Robert Pollard's 2005: A Review

In a very casual and low-key way, Robert Pollard began his post-GBV career with a trio of EP's that felt...well, anti-climactic after the final tour with his band. Perhaps fitting, given the amazing amount of energy and exhilaration of the Electrifying Conclusion tour. So we get The Moping Swans, which I highly recommend, and two other EPs with one good song apiece. Not a blowing out the gates kind of start for Mr. Pollard. It feels right, however, for these releases to surface after the final tour - a sweet appendix to 2004.
But 2006 would see him back to his already established work ethic of numerous releases, side projects, and a full tour under his own name. 2006 is also the year that he released his magnum opus, "From A Compound Eye", his first real record after the end of GBV. Stay tuned for more details.

Robert Pollard - Music For "Bubble" EP (2005)

Robert Pollard continues his 2005, after Guided by Voices final tour with yet another modest EP, this time as music for Steven Soderbergh’s film “Bubble”.  In my opinion, this is an EP that is not essential for Pollard fanatics, although “All Men Are Freezing” would foreshadow Pollard’s songwriting on “From a Compound Eye” and “Coast to Coast Carpet of Love” – it’s gently rolling chord changes and singing make it sound like outtakes from those records.  “Boring About” and “Search-light Pickups” are two gentle prog-inspired acoustic instrumentals.  “747 Ego” is not as amazing at the title.  It is a plodding rocker that isn’t very inspiring and unfortunately it’s repeated twice on this short EP.  “I’m No Child” has a wonderfully strange melody placed into a bed of acoustic guitars, and is the clear winner here.  In my opinion, this is an inconsequential release, even though it’s attached to a Soderbergh film.  “I’m No Child” is the real keeper here, so seek out that song for your Pollard mix tapes.   

The Moping Swans - Lightninghead to Coffee Pot (2005)

“Lightninghead to Coffeepot” continued Pollard’s somewhat low profile releases after Guided By Voices’ final tour.  This EP has the distinction of having former GBV members Greg Demos on bass and Jim MacPherson on drums, and Tony Conley on guitar.  Tony was formerly in Anacrusis, which was known as Pollard's pre-GBV metal band.  Again, as with the “Zoom” EP, this feels like a get together by old friends on an afternoon, jamming out some songs that Bob wrote that afternoon.  “Beaten by the Target” is slammin’ power-pop that shames the best Cheap Trick or Big Star ever offered.  “Shame Me No Further” gives you a good idea of Mr. Conley’s guitar talents, which some nice psych-induced lead lines, and some truly metal-styled chord changes.  “The Moping Swans Are Home” seemingly inhabits post-punk and prog rock stylings within it’s just under 4:00 minute mark.  “Look at Your Life” endlessly repeats it’s chorus until it will never be removed from your brain, but has a bitter sweet melody that carries its charms.  “Keep the Gutters Fresh” is one of those Pollard gems that you would hope to hear performed one day, but you know you never will – a deep cut that will never surface again, but is musically and melodically fantastic.  The title cut is a monstrous prog rock behemoth, unswerving in its determination to steamroll your consciousness.  Again, as with many of Pollard’s side projects and EP’s, his many styles are distilled into one smart, catchy, and utterly creative EP.  This is a hidden gem in his catalog.

Robert Pollard - Zoom (2005)

The first release by Robert Pollard after the dissolution of Guided by Voices was not some massive, sprawling epic.  It was this lovely little EP, released in 2005, shortly after Guided By Voices played their last shows.  Zoom (It Happens All Over the World) is a minor release by Mr Pollard, and it feels like an afternoon jam on the porch, with some old friends getting together to play songs that were just written that morning, after a long final tour, and everyone nursing their hangovers.  “Dr Fuji and Henry Charleston (Zoom Variation)” is a sweet instrumental with Doug Gillard.  Chris Slusarenko appears on “Have a Day Mr Clay”.  “Catherine from Mid-October” is another brilliantly melodic acoustic song, in a long line of songs that owe a homage to 60’s British Invasion, but are wholly original and never derivative of that genre.  “Zoom (It Happens All Over the World)” is a priceless gem, with Gillard appearing to play bass, and once again demonstrates that even on a small and modest release such as this EP, Pollard can deliver at least one joyous pop gem that sticks in your head for days.  

Robert Pollard - A Post-Guided By Voices Examination

In anticipation of the Guided By Voices reunion shows, I have been thinking a lot about the work of Robert Pollard. And when I say work, I mean a tremendous body of recorded music. Of course, Guided By Voices is known for such classic indie, lo-fi albums such as Bee Thousand, Alien Lanes, and Propeller. If you are not in tune with these records, by all means seek them out immediately. Now...if you are an admirer of Pollard's songcraft, then you already have these, right? If indeed you have exhausted your playing time for these and other Guided By Voices classics, you might ask yourself - what else is out there?

Well, there is an intimidating amount of albums by Robert Pollard in the post-Guided By Voices canon (2004-2010). Where to start? If you are aware of Pollard's brilliance, you are also aware that many of his solo albums and side projects can be somewhat inconsistent. For every fantastic gem, there might be a couple that should have been left in the vaults to germinate or simply extinguish. I will attempt to give an honest and critical review of Bob's post-GBV work with as much candor and thought - through the prism of an uber-fan.

And this is where Natural Blues comes into play. I have listened to, absorbed, and attempted to grasp the nuances of most every Pollard album since the dissolution of Guided By Voices in 2004. I have found that it is easy to understand the career arc of GBV much more easily than that of Pollard, since he releases so many albums every year. It is difficult to get a grip on what he is doing in any linear fashion (itself a futile goal, I grant you). But given that he seems on an upswing with Boston Spaceships, some recent solo records, and the Guided By Voices Classic Line-Up tour this year, I think it's time to give some attention to what Pollard has done since the official break-up of GBV in 2004. Alright, are you with me? Great. This should be fun.  I am going to try to go in chronological order, with some posts commenting on live shows since 2004, and some general comments on Pollard's work along the way.

Right now, I've posted a few album covers and widgets from Grooveshark.  This new web service has allowed me to embed music quite easily, and allowed it to function as a streaming radio service.  You can't download the songs for free, and obviously, I encourage you to purchase the records based on their own merits.  The songs I've posted are my favorites from the records, and hopefully give an idea of the range of music on each album.  Of course, they are available for purchase individually from major online sources.
But you should just go and visit the Factory of Raw Essentials which is the main place to purchase Pollard related musical items.

And if you are still somewhat bewildered as to why I would devote time and energy to a recording artist you may not have heard about, here are a couple of links that should get you up to speed on Robert Pollard, Guided by Voices, and why it is all so good.

Guided by Voices Of Experience; It Took 2,000 Songs to Get These Aging Rockers Rolling

Halloween Madness

Holy Crap! I almost forgot about Halloween! Since its on a Tuesday this year, it loses some of its impact, cause in all likelihood, you probably had to go to work, deal with a bunch of annoying adult world business, got home, cracked a beer, and thought, damn, its only Tuesday! Well, here I am to save you and submerge you into moral depravity.
Fortunately for you, if you have DSL, and lots of time tonight, I am saving you the trouble of trying to find a horror movie to watch tonight. Last night I watched "Night of the Living Dead", which, if you are not familiar with, then shame on you.
This masterpiece of modern trash and social commentary is available to you for a free download, as there was some mishap with copyright laws for the film, and is now public domain.
So, check it out tonight....
http://www.archive.org/details/night_of_the_living_dead

There is obviously a lot to say about this film, but once again, other people with more time and more knowledge have provided you with some key insights on the WIKipedia page.
WEll, there you have, a little Halloween treat for your brain. Unfortunately, it is Tuesday, and I have to get back to the adult world, so can't provide much else than Night of the Living Dead, but hey, what could be better than a zombie flick for tonight?

Crap From the Past

Crap From the Past is basically one of the most brilliant web sites I've ever come across....

This web site is for people who grew up in the early - mid - 80's and listened to bad radio as their parents drove them to school. Wow. This is incredible. Before you begin nay-saying this wonderful web site, I am including a song that is indicative of this mad archivist's web page.
Yes, here in its entirety is Gabe Kaplan's "Up Your Nose With a Rubber Hose" from 1976.
This is, of course, priceless. The main thing you must ask yourself, once you are done listening to this song, is "If I am old enough to remember WHO Gabe Kaplan is, then why am I wasting my time on the internet listening to it. Don't I have like, uh, a job to get to, or something else going on?". No really, it's ok....you are a star, and we love you.

Antarctica Time lapse: A Year on Ice

Aurora (Northern Lights)

13 Tzameti

I saw the trailer to this film, 13 Tzameti, last night....looks amazing, and has gotten rave reviews. It won the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema Section of the Sundance film festival, which means....um, its probably gonna be really good. This trailer is riveting....

Boby Dylan and Scarlett Johansson - "When the Deal Goes Down"

Well, in light of the recent upload of technology at Natural Blues, I will continue to post things that have captured my interest the past few weeks...of course, as you know, Bob Dylan has a great new album out,"Modern Times" which mines the lost Americana musical landscape that is slowly slipping from our collective cultural consciousness. This video, with Scarlett Johansson for "When the Deal Goes Down" is just perfect in capturing this theme. And Scarlett is, by all accounts, a beautiful woman, and a superb actress.

More Dinosaur Rock: The Who In America

I am going to keep trying different formats for posting videos on the blog until I can find something that is best....

Roger Waters Live

"In the Flesh"

Wish You Were Here

Well, well well. I have been trying to alter the technology of the Natural Blues...and have successfully linked the essential YouTube with Blogger.....To celebrate, I am providing a glimpse of the absolutely brilliant show that Roger Waters played in Cleveland on 9/27/06. What can I say? It was all that it needed to be. Thanks, Roger. As you can see, there were lots of anti-war songs, and the tunes from The Final Cut were especially riveting given the current polical climate. And yes, the inflatable Pig made an entrance....covered with anit-Bush slogans, no less. Best moment? The montage of Syd Barret during "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" in which Roger re-took the song from David Gilmour and showed it for what is is...a tribute to his friend, and not some wanky drug tune about abstractly "going crazy". It put a real face on Roger's concerns as a songwriter.
Alright, what a blast, and the ticket I got was free, too! So you all in all a great show.

FIRST HALF:
In The Flesh
Mother
Set The Controls For the Heart Of The Sun
Shine On You Crazy Diamond
Have A Cigar
Wish You Were Here
Southampton Dock
The Fletcher Memorial Home
Perfect Sense parts 1 and 2
Leaving Beirut
Sheep

SECOND HALF: Dark Side of the Moon.

ENCORE: The Happiest Days Of Our Lives
Another Brick In The Wall (Pt 2)
Vera
Bring the Boys back Home
Comfortably Numb

Last Man Standing....

Some recent news came across the Natural Blues desk this past week. Jerry Lee Lewis, at the age of 71, will be releasing an album this month, "Last Man Standing". An apt title, given that Jerry Lee Lewis is from a time long gone, with the inconic figures of rock n roll all but gone (Elvis, Carl Perkins), or lost to madness (Little Richard), The Killer is indeed the Last Man Standing. The significance of Jerry Lee Lewis releasing a record in 2006 goes far beyond the discussion of whether "Can the old man pull it off?", but rather it allows for a reflection of American Music and History. And make no mistake, The Killer is American History. Much like Greil Marcus' essays on "Old Weird America", I would propose that the world of mid-50's Rockbilly is very much the alternative history of America. The 50's rockabilly icons were not the clean cut "Happy Days" types....these men were crazed and full of hellfire and sex...and danger....

He created rock's first great scandal - as an incestuous, cradle-robbing bigamist - which set him up for rock's first failed comeback - the public so disgusted that he had to wait a decade for acceptance, and then only as a country star.....
There have been fist-fights, handguns, shotguns. On a tear in 1976, he accidentally shot his bass player in the chest (not fatally), flipped his car and waved a handgun outside Graceland when Elvis wouldn't come out and say hello; the next day, Elvis went to visit Jerry Lee, who was out, and wound up signing autographs on Jerry Lee's lawn. Jerry Lee drank more whiskey, took more pills and had more car wrecks than most rock bands combined. He's broken out of hospitals, fled the Betty Ford Centre, and seen Hollywood make a cartoon of his life. Life, it seems, has clung to him, not he to life. That's unlike his peer, Elvis Presley. Elvis died like a wimp. Elvis was a girl. Wouldn't fuck his beautiful wife? Got so fat he had to wear jumpsuits? Sang suck-ass songs like 'The Impossible Dream'? And that wore him out at 42? 'What the shit did Elvis do,' Jerry once said, 'except take dope I couldn't get ahold of?' Survivors are the real sufferers. (Robert Gordon)

This is a whole segment of American History that is fading from our sights.....and an important era that warrants attention not only for music fans, but anyone in America, really. Along with Jazz and Blues, Rock n Roll is our music, America's music. And we must never forget that.
Here are two songs from Jerry Lee Lewis' new record, both incredible performances. The first is a version of Led Zeppelin's "Rock n Roll", with none other than Jimmy Page on guitar. This performance by the Killer demonstrates that age is an artifact of time, not a grim reality. The other song is "Evening Gown", a duet with Mick Jagger (who also wrote this song) with Ron Wood on slide guitar, and is everything you'd want a honky-tonk song to be.
Well, that's it for now.....dig the crazy old man from Lousiana...and dig back into America's old weird past.....

HP Lovecraft and Supernatural Horror

Well, it’s been really quiet here at Nat’l Blues, hasn’t it? Besides taking on more work in the past month, and generally trying to get things organized in an adult-type way, the posts have slowed. I mean, life is not one big party, is it? Also, you have to admit, that as life cruises along, its not all amazing, weird and wild crap that you have to share with the world, be it music, books, movies, or any other adventures you may be having. Sometimes, things just go along without a lot of excitement, and you just do your thing. Which is ok, really. But, in the spirit of the Natural Blues, I have decided to continue in the vein of recent posts on wacky escapist entertainment to post some items about H.P. Lovecraft. Cause really, do we need any more freakin’ political commentary? Or freakin stories about celebrities? Let’s just zone out for a little while and think about (fictional) creepy stuff, rather than real life creepy stuff.

First, let's get down to basics, right? Superantural Horror can be best summed up in the writings of Machen in "The White People":

"Do you know," he said, "you interest me immensely? You think, then, that we do not understand the real nature of evil?"

"No, I don't think we do. We over-estimate it and we under-estimate it. We take the very numerous infractions of our social 'bye-laws'--the very necessary and very proper regulations which keep the human company together--and we get frightened at the prevalence of 'sin' and 'evil.' But this is really nonsense. Take theft, for example. Have you any horror at the thought of Robin Hood, of the Highland caterans of the seventeenth century, of the moss-troopers, of the company promoters of our day?

"Then, on the other hand, we underrate evil. We attach such an enormous importance to the 'sin' of meddling with our pockets (and our wives) that we have quite forgotten the awfulness of real sin."

"And what is sin?" said Cotgrave.

"I think I must reply to your question by another. What would your feelings be, seriously, if your cat or your dog began to talk to you, and to dispute with you in human accents? You would be overwhelmed with horror. I am sure of it. And if the roses in your garden sang a weird song, you would go mad. And suppose the stones in the road began to swell and grow before your eyes, and if the pebble that you noticed at night had shot out stony blossoms in the morning?

"Well, these examples may give you some notion of what sin really is.

(this illustration of Machen's story was obtained here)


Supernatural horror is an exploration of the perversion of the "natural" laws to Machen, and here we have a starting point for the essay by Lovecraft. It is really the fear of the unknown, the unknowable...that really makes people quake. Really, if you are interested in any way in the realm of horror fiction, take all of your Stephen King Books, and deposit them in the dumpster and start working through HPL's suggestions. I mean, c'mon, Stephen King did authorize the making of Maximum Overdrive, didn't he? (even Angus couldn't save this one)

Ok, You should first get up to speed on HPL's essay, the classic Supernatural Horror in Literature. Then be sure to read some of Lovecaraft's best writings. I would start with the classic, Call of Cthulhu, then probably The Colour of Out Space.

Follow up with a reading of Machen's "The White People" and Blackwood's "The Willows" (thanks to Gordon Fernandes for posting these timeless stories). Additionally, you should definately pick up "The Color Out of Space Anthology", which is an excellent collection of the major works referecned by HPL in his seminal essay.

(Notice here the utterly fantastic Charles Burns cover...)

You should be well on your way to becoming a total weirdo at this point

If this post totally enthralls you, then I suggest you immediately order the "The Call of Cthulhu" DVD. This film, though low budget, is bar none the best adaption of a Lovecraft story. Rather than attempt to go full out on sets, locations, and FX, the makers of this film took it into the realm of silent films, which totally complements the elements of the tale, and given the time frame for the story line, contributes greatly to the atmosphere. A true winner, and at $20 a pop, you can't go wrong. Bears watching during Halloween season.

Well, there you have it. A great synopsis to get you started on a lifetime of freakish pursuits. Interestingly enough, Lovecraft's vision lived well beyond his lifetime, with the Cthulhu mythos being alive and well in popular horror/sci fi culture throughout the country. I believe a greater scholar than myself (if not many popular culture scholars) have demonstrated that once an iconic figure in myth, such as Dracula, is popularized and transformed to the needs of the current culture, then we have indeed transcended the original context of the myth and it will live forever....hahahahah (cue evil laughter). No seroiusly, the amount of crazed Cthulhu dolls and t-shirts across the net attest to this. I leave you with proof positive that this is the truth. First, a garish image of the great beast Cthulhu as rendered by Paul Carrick.

And some bizarre variations of this creature.....

Man, this is getting too freakin weird for me......well, at least when yer phone is tapped and you start babbling in the Cthulhu language, you'll end up in an asylum rather than Gitmo. Yeah, this is getting weird....isn't it?

There, now don't you feel better about all this evil nasty stuff?!?!

New Zoo Revue

Black Hole

Just finished Charles Burns' "Black Hole" this morning, and was just blown away by how great this boook is. Essentially, the story details the lives of teenagers living in Seattle in the mid-70's and perfectly captures the angst of being an adolsescent: the sexual explorations, the wild emotional rides, the drug explorations, and the ups and downs of living in the world of high school. Yes, sounds very "Dazed and Confused", doesn't it? Except that Burns throws in the little twist of the presence of a transmittable disease among the kids that turns the carrier into a mutated monster. The teens know this is part of their social world, and accept it. Burns does nothing to explain the presence of this virus, but rather explores the lives of those it affects. Really superb writing here, and Burns is a compelling artist whose imagery and use of the comic medium is unparalleled in its creativity and originality. I have included some panels to illustrate his artistic genius. Enjoy....

Academic Mullet

I provide this presentation for all of you who need to take their study of mullets into the academic realm, or perhaps into the purview of beauty schools throughout the nation. This guide is indeed helpful and clarifies some key points on the most studied hair style of the late 20th century. The real point of study, actually, is how rock icons such as Bowie, as well as Nascar Fans both embraced this awkward hair style. Any theories?
(note: you need Powerpoint to open and view this link)

The Black Crowes

Alright, it’s time to cut the crap and get down to business. The Black Crowes are hands down the best f@*$%! Rock band in the U.S. today, got it? OK, then reading the rest of this will be easier. With all the irony present in today’s “rock” bands, and the lack of any real rock bands in the popular consciousness, The Black Crowes present something that is sorely lacking in most music today, which is a) soul b) musical talent c) songwriting. Let’s get down to it, eh? Caught the Crowes on Friday at Cleveland’s Tower City Amphitheater, and it had been a while since I’ve intersected my musical interests with the Robinson Brothers and co. Saw them play in ’96 and wasn’t too keen on the performance. They seemed tired, for one, and the jams they were trying to pull off seemed a little to high for them to reach. Not that the songs weren’t great, but it was not as good as ’92 when they were young, brash, and rocking like muther f*#%$s supporting (more than likely) their best album, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion. Well, with G/A tix being $15, and it being summertime, I thought I’d go for it, considering that it was many years later, and their purposely achieved cult status appealed to me greatly. Plus, reviews of this tour, after a hiatus that saw solo LP’s from both brothers, were good. It seemed like some time off, some solo meandering, and a re-focus of their brand of rock had done them some good. Plus, Marc Ford, their gee-tar player on Southern Music, Amorica, and Three Snakes, was back. So on we go.

Friday, 7/28/06, Cleveland, Tower City Amphitheater

Don’t Do It

Good Friday

Soul Singing

Darling of the Underground

Twice as Hard

Magic Rooster Blues

Girl From a Pawnshop

Song of Love

Downtown Money Waster > jam > Thorn in My Pride

L.A.

A Conspiracy

Jealous Again

Remedy

Encore: Boomer’s Song

There are several things that made this show HOT. First thing of note is that Chris Robinson was SPOT ON, hitting all the notes, improvising when there was room to do so, and soulful as hell. If you’ve listened to the live album they put out before the hiatus, you can hear Chris meander and generally improvise too much on the tunes, but that night he was THE MAN, even playing some guitar, too. Nice beard, by the way. The other thing was amazing was that brother Rich and Marc Ford have become vocalists in their own right, and I don’t mean in the Keith Richards category of “just getting by” and getting kudos just ‘cause there’s a lot of good will in the crowd. I mean they can carry the tunes, and carry ‘em well. Another good thing is that you can here the keyboardist's work now, better than on record, or any other time I saw ‘em, so nice, cause he can play. What else made this show HOT? The cover tunes they did met the perfect criteria of being obscure songs by great artists. “Don’t Do It” is one of The Band’s best tunes, and the vocal turn by brother Rich was superb. The second tune, “L.A.” is from Neil Young’s “Time Fades Away”, and is one of NY’s best obscure tunes, and was sung with a lot of guts and soul by Marc Ford. Absolutely excellent. They also played most of their best known songs, which was much needed, as well as some deep album cuts and unreleased stuff. So you got a great synopsis of their catalog, as well as some excellent jams which incorporated 1972 Deadish psychedelic flourishes, whole new sections of tight jamming added to some of the better known songs, as well as extended, focused soloing that didn’t meander too much. Also, some of songs that I felt meandered too much and lacked focus or bite, such as "Good Friday" and "A Conspiracy" seemed to have matured on the road, and hit hard and clear. Superb at 2 hours. What else could you want from a ROCK SHOW? Bravo, boys. They’ve clearly gone beyond the obvious Stones/Faces/Allmans influences and have now incorporated everything from soul, psychedelia, blues, funk and country into a heady rock n roll stew that, although their template is not original, they take it beyond what their forbearers were able to do on sheer talent and guts and soul. And that’s the kicker, really. It is Rock N Roll, in your face and unashamed to be brash and rockin. It does make you think that really, maybe music was better in the 70’s.

As a special treat, they are selling copies of the show on 2 disc sets straight from their website, which is a great idea. As soon as I get a copy, I’ll put something up. In the meantine, here's something from "By Your Side" called Go Tell the Congregation. Otherwise, see if you can catch the band….

Random Items - Bush vs. Johnny Cash; Record Store Woes; Witch Hunting

Well, there are many new things going on that warrant some attention.

First, President Bush’s recent use of profanity at the G8 meeting
demonstrates that his down home approach is not limited to White House BBQ’s and Texas golf trips. Clearly, the liberal media portrayed this lapse as far worse than it really was.

Well, on to an American who really does deserve our respect, Johnny Cash.

His posthumous album, American V: A Hundred Highways was released a few weeks ago, and one of the significant aspects of this album, is that it contains the last song, yes, the last song that Mr. Cash ever wrote, called Like The 309. There obviously have been many reviews of this album posted on the internet, and most of them were written with care and solemnity, so really, I can’t add much to the accolades. Needless to say, the album is superb, and has an air of quiet resignation to it, as the Man in Black prepared to meet his maker, the album being recorded months before his passing. The depth of Mr. Cash’s humanity pervades the entire recording, and should be listened to by everyone in America.

On to an item that was sent to me by WHF3 on the state of affairs for independent record stores. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/16/fashion/sundaystyles/16store.html

Apparently opening a record store in Brooklyn is no longer a lucrative venture. I can speak about some great record stores of note, especially Music Saves and the Record Den in Cleveland, http://www.musicsaves.com/
http://www.uttertrash.net/recordstores1.htm
and Fabulous jackpot in Portland, OR http://www.jackpotrecords.com/products.php?cat=23

Good record stores are indeed places to hang out and gather rock snob data. They should provide: 1) inexpensive vinyl, and lots of it, 2) new CD’s that aren’t priced $20 (unless its a Japanese import of an out of print Thin Lizzy album), 3) Knowledgeable staff (without being a too much of a rock snob about it-really, c’mon, you are just working at a record store, right?), 4) kool stuff like incense, posters, t-shirts, buttons, etc., 5) a good selection of used Cd’s. Its really that simple.

Clearly, downloading has changed the rules of music. Listening to the Long Player on vinyl, and attempting to dissect every track is (regrettably) over, for a vast majority of the population. We rush from the car to the work, grab a snippet of a tune on the computer, play an album in the background as we make dinner, and maybe download a song before bedtime. Things have escalated, and it seems as if in this accelerated lifestyle of the 21^st century, hitting the bong and vegging in the bean bag chair for 4 hours and listening to Blonde on Blonde is a thing of the past for many people. Unfortunately. I recently picked up Miles Davis’ Complete Jack Johnson Sessions, 5 cd’s, and I am trying to find time to listen to it. Not really an album for the ride home from work during rush hour traffic. So far, listening to it at the computer, it is a critical listen for anyone who digs Miles' 70's fusion.

Heard that a friend is having some medical problems. Well, hopefully CH’s injuries are not life threatening, so I hope for the best for him.

Also just finished Lois the Witch
by Elizabeth Gaskell.

This story is in the Penguin Classics edition of her Gothic short stories, which are superb. This story takes the historical facts of the Salem Witch trials and fleshes out the madness with the story of a young woman who is accused of witchcraft. The personal politics and agendas of the family she is attached to are brought to light and with masterful characterizations, she provides insights into the delusional needs of the Puritans.

I quote this passage at length due to the horrific atmosphere it creates:

Isolated from all previous connections, hearing no word from England, living in the heavy, monotonous routine of a family with one man for head, and this man esteemed a hero by most of those around him, simply because he was the only man in the family - these facts alone would have formed strong presumptions that most girls would have yielded to the offers of such a one. But, besides this, there was much to tell upon the imagination in those days, in that place and time. It was prevalently believed that there were manifestations of spiritual influence - of the direct influence both of good and bad spirits - constantly to be perceived in the course of men's lives. Lots were drawn, as guidance from the Lord; the Bible was opened, and the leaves allowed to fall apart; and the first text the eye fell upon was supposed to be appointed from above as a direction. Sounds were heard that could not be accounted for; they were made by the evil spirits not yet banished from the desert-places of which they had so long held possession. Sights, inexplicable and mysterious, were dimly seen - Satan, in some shape, seeking whom he might devour. And, at the beginning of the long winter season, such whispered tales, such old temptations and hauntings, and devilish terrors, were supposed to be peculiarly rife. Salem was, as it were, snowed up, and left to prey upon itself The long, dark evenings; the dimly-lighted rooms; the creaking passages, where heterogeneous articles were piled away, out of the reach of the keen-piercing frost, and where occasionally, in the dead of night, a sound was heard, as of some heavy falling body, when, next morning, everything appeared to be in its right place (so accustomed are we to measure noises by comparison with themselves, and not with the absolute stillness of the night-season); the white mist, coming nearer and nearer to the windows every evening in strange shapes, like phantoms - all these, and many other circumstances: such as the distant fall of mighty trees in the mysterious forests girdling them round; the faint whoop and cry of some Indian seeking his camp, and unwittingly nearer to the white man's settlement than either he or they would have liked, could they have chosen; the hungry yells of the wild beasts approaching the cattle-pens - these were the things which made that winter life in Salem, in the memorable time of 1691-2, seem strange, and haunted, and terrific to many; peculiarly weird and awful to the English girl, in her first year's sojourn in America.

Well that makes America sound like a lovely place, doesn't it?

We're All Going to Hell!

http://jgmedanth.objectification.net/Music/sb_duck.wav

http://jgmedanth.objectification.net/Music/04%20In%20the%20Fire.wma

Rural Life