Category: Music

  • Fats Waller

    I’m working today, and I needed some music to help me get through a rather mindless task that was going to eat up several hours.

    What was that, Spotify? You think I should listen to Fats Waller due to my recent selection of Art Tatum and Thelonious Monk? I will go with you on this, as I do know a little about Waller, at least what are his most popular songs, and his ability to stride on the piano.

    And then I thought I should look him up on Wikipedia…

    Did I ever mention that I used to live in Harlem? I used to live in Harlem USA, and I loved it. The community and the neighborhood were awesome.

    Of the many things I loved about Harlem was that I was surrounded by so much great an important history. Culturally, so mush of who where are as Americans came out of Harlem. Music, theatre, thought, literature, and social consciousness. It is such a vital and vibrant place.

    I’m missing Harlem today.

    And I was reading up on Fats Waller, thinking about my old neighborhood, I saw that the first place he played professionally was the Lincoln Theatre at 135th Street and Lennox. Not only did I know where that theatre was, I also knew that it was still standing, even though it no longer functions as a theatre, but is a church.

    I don’t know, but there was something very satisfying in knowing that I walked down the same street as someone as great as Waller. We might have been separated by 80 years, but he was there. The man who made all that great music.

    I don’t know. Just missing Harlem today.

  • Frank Zappa

    I have nothing against him. I could pick him out of a lineup, but I couldn’t name one of his songs. There were a group of guys I used to hang out with in high school, and try to write comedy with who just loved the hell out of him. I couldn’t get into his music, but I could respect and admire his output and commitment to music, and to satirizing everything. Zappa embodies the definition of a true artist; A true artist does just create great work, a true artist is always creating work regardless of its value.

    I don’t have a deeper reason of bring that up other than it just popped into my head as I sat down to write just now.

    First thought, best thought.

    There is creation, and there is production, and that also means that there has to be consumption. Creation is the act of bringing an object or form into existence. Production is the manufacturing the same object repeatedly for consumption. Which leads to consumption which is using up of an object or form.

    There might be some bigger theory about art, but I’m not sure I can put those pieces together today. What I would like to say is that I think most people put themselves in one of those three categories, though I believe that you can be all three. Some people would like to be creators, but they are producers. The worst are consumers who think they are creators.

    Just some random thoughts.

  • Never Mind Trump, Here’s Abbey Road

    Today, I needed a change of pace, though I have not forgotten what is happening in the world.

    When I looked at my Spotify account this morning, FINALLY!!! The 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition of Abbey Road was released! (I am listening to it as I write… and as you read?) This isn’t a review, but I sure can tell you that even with my shitty computer headphones, the sound quality is sharp, and the instruments have been separated on their own tracks, giving a fuller sound that avoids becoming artificial, and too “studio.” I have always liked the fact that the Abbey Road studio was an instrument in The Beatles’ recordings. They used the space to capture echoes, and live mixed in the studio as they recorded, like a band would do “live.”

    Either way, this album was what I needed today. I have written about The Beatles, and all their albums often, and I have read books, and dissected all their songs.

    But Abbey Road… man, it is still an album that’s exciting, and fun to listen too, but more importantly, just makes me feel better if I’m having a shitty day. And I have been listening to this album since I was 16. Logically, I know that this album has nothing to do with me, recorded before I was born, but it is completely personal. Such a part of my life.

    Here comes the sun, everyone!

  • Tales from the Video Store: Rocktober Blood (1984)

    I once worked in a video store in the 90’s. Let’s be clear, it was a bad job; low pay, awful hours, unscrupulous owners… but if you were a movie fan, nothing could be better. The video store gave me the opportunity to watch great movies, and it also gave me to chance to watch some of the worst. And I love watching schlocky bad movies. At the bottom shelf in the “Horror” section, I came to discover the slasher music extravaganza that is Rocktober Blood.

    (I’m just going to call SPOILERS right now. Not that any of us care, just outta respect)

    Lucky for all of us, I was able to find the movie on YouTube. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIvojCCVvSY) The print might not be the best, but to be honest, the movie is awful, so the bad quality might help add to the kitsch.

    The movie was released in 1984, and lordy, do we get a documentation of the Los Angles metal scene of that time. It was awesome seeing the hi-top sneakers, sleeveless shirts, teased out hair, and the style I liked most was all the rising sun Japanese stuff, which I had forgotten about.

    So… Plot… We actually start in 1982 as Billy is in the recording studio cutting his latest track “I’m Back” We get to meet Lynn, Billy’s backup singer, and I guess girlfriend, or was… It’s not real clear. Billy and the rest of the band head out of the studio, leaving Lynn, Kevin the engineer, and Mary who is Kevin’s assistant to finish work on the record. Lynn and Kevin try to record some backing vocals for the song “Rainbow Eyes.” It doesn’t go well, and Lynn decides to go to the jacuzzi upstairs because the target demographic for this movie was teenage boys.

    But wait, Billy returns and slits Kevin’s throat, and then kills Mary by impaling her on a mounted wall peg. Then Lynn comes downstairs, having not heard a thing because jacuzzi’s used to be really loud, and she finds Billy smoking “drugs” at the console while listening to “I’m Back” backwards. Now, like I said, this was 1984, and we were all not supposed to do drugs, thanks Nancy Regan, and not listen to our music backwards, because that’s where all of Satan’s messages were. Billy attacks Lynn, and while holding her at knife point, a security guard walks in. How does the guard save Lynn? Well, like all good heroes, he RUNS. THE FUCK. AWAY. To which Billy chases after him, thus saving Lynn. And… that’s it…

    We immediately jump cut to two years later, at a party where it’s announced that Billy’s old band is getting back together, with Lynn as the lead singer, and they are about to go on tour playing Billy’s songs, and by the way, Billy was found guilty of murder, executed, though he claimed he was innocent. Who knew the justice system worked so fast in 1984?

    There is some amazing stuff happening in this party scene. For me, the most impressive is that at the party there is a dude in a monster mask who is dancing, then starts doing some mime work, and ends with breakdancing. I had forgotten, as I am sure you had too, that breakdancing mimes were all the rage in the 80’s. It was Morning in America for spinning on your back.

    All is not well at the party, because when Lynn goes looking for her manager, Chris, she ends up in a very dimly lit attic where she is surprised by no other than Billy! Lynn gets away, and Chris, being the responsible type, sends her and her friends to a mountain cabin to relax before the big show.

    As I am sure you guessed, Billy follows them to the cabin, kills one friend in the jacuzzi, and then terrorizes Lynn as she gets out of the bath. Again, this was made of teenage boys.

    Enough of that, Chris sends everyone back to LA to get ready for the concert. Lynn can’t let go about Billy for some strange reason, and proceeds to dig up Billy’s grave to only find a very last minute cartoonish prop of a skeleton in the coffin. I’m sorry, I mean Billy’s body. Problem solved, right? Billy is dead and Lynn’s crazy! Let go play that concert of Billy’s songs!

    Not so fast! Billy is ready for Lynn, because what else does he have to do that week. Billy kidnaps Lynn before the show, and he launches into a monologue where we find out that Billy is actually Johnny; Billy’s homicidal twin brother!

    This sets up one very bizarre climax. Billy/Johnny goes on stage in a mask and sings his old songs, which the band all seems fine with. Especially when Billy/Johnny starts killing the Go-Go dancers on stage. Billy/Johnny pulls out Lynn to sing “Rainbow Eyes,” and at the conclusion of the song, Billy/Johnny is unmasked to everyone’s shock and horror. Except for the drummer, who is like, “Fuck it, play the next song.” And everyone complies.

    I don’t want to ruin the true ending of the movie, but it does leave you with the question of; Does Billy/Johnny die, or does he survive? (May the debate begin…)

    As horror movies go, this one is pretty poor. Acting isn’t great, plot has a bunch of holes, and there are lots of lens flares. More than Star Trek. Now, I do recommend this movie because the songs in it are actually fun. I didn’t say good, I said fun. You’ll be asking yourself, “Do I have rainbow eyes?” and “Is there a killer on the loose?” The songs were written by the band Sorcery, whose members play the band in the movie. So, there actually a slight bit of LA music scene connection to this flick.

    Over all, Rocktober Blood touches on all the right beats of slasher movies from the early 80’s and for my money, is 100% video store gold. It would be best enjoyed with a two liter of Pepsi and some stovetop popcorn while sitting on the couch with the living room’s lights off.

    Enjoy!

  • Beatles Concert

    When I drive my daughter to school, we have started to listen to the Beatles. There is such a deep joy that I receive as my kid is starting to listen to my favorite band. I have tried to not push this on her. I want her to develop her own taste in music, and I don’t want to influence her to or from any type of music. Both the wife and I try to play as may different styles and bands for her to listen to. I think it has been paying off because she wanted a guitar for Christmas this year, which Santa brought to her.

    Now, in the car ride to school, the kid gets to pick what she wants to listen to. For the past three months it has been Vince Guaraldi’s Peanuts music. On the way home, she has to listen to what I want, which I do try to make a choice of music I feel will broaden her horizons. Sometimes the Beatles come up.

    By talking to my daughter about music and bands, she has come to learn the names of the Beatles, and asks me who is my favorite or who plays the guitar, or is signing. Sometimes, she will ask me if we can go and see them play, which is when I will pull YouTube videos for her. Then the other night she asked me is we can go and see them play. I explained to her that they don’t play together anymore, and that we have to listen to them and watch their videos. She wasn’t happy with that answer.