album "Before the Flood."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/upMbZLz1OuI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
Two sets of music from a musical pairing that set the world on fire in 1966? Whew. That's a lot of material. A hectic rush.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/pgJ-7FDsf7g?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
But they weren't done.<br />
<br />
THEN came "The Basement Tapes." That's right, the mythic materials that spawned The Band and generated interest in their first album were finally out there. The daffy materials, the back-to-the-roots R&B, flashes of country and fables. The material lived (and continues to live) up to its reputation.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/YgO6Cp93Jkg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
With all the interest and hysteria of a Dylan/The Band reunion, 1974 and 1975 were commercially powerful years for all involved. The Band was playing so forcefully, so tightly, and the enthusiasm for music was still there. The Band wasn't a spent force, they still had a groove together.<br />
<br />
The Band rode this energy and brotherhood to their last great studio album, "Northern Lights - Southern Cross." "Northern Lights" brings back the feeling and sounds of "The Band" and "Big Pink." Standout tracks like "Ophelia," "Acadian Driftwood" and "It Makes No Difference" would make the album a classic on their own.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/w16BD5AGv9M?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
Add on other great album tracks like the urban "Forbidden Fruit" and the gorgeous "Jupiter Hollow," with its layers of keyboard sounds and wonderful 3-part harmonies from Richard, Rick and Levon (another reason why the album has that classic feel), and "Northern Lights" becomes an album that all fans of The Band should own.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/BJkL2co5JVo?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
That can't be said for their next studio album, and the last of The Band's studio efforts to feature all five of the original members, "Islands."<br />
<br />
"Islands" is a half-hearted album, with more than a little stink of contractual obligation clinging to it. While The Band was preparing for it's big farewell event (which would be encapsulated in "The Last Waltz"), they were fitting in sessions for this final album that they owed to the company. It sounds rushed, uninspired and limp. The only moments of interest I find come with "Georgia On My Mind," featuring a really involved Richard vocal, and "Knockin' Lost John," which was the second (and last) time Robbie took a lead vocal on a studio album by the group ("To Kingdom Come" from "Big Pink" being the first ... Robbie would do one other lead vocal on a "Last Waltz" track).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ilwKDx23H3o?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
While "Islands" is certainly a dud in The Band's catalog, they DID manage to end on a high note with "The Last Waltz."<br />
<br />
Talk about multimedia events.<br />
<br />
A turkey dinner. Poetry readings. Guest performances from Van Morrison, Neil Young, Dr. John, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, Joni Mitchell, Muddy Waters, Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan. Vignette scenes taped with The Staples Singers and Emmylou Harris. A couple of new songs also were included, "The Well" and "Out of the Blue" (the "Waltz" track that features Robbie's lead vocal). It was released as a triple album, and was a feature film.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://1.gvt0.com/vi/x1RxTEOn_Y0/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/x1RxTEOn_Y0&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/x1RxTEOn_Y0&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br />
What a way to bow out. An official retirement, with a lot of big names, good food and a few drugs here and there. No one had quite gone out this way before.<br />
<br />
And it was amazing. Moving performances, driving power, some cocaine here and there, a celebration of style and music and influences ... It was surely the biggest deal since Woodstock and the concerts for Bangla Desh. Nothing quite like it would happen again until Live Aid in 1985.<br />
<br />
After this, Robbie Robertson went his own way. He started a solo career, and the rest of the band members tried to carve their own paths.<br />
<br />
It didn't quite work out for them. Despite different attempts, and some good material, Levon, Richard, Rick and Garth never found a footing in solo success.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/LbZkf4LGiNg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
In the early Eighties, those four decided to return to the road as The Band. Robbie wasn't too excited about the idea, as he thought the group exited the scene with such flair and finality (and he wasn't too jazzed about taking the weight of their success on his shoulders again). But he gave the others his blessing to move forward, and they did. They did a couple of albums and they toured a lot.<br />
<br />
But it wasn't enough. Their prestige never matched the heights of the late 1960s or 1970s.<br />
<br />
Sadness came throughout the following years.<br />
<br />
A rift developed between Levon and Robbie, as Levon felt that Robbie had taken advantage of the others and reaped the financial rewards of the group's labors (he felt songwriting royalties and producers royalties had cut out the rest of the group members).<br />
<br />
Then came the first death. Richard Manuel hung himself with a belt in a hotel room after a show in 1986. He was 42. His struggles with alcohol, drugs and depression became too much, and his beautiful voice and moving presence fell forever silent.<br />
<br />
Days after he finished a tour, Rick Danko went to sleep and never woke up. He died in 1999 from heart failure. His years of alcoholism and drug abuse had taken its toll. He was 56. His enthusiasm and warmth passed, with his voice and superb bass playing.<br />
<br />
Earlier this year, Levon Helm became the next member to pass. Cancer took this man at the age of 71, but not before he released a couple of acclaimed albums in his final years that returned his voice, his drumming and his southern charm to appreciative audiences.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/VMcdYvaZ-4U?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
The three voices of The Band are gone now. Robbie remains, as does Garth. The music is still here, and the fan base continues to grow. The music speaks for itself, even if the voices on the records no longer can.<br />
<br />
My love for The Band has only increased since my first interest of the group was sparked. In the last couple of weeks, I've been picking up the remastered CDs that feature bonus tracks from different sessions. I've been immersing myself in "The Basement Tapes."<br />
<br />
There's something comforting in the music of The Band. The great visuals. The feel of the music. The moods. The subtle flashes and the reined in impact of the music and words that let your mind fill in the blanks. The sense of struggles in the past, the fact that life goes on, that beautiful music is made and lasts. It's comfort music, it's engaging music, it's invigorating music. It's American music. Important music.<br />
<br />
The Band's music is material worth investigating. I find that it sustains me, and I'm regularly rewarded when I let it absorb me. I hope it does the same for you.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hg-ILjqbKT4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419701077130973107.post-12783215424239655302012-09-22T20:30:00.000-05:002012-09-22T20:30:08.054-05:00Album review: Giving Bob Dylan's "Tempest" a spinSome artists seem forever chained to their pasts, no matter their efforts. Sure, there are revivals. There are periods of renaissance. There are reinventions. But all of those phases seem to go back to an original idea of what an artist is, or represents.<br />
<br />
Bob Dylan is one such artist. His name is forever tied to folk and the folk tradition, roots music, the songs of the past. And with a new album out, called "Tempest," much of his history is being discussed by rock critics and fans ... and non-fans, too. And some of that history is seemingly embraced, as Bob performs material that evokes "old-time" music from long-gone eras when wax and radio were magic and spiritual and life-affirming and scary ... Music wasn't just streamed, picked and chosen, praised for hooks or breasts or being bizarre.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9v6aZ_oASTZbhJ50vZjTNgRtTV0VrPnyZPM88oGEjmA14mtueMspfycsu2GjAPaGn8zsspsoXhClcH35lHpUg1MqZFbxOEtIz4J5RiPup7p5rxhbCtU3RWHE_v6s5EJ1i6m61N1PPgw/s1600/BobDylanTempest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9v6aZ_oASTZbhJ50vZjTNgRtTV0VrPnyZPM88oGEjmA14mtueMspfycsu2GjAPaGn8zsspsoXhClcH35lHpUg1MqZFbxOEtIz4J5RiPup7p5rxhbCtU3RWHE_v6s5EJ1i6m61N1PPgw/s320/BobDylanTempest.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Mention Dylan's name to passive fans or non-fans, they'll at least know some of the Sixties stuff. From the folk poet of "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are a-Changin'" to the speed-driven surrealist of "Desolation Row" and "Like a Rolling Stone."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/cLiLSRKms30?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
If these folks have a little more depth, they might also know of "Tangled Up in Blue" or "Shelter from the Storm" from the classic "Blood on the Tracks" album. Or maybe they've heard "Hurricane" from the "Desire" record. Surely they'll recognize "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" ... but maybe not.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/YwSZvHqf9qM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
And maybe, just maybe, they'll know about the so-called "Born Again" period that produced such classics as "Gotta Serve Somebody" and "Every Grain of Sand." Maybe John Lennon wasn't too impressed by this period, but hey ... it was controversial, so some folks have surely heard some of this music.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/dIsHsq27rhU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
Or maybe the use of some of Dylan's songs in popular films will bring a couple of obscurities to mind. "High Fidelity" and "The Big Lebowski," among other flicks, used some Bob songs that were far from being chart toppers ("Most of the Time" and "The Man In Me," respectively).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/SQbr4ISrjII?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
And there's the chance some might remember his "Time Out of Mind" album, which won album of the year and other honors against his son's band, The Wallflowers. The Wallflowers were big in the late 1990s, especially on the strength of their sophomore album "Bringing Down the Horse," and songs like "One Headline" were all over the place. So Bob winning those awards (especially the Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocalist for the song "Cold Irons Bound") brought his material to some younger listeners, undoubtedly.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/9hO-83CIVKM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
Or folks might just know Dylan's name from being the guy who wrote some songs covered by Peter, Paul and Mary. Songs performed by Manfred Mann. Songs brought to the radio by The Byrds. Maybe folks know Stevie Wonder's version of "Blowin' In The Wind" and have no clue that some nasally white boy from Minnesota has the songwriting credit. It's safe to suggest that many are aware of Dylan's history through the songs that others covered.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/pJO4KAv-GiY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
Mention Dylan's name to critics, and thousands upon thousands of words will be shared. Folks will discuss his origins in Minnesota, or bring about the old chestnut of him passing himself off as Bobby Vee early in his career to secure work, the travels to New York, how he met Woody Guthrie, his first go-arounds with Joan Baez, his marriages, his times with The Band, the motorcycle accident that tamed the "Blonde on Blonde" maniac and turned him into the contemplative bard of "John Wesley Harding," and so much more.<br />
<br />
Some will be quick to call him an American Shakespeare, others a tired usurper and plagiarist. Is he the greatest observer of the human condition, or is he just one of the luckiest guys to strum a guitar? I guess it all depends on the person listening.<br />
<br />
But even with all of that, the surface of Dylan's career is just barely scratched. Some of the above is fact, certainly. But as is often the case with history, much of it has been distorted or exaggerated. But the recorded material stands the test of time for listeners to discover for themselves when they are ready.<br />
<br />
But sometimes that isn't enough. Sometimes having a body of work isn't enough. Sometimes having awards, critical plaudits, presidential honors, congressional honors, honorary degrees and being in Halls of Fame isn't enough. It's hard to live up to your reputation, especially if you're not ready to give up, die and let your legacy take over.<br />
<br />
Bob has had to deal with criticisms, fair and unreasonable, since the beginning. From accusations of being a Woody Guthrie copycat, to ripping off contemporary folk artists, to stealing the spotlight from better artists, to ripping off music and lyrics ... to being accused of cluttered productions, sterile productions, slapdash productions, sparse productions ... to being accused of having too nasally of a voice, to <b>NOT </b>having a nasally <b>ENOUGH </b>voice, to having a rattled old cigarette-shredded gravelly voice ...<br />
<br />
I mean, seriously, it's all enough to give FANS a complex ... and they aren't the focus of those judgments.<br />
<br />
For the last several albums, Bob has been treading some familiar grounds. Rockabilly, blues, 1950s roots rock, touches of blue grass, some gospel ... From "Love and Theft" to "Tempest," Dylan's albums have almost been collections of Americana unto themselves.<br />
<br />
But this has come with criticisms along with praise. Guitar riffs, melodies, chord progressions, lyrics (from phrases to whole lines) have been tied back to artists from the 1920s. Or from artists from across the world. Many times, those artists weren't credited as co-writers, and some have nailed Bob for that.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/-V9U6aRexTA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
I have no dogs in that fight, so I won't comment on it further than acknowledging that those situations exist. But they've always existed, and the folk medium (of which Bob has been related to for the entirety of his career, in the purest sense of passing material down the line) is strongly based on artists performing old classics or borrowing from those classics in their own adaptations. I guess, as far as I'm concerned, it's nothing new so it isn't much of a controversy for me. Whether he's updating a Child ballad or tackling a Japanese poet, it doesn't much matter to me. What matters to me is whether or not the material is <b>GOOD</b>. And exposure for any other artist's materials kind of keeps that artist alive, I think.<br />
<br />
It seems to me that Bob has found a sound and a feeling that he enjoys, that he finds comfortable and encouraging. If he isn't blazing new paths of sound and fury, he certainly has found a blend that grabs the ear and suits the imagery and tone of his words (and his vocals).<br />
<br />
With critics ranging from those who want more protest music, to others wanting surreal raps, to others wanting some spiritual material, it's just so hard to please anything close to a majority. And with music criticism growing and growing, as more magazines emerge and more blogs (including this one, I suppose) espousing opinions on his work, Bob might find himself in the position of realizing that there are no <b>CORRECT </b>choices to make in his career. There is no golden answer, no guaranteed decision, no perfect formula to please a varied fanbase (and even if there was such a thing, he's a bit of a contrarian and wouldn't necessarily want to bow to it anyway ... "Blind Willy McTell," anyone?). He may no longer be trying to serve somebody ... perhaps he's following his old friend John Lennon's advice to "serve yourself." If that's the case, well, it's led to some good music on the last handful of records.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/UE-Qh3K1EHs?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
This is a lot of preamble to get to discussing the new Dylan album, but I feel it's fairly worthwhile to bring it all up. Why? Well, I think it sets a scene.<br />
<br />
Dylan's "Tempest" is another self-produced album (Jack Frost Productions being Dylan himself), and he is relying on his touring band (which he's used on previous works) to get that groove, that feel that he has grown comfortable with.<br />
<br />
Some folks may find "Tempest" and the records before it rather ... uniform. While I disagree with the general assessment, I can understand that listeners -- especially those who thrive on popular music that can, at turns, offer Katy Perry or Lady GaGa or Kanye West or Jay-Z or Beyonce or Miley Cyrus -- may be flat out <b>BORED </b>by hearing guitars, piano, the occasional mandolin, a harmonica, maybe some tambourine or accordion. It isn't peppy music (well, actually, sometimes some of these songs kind of are), but there's variety in them thar tracks.<br />
<br />
I've yet to give "Tempest" a listen. I intend to rectify that ... tonight. I haven't done a live blog in a long time, and I figure this album is certainly worthy.<br />
<br />
I intend to go into this record with a pretty open mind. I have respect for Dylan the poet, Dylan the singer, Dylan the interpreter, Dylan the performer, Dylan the entertainer and Dylan the curmudgeon. He has a sense of humor, a certain swing, and an appreciation and insight to the human experience that often reminds me (and many others) of Mark Twain.<br />
<br />
And even when he tackles decidedly odd topics (as he does on "Tempest" with a song apparently devoted to the Leonardo DiCaprio "Titanic" film), Bob's tracks are seldom one-dimensional or lightweight. This doesn't mean I overlook weaker work, or that I like everything he's done on his last few albums. I dearly love "Love and Theft," and I have a huge appreciation for "Modern Times." But "Together Through Life" didn't charm me nearly as much as I had hoped it would, and his Christmas album was a bit ... unexpected (though I like a handful of the tracks more than I thought I would). Still, I'm hoping "Tempest" will outshine its predecessors.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/a8qE6WQmNus?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
Many have pointed out that "The Tempest" was William Shakespeare's last play. And with "Tempest" being Dylan's 35th album and it coming out 50 years after Dylan's first album ... well, many think this collection of songs could be the last Dylan intends to issue. Bob himself has gone on record to dismiss this notion, so I'll choose not to listen to the record with any preconception that this could be a final testament by Robert Zimmerman.<br />
<br />
All right, I think I've blathered on long enough. It's time to pop the disc into a player and find out just how great (or poor, or mediocre) the stuff really is. I've only heard a few of the tracks that were previewed in the weeks leading up to the album's release ("Early Roman Kings," "Scarlet Town" and "Duquesne Whistle"), so the rest is virgin territory to my ears.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/mns9VeRguys?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
The plastic has been removed from "Tempest," and I'm ready to take the album in as a whole, letting the tracks build upon each other.<br />
<br />
Let's dive in, shall we?<br />
<br />
I'll use the comments field to give my thoughts as I listen. Please feel free to give your thoughts, as I'm always interested in what others think / feel from music.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com80tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419701077130973107.post-3474936506837696892012-09-22T17:23:00.001-05:002012-09-22T17:23:09.394-05:00Dylan "Tempest" post is comingHi all,<br />
<br />
I've got almost half of a blog entry finished on Bob Dylan's new "Tempest" album.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSCza2aAE1V7G5bDyYHv0ReRDydNIoo_ioG5rJzJrR0lfswa6eadtlmTqg5V-Mzp0PLmFO0RcIw8HvPYV_0X1N0M25TY-8vyTpQFrHIQHKQ9f9iZ5K8BbXqNqTAZTb0EtdSJw5qt_6VHk/s1600/bobdylantempestera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSCza2aAE1V7G5bDyYHv0ReRDydNIoo_ioG5rJzJrR0lfswa6eadtlmTqg5V-Mzp0PLmFO0RcIw8HvPYV_0X1N0M25TY-8vyTpQFrHIQHKQ9f9iZ5K8BbXqNqTAZTb0EtdSJw5qt_6VHk/s320/bobdylantempestera.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I've got my preamble written. All that's left is giving the album a listen and giving my thoughts in the comments area, as I've done with my past "live blogging" entries.<br />
<br />
It's my hope to get that done tonight!<br />
<br />
I'm definitely looking forward to giving the album a listen in its entirety. Should be very cool!<br />
<br />
See you then.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/GUWlFGEfRAU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419701077130973107.post-61199868286191123852012-09-18T19:38:00.001-05:002012-09-19T22:28:02.708-05:00Unwell, unproductiveGreetings, all you fantastic blog readers and friends o' mine.<br />
<br />
For the life of me, I just haven't been able to get back into a regular groove here. I'm sure you all can understand how it is, though ... I'm sure doctors don't want to be diagnosing patients on days off. Police don't want to handle disturbances on their days off. And me? Well, my job keeps me in front of computers for 10-12 hour bursts each day, so it is sometimes just difficult to get the energy to sit down during my free time to write.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh7iy2047lS52635cfnQNFvBRaM_BDwySG4i1xIybta3NDfSN1jbPlqRBwNorW-MQpRMrfCb43hPyf35J07amuv7TOSLwnfDXQo-aNQQLvujZrdYKIKMT-3U3BKR459VlXfnAW9J7p1QY/s1600/workburnout.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh7iy2047lS52635cfnQNFvBRaM_BDwySG4i1xIybta3NDfSN1jbPlqRBwNorW-MQpRMrfCb43hPyf35J07amuv7TOSLwnfDXQo-aNQQLvujZrdYKIKMT-3U3BKR459VlXfnAW9J7p1QY/s320/workburnout.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
But I love writing. And I love writing about music. And I appreciate each and every read and comment that my stuff gets. I don't take that lightly. Thanks to all of you who stop in, and those of you who share thoughts are doubly appreciated.<br />
<br />
Let's see, let's take a moment to do an update here.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>I've been sick the last couple of days. It started with a really queasy stomach and some headaches, then morphed into explosive emissions from both ends. Now it's a fever and really devastating headache. My wife has been really awesome ... Forcing me to stay in bed, get rest, staying hydrated. She rocks.<br />
<br />
You'd think that sick time would be a good time to catch up on music. I picked up the newest Bob Dylan album, "Tempest," on release day last week ... and haven't had a chance to listen to it yet. I wanted to save it for a time when I'd be able to pay attention to it, savor it and really let it sink in. I didn't want to play it while I was working and lose out on the first listening experience. But when you're sick, especially with horrible headaches, you don't really concentrate well and trying to listen to ANYTHING for an extended period is really rough. Heck, it took me about 5 minutes to write this paragraph alone, because I kept stopping from the aches.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/mns9VeRguys?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
When it comes to the Dylan album, I really liked the tracks that had been previewed before its official release. While I haven't had a chance to give it a listen in its entirety, I'm hopeful that the whole album is as consistent. I admit, though, that I fear the track about the Titanic (which features a few lyrical nods to the Leonardo DiCaprio film) might wear on me. It's quite lengthy, and I fear it might mirror my reaction to the film: I know what's going to happen, so let's get to it. (Though if there's a lyrical wonder that mirrors Kate Winslet, I'll take that happily.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAFGn1kWIUSPaCVgWEH5EMNghATJ-A1A2BG2lXXK4sAXw6g9IObD82sdJ_eJYgM5eJkPpITtIqVLvW0lNZ_AP5HnCYSdlwDJPHn5GXTjDVEnDSOLyXFnRhjzv6Or8KnJl8YobLAV7xvQ/s1600/katewinslettitanic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAFGn1kWIUSPaCVgWEH5EMNghATJ-A1A2BG2lXXK4sAXw6g9IObD82sdJ_eJYgM5eJkPpITtIqVLvW0lNZ_AP5HnCYSdlwDJPHn5GXTjDVEnDSOLyXFnRhjzv6Or8KnJl8YobLAV7xvQ/s320/katewinslettitanic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I've been waiting for the Freddie Mercury "Barcelona" anniversary release package to come out in the U.S. Using real orchestra, friends and producers have taken the materials from Mercury's second (and final) solo album and stripped it of the synthesizers, giving it real strings and horns. I thought it was due out a few weeks ago, and apparently it was released in the UK at that point. But its release in the U.S. keeps getting pushed back. I've heard a few of the pieces on YouTube, and it sounds like a very worthy addition to the collection.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/Rorm_BklVO8/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Rorm_BklVO8&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Rorm_BklVO8&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br />
Also coming out later this year are stereo and mono remasters of The Beach Boys' albums. This will be a goldmine for a lot of hardcore fans, giving us mono releases that haven't been on CD properly, or stereo releases that have NEVER been released, and giving the albums a consistency that the most ardent fans have been pushing for since the 1990 two-fer releases. It doesn't look like these albums will have bonus tracks ... That's a pity. But I'm hopeful there'll be more archival releases coming soon.<br />
<br />
With a new 2-disc greatest hits set on the horizon ("50 Big Ones," a title that gives a nod to the 1976 album "15 Big Ones," which celebrated their 15th anniversary back then ... and this set will contain the "single" version of the new Beach Boys song "Isn't It Time") and a box set that is supposed to be coming before the end of the year, it'll be a very Beach Boysy year! From The SMiLE Sessions release in November of 2011, to the new album that came out this spring, to these releases ... Yay, it's a great time to be a Beach Boys fan.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/xds5X7SpyvM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
My Chemical Romance will also be putting out 10 new songs, using the vinyl single format. They'll release 5 45s over the span of a few months (with digital downloads also available), putting 10 previously unreleased songs out. I love the band, I love vinyl, this sounds like a really cool project. Look for the "Conventional Weapons" releases starting in October. Visit <a href="http://store.mychemicalromance.com/?q=shop/featured&eml=20120917/mychemicalromance/promotional/econ/conventional_weapons&sp_rid=NjUxNjk2MDk0MQS2&sp_mid=39735411" target="_blank">THIS LINK (click here)</a> to learn more.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4atUmlONI2WUH8fAMsVQcvQ4pOqrMMPGT6rWOlvbcLdn-289N6vOoKnwbJSMIhOOxzdXRwOxl6M9sZXCAYOWC6rVwFv_NQltS4aIN2cXrZ9vbZpVaqJQE0RsSvn0SB7hxps7ssCj-Q4/s1600/mychemicalromanceconventionalweapons.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4atUmlONI2WUH8fAMsVQcvQ4pOqrMMPGT6rWOlvbcLdn-289N6vOoKnwbJSMIhOOxzdXRwOxl6M9sZXCAYOWC6rVwFv_NQltS4aIN2cXrZ9vbZpVaqJQE0RsSvn0SB7hxps7ssCj-Q4/s320/mychemicalromanceconventionalweapons.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Led Zeppelin is releasing the O2 concert performance from 2007, too. It was a one-off performance, and Zep fans have been hoping for some commercial release of this material for quite a while. I'm definitely curious about it, but I have my doubts. When the band performed in 1988 for an Atlantic Records shindig, well ... The footage that remains from that left me a bit unimpressed. I dunno. I'm sure the 2007 show will sound great and that it'll be a real treat for fans, but I'm not sure I'll dole out the cash for it with all the other goodies coming. I love me some Led Zep, but give me stuff from their prime. Live stuff from the 1970s? Definitely interested. Stuff from 2007? Eh, maybe not so much.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/N3uET9jBrYg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
All righty, well, I need to get some rest. This entry has taken me an hour, and it's about 15 minutes worth of typing when all is said and done. Whew. Headaches suck.<br />
<br />
I hope you're all doing well. Summer is basically over, the leaves are falling from the trees in my backyard and night temperatures are definitely dropping. I love this time of year, and I hope to rebound soon so I can enjoy it ... between the lengthy periods of work, of course.<br />
<br />
Talk with you all again (soon, I hope!).<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419701077130973107.post-4855134671883671182012-08-28T23:42:00.003-05:002012-08-28T23:43:15.209-05:00Sock it to me, wild honey!In 1967, The Beach Boys were having some bad luck. After the critical acclaim "Pet Sounds" received and the chart success enjoyed by "Good Vibrations," fans and observers alike were primed for the massive payoff that was promised with the "SMiLE" project.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2Izj-d8miyvWehISIdGJpW9JtEL1PQfcxb3U8syQBc9nfJBigBxmv8m2xFfD9jZDnIIhoQkUT8d6aa7NILw_mglhN2iT2P8eTWRMJIy2aVJO6k3pDdPVEmKyeR-YvgZEGbLrrghXogI/s1600/beachboys1967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2Izj-d8miyvWehISIdGJpW9JtEL1PQfcxb3U8syQBc9nfJBigBxmv8m2xFfD9jZDnIIhoQkUT8d6aa7NILw_mglhN2iT2P8eTWRMJIy2aVJO6k3pDdPVEmKyeR-YvgZEGbLrrghXogI/s320/beachboys1967.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
But "SMiLE" didn't happen, and "Smiley Smile" was issued in its place. A bunt instead of a grand slam? Perhaps. Carl Wilson described it that way, and it seems appropriate.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>As interesting as "Smiley Smile" is, and despite the appreciation the album has developed in the last fifty years, it wasn't "SMiLE." No "Surf's Up," no "Cabinessence," a stripped-down production style and more simplistic material.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/s3TRns_zssM/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/s3TRns_zssM&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/s3TRns_zssM&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br />
There was the critical dismissal following the "Smiley Smile" album and the band's withdrawal from the Monterey Pop Festival. Carl Wilson was engaged in a prolonged fight with the U.S government. The military was calling him to service, but he resisted on the grounds of being a conscientious objector. Brian Wilson was having issues concentrating and finishing things as his mental demons and chemical abuse started to catch up to him.<br />
<br />
The Beach Boys' first stint of commercial and critical glory was over. 1967, a year that could have been their biggest and most important yet, ended up being a fizzle. But it wasn't a total loss, and there was some great material to be enjoyed. Not the least of which was the group's 13th album: "Wild Honey."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQcoEcGTz_1FYs-1QZP9blxAbdDpiKuKjzwoU_yQqBUF2yqBRXFFaDXbKR9m-Oqz6fiTU6t41xA3BraSTSNX6vEACT6dqPV82MrDpmP_SKSDXI0JDh3aEaSQQm4MInafDMrc8Xp6RIl4/s1600/beachboyswildhoney.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQcoEcGTz_1FYs-1QZP9blxAbdDpiKuKjzwoU_yQqBUF2yqBRXFFaDXbKR9m-Oqz6fiTU6t41xA3BraSTSNX6vEACT6dqPV82MrDpmP_SKSDXI0JDh3aEaSQQm4MInafDMrc8Xp6RIl4/s320/beachboyswildhoney.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Oh no, the 13th album?<br />
<br />
Some folks have a superstition that 13 is an unlucky number.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Hotels? A lot of them won't label their 13th floors as the 13th floor (straight to 14 ... I guess that's one way to do it, even if it is still the 13th floor).<br />
<br />
Movies? A number of flicks have been created as part of the "Friday the 13th" franchise. ... A lot of those movies suck. I love the franchise, anyway.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjw3S-UPhFZxaPuLAJpnBhRvq3v3F0o-b_XzLligE3jrxgUgYcAR53Mtivmm4cSlDuXwfUqtdqLkKw64wnZQaWxViQO1xsVIWskCTNJmIfVX919c9o7BnQ9n7BJMX1qWu7GOjUQsSmPZ0/s1600/Friday13th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjw3S-UPhFZxaPuLAJpnBhRvq3v3F0o-b_XzLligE3jrxgUgYcAR53Mtivmm4cSlDuXwfUqtdqLkKw64wnZQaWxViQO1xsVIWskCTNJmIfVX919c9o7BnQ9n7BJMX1qWu7GOjUQsSmPZ0/s320/Friday13th.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Glenn Danzig penned a track for Johnny Cash titled "Thirteen." The lyrics talk about the misery and misfortune of a guy with the number 13 tattooed on his neck.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/EUWUY57ar18?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
And there's a movie called "Thirteen Ghosts" that involved a machine, 13 spirits and a very odd cast that probably considered the flick an unlucky entry for their careers.<br />
<br />
Have I made my point yet? Sometimes, 13 has bad connotations.<br />
<br />
The Beach Boys' 13th studio album has a bit of the bad luck of 13, but the material transcends the "curse." The album, "Wild Honey" is one of the most overlooked gems of the post "Pet Sounds" Beach Boys.<br />
<br />
"Wild Honey" is a heck of a groove. It's sometimes referred to as The Beach Boys' R&B album. It's the group playing the instrumentation, a lot of organ work and a return to a "garage band" ethic of simple arrangements and songs that boogie. It isn't "Pet Sounds," but you can definitely see the group that did "Surfin' USA" on these songs.<br />
<br />
Released in December of 1967, "Wild Honey" climbed to No. 24 on the U.S. charts. That beat "Smiley Smile," which had faltered at No. 41. It was the highest charting post "Pet Sounds" Beach Boys album the group would enjoy until 1976's "15 Big Ones" album (a record that owed much of its commercial success to a "Brian Is Back" campaign that heralded Brian Wilson's return as a dominant songwriter and producer ... even if the situation was more complicated than that and didn't see a return-to-form from Brian).<br />
<br />
"Wild Honey" is a pretty big departure from the typical Beach Boys sound, but that's exactly what makes it so worthy. It's a great album, a lot of fun to listen to, with a lot of twists and turns and flourishes that make it an engaging collection of songs.<br />
<br />
The Baldwin organ, the bass and the vocals are all boosted. There's a very organic feel to the songs, as the band members worked together to get this material put together. "Wild Honey" was pieced together at Brian Wilson's home studio. The group jammed together, writing a lot of the material together (something that hadn't happened much since before "Pet Sounds" ... "Pet Sounds" featured the lyrical work of Tony Asher, and Van Dyke Parks contributed a lot to the "SMiLE"/"Smiley Smile" materials).<br />
<br />
With "Wild Honey," Brian got back together with Mike Love for many of the songs. The arrangements and productions were group efforts, earning a "Produced by The Beach Boys" credit on the album.<br />
<br />
The songs themselves range from the classic ("Darlin'") to the evocative ("Country Air") to the subtly hilarious ("I'd Love Just Once to See You") to cool groove music ("Here Comes the Night"). There's a lot to like, as just about every track features something of real merit.<br />
<br />
The lead off track, and the song that shares the album's title, features a theremin and an outstanding lead vocal from Carl. The song kicks ass and takes names, kicking off the album with a strong surefire hit (the song only climbed to No. 31, a genuine shame).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/yvHR789FpvA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
Following up is another outstanding lead vocal from Carl, featuring some nice group background vocals. "Aren't You Glad" has a nice stomping progression. It's an unusual arrangement, but the vocal delivery sells the track. The group enjoyed it enough to perform it at concerts in the late 1960s. There's a bit of a fuzz to the sound, but check out the low notes ... bass and organ, man, that's a killer combination that needs to be revived in music today.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/gnflCX85mYM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
"I Was Made to Love Her" is a cover of a Stevie Wonder song, again featuring the powerful pipes of Carl Wilson. It doesn't eclipse the original recording, but it's got a sincerity and group involvement that make it a delight. White soul, dig it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/byeZRISnGh8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
Some of the best group vocals are featured on the following track, "Country Air." The lyrics are fairly direct and uncomplicated, focusing on the simpler things. "Get a breath of that country air / breathe the beauty of it everywhere / Mother Nature she fills my eyes." It's not a complex song, but it just feels right.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/fJqvgyUnb7Q?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
Next up is the only track from the album that has survived the decades in the group's touring list, and has been featured by the Mike Love/Bruce Johnston configuration of The Beach Boys <u style="font-weight: bold;">AND</u> the Brian Wilson touring band. "Darlin'" continues the album's trend of amazing Carl Wilson vocals, and the production features horns and a driving construction. The song was released as a single and climbed to No. 19. The song was a rewrite of a Brian Wilson/Mike Love tune called "Thinkin' 'Bout You Baby," though this production was originally intended for a group called Redwood ... which would become Three Dog Night. The Beach Boys heard a hit and reclaimed the song, and a hit it was (though it's a far cry from the No. 1 that "Good Vibrations" had claimed a year before).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/0D3DUx5X8kw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
"I'd Love Just Once to See You" is a pretty, understated track. Very simple, with a relaxed lead vocal from Brian. The payoff in this track comes from a gentle arrangement and a lyrical conclusion that comes right out of the blue. Brian's humor could range from subtle to slapstick to bizarre ... but when he confesses that he'd love just once to see you in the nude, well, isn't that pretty much perfect? A pleasant song with a hilarious ending, that's just what the doctor ordered.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/3CHbj_eCv5o/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3CHbj_eCv5o&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3CHbj_eCv5o&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br />
The next track is one of the best songs on the album, "Here Comes the Night." Brian delivers a strong vocal, and the group instrumental and vocal performances are solid. If anything, it's the production that keeps the song from rising to being a better-known classic. But check out the zest in the lyrics. I defy you from listening to it and not find yourself bopping your head or tapping your toes, or dancing, or singing along. It's a killer track. (Avoid the remake of the track, which appeared on 1979's "L.A. (Light Album)" and as a single ... it's discofied Beach Boys, which just really doesn't hit the spot. Ever.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/0TUS-lmhnMk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
"Let The Wind Blow" is a spiritual number, but some of the lyrics are a bit clunky. "Let the bees make honey / let the poor find money" is a bit ... meh. Still, the group sings together with some beautiful harmony and the arrangement is very gentle and comforting. The definitive recorded performance of the track (that's been released, anyway) may be on 1973's "The Beach Boys In Concert."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/B0WshQmpH68?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
The last full track of the album is the most dated of them all, featuring an arrangement and lyrics that really don't wear well fifty years later: "How She Boogalooed It." "S-o-c-k-i-t to me!" indeed. Still, it makes for a fun novelty, and gives the album an uplift following "Let The Wind Blow."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/cjTEOMP7c10?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
The album ends with a snippet called "Mama Says" that many Beach Boys fanatics will recognized for being featured in different renditions of the "SMiLE" classic "Vegetables" (or "Vega-Tables). It's the group running through the lyrics at different tempos. Not too many words here, but the performance ends with a "POOF." What does the poof signify? An end to the magic of the 1960s Beach Boys innocence and Brian Wilson magic? Who can say?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/cigTD2k3BCY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
There are some outtakes that surfaced years later. "Can't Wait Too Long," a cover of "The Letter," "Lonely Days," a resurrection of some "SMiLE" music with "Cool Cool Water" (an early version of the song that would be developed further for the first released version on 1970's "Sunflower") ... and then the 2011 "The SMiLE Sessions" box bestowed the ultimate era treasure: A "Wild Honey" period recording of Brian Wilson performing "Surf's Up." I've featured the clip above, but one can hear how the esoteric lyrics and feeling of the original masterpiece could fuse with the instrumental styling of "Wild Honey" and its organ work for a wonderful treat. These outtakes are all uniformly excellent and highlight the creativity and brilliance of the period.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/nHXGvDP8iLI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
"Wild Honey" had the bad luck of being overlooked (and actively disliked) by many of The Beach Boys' remaining fans and advocates (Paul Williams and David Anderle originally panned the album, but came to praise it later), but the songs merit much more appreciation and love than they've received to date. No, there's nothing here that will ever eclipse "Surfer Girl" or "Little Deuce Coupe" or "California Girls," but there's so much great soul and fun and enthusiasm here.<br />
<br />
The album features a stripped down, back-to-basics feel. A week later, Bob Dylan released "John Wesley Harding." Three months later, The Beatles released "Lady Madonna." Three months after THAT, The Band released their debut, "Music From Big Pink." Rock music started to put psychedelia on the backburner as a return to rootsy, more earthy rock and roll.<br />
<br />
The Beach Boys beat all the big guys there. Dylan may get the credit for blowing big productions out of the water and returning rock music to its roots, but Brian Wilson and the gang have the earlier releases. Give "Wild Honey" a chance, let your hair down and have some fun. Good tunes for good times, and isn't that what The Beach Boys are known most for anyway?<br />
<br />
****<br />
<br />
There's more I'd like to say on "Wild Honey," including the studio setup and how the members of the band were interacting with each other at the time. I think it'd be also worth discussing where the album art came from ...<br />
<br />
But in the end, my big goal with this review is to focus on the music. "Wild Honey" came at an interesting time when the group really had no idea what to do. "Pet Sounds" hadn't been the commercial success that everyone hoped it would be, "SMiLE" imploded and "Smiley Smile" mystified and disappointed many contemporary listeners. The band pulled together and released "Wild Honey" just months after "Smiley Smile." That's some fantastic energy, and it generated some marvelous music.<br />
<br />
So, I'm going to let the music speak for itself. We can get into more details and discussion in the comments area. Hit me up, folks, share your thoughts, feelings and questions (or corrections! I sometimes operate under information that isn't always accurate). Looking forward to your interaction!<br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
I know this review is another Beach Boys entry, and that my last several REAL entries were Beach Boys-oriented, too (a lot of attention was paid to "That's Why God Made the Radio"). Since it's been quite a while since I've done an honest-to-goodness music post, I hope you'll understand that I'm easing my way back into things. What better way to do that than with The Beach Boys?<br />
<br />
My next review will be on material that isn't The Beach Boys. How's that for a deal?<br />
<br />
Thanks for visiting, folks. I appreciate your patience and your readership, and the feedback I get in comments! You rock!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jc-EdW1amwg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419701077130973107.post-8617542747024823112012-08-28T01:45:00.001-05:002012-08-28T01:45:09.285-05:00New review(s) a-comin'!Hi all,<br />
<br />
I have Tuesday (today) off from work, and most of my housework stuff has been done ...<br />
<br />
So that means I should have time for a new music review! Woo! It's been so long ... will I remember how to write? Did I ever know how to write? Is writing still hip? We'll find this, and more, later!<br />
<br />
Yay!!!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0W1NsC3a9XuQtB8wa0y_lon7ZIujWAUNWupzMI0hzJS2Jh2LWoF7asDL9KACjelJUk9m5bgLhu4HEmTMMeNPE9a5kanZzP0riYXoJhl0nggr-SzGxOcIQMHy3E9YKQf70uDtoX6wgJ0/s1600/champagneexplosion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0W1NsC3a9XuQtB8wa0y_lon7ZIujWAUNWupzMI0hzJS2Jh2LWoF7asDL9KACjelJUk9m5bgLhu4HEmTMMeNPE9a5kanZzP0riYXoJhl0nggr-SzGxOcIQMHy3E9YKQf70uDtoX6wgJ0/s320/champagneexplosion.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Sorry that it's taken so long for me to get cracking. I didn't think it'd be worth writing more "hey, work has been busy and there's a lot going on in my life" entries. I'm looking forward to getting back into the groove of doing what I love most:<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #073763; font-size: x-large;">ENJOYING MUSIC.</span><br />
<br />
Join me, won't you?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/jNu2gh1He88?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419701077130973107.post-56348232472743063162012-08-17T21:59:00.003-05:002012-08-17T21:59:10.520-05:00Like lint on a record, stuff keeps popping upHi all,<br />
<br />
I know, you keep hearing this stuff from me. I've been busy. Surprise, surprise. Bit of a broken record, eh?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAIdxsR9oR1KLEqzj7iniG8zVVCU4LNSz4JGSzqo842-pp5cEx6z3Vp4seaFi_EEcL0gsUTjbMjqh429XYFHGEtkDntdN0UtrBThYCeAGR-QxXV8UsFAQIp1q4sQCdstq6v_VwITOhIA/s1600/recordplayer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAIdxsR9oR1KLEqzj7iniG8zVVCU4LNSz4JGSzqo842-pp5cEx6z3Vp4seaFi_EEcL0gsUTjbMjqh429XYFHGEtkDntdN0UtrBThYCeAGR-QxXV8UsFAQIp1q4sQCdstq6v_VwITOhIA/s320/recordplayer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Even on my days off, I've found plenty to occupy my time. I'm not done with the blog, I promise, but I've just been overwhelmed with the day-to-day shenanigans of my work life.<br />
<br />
Bear with me. I promise, more music is on the way.<br />
<br />
Thanks!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419701077130973107.post-70154635085426664412012-08-02T12:56:00.003-05:002012-08-02T12:56:31.468-05:00Sorry I've been out of touchHowdy, all.<br />
<br />
As my last post made clear, I was on vacation for a couple weeks. Honestly, as much as I should have logged on to post a couple things ... I was kind of enjoying being away from the computer. My real-life job is computer-intensive, so it was nice not looking at a screen too often during my break away.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXtwVFIEv0bkg6NExUddmnkqBvHUHkbeT9oJAWGymqZgYzzlRjdSfthJewFvkaxtoeoNtv8xqCqck0qBuUifSitG93RpZ0rgdZIWCDD3ocUTOoInZZbvmgCun1jbcTGXmQj9_A6W7QfQ/s1600/staringatscreen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXtwVFIEv0bkg6NExUddmnkqBvHUHkbeT9oJAWGymqZgYzzlRjdSfthJewFvkaxtoeoNtv8xqCqck0qBuUifSitG93RpZ0rgdZIWCDD3ocUTOoInZZbvmgCun1jbcTGXmQj9_A6W7QfQ/s320/staringatscreen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Anyway, I had a great vacation and got some rest and spiritual healing. And during my drives, I listened to a lot of music that stirred some ideas in me. The Styx album "Brave New World," Bob Dylan's "Oh Mercy" and Queen's "Queen II" might get some love on my blog here soon, if I get some time to sit down and tackle them properly!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/KZbs51urLOs?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
I hope you're all well, and I'll chat with you again soon!<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419701077130973107.post-34378828300998936902012-07-15T20:02:00.003-05:002012-07-15T20:04:40.514-05:00Going on a vacationWoo hoo! Soon I'll be enjoying two weeks away from work. I haven't had any real vacation time away from work since I got married back in October. I'm crispy around the edges and totally looking forward to some rest, some good times, some fun and some whatever-I-feel-like-doing goodness.<br />
<br />
I hope that'll mean a couple blog posts, too.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ZlBl1Lr53f67VnsNoKajK8FNMDf_a_MJJ1wn6ZcoLoxLBu-uKk_KUBZEt_FpNK4Ex3FHuV0K7yXJ5jN2272lUPFKMHVocOXkPKFUWAEH6kFSivyhhsyUDKXet0-HQ98f9y8EDmuYD1o/s1600/summervacation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ZlBl1Lr53f67VnsNoKajK8FNMDf_a_MJJ1wn6ZcoLoxLBu-uKk_KUBZEt_FpNK4Ex3FHuV0K7yXJ5jN2272lUPFKMHVocOXkPKFUWAEH6kFSivyhhsyUDKXet0-HQ98f9y8EDmuYD1o/s320/summervacation.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">I've been staying pretty busy with work and everything else. By the time I get home, or even during lulls at work, I find myself pretty much tired of staring at computer screens ... so my blogging has suffered. I offer you my most sincere apologies.</span><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="background-color: white;">How are your summers going? What's been the music that has most painted your summer? The new Fiona Apple album has been drawing rave reviews (my wife digs it a lot, too), and Kiss are putting a new album together. Add on the releases of the past couple months, including the wonderful new Beach Boys album ... and I'd say that Summer 2012 has been pretty musically rich so far.</span><br />
<br />
As part of my birthday last week, my wife got me some great new headphones. I've had a few good pairs of headphones in my life, including a pair of Bose headphones. I've also had several lame pairs, and some of those bad ones have been fairly recent.<br />
<br />
So my wife, wanting to hook me up with another pair (so that I wouldn't have to lean on the Bose set too much for trips or late-night listens), invested in a pair that really deliver some bass and clarity.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJE9V4A1p9VWQpJK8rgwZTorIlM0DMqPGQXaKZqhYrbR5zzC9sGuaNBSc6DgOBK63OOHnIAlXJV3vu_OWqYL8hOzH_hUh7s_Rbm31DViePrGZTU9a8crcfBM6L06_ugCVRiRf5G1ng4n4/s1600/Headphones.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJE9V4A1p9VWQpJK8rgwZTorIlM0DMqPGQXaKZqhYrbR5zzC9sGuaNBSc6DgOBK63OOHnIAlXJV3vu_OWqYL8hOzH_hUh7s_Rbm31DViePrGZTU9a8crcfBM6L06_ugCVRiRf5G1ng4n4/s320/Headphones.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">When I first got my Bose headphones, I decided to break them in with "Pet Sounds" ... and so I wanted a listening experience equally as important for these new headphones. I decided it had to be something by The Beatles. But which album? "Abbey Road" is always good. "Revolver" is amazing. The White Album? Hell, that's a pleasure no matter what. But I wanted something to really test the headphones. So I reached for a classic ... "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-25JL1ihFlmp-bZB2ZST-0DZH3SXMmWeLnqV5Pe9oLL1_a92zGDr3wtnwuEuxUhhlilBll6jwS4uTKu1NPySacNdtfpP9AWx_QisMqPifLc7iBP3fYOWVMUUHwew1bNd25GB7Ipm1HU/s1600/SgtPeppersLonelyHeartsClubBand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-25JL1ihFlmp-bZB2ZST-0DZH3SXMmWeLnqV5Pe9oLL1_a92zGDr3wtnwuEuxUhhlilBll6jwS4uTKu1NPySacNdtfpP9AWx_QisMqPifLc7iBP3fYOWVMUUHwew1bNd25GB7Ipm1HU/s320/SgtPeppersLonelyHeartsClubBand.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">What a treat! What a thrill! It brought back to mind some memories of sliding on my dad's huge headphones and listening to his vinyl copy of "Sgt. Pepper," discovering new sounds with every listen. These headphones were comfortable, delivered some clarity and power and muscle while also allowing the delicate and subtle tones to breathe. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">For much of the album, I kept my eyes closed and really let myself sink into the music. This album has the material that can really let your imagination run wild, and the sound quality really kept me engaged. I've listened to the album hundreds of times, I dearly love it ... and this experience ranks up there with the best.</span><br />
<br />
The headphones have been a hell of a gift, and it's a gift that keeps on giving. I've played Pink Floyd, Queen, Beach Boys, Eminem, Weezer, Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan ... and it's all held up really well.<br />
<br />
Some headphones convey music to you ... some headphones bring it home and make it come alive. And these new headphones did that for me. You know me ... I love my music. And I love my Bose headphones. But these? They give me another way to listen to the stuff I love. Sony, you did some good work with this model.<br />
<br />
And my wife? She spoils the heck out of me. They broke the mold when they made her. :)<br />
<br />
Well, I'd best get back to the grind. Hope to touch base with you all again soon!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/xJJkMA2Xkq4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419701077130973107.post-77658037614934666382012-07-09T01:10:00.002-05:002012-07-09T01:10:53.024-05:00It's my birthdayHowdy, all.<br />
<br />
Today marks another anniversary of my continued existence on this planet. Yay!<br />
<br />
I don't have much to say, except that it's been an interesting ride so far!<br />
<br />
Um ... so, here's some Beatles music:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/QHRMX9Brq0s?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419701077130973107.post-76314901949860577472012-07-04T17:03:00.003-05:002012-07-04T17:03:43.915-05:00Happy July FourthBased in the United States as I am, I have the good fortune for a lot of things.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpEb1Bm0qdwOBbcm6Mbfm-yf9NaaKDZr6orgJTpJCeB8XijMsttxsYiO4lVOgy6pGMgvb5WCzc8gZ3yr76j3cJMdaiT4o1pe3WY5CiiiBASzsWR8E3wGkhAFp09Y_ogRI4E5oVR7w12AY/s1600/4thofJuly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpEb1Bm0qdwOBbcm6Mbfm-yf9NaaKDZr6orgJTpJCeB8XijMsttxsYiO4lVOgy6pGMgvb5WCzc8gZ3yr76j3cJMdaiT4o1pe3WY5CiiiBASzsWR8E3wGkhAFp09Y_ogRI4E5oVR7w12AY/s320/4thofJuly.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">A lot of liberties, freedoms and opportunities come my way because of where I live ... and I don't take that situation lightly. It's easy to take things for granted, but I know so many in the world lack the ability to do things because of government rules, poorer economies, geographic situations, etc.</span><br />
<br />
July Fourth is Independence Day for the United States, and I wish everyone in the U.S. a fun (and safe) holiday. Bust out some great music, hang out with friends and family and have yourselves a memorable time!<br />
<br />
For readers who live outside the United States, I wish you all a happy July Fourth as well ... and I hope your days are pleasant, happy and fulfilling (and also full of music).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/snKnqOV-L30?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419701077130973107.post-38534385237172224462012-06-29T17:50:00.002-05:002012-06-29T17:55:19.686-05:00Beach Boys at No. 23 on Billboard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic4auFgOoJgoGr8Z0rt8cEiR9eWsIIgCvHFcJFfwf3DkZiMGuNaPg-Px69IVueVpr9qEwUwGsQkq3HhHgjEBpKwUbxbcD_tMbRbGOvEWefo1IO5Z4_rXrLTRm9Hmk-eOwCjQGhJGWAC-o/s1600/beachboysthatswhygodmadetheradiocover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic4auFgOoJgoGr8Z0rt8cEiR9eWsIIgCvHFcJFfwf3DkZiMGuNaPg-Px69IVueVpr9qEwUwGsQkq3HhHgjEBpKwUbxbcD_tMbRbGOvEWefo1IO5Z4_rXrLTRm9Hmk-eOwCjQGhJGWAC-o/s320/beachboysthatswhygodmadetheradiocover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">"That's Why God Made the Radio" continues to do well! Three weeks in, and it is selling enough to still be in the Top 30! In this modern age, when many artists (not just classic ones) slide right off the Top 200 after a week or two, the No. 23 placing is pretty fantastic! (Want proof that they're at No. 23? You can see it <a href="http://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200#/album/the-beach-boys/that-s-why-god-made-the-radio/1650880" target="_blank">HERE [Click Words].)</a></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/5YYRYyUFvpA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">The album debuted and peaked at No. 3, then went to No. 14, then No. 23. A fantastic showing for a fantastic album by a fantastic group. It's pretty fantastic, in case you couldn't tell.</span><br />
<br />
Congrats Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and David Marks!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419701077130973107.post-7741769797205904732012-06-27T21:40:00.001-05:002012-06-28T00:32:10.988-05:00Blogging: Ups and downsMy blog celebrates its first birthday/anniversary later next month (around the middle of July), and it's been pretty dang successful. I define success in, "Wow, a lot of people are visiting my blog and I didn't expect that."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2fIU4v7J242PeWuLEmrOMi5VFE2yYYyhfr-0Jk1V_gV8i7n0CyICvZrGvyGyJVeaHxcMn1KqoQ37RXm3TQRoRRbwMNFYaX9vwNt-n2jM18QaNBECMsxSq-V9eGhFmBMuZGtRoah8QD4/s1600/oneyearanniversary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2fIU4v7J242PeWuLEmrOMi5VFE2yYYyhfr-0Jk1V_gV8i7n0CyICvZrGvyGyJVeaHxcMn1KqoQ37RXm3TQRoRRbwMNFYaX9vwNt-n2jM18QaNBECMsxSq-V9eGhFmBMuZGtRoah8QD4/s320/oneyearanniversary.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Truth be told, when I started this li'l blog, I figured I'd be lucky to get a handful of visits a month. Maybe a hundred visits in a year. Something like that. And honestly, traffic wasn't the point. But everyone has an ego, and I did have that hope that others would find my words worthwhile.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="background-color: white;">My first month, I had a little better than 100 visits. I was pretty ecstatic about that! Ever since then, every month has seen page views growing by leaps and bounds. I'm due for a record month by the end of June, better than 6,000 page views in the month. Most months have set new records (I have only had one month where my total page views were lower than the previous month). That's pretty excellent.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Thank you all. :) Seriously, that's awesome.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/OLVTaN0Tz08?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">I know a lot of my page views have come from people looking for images (my analytics back this up). I also get a LOT of traffic from people who want downloads to the music I write about (analytics also show this to be true). None of that bothers to me. In fact, it's to be expected. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">But a good number of people actually stick around and read my content. That means a lot to me.</span><br />
<br />
I started this blog so I'd have an outlet. Just a place to babble about music and my thoughts on artists, albums, concerts, songs, music in general, music policies ... whatever. If it is music, it is fair game. I've enjoyed having that kind of release, of being able to throw my thoughts out there. My wife and friends hear me babble on and on about music. A lot of the stuff I get excited about in real life is music, or music-related. It gets to be a bit of a chore sometimes, I think. (Sorry folks!) So it's nice to just be able to write a lot here and send it out into the world, to be read (or not) by folks with similar interests.<br />
<br />
So how is any of this a downside? Well, oddly enough, the downside comes from the FREEDOM of having such a loose structure. I have so many artists, albums, concerts, songs, etc., to choose from. So many musical loves. So many interests. Trying to focus on any one of them during a post sends me off on tangents in my head. I have so many unfinished blog entries because I would write something and then think, "Hey, that reminds me ... I should write about (insert album / artist / etc.) and how they relate to this!"<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/7pvIvcCsZXU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">It's an awesome problem to have, actually. Music is just THAT VARIED. There's something for everyone in music. There's just so much content! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">But that really can be a downside, too. Sometimes I have so many things I want to express, and I find myself stumbling to find traction on which I want to write about first, how involved I want to get with it, and it can (and has!) cause me to say, "Hey, I'll just wait and let my thoughts simmer and see where it takes me."</span><br />
<br />
This is by no means an exit, nor even an apology. Some of my posting has been fairly erratic, month to month. I just wanted you to understand why. Sometimes it's work. Sometimes it's real life. Sometimes I'm just tired. But sometimes it's that there's so much to say, so much to discuss, so much to think about ... It can become quite a challenge to confront such an intense topic like music. Different opinions, emotions and memories can color an approach, on a daily basis. It's like pegging favorites (as I've written about on this blog before): On any given day, things change.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/pl3vxEudif8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">I want to set some goals for my second year with this blog. I want to have a bit more fun ... Some essays, some fantasy situations, maybe fan fiction ... I don't know. Something other than, "Hey, this is awesome." That doesn't mean I won't do what I've been doing here; I will keep writing about whatever I want to write about. But I want to grow, both as a blogger and as a music fan. I'm not content just doing the same stuff I always do.</span><br />
<br />
Some things won't change. I won't share music download links. Most of my posts will deal with positives rather than negatives. There'll be a lot of Beach Boys / Beatles / classic rock music posts. There'll be YouTube video links. I'll share information on new releases that I think are cool. I think all of that stuff is valid, and I enjoy doing it.<br />
<br />
Maybe I'll do fewer posts. Take some time with each post to really make them count. Develop my writing a bit, so it isn't so generalistic. Not worry about quantity ... focus on quality.<br />
<br />
I know that's exactly what bloggers are NOT supposed to do if they want to build an audience. But hey, I'm not trying to shake the world to its roots. And I'm sure not making any money here. So I can do whatever I please, right?<br />
<br />
In the coming weeks, leading up to the actual first birthday/anniversary of my blog, I'll do some more posts (hopefully a couple more reviews that aren't Beach Boys-related) and share anything newsworthy that catches my interest. And starting in August at some point, I hope to start finding new expressions.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/rrdHKbsSXsU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">If you have thoughts, suggestions, criticisms or praise, or anything else in general that you'd like to add, please feel free to do so. The point of this blog isn't just for me to blab on and on, I'd enjoy some good discussion. I think music is so important, so vital to the human experience, so spiritual and fun and colorful, that we can only gain from sharing our thoughts with each other.</span><br />
<br />
Thanks for visiting my blog, friends. It's been a great ride so far, and there's still some gas in the tank. The adventure continues!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/-wNTTOCWppA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419701077130973107.post-6938616546168887332012-06-23T15:26:00.004-05:002012-06-23T15:26:51.483-05:00Washing away that work vibeI'm working today, and I doubt I'll get much time to do a proper blog entry.<br />
<br />
But that got me thinking ... Listening to music at work isn't rare, by any stretch. Some folks hear it over the intercom at some stores. Others get radios at their desks. Some do the headphones thing. CDs. YouTube. MP3 players. Those iPhones and iPods. Music is more portable and present than ever.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCxA_3nox1eIXEpr3BqQc3PqlyPEuj_nbuwUlkvRhd0WLY7PL6sMw1lFM5pFGpXWs8-yLIh9eMZWCNyTyvNg7EJpS5VJmyNGd5-bqBoqJHD16xyarcFvs_t4SvCNL0cdMLKqwzvGolikk/s1600/music.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCxA_3nox1eIXEpr3BqQc3PqlyPEuj_nbuwUlkvRhd0WLY7PL6sMw1lFM5pFGpXWs8-yLIh9eMZWCNyTyvNg7EJpS5VJmyNGd5-bqBoqJHD16xyarcFvs_t4SvCNL0cdMLKqwzvGolikk/s320/music.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">I figure that's a good thing. I certainly rely on music a lot to keep me balanced and get me through the days.</span><br />
<br />
If you listen to music at work, how do you do it? Does your place of business allow it? I'm curious just how permissive different fields are, and different countries are, with the practice of listening to music while working.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="background-color: white;">On my list of albums to groove to today:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Bob Dylan's "Love and Theft."</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/7fdqF4XIUsE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">The Beach Boys' "Hawthorne, CA"</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/cO31uKVHzB4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Pink Floyd's "Meddle."</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/uCgQuj8v2gg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Richard and Linda Thompson's "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight"</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/57PENuNVapc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">fun.'s "Aim and Ignite"</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/wS__GRvBDSo/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wS__GRvBDSo&fs=1&source=uds" />
<param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" />
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" />
<embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wS__GRvBDSo&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">John Lennon's "Acoustic" album.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/_m8uoObnWQM/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_m8uoObnWQM&fs=1&source=uds" />
<param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" />
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" />
<embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_m8uoObnWQM&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;">I don't know that I'll get to all of those today. And maybe I'll just listen to some of the music on my iPhone instead. Music ... Gotta love it!</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419701077130973107.post-71468990550497651052012-06-20T23:15:00.000-05:002012-06-21T23:08:29.383-05:00Just for fun: 70 for Brian Wilson's 70th<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprXB4HVyQQo7BevukgOfdtl5oPIN2cf1f97Xvn2QhouYz0gEBMBEZ72rHj28eVakkgHpUWR1-ZncEZqtAl3qF1nCiVC8ENElcmGAiZdoKHNvPP176t5WipmpNUrrPkyXbOfOevV8YTzU/s1600/BrianWilson1966.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprXB4HVyQQo7BevukgOfdtl5oPIN2cf1f97Xvn2QhouYz0gEBMBEZ72rHj28eVakkgHpUWR1-ZncEZqtAl3qF1nCiVC8ENElcmGAiZdoKHNvPP176t5WipmpNUrrPkyXbOfOevV8YTzU/s320/BrianWilson1966.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">It struck me that it might be fun to assemble a list of 70 songs that Brian Wilson wrote/sang and share this list as a possible fan's guide to Brian Wilson. Since he's 70 years old today, 70 songs seems like a good number. </span><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="background-color: white;">These songs aren't in any specific order (so it isn't a ranking of favorites ... there's gold all the way through). These are just 70 songs that really illustrate the artistry, the value and awesomeness of Brian Wilson. These are not necessarily his best songs, nor are they necessarily all my favorites ... but they are all amazing entries into a 50-year career.</span><br />
<br />
I won't go into a ton of depth on each song. I'll just give a couple sentences each that are the first impressions that leap to my mind. I'm doing this all off the cuff, no lists and without listening to the material. These are just the 70 that hit me strongest at the time I decided to write things down. Here goes:<br />
<br />
1. Good Vibrations<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">One of the greatest singles of all time, and a No. 1 record to boot. Who hasn't heard this classic 1966 song? Absolute perfection, and it helped The Beach Boys pass The Beatles on a year-end readers poll in England.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/vvUOrjK7qRc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;"> 2. Surfer Girl</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Brian claims this is the first song he ever wrote. What a great way to begin! Familiar to the Disney staple "When You Wish Upon a Star," this song is gorgeous in its simplicity. The harmonies are just perfect.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
3. Love and Mercy<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Something of an anthem in Brian Wilson's discography, he's used the song to close most of the concerts he's given since 1999. It's very Brian, very much from the soul. A modest hit in 1988, it was obscured by "Kokomo," a song he had no part of. But "Love and Mercy" deserves to shine.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://1.gvt0.com/vi/m5CQygN_VCk/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/m5CQygN_VCk&fs=1&source=uds" />
<param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" />
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" />
<embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/m5CQygN_VCk&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;"> 4. Surf's Up</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Perhaps the most brilliant and beautiful song in a brilliant and beautiful collection, "Surf's Up" is so perfectly wistful and evocative, and sung so magnificently that it was given the No. 1 slot of best Beach Boys songs by Mojo magazine. I agree.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/QQ2OKoLpNBM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;"> 5. Wouldn't It Be Nice</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">The first track on the magnificent "Pet Sounds," and a hell of a great song all around. It's both upbeat and introspective, the perfect encapsulation of teenage energy and self-doubt, hope and longing. And it's so dynamic! Whew.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
6. Heroes and Villains<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">The cenerpiece of the "SMiLE" album, and the intended follow-up to "Good Vibrations." That's a lot of weight for one song, but "Heroes and Villains" is brilliant enough and powerful enough to make it work. Lots of pieces, interwoven, forming a masterpiece.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
7. Southern California<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">A sweet ode to the past, and to his fallen brothers, Brian conjures such atmosphere in this track from the "That Lucky Old Sun" album. Despite all the drama, all the pain and the drugs, Brian claims that he's glad it happened to him ... as it all had up sides, too. Perfect.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/wcVFl1nTDGw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"> 8. Little Deuce Coupe</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">You can't talk about The Beach Boys' leader and not bring up car songs. This may be the best of the lot, too. Everything about the track is fun, and it really cooks. Brian worked with Roger Christian on the song, but he added the "I've got the pink slip, daddy" hook on his own. </span></li>
</ul>
<br />
9. Surfin' USA<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Just as you can't ignore car songs, you can't ignore surfing songs. This is a rocker that continues to please in the live setting. It may be a rewrite of a Chuck Berry riff, but the sound and vibe are all Beach Boys. Brian knew how to take Berry's song and add harmonies to create a classic.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
10. Here Comes the Night<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">The original "Wild Honey" track cooks, with a great Brian vocal and a solid R&B feel. The Beach Boys could really turn in some cool licks and hot vocals, and this song really puts that on display. Avoid the 1978 disco remake, however.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/0TUS-lmhnMk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;">11. Sloop John B</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">One of the absolute best Beach Boys songs, in terms of arrangements. Everything about this song works, and the section where the instrumental bed drops out and it's all vocals ... dynamite. The vocal weaving of Brian and Mike really sets off the song.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
12. Darlin'<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Another "Wild Honey" standout, and a monster of a song. Everything in this song is fantastic. Brian's arrangement, the propulsive feeling of the track, Carl Wilson's vocal ... This should have been a bigger hit. It was always a delight in the live setting.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
13. Melt Away<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">The singing, the bells and the overall arrangement make this song sound like a 1960s hit with a 1980s production. From his solo debut album, "Melt Away" proved Brian hadn't lost any of his production magic or musical prowess.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
14. That's Why God Made the Radio<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">The first single from the new Beach Boys album, this song makes the voices the stars. Harmonies galore, and what a feeling. Some of the lyrics are a bit snicker worthy, but that's a proud tradition in Beach Boys songs. Everything about the song feels right.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">15. Your Imagination</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">The "Imagination" album was produced by Joe Thomas, who helped The Beach Boys with the new album. The song glories in the thrills and power of the past, while also signalling that Brian wasn't quite ready to give up on the game. A perfect driving song, and catchy as heck.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/rJPCp1W7se8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">16. I'm Waiting for the Day</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">The drum work on this "Pet Sounds" track kicks and kicks and just never lets go. Brian's vocal is strong, and there's just so much testosterone involved. But it's also just a little vulnerable, as one has to wonder why she wasn't with Brian's character in the first place. A knockout.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/M_-qepkPAlI/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/M_-qepkPAlI&fs=1&source=uds" />
<param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" />
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" />
<embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/M_-qepkPAlI&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;">17. Kiss Me Baby</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">One of the very best vocal arrangements The Beach Boys ever did. If I ever sat down to do a Top 10 favorite Beach Boys songs, this one would rank very, very highly. Track the vocal parts, and listen to Brian's high part. Perfection never sounded so good.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
18. The Night Was So Young<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">1977's "Love You" album had a lot of rough spots and incomplete sounding productions. This song was one of the more polished tracks, and it's as moving and beautiful as anything The Beach Boys had done in 10 years. The way the vocals are handed off while retaining the emotion? Magic.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
19. Good Timin'<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">A late Seventies "return to form," in that the harmonies are pitch perfect and the overall song impression is so warm and comfortable. The lyrics are pretty dang good, too. A minor hit, but a great song nonetheless.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/l6Fddgh-WS0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">20. The Little Girl I Once Knew</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Before "Pet Sounds" came this song. With its abrupt silences, the track was hard on radio listeners in 1965. But check out that production! Check out the vocals! Those lyrics are pretty great, too. One of the great should-have-been-a-big-hit songs.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://1.gvt0.com/vi/pZWFItQPf_k/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pZWFItQPf_k&fs=1&source=uds" />
<param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" />
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" />
<embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pZWFItQPf_k&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;">21. I Get Around</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">The Beach Boys' first No. 1 hit, and all around the time of Beatlemania too. That backing track is more complicated than you might think, and there's nothing timid in those vocals. A great, confident song that stands the test of time (even if the lyrics have dated just a bit).</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
22. The Waltz<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">The 2004 solo album "Gettin' In Over My Head" doesn't have a ton of great tracks, and the album got lost in the shuffle when the other 2004 album "Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE" was issued. But this track combines humor, odd instruments and fun vocals for a daffy and cool song.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">23. Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">One of the standout tracks on 2008's "That Lucky Old Sun" album, the track makes an obvious nod to "Surfer Girl." The vocals are assured and soothing, and the pledge of love and the soaring construction merge into a touching song. </span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/D6JW2ennUjk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;">24. California Girls</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">From that classic intro all the way to the fade, every note is perfectly in place and the song is an earworm. Brian would sometimes refer to this song as the anthem of The Beach Boys' career, and that seems about as suiting a way to address it as any. The perfect Beach Boys song.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
25. Sail On Sailor<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Even when he was out of it and couldn't be coerced into the studio to come up with material for the guys, The Beach Boys still managed to get remarkable tracks out of Brian. "Sail On Sailor" is one of those jewels, and it appeared on their overlooked-yet-marvelous "Holland" album.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
26. Catch a Wave<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">What a groove! And it has a harp! The way the vocals climb and fall, it's like the listener is riding a wave with the band. A triumph of production, and a timeless classic all in one. Ooh wah ooh wah. There are just so many great bits to this song.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
27. When I Grow Up (to be a Man)<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Mike Love came up with some killer lyrics that really bring the emotional impact of this song to the foreground. The song is all the more impressive when you realize that it's The Beach Boys themselves who are playing the instrumentation. No Wrecking Crew here. A highlight on 1965's "Today!" album.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/PQWBC2dOWVQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;">28. Let Him Run Wild</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Carl Wilson saw where Brian's music was going, and thus he saw "Pet Sounds" coming. The inventive backing track, the complex vocals and the personal lyrics were already shown off on past Beach Boys songs, but "Let Him Run Wild" kicked it up a gear into a whole new level of song making.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/5H5MsXPb7ZA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">29. Caroline, No</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">The final track on "Pet Sounds," and the first single released that would bear Brian Wilson's credit (it wasn't released as a Beach Boys single), "Caroline, No" has an echoed production and a palpable emotional ache that really sent off the album in a moving way.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
30. Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Perhaps the most perfectly realized track on the 1988 solo debut, "Dreams" has everything and the kitchen sink thrown into the production. It almost sounds like a Christmas song at the start, but then it kicks into a whole different angle. Strong vocals and hooks galore. A wonder of a song.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
31. Let Us Go On This Way<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">A rough roar and a stomping beat gives way to a harmonized group vocal that really sets off the "Love You" album. Once you get over the initial shock that this is somehow THE BEACH BOYS, it becomes a heck of a thrill of a song.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/aCEgGOmBZDM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;">32. Help Me, Rhonda</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">The second version of the song (the first sported a "Ronda" spelling and a harmonica riff) was the group's second No. 1 smash. Al Jardine's vocals highlight a stellar production, as Brian manages to pull off a cool R&B track with summer vocals on top.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
33. South American<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">The lyrics may be a bit dated (though I'm sure plenty of guys would still enjoy having lunch with Cameron Diaz), but the sound and excitement of the track rock. This song sounds in the same vein as "Kokomo," and this Jimmy Buffett co-write adds a bit of shine to the "Imagination" album.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
34. Isn't It Time<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">The catchiest, most upbeat, most pleasing track on the new Beach Boys album? Perhaps. That's certainly my take. The ukelele, the drums, the hand claps ... Yeah, man. This is how The Beach Boys SHOULD sound at 70. They've still got it, and IT sounds so good.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
35. What Love Can Do<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">This song, written with Burt Bacharach, has a bit of a softness and earnestness to it ... The production wouldn't sound too out of place on "Pet Sounds," and the lyrical matter would slot in nicely too. Pretty impressive for a track from 2009.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://0.gvt0.com/vi/n8A_J4KSvRg/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/n8A_J4KSvRg&fs=1&source=uds" />
<param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" />
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" />
<embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/n8A_J4KSvRg&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;">36. In My Room</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">The vocal blend of the Wilson brothers and Love and Jardine has never been so important, or so perfect, as it is with this track. How can anyone hear this song and not feel transported? The need here, the comfort found in a special place ... That's universal. That's human experience. Great song.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
37. She Knows Me Too Well<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Another song that really hits the heart of things, and sets the stage for "Pet Sounds." Brian sculpts a great mood and offers some vocal touches that are so note perfect ... but it's Mike Love's bass that really nails this song down. Talk about a mood song ...</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/J6XsBxwsI-0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">38. Walkin' the Line</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">The walking sound effects might sound just a bit comedic, but it sets off a percussive flair throughout the song that really hits a groove. And Brian's "squawks" are cooler than any sax fill would have provided. Another great track from his 1988 solo debut.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
39. Soul Searchin'<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">The 1995 Beach Boys recording of this song is really fantastic ... but it was never officially released. When Brian released "Gettin' In Over My Head" in 2004, he resurrected Carl's lead vocal and created a new backing track. It's still a great song, and Carl's vocals are the stars.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;">40. Funky Pretty</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">How many vocal parts can you cram into a song? I'm pretty sure Brian must have broken some kind of record for a song of this length, as the tag itself has so many moving parts. The lyrics don't always mean anything, but then ... that means everything. It's a fun song with so much soul.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/2Ex1gbEv1-8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;">41. Going Home</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">A great rocker from "That Lucky Old Sun" that lets Brian sing more in a bass register, and that really hits a golden oldies rock and roll feel. But the lyrics are anything but nostalgic. He even gives you the key to every song, folks. Groovy!</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/xxKy4V06bI4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">42. Marcella</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">One good rocker deserves another. Brian says this was a bit of an homage to The Rolling Stones. While it may not necessarily sound like any Stones song in particular, it has a feel (especially in live versions) that totally captures that rock and roll spirit. </span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/0YwGHsaPeO8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">43. Shut Down</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Tack it up, tack it up, buddy ... Whew. Another classic car song, and just listen to the way that track is built. It almost feels like you're driving because there's a certain speed that is just imbued in this track. No one did car songs better than Brian Wilson and his Beach Boys.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
44. Don't Worry Baby<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Are there more perfect harmony vocals than those The Beach Boys committed to tape? This has some of the most beautiful vocal performances the group ever did, and Brian's falsetto is a killer. You get such an emotional thrill that it's easy to forget that this is a car song (check the lyrics).</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/7QB2Ck00YZ8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;">45. From There to Back Again</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">46. Pacific Coast Highway</span><br />
47. Summer's Gone<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">These three songs form a closing suite at the end of the new Beach Boys album. The mood is certainly more subdued, the lyrics more introspective, and a lot of thought is put into the past ... and those who have passed away. Absolutely a moving trilogy of songs, and a perfect ending to their latest (last?) album.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
48. Midnights Another Day<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Anyone who doubted Brian's ability to deliver another stunner had to have been amazed by this track. The lyric "all these people / make me feel so alone" penned by bandmate Scott Bennett so perfectly fits Brian Wilson, and the mood is so intimate and personal. A "new" (2008) classic.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
49. 'Til I Die<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">The way those notes cascade, the withdrawn and dark mood, the imagery ... This song is a painting, and is proof of Brian's ability to write lyrics that fit the mood so well. A downer? Well, perhaps. But the vocal patterns throughout are inspiring.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/46IQu0yuJzU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;">50. God Only Knows</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">A classic in every sense, and beloved by just about every Beach Boys fan on earth. Paul McCartney calls it the greatest pop song ever written. Who can argue that? The dude would know. Carl Wilson's vocal sob throughout is just spellbinding. And that vocal tag at the end? Awesome.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
51. Cabinessence<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">The very height of experimentation, with different production styles, musical styles and vocal approaches incorporated into one of the most complex and challenging pieces of the "SMiLE" project. Check out the Dennis Wilson vocal "Truck Drivin' Man" that's buried within. That's almost rap, folks. </span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/1dd6LZSNl6k?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;">52. Happy Days</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Brian resurrected an early Seventies nugget called "My Solution," wrapped in another unreleased track called "Thank You" (or "Brian"), and added some childrens chimes music and morse code. The song weaves into a personal insight to Brian's life and his outlook. It's pretty bold and interesting.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;">53. Fun, Fun, Fun</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">That guitar lick sounds like pure Chuck Berry, but the rest of the song is all summer. The finger waving, the girl who lies to her dad, the library ... I mean, c'mon, this is a story song! And what a story song. Teenage rebellion never sounded so fun.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
54. The First Time<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">When Brian released his first live album, "Live at the Roxy," he unearthed a couple of never-before-released songs. The best of these was "The First Time." Such a great mood and such a tight performance, with all the vocal splendor you'd expect. The master was clearly far from out of ideas.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/uAEw-R3mwPE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;">55. Add Some Music to Your Day</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">This gentle piece may not have the most profound lyrics, but it has so much soul. And the vocal work is among the best the group blend conjured at this era. Who needed Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young at this point. The Beach Boys had it covered.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/PBkA4-U4MPk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">56. Time to Get Alone</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">When Brian "abandoned" the production race following "SMiLE" and its meltdown, he hadn't cashed in all his chips. He still was able to build complex songs that were fairly short, with different interlocking vocals. Such is the genius of Brian Wilson ... simple complexity. Ahhh, Redwood.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/j3D6kkJUKB4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">57. Nothing But Love</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">When Brian tackled two unfinished George Gershwin pieces, he created two songs that combined the very best of Wilson and Gershwin to make stunning pieces. "Nothing But Love" was the more neglected of the two, but its arrangement and structure are pretty amazing. His voice is strong, too.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/JRJLNDwY6Io?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;">58. This Whole World</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">How many times do the chords change? Notice the melody shifts? And what about those vocals? "Sunflower" had an embarrassment of riches, but this Brian Wilson classic is proof positive that he still had all the skill at his fingertips ... as long as he felt like actually using it.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/1xz5QDsYSto?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">59. Wendy</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">An unusual arrangement, with drum dropouts and vocal volleyball. It's an arresting performance, as it stirs darker waters in a tale of a girl who chose a different guy. What went wrong? Certainly, nothing that comes to my ears.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/oVSQOQhjukU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">60. Good Kind of Love</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Yet another highlight from "That Lucky Old Sun," and a few instrumental flourishes that remind me of "The Little Girl I Once Knew." It's a great vocal from Brian, with an arrangement that builds and builds with a whole lot of kissin' and huggin'.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/g0zrvCWJZQ0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">61. Do You Like Worms / Roll Plymouth Rock</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">The original Beach Boys recording of this song demonstrates the instrument arrangement genius that Brian brought to the table. The 2004 release shows his ability to capture a melody with vocals. This was a killer track in 1966, and it became a monumental track in 2004. This is some "SMiLE" magic.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/4F_xHnnG3V4/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4F_xHnnG3V4&fs=1&source=uds" />
<param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" />
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" />
<embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4F_xHnnG3V4&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/33kveYrPoLo?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">62. Busy Doin' Nothin'</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Even when Brian has nothing to say, he can still craft a pleasing song. A tale of a daily routine where he has nothing but a phone call (and eventually a letter) on his plate. But it's delivered so delightfully, and the production is such a groovy bossa nova. Fun for fun's sake.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ELKWNOYmTmk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">63. You Still Believe In Me</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">A groovy "Pet Sounds" track that almost sounds like it is harpsichord driven, but instead it's a piano that had its strings plucked with a nail. The vocal keeps climbing higher and higher, and the feeling is so spiritual that I find myself sometimes haunted by the melody.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">64. Our Car Club</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Check out the drum pattern on this song, and how the vocals cut in around it. This club's the very best! And with those voices, and with these sounds, you had to believe it. Maybe not the greatest lyrics, but has any song so perfectly captured that high school feeling of group invincibility?</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/oHtcxFs5R8s?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;">65. Dance, Dance, Dance</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">I love the guitar work, I love the vocals ... and god help me, I actually do feel like dancing when I hear this song. Brian's wail across the top while the rest of the group delivers is such a wallop. The radio does the trick? Oh, most definitely.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
66. Wild Honey<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">A song with a wailing Theremin that isn't "Good Vibrations" or "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times," and has all the groove of the best R&B? You betcha. Talk about soul. Brian's track attacks the ear, and Carl's voice does the rest. Whew.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/NmOE92ACzZY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">67. Mrs. O'Leary's Cow</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Brian Wilson is a hell of a vocal arranger. He's done some of the best singing ever recorded. But he's won one Grammy, and it was for this "Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE" instrumental. Different in parts from the original 1966 version, this track lacks nothing in the way of menace, power or mystique.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/_LI-KazTKw8/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_LI-KazTKw8&fs=1&source=uds" />
<param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" />
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" />
<embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_LI-KazTKw8&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;">68. Please Let Me Wonder</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">A great group performance on vocals, and such a pleading lyric ... When The Beach Boys hit that tender spot in your soul, they can massage it and make it feel like their voices are your voice. This is the kind of song you have to sing along with. </span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/m_hPqnxaYYI/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/m_hPqnxaYYI&fs=1&source=uds" />
<param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" />
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" />
<embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/m_hPqnxaYYI&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">69. Wonderful</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">A song that suits its own title. The harpsichord track, the interlocking vocal parts, the intriguing lyrics, the haunting arrangement ... "SMiLE" was and is a lot of things, and that's because of the variety of music within the project. "Wonderful" is one of the many great pieces.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/RSTJJKffsPI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">70. Rio Grande</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">In 1988, a lot of fans were blown away by this song. Why? Because it proved Brian could still do music in the "SMiLE" vein. There are a lot of different parts here, and they weave together. "The river's deep and the river's so wide," with that drum beat behind it? Wow.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">It would be easy to keep going with this list. I've already left off gems like "Cool Cool Water," "Little St. Nick," "Back Home," "You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone," "Do It Again," "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times," "Rock and Roll Music," "You're Still a Mystery" and dozens more. And I left off a lot of the silly but awesome ones (like "Mona," "Honkin' Down the Highway," "Market Place," etc.) But this sampling of 70 songs more than illustrates the genius that is Brian Wilson, from The Beach Boys to his solo years. The music here is classic, immortal, undeniably rich and moving and brilliant.</span><br />
<br />
What songs do you think best demonstrate Brian Wilson as an artist, singer, producer or human being? What thoughts do you have on my selections? What should be added, or removed? Lay those thoughts on me!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/YzAHc0NrpS0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419701077130973107.post-91010847450765668032012-06-20T17:04:00.002-05:002012-06-20T18:46:39.683-05:00No such thing as "free music"I was reading some stuff online and came across an article that I think addresses music downloads (and those who choose to download "free" music rather than pay for it) pretty well.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaHFfnEQyrIwfgUjP2292Aeavm5OZvx57wgtDCyHk4-BDrHGioN9bnKMlFoz-tSAaIuELPgZOfTTFFq4e0J9KuPIBKEm41b2yhd2ad4m0Xtfp3uD4RAWGZ69Aidqz5bUCzkzCE58EzHXg/s1600/downloadingmusic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaHFfnEQyrIwfgUjP2292Aeavm5OZvx57wgtDCyHk4-BDrHGioN9bnKMlFoz-tSAaIuELPgZOfTTFFq4e0J9KuPIBKEm41b2yhd2ad4m0Xtfp3uD4RAWGZ69Aidqz5bUCzkzCE58EzHXg/s320/downloadingmusic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">I would ask everyone who visits my blog (especially those who are looking for download links) to read it, as it is <b><u>AT THE VERY LEAST</u></b> food for thought. Check out the rest of this post to read it.</span><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="background-color: white;">I try not to be a moralistic preacher. Heaven knows, I've made bad decisions. I'm a flawed person, same as everyone else. It does me no good to point fingers, when I'm often no better than others in a situation.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Several comments on my blog have been from people who ask for links to download material (and these requests are often accompanied by unverified names / accounts / anonymous tags, so people can't be identified ... suggesting that folks making these requests know they're doing something unethical and illegal).</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">I am not judging anyone for doing these things. When I was in college, I had access to Napster before it got cracked down on and later became a pay service. I took advantage of it. Everyone did. Then there came links to bootlegs (unreleased materials, like The Beach Boys' "SMiLE" album, and commercially unreleased live materials from groups like The Beatles, Weezer, Nirvana, etc.). I understand the impulse to download music, to fulfill desires ... or just to experience stuff.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/PvwqSMRtoSI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">As I've gotten older and become a bit more responsible, I've also put a lot of money into music. I buy a lot of new CDs and vinyl records. I download from iTunes and Amazon. And I visit my independent music store a few times a month, putting money into a business that makes music its priority. I try to put my money where my mouth is ... I try to support the people creating the music I love so much. Ask my wife, our house is packed with enough music to stock a respectable library.</span><br />
<br />
Certainly, there are people I've interacted with who used downloads, liked what they heard and then PAID for copies of things. From a practical standpoint (not necessarily a legal one), that's fantastic. In some cases, especially in the bad economy, I can even understand the practical approach of that process. In the end, at least the music gets paid for and the artists get compensated. Their work, which they've put out there to be consumed, gets paid for then. They get to pay bills. Cover rent. Eat. Clothe themselves. Take care of their families. Get health care. Previews that lead to payment seem practical, and benefits the artist properly.<br />
<br />
That practice seems to be fairly rare, however, on the grand scale of things. There's a lot of uploading/downloading of commercially available music, and nothing gets paid back to the artists in these situations. This DOES hurt the creative folks that we are so eager to hear. Sure, it has impact on the companies and the process itself (and everyone likes to rebel against "the man," right?). But those companies, and the process, don't operate in a vacuum. When their bottom lines take a hit, the artists get hit too.<br />
<br />
The article that I'm going to provide below takes a look at the situation, after being sparked by a post on an NPR blog about an intern who admitted to having 11,000 songs in her music library ... though she estimated she's only paid for 15 albums in her life. Those numbers are pretty stunning, though I'm sure it's becoming all too common.<br />
<br />
Please, understand that I am not scolding. I'm not judging. I appreciate and share your love for music and musicians. It's some fulfilling art. It can make you dance and shout. It can make you scream. It can make you cry. It can comfort you in times of loss. It can support you when you need help. Music is important. It's vital. And it deserves fair compensation.<br />
<br />
So, without further ado:<br />
<br />
<br />
(From The Trichordist, <a href="http://thetrichordist.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/letter-to-emily-white-at-npr-all-songs-considered/" target="_blank">YOU CAN READ THE ENTRY HERE</a>)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<header class="entry-header" style="background-image: url(http://s0.wp.com/wp-content/themes/pub/splendio/images/post-head-bkg.png); background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #333333; font-family: 'Droid Sans', 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px;"><h1 class="entry-title" style="border: 0px; clear: both; color: #2e2e29; font-family: 'Droid Sans', 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 3.6rem; font-style: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.04em; line-height: 1.056; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.4em; vertical-align: baseline;">
Letter to Emily White at NPR All Songs Considered.</h1>
</header><br />
<ul class="entry-meta fade" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Droid Sans', 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, sans-serif; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0.714em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b><br /></b></span></ul>
<div class="entry-content" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Droid Sans', 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0.814em 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Recently Emily White, an intern at NPR All Songs Considered and GM of what appears to be her college radio station, <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2012/06/16/154863819/i-never-owned-any-music-to-begin-with" style="border: 0px; color: #ec8500; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">wrote a post on the NPR blog</a> in which she acknowledged that while she had 11,000 songs in her music library, she’s only paid for 15 CDs in her life. Our intention is not to embarrass or shame her. We believe young people like Emily White who are fully engaged in the music scene are the artist’s biggest allies. We also believe–for reasons we’ll get into–that she has been been badly misinformed by the Free Culture movement. We only ask the opportunity to present a countervailing viewpoint.</em></div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Emily:</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
My intention here is not to shame you or embarrass you. I believe you are already on the side of musicians and artists and you are just grappling with how to do the right thing. I applaud your courage in admitting you do not pay for music, and that you do not want to but you are grappling with the moral implications. I just think that you have been presented with some false choices by what sounds a lot like what we hear from the “Free Culture” adherents.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I must disagree with the underlying premise of what you have written. Fairly compensating musicians is not a problem that is up to governments and large corporations to solve. It is not up to them to make it “convenient” so you don’t behave unethically. (Besides–is it really that inconvenient to download a song from iTunes into your iPhone? Is it that hard to type in your password? I think millions would disagree.)</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Rather, fairness for musicians is a problem that requires each of us to individually look at our own actions, values and choices and try to anticipate the consequences of our choices. I would suggest to you that, like so many other policies in our society, it is up to us individually to put pressure on our governments and private corporations to act ethically and fairly when it comes to artists rights. Not the other way around. We cannot wait for these entities to act in the myriad little transactions that make up an ethical life. I’d suggest to you that, as a 21-year old adult who wants to work in the music business, it is especially important for you to come to grips with these very personal ethical issues.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I’ve been teaching college students about the economics of the music business at the University of Georgia for the last two years. Unfortunately for artists, most of them share your attitude about purchasing music. There is a disconnect between their personal behavior and a greater social injustice that is occurring. You seem to have internalized that ripping 11,000 tracks in your iPod compared to your purchase of 15 CDs in your lifetime feels pretty disproportionate. You also seem to recognize that you are not just ripping off the record labels but you are directly ripping off the artist and songwriters whose music you “don’t buy”. It doesn’t really matter that you didn’t take these tracks from a file-sharing site. That may seem like a neat dodge, but I’d suggest to you that from the artist’s point of view, it’s kind of irrelevant.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Now, my students typically justify their own disproportionate choices in one of two ways. I’m not trying to set up a “strawman”, but I do have a lot of anecdotal experience with this.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“It’s OK not to pay for music because record companies rip off artists and do not pay artists anything.” </em>In the vast majority of cases, this is not true. There have been some highly publicized abuses by record labels. But most record contracts specify royalties and <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">advances</em>to artists. Advances are important to understand–a prepayment of unearned royalties. Not a debt, more like a bet. The artist only has to “repay” (or “recoup”) the advance from record sales. If there are no or insufficient record sales, the advance is written off by the record company. So it’s false to say that record companies don’t pay artists. Most of the time they not only pay artists, but they make bets on artists. And it should go without saying that the bets will get smaller and fewer the more unrecouped advances are paid by labels.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Secondly,<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> by law</em> the record label must pay songwriters (who may also be artists) something called a “mechanical royalty” for sales of CDs or downloads of the song. This is paid regardless of whether a record is recouped or not. The rate is predetermined, and the license is compulsory. Meaning that the file sharing sites could get the same license if they wanted to, at least for the songs. They don’t. They don’t wanna pay artists.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Also, you must consider the fact that the vast majority of artists are releasing albums independently and there is not a “real” record company. Usually just an imprint owned by the artist. In the vast majority of cases you are taking money directly from the artist. How does one know which labels are artist owned? It’s not always clear. But even in the case of corporate record labels, shouldn’t they be rewarded for the bets they make that provides you with recordings you enjoy? It’s not like the money goes into a giant bonfire in the middle of the woods while satanic priests conduct black masses and animal sacrifices. Usually some of that money flows back to artists, engineers and people like you who graduate from college and get jobs in the industry. And record labels also give your college radio stations all those CDs you play.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Artists can make money on the road (or its variant “Artists are rich”). </em>The average income of a musician that files taxes is something like 35k a year w/o benefits. The vast majority of artists do not make significant money on the road. Until recently, most touring activity was a money losing operation. The idea was the artists would make up the loss through recorded music sales. This has been reversed by the financial logic of file-sharing and streaming. You now tour to support making albums if you are very, very lucky. Otherwise, you pay for making albums out of your own pocket. Only the very top tier of musicians make ANY money on the road. And only the 1% of the 1% makes <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">significant</em> money on the road. (For now.)</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Over the last 12 years I’ve watched revenue flowing to artists collapse.</div>
<blockquote style="background-image: url(http://s0.wp.com/wp-content/themes/pub/splendio/images/quotation_marks.png); background-position: 0% 10px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; color: #845424; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 1.5em; min-height: 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0.357em 3.571em 0.714em; quotes: ''; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Recorded music revenue is down 64% since 1999.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Per capita spending on music is 47% lower than it was in 1973!!</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The number of professional musicians has fallen 25% since 2000.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Of the 75,000 albums released in 2010 only 2,000 sold more than 5,000 copies. Only 1,000 sold more than 10,000 copies. Without going into details, 10,000 albums is about the point where independent artists begin to go into the black on professional album production, marketing and promotion.</div>
</blockquote>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
On a personal level, I have witnessed the impoverishment of many critically acclaimed but marginally commercial artists. In particular, two dear friends: Mark Linkous (Sparklehorse) and Vic Chesnutt. Both of these artists, despite growing global popularity, saw their total incomes fall in the last decade. There is no other explanation except for the fact that “fans” made the unethical choice to take their music without compensating these artists.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Shortly before Christmas 2009, Vic took his life. He was my neighbor, and I was there as they put him in the ambulance. On March 6th, 2010, Mark Linkous shot himself in the heart. Anybody who knew either of these musicians will tell you that the pair suffered depression. They will also tell you their situation was worsened by their financial situation. Vic was deeply in debt to hospitals and, at the time, was publicly complaining about losing his home. Mark was living in abject squalor in his remote studio in the Smokey Mountains without adequate access to the mental health care he so desperately needed.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I present these two stories to you not because I’m pointing fingers or want to shame you. I just want to illustrate that “small” personal decisions have very real consequences, particularly when millions of people make the decision not to compensate artists they supposedly “love”. And it is up to us individually to examine the consequences of our actions. It is not up to governments or corporations to make us choose to behave ethically. We have to do that ourselves.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Now, having said all that, I also deeply empathize with your generation. You have grown up in a time when technological and commercial interests are attempting to change our principles and morality. Rather than using our morality and principles to guide us through technological change, there are those asking us<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> to change our morality and principles to fit the technological change</em>–if a machine can do something, it ought to be done. Although it is the premise of every “machines gone wild” story since Jules Verne or Fritz Lang, this is exactly backwards. Sadly, I see the effects of this thinking with many of my students.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
These technological and commercial interests have largely exerted this pressure through the Free Culture movement, which is funded by a handful of large tech corporations and <a href="http://www.ibiblio.org/cccr/docs/990B-2008.pdf" style="border: 0px; color: #ec8500; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">their foundations</a> in the US, Canada, Europe and other countries.* Your letter clearly shows that you sense that something is deeply wrong, but you don’t put your finger on it. I want to commend you for doing this. I also want to enlist you in the fight to correct this outrage. Let me try to to show you exactly what is wrong. What it is you can’t put your finger on.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The fundamental shift in principals and morality is about who gets to control and exploit the work of an artist. The accepted norm for hudreds of years of western civilization is the artist exclusively has the right to exploit and control his/her work for a period of time. (Since the works that are are almost invariably the subject of these discussions are popular culture of one type or another, the duration of the copyright term is pretty much irrelevant for an ethical discussion.) By allowing the artist to treat his/her work as actual property, the artist can decide how to monetize his or her work. This system has worked very well for fans and artists. Now we are being asked to undo this not because we think this is a bad or unfair way to compensate artists but simply because it is technologically possible for corporations or individuals to exploit artists work without their permission on a massive scale and globally. We are being asked to continue to let these companies violate the law without being punished or prosecuted. We are being asked to change our morality and principals to match what I think are immoral and unethical business models.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Who are these companies? They are sites like The Pirate Bay, or Kim Dotcom and Megaupload. They are “legitimate” companies like Google that serve ads to <a href="http://www.popuppirates.com/" style="border: 0px; color: #ec8500; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">these sites through AdChoices and Doubleclick</a>. They are companies like Grooveshark that operate streaming sites <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2011/dec/12/grooveshark-music-site" style="border: 0px; color: #ec8500; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">without permission from artists</a> and over the objections of the artist, much less payment of royalties lawfully set by the artist. They are the venture capitalists that raise money for these sites. They are the hardware makers that sell racks of servers to these companies. And so on and so on.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
What the corporate backed Free Culture movement is asking us to do is analogous to changing our morality and principles to allow the equivalent of looting. Say there is a neighborhood in your local big city. Let’s call it The ‘Net. In this neighborhood there are record stores. Because of some antiquated laws, The ‘Net was never assigned a police force. So in this neighborhood people simply loot all the products from the shelves of the record store. People know it’s wrong, but they do it because they know they will rarely be punished for doing so. What the commercial Free Culture movement (see the “hybrid economy”) is saying is that instead of putting a police force in this neighborhood we should simply change our values and morality to accept this behavior. We should change our morality and ethics to accept looting because it is simply possible to get away with it. And nothing says freedom like getting away with it, right?</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
But it’s worse than that. It turns out that Verizon, AT&T, Charter etc etc are charging a toll to get into this neighborhood to get the free stuff. Further, companies like Google are selling maps (search results) that tell you where the stuff is that you want to loot. Companies like Megavideo are charging for a high speed looting service (premium accounts for faster downloads). Google is also selling ads in this neighborhood and sharing the revenue with everyone except the people who make the stuff being looted. Further, in order to loot you need to have a $1,000 dollar laptop, a $500 dollar iPhone or $400 Samsumg tablet. It turns out the supposedly “free” stuff <a href="http://scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2012/06/13/not-free-not-easy-not-trivial-the-warehousing-and-delivery-of-digital-goods/" style="border: 0px; color: #ec8500; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">really isn’t free</a>. In fact it’s an expensive way to get “free” music. <a href="http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1628049,00.asp" style="border: 0px; color: #ec8500; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(Like most claimed “disruptive innovations”it turns out expensive subsidies exist elsewhere</a>.) Companies are actually making money from this looting activity. These companies only make money if you change your principles and morality! And none of that money goes to the artists!</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
And believe it or not this is where the problem with Spotify starts. The internet is full of stories from artists detailing just how little they receive from Spotify. I shan’t repeat them here. They are epic. Spotify does not exist in a vacuum. The reason they can get away with paying so little to artists is because the alternative is The ‘Net where people have already purchased all the gear they need to loot those songs for free. Now while something<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> like</em>Spotify may be a solution for how to compensate artists fairly in the future, it is not a fair system now. As long as the consumer makes the unethical choice to support the looters, Spotify will not have to compensate artists fairly. There is simply no market pressure. Yet Spotify’s CEO is the 10th richest man in the UK music industry ahead of all but one artist on his service.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
++++++++++++++++++</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
So let’s go back and look at what it would have cost you to ethically and legally support the artists.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
And I’m gonna give you a break. I’m not gonna even factor in the record company share. Let’s just pretend for your sake the record company isnt simply the artists imprint and all record labels are evil and don’t deserve any money. Let’s just make the calculation based on exactly what the artist should make. First, the mechanical royalty to the songwriters. This is generally the artist. The royalty that is supposed to be paid by law is 9.1 cents a song for every download or copy. So that is $1,001 for all 11,000 of your songs. Now let’s suppose the artist has an average 15% royalty rate. This is calculated at wholesale value. Trust me, but this comes to 10.35 cents a song or $1,138.50. So to ethically and morally “get right” with the artists you would need to pay $2,139.50.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
As a college student I’m sure this seems like a staggering sum of money. And in a way, it is. At least until you consider that you probably accumulated all these songs over a period of 10 years (5th grade). Sot that’s $17.82 dollars a month. Considering you are in your prime music buying years, you admit your life is “music centric” and you are a DJ, that $18 dollars a month sounds like a bargain. Certainly much much less than what I spent each month on music during the 4 years I was a college radio DJ.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Let’s look at other things you (or your parents) might pay for each month and compare.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Smart phone with data plan: $40-100 a month.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
High speed internet access: $30-60 dollars a month. Wait, but you use the university network? Well, buried in your student fees or tuition you are being charged a fee on the upper end of that scale.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Tuition at American University, Washington DC (excluding fees, room and board and books): $2,086 a month.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Car insurance or Metro card? $100 a month?</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Or simply look at the value of the web appliances you use to enjoy music:</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
$2,139.50 = 1 smart phone + 1 full size ipod + 1 macbook.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Why do you pay real money for this other stuff but not music?</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
++++++++++++++++++++++++++</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The existential questions that your generation gets to answer are these:</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Why do we value the network and hardware that delivers music but not the music itself?</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Why are we willing to pay for computers, iPods, smartphones, data plans, and high speed internet access but not the music itself?</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Why do we gladly give our money to some of the largest richest corporations in the world but not the companies and individuals who create and sell music?</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
This is a bit of hyperbole to emphasize the point. But it’s as if:</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Networks: Giant mega corporations.</strong><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Cool! have some money!</em></div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hardware: Giant mega corporations.<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </em></strong><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Cool! have some money!</em></div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Artists: 99.9 % lower middle class.<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </em></strong><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Screw you, you greedy bastards!</em></div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Congratulations, your generation is the first generation in history to rebel by <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">unsticking </em>it to the man and instead sticking it to the weirdo freak musicians!</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I am genuinely stunned by this. Since you appear to love first generation Indie Rock, and as a founding member of a first generation Indie Rock band I am now legally obligated to issue this order: <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">kids, lawn, vacate.</em></div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
You are doing it wrong.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Emily, I know you are not exactly saying what I’ve illustrated above. You’ve unfortunately stumbled into the middle of a giant philosophical fight between artists and powerful commercial interests. To your benefit, it is clear you are trying to answer those existential questions posed to your generation. And in your heart, you grasp the contradiction. But I have to take issue with the following statement:</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As I’ve grown up, I’ve come to realize the gravity of what file-sharing means to the musicians I love. I can’t support them with concert tickets and t-shirts alone. But I honestly don’t think my peers and I will ever pay for albums. I do think we will pay for convenience.</em></div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I’m sorry, but what is inconvenient about iTunes and, say, iTunes match (that let’s you stream all your music to all your devices) aside from having to pay? Same with Pandora premium, MOG and a host of other legitimate services. I can’t imagine that any other legal music service that is gonna be simpler than these to use. Isn’t convenience already here!</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Ultimately there are three “inconvenient” things that MUST happen for any legal service:</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
1.create an account and provide a payment method (once)</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
2.enter your password.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
3. Pay for music.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
So what you are really saying is that you won’t do these three things. This is too inconvenient. And I would guess that the most inconvenient part is….step 3.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
That’s fine. But then you must live with the moral and ethical choice that you are making to not pay artists. And artists won’t be paid. And it won’t be the fault of some far away evil corporation. You “and your peers” ultimately bear this responsibility.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
You may also find that this ultimately hinders your hopes of finding a job in the music industry. Unless you’re planning on working for free. Or unless you think Google is in the music industry–which it is not.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I also find this all this sort of sad. Many in your generation are willing to pay a little extra to buy “fair trade” coffee that insures the workers that harvested the coffee were paid fairly. Many in your generation will pay a little more to buy clothing and shoes from manufacturers that certify they don’t use sweatshops. Many in your generation pressured Apple to examine working conditions at Foxconn in China. Your generation is largely responsible for the recent cultural changes that has given more equality to same sex couples. On nearly every count your generation is much more ethical and fair than my generation. Except for one thing. Artist rights.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
+++++++++++++++++++++</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
At the start of this I did say that I hoped to convert you to actively helping musicians and artists. That ultimately someone like you, someone so passionately involved in music is the best ally that musicians could have. Let me humbly suggest a few things:</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
First, you could legally buy music from artists. The best way to insure the money goes to artists? Buy it directly from their website or at their live shows. But if you can’t do that, there is a wide range of services and sites that will allow you to do this conveniently. Encourage your “peers” to also do this.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Second, actively “call out” those that profit by exploiting artists without compensation. File sharing sites are supported by corporate web advertising. Call corporations out by giving specific examples. For instance, say your favorite artist is Yo La Tengo. If you search at Google “free mp3 download Yo La Tengo” you will come up with various sites that offer illegal downloads of Yo La Tengo songs. I clicked on a link to the site www.beemp3.com where I found You La Tengo’s entire masterpiece album <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass.</em></div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I also found an ad for Geico Insurance which appeared to have been serviced to the site by “Ads by Google”. You won’t get any response by writing a file sharing site. They already know what they are doing is wrong. However Geico might be interested in this. And technically, Google’s policy is to not support piracy sites, however it seems to be rarely enforced. The best way to write any large corporation is to search for the “investor’s relations” page. For some reason there is always a human being on the other end of <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">that</em> contact form. You could also write your Congressman and Senator and suggest they come up with some way to divert the flow of advertising money back to the artists.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
And on that matter of the $2,139.50 you owe to artists? Why not donate something to a charity that helps artists. Consider this your penance. In fact I’ll make a deal with you. For every dollar you personally donate I’ll match it up to the $500. Here are some suggestions.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nuci’s Space.</strong> This is Athens Georgia’s home grown musician health and mental health charity. This would be a nice place to donate money if you were a fan of Vic Chesnutt.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
http://www.nuci.org/</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Music Cares. </strong>You can also donate to this charity run by the NARAS (the Grammys).<a href="http://www.grammy.org/musicares/donate" style="border: 0px; color: #ec8500; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">http://www.grammy.org/musicares/donate</a></div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Health Alliance for Austin Musicians. </strong> Friends speak highly of this organization.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">American Heart Association Memorial Donation.</strong> Or since you loved Big Star and Alex Chilton, why not make a donation to The American Heart Association in Alex Chilton’s name? (Alex died of a heart attack)<a href="https://donate.americanheart.org/ecommerce/donation/acknowledgement_info.jsp?campaignId=&site=Heart&itemId=prod20007" style="border: 0px; color: #ec8500; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">https://donate.americanheart.org/ecommerce/donation/acknowledgement_info.jsp?campaignId=&site=Heart&itemId=prod20007</a></div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I’m open to suggestions on this.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I sincerely wish you luck in your career in the music business and hope this has been enlightening in some small way.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
David Lowery</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
###</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419701077130973107.post-24549428272036751272012-06-20T14:58:00.002-05:002012-06-20T14:59:18.441-05:00Happy 70th birthday, Brian Wilson!Brian Wilson's 70th birthday is today, two days after Sir Paul McCartney's own 70th. What a week for popular music, right?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuaYhRR0-xV7tkYW-4QiSk_DzMymqhMgkgBRmGh6d5wIPwe4GxZtneGZzcSmiQ81zChFr6caPyxVWN2Im3HsHDY88JBY_2uJy8GNFbaikTtN0KMyIYq5jD7b5j1gonZobBNgg1FAIkn40/s1600/brianwilson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuaYhRR0-xV7tkYW-4QiSk_DzMymqhMgkgBRmGh6d5wIPwe4GxZtneGZzcSmiQ81zChFr6caPyxVWN2Im3HsHDY88JBY_2uJy8GNFbaikTtN0KMyIYq5jD7b5j1gonZobBNgg1FAIkn40/s320/brianwilson.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Brian is on tour with The Beach Boys as they continue their reunion run. The latest Beach Boys album "That's Why God Made the Radio" debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 charts. Critics and fans alike have applauded both the album and the tour.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ln3xA3KvFQw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">So, basically, Brian's 70th comes at a time when he's doing well professionally and is seeing the fruits of his labors being loved at sold-out venues. Not too shabby!</span><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="background-color: white;">Brian has had to deal with a lot in his life. From the abuse and badgering of his father, to the mental issues and damages from drug abuse that have scarred his mind and vocals, to the losses of brothers Dennis (in 1983) and Carl (in 1998), to legal battles with his family, his bandmates and music entities (music publishers, producers, etc.), and the struggles with Dr. Landy (who saved his life, then took it over).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Through it all, he has persevered. He's managed to produce quite a bit of music since his 1988 solo debut, with several great songs (and a fair share of clunkers, too). He's toured regularly since 1999, a feat few would have believed possible after he departed from regular touring in the mid 1960s. He's repaired relationships with The Beach Boys, and with old friends and family. Hell, he's even resurrected "SMiLE" ... twice! ("Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE" and "The SMiLE Sessions.")</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/sJWuQV2u9ns?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Brian is not who he was in 1964/1965/1966. But he's still here, he's still creating and that's something to be thankful for. That great music, the joy and comfort and understanding in it ... His music is an enormous gift, one we can all enjoy on his birthday.</span><br />
<br />
Happy 70th birthday, Brian Wilson!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wj0Csyt-SPY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419701077130973107.post-69882848679636667432012-06-19T16:41:00.004-05:002012-06-19T16:41:48.898-05:00Almost a week and no post? Sorry!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIeuE-XVB69Z3HPjsjNNCh6Mgg6k4JUhPyxfPP-9AyoGkXjKk4H6A4_gKZekKB49s34XNYhyphenhyphenysVc7NEFprDdTCRzXY53NVQwkFGv2ujNcJoIyv64ETDotVUyPX7x2KiRp23mjUfPGxbX0/s1600/pleasestandby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIeuE-XVB69Z3HPjsjNNCh6Mgg6k4JUhPyxfPP-9AyoGkXjKk4H6A4_gKZekKB49s34XNYhyphenhyphenysVc7NEFprDdTCRzXY53NVQwkFGv2ujNcJoIyv64ETDotVUyPX7x2KiRp23mjUfPGxbX0/s320/pleasestandby.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Hey all,</span><br />
<br />
I'll be back to posting soon, I've just been preoccupied lately. I've been listening a lot to the new Beach Boys album, but I figure I've posted quite a bit on that lately. Unless there's some big breaking news (an expanded edition, it hitting No. 1 on the charts, a new single with video, etc.), I'll probably lay off doing more "That's Why God Made the Radio" posts for a bit.<br />
<br />
Got a few reviews started (none are very far along yet). Sharon Van Etten's "Tramp" is one, as is Paul and Linda McCartney's "Ram" (a review of the 2-disc deluxe edition). I enjoy both albums a lot, but haven't been struck by the "gotta write this NOW" bug for them. If something grabs me more forcefully in the near future, those may get knocked aside for a bit.<br />
<br />
Hope you're all doing well!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/-1OBHLTaHnU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419701077130973107.post-20648172008701834502012-06-14T16:39:00.006-05:002012-06-14T16:40:07.659-05:00Worst reviews? Could be!Some friends of mine uncovered this gem of a link, and I wanted to share it with you folks.<br />
<br />
This isn't any of my own work, and I give full credit to the compiler (apparently, a writer going by the username of schmidtt).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaT3i3aUG4_cNGT6mIYEzCDh25wGGvYxFIzRJvcn7Ac7-HUhxInWsy8dU0Ndbf0G3bibsRrXjy7Mh6NgwshSI2QefZ893aWh_4xoQyW3uAljfbHIEdRJp0ou6G9XvsKVdnvuVFIgGiZ8M/s1600/Rolling-Stone-Covers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaT3i3aUG4_cNGT6mIYEzCDh25wGGvYxFIzRJvcn7Ac7-HUhxInWsy8dU0Ndbf0G3bibsRrXjy7Mh6NgwshSI2QefZ893aWh_4xoQyW3uAljfbHIEdRJp0ou6G9XvsKVdnvuVFIgGiZ8M/s320/Rolling-Stone-Covers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I give you: <a href="http://rateyourmusic.com/lists/list_view?list_id=331798&show=50&start=0" target="_blank">Rolling Stone's 500 Worst Reviews (click the words)</a>.<br />
<br />
There's a lot of brilliance, analysis and bile there. It's a great read! You can pick it up and put it down, come back later, read a few at a time ... But it's worthy of perusal!<br />
<br />
Let me know what you think!<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>I offer this as an example of the content you'll find:<br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
The Doors<br />
<br />
Strange Days (1967)<br />
<br />
Rating: Favorable<br />
"Many people don't care to see Jim Morrison making it with his microphone in the manner of Mick Jagger nor do they especially want to watch him writhing on the floor. If they don't, then they suggest he is selling out to commercialism, has an old-fashioned concept of rock and roll or something. However, what's actually taking place on stage, and what Morrison is doing, is about 3000-years old fashioned and very contemporary in approach." (11/23/67 Review)<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>No attribution is provided for any of the reviews in issues 2, 3 or 4 of Rolling Stone. So we really don't know who is responsible for this review of the Doors' second album, surely one of the most awesomely inept pieces of writing to ever appear in the magazine. </i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<i>Strange Days received 5 stars in the first edition of the Rolling Stone record guide, published in 1979, in what is perhaps the most effusive entry in the entire book ("Brash, courageous, intelligent, adventurous and exciting. The Doors were all this - and more.") </i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<i>In an amusing twist, in the second edition of the guide, published only 4 years later, Dave Marsh completely trashes the Doors, bemoaning "the obnoxious and insipid cult that now surrounds Jim Morrison," and gives all but the debut and Morrison Hotel 2 stars. </i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<i>In the third edition of album guide, printed in 1992, Paul Evans provides a more sober assessment of Jim Morrison ("he was in the end both tragic and pathetic"), and rates Strange Days (which he describes as "twilit, ominous carnival music") three and half stars. This rating & review were repeated in the 2004 album guide. </i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<i>In a special issue of the magazine published on 12/11/03 (around the same time the fourth edition of the album guide was coming to print), RS unveiled its "500 Greatest Albums of All Time." Strange Days was #407 on the list.</i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<i><br /></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419701077130973107.post-41573013566144479782012-06-14T13:00:00.005-05:002012-06-14T13:00:45.675-05:00Proof: Beach Boys No. 3 on Billboard 200Here it is!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8LUMuWBZZ4I0sOyEXrcF2hagMGXWSDTedxqkxoCdrATj_6MQ5UZHylvtruOKDeeo8-eEtnVtfl1sGF4gd-lAehwP7uUIK3wQr6i4-SvEueywu_isrMcCVsbwnbYkBg0dbjyLl-CyFQ48/s1600/beachboyschart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8LUMuWBZZ4I0sOyEXrcF2hagMGXWSDTedxqkxoCdrATj_6MQ5UZHylvtruOKDeeo8-eEtnVtfl1sGF4gd-lAehwP7uUIK3wQr6i4-SvEueywu_isrMcCVsbwnbYkBg0dbjyLl-CyFQ48/s320/beachboyschart.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Congratulations, Beach Boys!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419701077130973107.post-49012479468580973242012-06-13T14:17:00.003-05:002012-06-13T14:18:13.570-05:00Summer far from gone: Beach Boys hit No. 3 on BillboardThe new Beach Boys album "That's Why God Made the Radio" has debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd9_t3AFduiW-4R1wS3M7nLD6dX1cCvSfze5TvxKXNQnUJkWnI_hTpI0bQ8PeCJOLaeX3GRe21FsVI1xTprjmCrD-J1CY8UuJTk29avwv5bUlDdB3TsVWeGEyrArAKDoha8XqJbZNJ4lU/s1600/beachboysgroup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd9_t3AFduiW-4R1wS3M7nLD6dX1cCvSfze5TvxKXNQnUJkWnI_hTpI0bQ8PeCJOLaeX3GRe21FsVI1xTprjmCrD-J1CY8UuJTk29avwv5bUlDdB3TsVWeGEyrArAKDoha8XqJbZNJ4lU/s320/beachboysgroup.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
How huge is this? It's HUGE.<br />
<br />
From Billboard's article (which you can read <a href="http://www.billboard.com/#/news/alan-jackson-scores-top-debut-on-billboard-1007306752.story" target="_blank">HERE)</a>:<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>At No. 3, the Beach Boys notch its highest charting album since 1974 as "That's Why God Made the Radio" debuts with 61,000. It's the group's highest-debut ever, and best rank since 1974's "Endless Summer" greatest hits set hit No. 1. In terms of studio albums, "That's Why God Made the Radio" is its highest-ranked since 1965's "Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)" reached No. 2. "That's Why God Made the Radio" is the group's 14th top 10 album overall, and first since 1976's "Big Ones" (No. 8).</i><br />
<br />
<i>"That's Why God Made the Radio" is the band's 29th studio album and was released as part of the group's 50th anniversary celebration. Its 61,000 sales start also includes nearly 20,000 copies that were pre-ordered during the band's concert appearance on the QVC shopping network on May 16.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
It's quite a time for Beach Boys fans. From "The SMiLE Sessions" to the reunion, from the concert tour to the late-night television appearances, from the new album and the great songs ... It's been a long time coming, and fans worldwide have every reason to celebrate. "From There to Back Again" indeed!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/LaDiwoACJ2Q?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419701077130973107.post-31652307514437613502012-06-08T19:53:00.003-05:002012-06-08T22:08:29.197-05:00Billboard: Beach Boys album and the chartsKind of interesting:<br />
<br />
The Beach Boys' new "That's Why God Made the Radio" will perhaps give the legendary act its highest debut ever and first top 10 album since 1976. The album is on course for a start in the range of 60,000 to 65,000 and should easily become the group's first top 10 since 1976's "15 Big Ones" hit No. 8.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyv2MP838WzY9MW3PAqWri-f-aTHnlLdZU0z2EBTNkHOohNezXHI2M6LHHwCcCVjUgAM-vvRhR0gPatJpf62Lphx7qPJFpghGOL5NqNvLNfk5rxpZdZJIBdl9mbMW8DMyShA6T0pEuG3k/s1600/beachboys2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyv2MP838WzY9MW3PAqWri-f-aTHnlLdZU0z2EBTNkHOohNezXHI2M6LHHwCcCVjUgAM-vvRhR0gPatJpf62Lphx7qPJFpghGOL5NqNvLNfk5rxpZdZJIBdl9mbMW8DMyShA6T0pEuG3k/s320/beachboys2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
You can view the rest of the article <a href="http://www.billboard.com/news#/news/adele-s-21-going-for-24th-week-at-no-1-on-1007255952.story" target="_blank">HERE (click words).</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/xsZ5IpPAYhI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2