Recharging

Hey Folks! Not seeing any of my posts? I am recharging for a bit! working on a ton of ideas. If you have suggestions of who or what band I should do next leave them in the comment page, So far ideas are, Caravan, Beck, CCR, Camel, Henry Cow, Paul Motian, Velvet Underground, Band On A Can, Rush and others. Any other ideas please let me know. Otherwise end of the week I will have at least one or two ready to pump out. Enjoy the photo below until I post again.

Kick It INXS

I used get made fun of for liking INXS in High School, because all my friends thought they were not a cool band. I also was told that the music sucked and the reason they made it big was because it was an accident that we did not have enough music from down under represented in our musical culture. One friend claimed the only band worth hearing from Australia was AC/DC. I disagreed and went on my way to hear an original and more mature sounding band in INXS.

Who would have thought a band like INXS would come full circle. Today it was announced that Beck and his wonderful Record Club would cover INXS Kick. It must be hip again to look back at the 80's and do such a thing. I mean in 1987 when the album came out it was new and fun and had great elements of college rock and true rock and roll without all the 80's sound around it. I remember going to the store to pick it up. It was my first "new vinyl" buy in my life. Sure I had a few records in 1987, but I never actually went to the store and bought a new wrapped in cellophane before and that day I bought two. I bought Joshua Tree as well.



What made me like Kick more then Joshua Tree, that remains a mystery I heard and saw U2 so many times I needed something new and fresh. INXS was not that new or fresh, but it was new to me. I heard the first single on the radio and thought it rocked. It was fun at first, but then I realized I wanted to take this excitement on my bike rides. I was going to tape the record, but my best friend had the cassette. I asked for the tape. At first he did not want to let it go. He too had a liking to INXS as I did. It took some muscle, but my best friend let it go. He went away to college in upstate New York and he let me play with his tapes and few CD's that he had.

In the years liking INXS I was an outcast. I mean a musical outcast. I listened to all types of music, but the tape I always went to was the Kick album. It eventually fell off my musical spectrum and I went on to other things, but every once in a while I went to the tape to remember my 14th year of my life. It was an era that I just listen to happy music with happy results. I actually still have a soft spot for INXS. Even when Michael Hutchence died tragically in November of 1997.



So when you hear Beck cover INXS remember this story. This album had four number 1 songs. It may seem a bit dated, for 2010 standards, but back in 1987, it sounded great and fresh and new. I would not place in a top 100 of my favorites, but every once in a while, it transports me back to 1987. A wonderful album from an era that music was still waiting to find its place before it got good again. It's no Joshua Tree or Appetite for Destruction, but had some Kick to it. Enjoy!

Soundtrack to Ocean's

Okay, you can make fun of me and call me names if you want. I just don't want to see it in the reactions to this post. I usually don't watch a lot of mainstream films. If I do it's got to be really good or something that interests me. I don't even go to the theater that is about seven minutes from my house to see a film. If it does come to a cinema that promotes the independent films sure, or there is a college in Hartford I go to that has films. I have realized now and most people tell me that I am an ass for this, but the local theater has been a bad experience for me. If it is a film that is popular then I will go into Hartford that has the same type of theater that the one is seven minutes away. I will also make a point of seeing an weekday afternoon showing or a showing that no one will interrupt me. In the age of electronic devices in quiet areas this mythology has gone away. I could get personal about it, but I will not do that for the sake of upsetting me and boring you.

Anyway, this will be my second post that has to do with a soundtrack. I was going to do a soundtrack from the 60's. The films of the 1960's and 1970's are most of the films I admire or feel they are unique in their vision and their originality. The other day I looked and surveyed my DVD collection and about 70% of the films I watch are from that time period. There are some great independent films from the last couple decades I love too. There are a few films that I do like from 1990's and 2000's that I own and watch again and again. Some of these include, Glengarry Glen Ross, American Beauty, Millers Crossing, Fisher King, Hamlet, and more recent films There Will Be Blood, High Fidelity, Pan's Labyrinth, Batman: The Dark Night, No Country For Old Men, and City of God. I am a sucker for good old fashion films that have a lot of good actors, but the movie fails on greatness because it's not critical success. This would be the Ocean series. All three are great and fun to watch. The music of David Holmes has always impressed me on how well he places the musical score that he does.



The other day I was watching Ocean's Thirteen and I remember my seeing it at the college theater I go to with a few friends. Being a fan of Steven Soderbergh for quite some time and loving his early films Kafka and Sex, Lies and Videotape. I realized that the films of Steven have great music attached to them. They are very good to create a mood or a feeling or even a great scene that he is showing us the audience. People who know my musical and film likes and dislikes know that I go all over the map and with David Holmes the soundtracks to the Ocean trilogy can hear International, Classical, Electronica, Classic Sinatra, or stuff even your grandparents liked. This is what is great about this soundtrack to Ocean Thirteen. Is the musical muse of David Holmes is all over the map.



The unique of these soundtracks is that they have David does add his own spin on the music without it being boring or like old soundtracks that just set the mood without being memorable. Since I have a pretty good memory the music that is featured in the Ocean films is got moments that you will not only remember the scene, but the great music that came with it. Other soundtracks out there don't have that memory and scene acknowledgment like other films do. They make the soundtrack hip and fun to hear with all it's exotic or uptempo type music. David does not so the whole soundtrack himself, but he adds Elvis, Sinatra, Classical and other stuff to make it unique and for me, something I would listen to again and again.

Soundtracks are really important CD or LP's to pick up. Some of them have stuff that will never be anywhere else. In the Ocean soundtracks they have something unique that you should just listen with great joy! I like them and you will understand what I mean once you do. Enjoy!

Utero Nirvana

When I first heard Nirvana I thought it was going to be one of those one hit wonder bands that were here one moment and a month later was a band we still wondered if they were together. I heard them on college radio in 1990. I Heard Bleach from a friend and he told me he thought they were very original. I listened with too much intent and thought they were mediocre at best. It's not till 1991 when I was 18 when they crashed all over modern radio stations and MTV that my thought changed. I thought the stuff on Nevermind was great. It was full of bold, brash and angst that no one but Kurt could belt out. Each song felt like it took Kurt a month to write and when he did he was so drained it literally took the life out of him. You could hear the pain in every song. Even the hit song "Smells Like Teen Spirit" sounds like he was listening to too much The Who's "My Generation." Each of the powerful words of Kurt go so well with the music and he uses his provocative words to create a beast in the music.

I mean yea the hype was great, but I did not follow the hype as much. I remember friends of mine asking me if I had a copy of and if I did they were sure to make me one. It was like the Beatles landed for a second time. The hit anthem to me was way over played and I really needed to hear more and more of the album. Thank god "Teen Spirit" was the first track because I could quickly fast forward the tape to the next track. I realized a few months after this boom of Nirvana that I should have bought the CD. There was a bonus track on the CD I wanted that bonus. Only first pressings got that luxury of having it. It was not the best hidden song, but at that time it was new technology and it was a unique experience if you could listen to it.



The Nevermind was played for a little more then a year. MTV milked all of it for what it was worth and created categories for Nirvana and the Seattle sound. We all know about Grunge, but was it really something that was a sound or genre or some bullshit MTV and Rolling Stone hype. Whatever it was, it tarnished my image of these bands. Yea I listened to them, but trying to explain them to an older member of the family and then hearing the type of music they played it was a little unsettling. Nirvana got the worst reputation from this because people also had the video engraved in their head. It was even spoofed by Weird Al.

Nirvana did some good things though and the second and last studio album came out and people remember how powerful the first one was. On the other hand Nirvana cause a few steers in the music world with this album. The video for the wonderful song "Heart Shaped Box" was a little controversial as well as the artwork. I never saw the problem, but when I brought home the CD, it got a little attention from my mother. Warranted or not, the CD was great. Each song from In Utero was a really great song. Major credit for making these songs so good and not as commercial as I thought. One problem was "All Apologies" did and it was more of hit for the Unplugged album then their studio counterpart. Even more credit goes to Steve Albini even though the producing went to him, they never were able to use his mix anyway, but if you have heard his version, it has great moments of Nirvana in their natural environment. There are many stories about what happened with DGC records and Steve and I leave that for you to look at and research. It sounds like a soap opera. If you have the Nirvana Box Set the demo of "Heart Shaped Box" is pretty close on what Steve wanted. Steve even said that DGC wanted a cookie cutter Nirvana that the public would want and not what Nirvana wanted.



In the end there are mixes out there of what Albini did and it's a treat and that is the one they should put out on CD. I kept that fascination with me every time that I play In Utero. All in all the CD is great, if just a little short. I am sure everyone has a copy, if not, find it, rip it, or download it. It is a great CD. Some good music is just need to be shown in a better historical context. Nirvana in their short time here made some of the best music out there. If you agree, enjoy a great time with a classic band. If your new to Nirvana then try it, but be warned it's a hard listen to some people. Have fun!!!

Charles Lloyd Is Hearing Voices

During 1966-1969, Charles Lloyd led one of the most popular groups in jazz, a unit that played at the rock palace Fillmore West in San Francisco and toured the U.S.S.R. Lloyd's music, although generally a bit melodic, was not watered-down and managed to catch on for several years during a time when jazz was at its low point in popularity. After his group changed personnel in 1969, Lloyd gradually faded out of music, becoming a teacher of transcendental meditation. The few records he made in the 1970s were quite spiritual and bordered on new age. (AM)

With those sentences wonderfully said I can tell you that my Charles Lloyd listening started back in 1994. I picked up a used copy of Forest Flower. A friend suggested I listen to him. It was by chance that I should because he was someone I always heard him on the Jazz station in the car. I really did not hear about him in Jazz class or from the professor that gave me the Ornette Coleman, but the professor told me that he was really popular in his time. Even then he had a great band backing him that included Keith Jarrett, Jack DeJohnette, and Cecil McBee. Over the course of the next few years I studied his music from the 60's and the music of present time. In the 1990's he was on my favorite record label ECM. There is a point that ECM records are probably the most important records to own. Through the years ECM puts stuff out that changes what we know as music and it's all for the good.



After a few years of listening to Charles Lloyd I understood his purpose. He was not like an Ornette Coleman or a John Coltrane or any of the others I listened to, but he was smooth and very meditative. Then my luck struck when a friend called me and wanted to go to NYC for the Jazz festival. We would spend a week in the city and see lots and lots of live music. We would split what we wanted to see for live shows. We would even catch a rock show if one was around that we both liked. For both of us it was a good way to get away from our jobs. For me it was this chance to see Charles Lloyd. When the line up the festival was up in the paper. (I found it in the Village Voice) I showed the list to my friends. We both got stuff in the mail about the festival and made notes of what we wanted to see. Charles Lloyd was scheduled for a Thursday night at 11pm. I did not mind the time, because the whole evening was had great acts playing. Even better was the fact they were at my favorite venue. The Knitting Factory was a great place to see a show.

When I showed my friend the band backing Charles Lloyd I was in shock. It was Billy Higgins on drums, John Abercrombie on guitar, Dave Holland on bass, and Geri Allen on piano. It was my first time seeing Holland, Abercrombie, and Allen. Talk about a lineup of the ages. I was ready for that one. It was a year that Charles Lloyd did not have an album but he told the crowd that the people on stage are such great musicians that he might do an album with them. I was hoping he was. I loved all of them as jazz musicians. He played promptly at 11pm and did not finish till about 1:30am. After that he signed autographs and shook hands. Now I was hoping for a CD to come out of this performance or this band.



About year later the album came out. I quickly picked up Voices In The Night. The album included everybody except Geri Allen. (Side note Geri Allen and Charles Lloyd did work together on a soundtrack called Afterglow and then in 2005 on a great Lloyd album Jumping The Creek.) At first impression I was trying to remember the songs they played that night and see if they were on the CD. Only one was on the CD and the rest were numbers they worked on. It was great to hear the CD and remember that great night in NYC. What I found great on this CD were two songs. One was one of his early pieces of music and the other was one called "Pocket Full of Blues" It was a really great song. it had a wonderful groove and everyone has a solo on it. Charles Lloyd group at the performance and at the show are the best in the business. They knew how to play that Charles wanted to play. Each song is unique and out of the eight songs on the album two are not written by him.

I always say that you should check this or that out, but with Charles Lloyd he really is special. He is unique to Jazz and you can really appreciate what he does for music. He might not be talked about in conversation, but after this album I am sure he will. Still if you can find this CD it's worth every penny and maybe you too will put Charles Lloyd in your musical conversation. Enjoy a jazz album that not has an all-star cast, but an album that is all-star in musical greatness too. Enjoy!

What's A Pinkerton???

Back in 1994 there was a lot of music buzz. It was what MTV did best. They played videos that were called "Buzz Worthy." Some of these were like Beck, Green Day, Nine Inch Nails and Weezer. Some of them were not like Bush, Oasis, and so many others that I thankfully forgot. In time some of these bands got bigger and bigger and one of those bands was Weezer. Not only did MTV create the buzz, but my own home state of Connecticut did because the lead guy from Weezer went to E.O. Smith High School (remember that name). The music world once again had a musical connect to my home state. This time is was oddly more popular then another home state person named Charles Ives. Honestly, I like Charles Ives a bit more then Rivers Cuomo.

The Buzz was so big that at one point just about every song from Weezer's first album was either on the radio or on MTV. It got to be somewhat crazy, but I went along and listened like everybody else. I even saw the tour. I saw just once though. I was impressed but not impressed to go see a group of Weezer shows like some of my friends did. For my feelings on not jumping up and down like my friends did I quickly became the music snob and more then likely I deserve that, but I liked other things at that moment. I was in trance with Pavement and Jeff Buckley.



The Weezer buzz lasted a long time. It was just enough to last to push their second album upon us. What we did not understand was the second album was 100% different the the first and why of all the Weezer's catalog I love Pinkerton. It is not your regular run of the mill album. It is full of strong bite and promise of what Weezer can do. An album that only lasts 34 minutes, but god it's a damn good 34 minutes and since it's short it warrants repeated listening.

Fast forward to 2000 and I am going back to school at the ripe old age of 27. I am just about 1 generation removed from most of the young adults at school. I have my favorite bands and bands I want to know more about. I decided to become a DJ. I did this because I been doing it part time back home, but now I can get my degree I so badly needed and have fun by being a DJ. my friend back home who was a full time popular DJ told me, "it's a good way to get chicks."



One day I was in my dorm room cleaning when there was a knock at the door. One of my fellow DJ's asked me if I wanted to go over a friends place and talk music and possibly playing. I had no objections to this because I knew one of the people at this house. The fellow DJ told me to bring some music along. The fellow DJ had a stack of about twenty and I decided to bring about the same. In this pile was a signed Weezer promo Pinkerton CD. I forgot that I had it in the pile. We landed at this friends house where I met about ten more new people. Over time I became friends with all of them. We were talking music when one of them grabbed my stack of CD's. He looked it over and saw the Weezer. He quickly told me that he was one of their biggest fan's. I told him that I thought Pinkerton was their best album. They could never top that album and that album for me was their creative peak. Mind you there were still more Weezer to come.

He looked at the CD and told me that it was in really great shape. Then he opened up the booklet. He saw that it was signed. He just flipped. He asked how I got it signed and I told him that I had a friend who was a DJ and he got it signed for me. He then asked me Weezer type questions. These questions refered to trivia questions about the band. I got 100% and I was thrilled. I asked him if he could answer one Weezer question for me. I knew the answer, but I needed to see how much he was a fan. The question what is E.O. Smith Music in his publishing credits. He thought it over and told me a great answer, but it was the wrong one. He said to me that he thought it was a Professor that was his teacher while he was at Harvard. I commended him for his great answer, but I told him it was the name of his High School. He came over and shook my hand and proclaimed me as another Weezer fan. It was a good fun day and a great chance to make me feel welcomed by the power of music. Something I will never forget is how music can cross many generations. It may be a single artist or a group, but it works well.



So back to the reason Pinkerton is so great. From the onset the music is louder and messier and the drums are just tough. Even the guitars make feedback type sounds. It has more of an live album then anything else. It's an album that is a better album, full of crunching power pop with a surprisingly strong emotional undercurrent that becomes all the more resonant with each play. (AM). With that being said! Enjoy one of the best Weezer albums. Some true fans will say the same thing. Enjoy!!

Mr. Thompson's Teachings

I have seen Richard Thompson five times in my life and wished I have seen him more then twenty. Every show is amazing and different then the previous shows I have seen. His shows blow my mind because not only is he amazing, but his back up musicians are just on par with his greatness. I got into his music at an early age and glad I did. I was 18 when I did and wondered what my life would be like without Richard's music to listen to. I think my life would be boring listening to crappy music and my life would be dull and mundane. Richard was 18 when he joined Fairport Convention and according to music producer and all around smart guy Joe Boyd his jaw went to the floor and did not think an 18 year old can do that.

Richard Thompson in Fairport Convention turned Fairport into one of the most respected and influential bands. Another person in that band a young lady named Sandy Denny did as well. Both of them together was more then magic, it was the one of the best bands in the world. I wrote how important Fairport was in a previous blog and all that is true, but once you hear it you will be totally amazed on how great Richard guitar is and Sandy's voice. It was a brief moment that sounded just about perfect, and of course when I hear it I feel once again wish I was the product of the 1960's.



Richard Thompson was the first artist I did not buy any of his albums, nor did I borrow then at the library. He was the artist where I bought the Box set of his music. His 3CD package Watching The Dark was all I needed to get ahead of his wonderful music. It was the only thing that was around at one point because most of his great music was out of print. This Box set collected many of his best work and some of his unreleased stuff. The box set was great because it collected some of his better known songs and had enough gems for me to explore more of his material. I loved it and at one point it was the box set that I always listened to. I even at one point put it about my copy of Eric Clapton's Crossroads.

Richard's stuff was full of all kinds of stuff. He had great folk stuff from his early solo career. He even had stuff with his then wife Linda Thompson and even had stuff that was from his tenure in Fairport Convention. Some of the music showcased his unrated talent for being a great guitar player. If you take anything from his shows is the fact he can really I mean really play guitar. He does not show off, but he effortlessly makes it sound good. His solo acoustic shows are amazing too, because he will tear down a great song he wrote and make it even more special. If the song is got a great rock feel he will turn it around and make it so beautiful that you are crying by the end of the song. Richard Thompson to me is my guitar hero.



So when it came to choose an album I had to sleep on it. I had no idea what to pick because each album has a uniqueness that is great sometimes feels like it's got a classic written all over it. The one thing that should also be mentioned is his lyrics. His lyrics are amazing and right to the bone. They are smart and tackle a variety of subjects and ideas. He is to me a wonderful songwriter and tells it like it is. Here is a prime example. Taken from the album Mock Tudor. It opens up the CD and is a great rockin' song. The song is called "Cooksferry Queen."

Well there's a house in an alley
In the squats and low-rise
Of a town with no future
But that's where my future lies

It's a secret, but no secret
It's a rule, but no rule
Where you find the darkest avenue
There you'll find the brightest jewel

Now my name it is Mulvaney
And I'm known quite famously
People speak my name in whispers
What higher praise can there be

But I'd trade my fine mohair
For tied-dyes and faded jeans
If she wanted me some other way
She's my Cooksferry Queen

She gave me one pill to get bigger
She gave me one pill to get small
I saw snakes dancing all around her feet
And dead men coming through the wall
Well I'm the prince of this parish
I've been ruthless and I've been mean
But she blew my mind as she opened my eyes
She's my Cooksferry Queen

Yeaaaaah

Well she's got every rare perfection
All her looks beyond compare
She's got dresses that seem to float in the wind
Pre-Raphaelite curls in her hair

She could get the lame to walking
She could get the blind to see
She could make wine out of Thames river water
She could make a believer out of me

Yes I'd trade it all tomorrow
All the wicked things I've been
She's my bright jewel of the alley
She's my Cooksferry Queen

Yes I'd trade it all tomorrow
All the wicked things I've been
She's my bright jewel of the alley
She's my Cooksferry Queen



It's one of Richard's best rocking songs on Mock Tudor and still blows my mind. The song never gets tiring and if you want to hear Richard playing great guitar, this song is the proof. Thompson structured the album as a portrait of suburbia, tackling a different subject with each song. It's not all about desperation, although there certainly is a lot of that there. Instead, Thompson is at the top of his form, offering subtle shadings in his lyrics and remarkably catchy, memorable melodies throughout the album.(AM) Even the lyrics to the last song are brutal and full of hate and anger, but it's a Richard Thompson signature. The song called "Hope You Like The New Me."

I stole your style
Hope you don't mind
I must try to be all I can be
It suits me more
Than it ever suited you
Hope you like the new me

I stole your laugh
So bright and breezy
It stops parties in mid-air
It makes me feel more devil-may-care
Hope you like the new me
Hope you like the new me

We all need friends to lean on
Any time, any place, anywhere
Feel free to lean on me
But please don't do it right now
Yes I'm much too busy right now

I stole your walk
The one with purpoise
That says there is no mountain I can't climb
It fools people all of the time
Hope you like the new me

I stole your jokes
Just the good ones
How the gang all laughed with glee
I also stole
The way that you tell them
Hope you like the new me
Hope you like the new me

To steal is to flatter
What a compliment to pay
All those things that I stole from you
Well I might give them back someday
Yes I really might someday

I stole your wife
Hope you don't mind
She was looking bored don't you think
I'll soon have her back in the pink
Stop by and see us for tea

I stole your soul
When you weren't looking
I reached inside and cut it free
It suits me more
Than it ever suited you
Hope you like the new me
Hope you like the new me



So If you take anything from this post it's one thing. Richard Thompson should be listened to. I put up Mock Tudor for a reason. This is a great and accessible album to listen to. Try it and I am sure you will be hooked just like me. Enjoy a true legend in music who is full of no frills and wonderful music and great musicianship. Rock out Richard Thompson and thanks for letting me hear some of the best music in the world. Enjoy!!

The Saint In Paul Simon

I have seen Paul Simon three times in my life and I met him once in person. The meeting him in person is something I will always remember. I was with two of my friends going to see the Flaming Lips. The opening band was Deerhoof. They really rocked and one of my friends told me to look to my left. To my left was Sean Lennon. Then we had a break between and the crowd got a little bigger. I told my friend I am just going to sit somewhere till The Flaming Lips come on. Around the Flaming Lips came on were two people handing out little lasers for the Lips show. It happend to be Wayne Coyne's wife and brother in law handing out all these lasers to all the fans. We passed them along to everyone around us. When I turned to my right to hand to my friend my friend was replaced by Paul Simon and his wife and kids. My friend quickly got back over near me and we waited. While we had that quick moment I held out my hand and Paul did the same. We shook our hands and I told him it was a pleasure to see him at this evenings performance. He was gracious and responded in kind. I also told him I had one request that he go through all his old recordings and put out a box set of rare and unreleased material. He laughed and told me that would not be a bad idea. I thanked him again and told him that his Concert in the Park in August of 1991 was a great show. After that I looked at his kids and told him that The Flaming Lips show will be one of your favorite shows. I left him alone after that and that was my Paul Simon experience.

Paul Simon that night not only added to the special night seeing the Flaming Lips, but affirmed that Paul Simon is a genuine human. I have been to a lot of concerts and some musicians talk to you and some ignore you. I gave up on the ones who ignore and I now follow the ones who love their fans and are warm and receptive in kind. Paul Simon is such an icon that if he was not the caring individual then it would reflect in his work.



The problem writing about Paul Simon is tough, What prompted me to post on him was watching him on the Jimmy Fallon show. He did "Late in the Evening" with The Roots and the Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra. That moment like Jimmy and the crowd transformed me to another planet. It might have been a minor jump on another planet, but it was something that was amazing. Since I have seen Paul Simon in person and in performance it was well done. It shows how wonderful Paul is when he adds his international type sound to it. It was really awesome and if you have a chance to see it on line. It is worth it's near four minutes of greatness.

Since Paul Simon is a fan of adding great colour and texture to his music. This prompted me to write about one of my favorite albums. I like his early stuff, and I like his later stuff, but the album that had the most impact in my life was The Rhythm of the Saints. It was the album that I saw the tour for. I was old enough to see the Graceland tour and regrettably never saw that tour and one I do regret. The Rhythm of the Saints was a great followup to that world sounding Paul Simon.



I could really suggest any Paul Simon album, but I decided to suggest the one I went to the tour for. Each song has a very Brazilian feel to it. From "The Obvious Child" to "Proof" to "The Cool Cool River." Each has a greatness to it. Paul hired once again the best musicians for the job. He still amazes me with whatever he does. It's a testament to how he can cross so many generations with his music. I mean it might be one of the very few artists that my parents and I actually can agree on. It's rare that we share a liking for the same person or band. Enjoy this classic from 1990. I am sure after reading this you might pick up your Paul Simon and listen and reflect like I do. Enjoy!!

Marc Bolan and T-Rex

When I was a young kid I used to go through my dads record and tape and 8-track collection looking for something to listen to. I say 8-track because he had three 8-tracks that were not your run of the mill. These three were albums that I would not place in my fathers collection. They seemed out of place. Each was way different then what my dad's musical taste or listening. One was Double Platinum by Kiss, and the other two were compilations you would buy on TV. One was like a Guitar Rock special and the other was like Rock Anthems or something like that. Each had it's uniqueness of what was on there. There was Deep Purple, David Bowie, Animals, Hendrix and others. The Guitar Rock one had some odd type rock songs that I used to listen to a lot. This one had people like Marc Bolan (T-Rex), Amboy Dukes, Todd Rundgren, Early Deep Purple, Ten Years After and others.

The 8-track was great I used to grab my dad's headsets and put it on and dance to it. I never got tired of it, but I remember every song on there. When I got older I would bring this 8-track to the record stores I used to go to. I told the people at the store that I would like to get these on record. The 8-track had 12 songs and I wanted them all. If these songs were great, then I am sure that the rest of the album that they came on were awesome too. Then I realized my problem. Some of these songs on the albums were the issue. An example The Amboy Dukes album alone was $30.00. The Deep Purple was also pricey. Then I decided to find them on tape. That was easier and cheaper as well.



Then I got to the T-Rex song. It was on an album called Electric Warrior. I looked for it on tape and found it. I brought it home and when I got home my uncle saw me with this tape. He looked at me and told me that he saw T-Rex in 1971 and it was one of the best shows he ever saw. He also had broken the news to me that the tape I bought was one of three albums by T-Rex that I needed. I looked him funny because the song on the 8-track was on this tape. He told me that the two other albums after that The Slider and Tanx were the ones to get. I went on to get those in the future. He was right once again. Electric Warrior was great, but The Slider and Tanx was just as good if not better.

When I bought the albums I took no expense. I bought them and quickly listened to them. Each was unique in it's own way. I grew more attached to The Slider. Each song was great. Even more the music was more in your face then Electric Warrior. The Songs had bite to them and the music was rockin' and everything had a thicker sound to it. It was a great change to what I was listening to. All in all I knew my uncle was right, I just had to listen for myself.



So if you want to hear some great music from the early 70's; I suggest that you listen to this stuff. It is a bit dated, but still sounds okay to me. Pretty soon you might be a T-Rex fan like myself. The songs have great force and power behind each one. Plus what's so great is that music is so fun. It may be a little different then what you normally listen to, but then what's normal. T-Rex (Marc Bolan) is amazing and something you should have fun with and listen with hours and hours of enjoyment. Enjoy the unique sounds of T-Rex and Marc Bolan.

Fast and Bulbous That's Right The Mascara Snake....

I know I came a cross this album when I did because if it was any later I would have felt like an asshole that I did not know about Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band. Any earlier I would have either thrown it away or I would have not gotten it. I also know that this is the album I want to bring with me when I die. I first heard it when I was 16 years old and even then it was the oddest thing I have every listened to. I will subject you to lyrics of some of the songs on this amazing double album. I firmly believe if this was a single album then it would not have the effects on so many people today. Here is the lyrics to "The Dust Blows Foward n' The Dust Blows Back" if you listen to the song on any format weather LP, cassette or CD it sounds like a 1940's blues song. There is no music it's just Beefheart singing a capella. It's uniqueness is that fact that the lyrics make it so disjoint that you think he is making them on the spot, but in actually he wrote this. Here you go...

There's ole Gray with 'er dove-winged hat

Threre's ole Green with her sewing machine
Where's the bobbin at?
Tote'n old grain in uh printed sack
The dust blows forward 'n dust blows back
And the wind blows black thru the sky
And the smokestack blows up in suns eye
What am I gonna die?
Uh white flake riverboat just flew by
Bubbles popped big
'n uh lipstick Kleenex hung on uh pointed forked twig
Reminds of the bobby girls
Never was my hobby girls
Hand full uh worms and uh pole fishin'
Cork bobbin' like uh hot red bulb
'n uh blue jay squeaks
His beak open an inch above uh creek
Gone fishin' for a week
Well I put down my bush
'n I took of my pants 'n felt free
The breeze blowin' up me 'n up the canyon
Far as I could see
It's night now and the moon looks like uh dandelion
It's black now 'n the blackbird's feedin' on rice
'n his red wings look diamonds 'n lice
I can hear the mice toes scamperin'
Gophers rumblin' in pile crater rock hole
One red bean stuck in the bottom of uh tin bowl
Hot coffee from uh krimpt up can

Me 'n my girl named Bimbo Limbo Spam

Those Beefheart words in some peoples mind are kind of odd, but if you think the way I think they have a good rhyme and rhythm to them that not many can pull off. Beefheart does that a lot through out the course of Trout Mask Replica. There are 28 songs on this double LP and each song has it's own voice for exploration and trying to say what it is. In a feature by Langdon Winner in the book called Stranded: Rock and Roll for a Desert Island Langdon talks about Trout Mask Replica so well that his points are some of the best points. "No record alienates the ear of modern America faster than Beefheart's magnum opus." "It's guitars wail along in cacophonous jerks and starts that seem designed to offend our appetite for harmony and order."

The lyrics or moreover the words of Beefheart are tough to digest. His words are really difficult for the trained ear to understand. If you take them on their own merit then this album will not be to your liking. Each song has poetry beyond the words we know, but they have a beat or rhyme all their own. At first listen to the words you would have problems understanding. If you took these words and went to a poetry class like I did the teacher would have no idea what to make of it. In High School we discussed poetry that we liked. If we did not find anything then we were offered lyrics of songs that we liked. I brought in two unusual pieces for the class. One of them was the lyrics to In The Court of the Crimson King and the other were to some of Beefheart's words from Trout Mask Replica. It was a tough task to write down the words the way he was saying them. In the first pressing of Trout Mask Replica there was a nice lyric sheet, but later pressing got rid of them. The CD had them but the CD was not out till after I finished High School. I had to listen to the songs I chose and stop the tape and start again to get what he said. The teacher thought the person I was listening to was an uneducated man who was mentally ill.



I saw yuh baby dancin' in your x-ray gingham dress
I knew you were under duress
I knew you were under yer dress
Just keep comin' Jesus
Your the best dressed
You look dandy in the sky but you don't scare me
Cause I got you here in my eye
In this lifetime you got m'humangetsmeblues
With yer jaw hangin' slack n' yer hair's curlin'
Like an ole navy fork stickin' in the sunset
The way you were dancin' I knew you'd never come back
You were strainin' t' keep yer
Old black cracked patent shoes
In this lifetime you got m'humangetsmeblues
Well the way you'd been ole lady
I could see the fear in yer windows
Under yer furry crawlin' brow
Uh silver bow rings up in inches
You were afraid you'd be the devils red wife
But it's alright God dug yer dance
'n would have you young 'n in his harum
Dress you the way he wants cause he never had uh doll
Cause everybody made him uh boy
'n God didn't think t' ask his preference
You can bring yer dress 'n yer favorite dog
'n yer husbands cane
'n yer old spotted dog
Cause in this lifetime
You've got m'humangetsmeblues

Now if you listen to the music of Beefheart then you have a more difficult time. Each has it's own jerks, stops and non normal rhythmic patterns. A good example of this is the instrumental "Hair Pie: Bake 2" The song lasts for little under two and half minutes, and there are no fewer then fourteen separate beats and melodies quickly introduced, briefly run, and then junked. There is a moment of where you feel a groove and it's quickly dismissed. If you want to learn how to play these jerks and non rhythmic patterns then good luck. They were difficult then and they still are. Gary Lucas was in his band near the end of Beefheart's musical legacy and said some of these musical stuff created took more out of him then anything he has ever done.



The music and words were carefully done by Beefheart and work well with Beefheart's idea. It's oddness shows that there really is something that can be explored with great intent. It might take more repeated listening then most albums but after six or seven listen the cookie appears and it's something that should be enjoyed. Every six or seven songs should be digested with the decision that you have to have open ears. Then when you somewhat figure those out, then go and digest the next six or seven. It will take some time, but try it out and go for it.

I am not sure how to explain a terrific album such as Trout Mask Replica, but there are some great moments that should be understood that the album once panned is now a prize to enjoy.
Go forth and listen to it and tell me what you think. Captain Beefheart is amazing and a man to be honored for going against the grain that people were heading. I mean even during the late sixties people protesting the war and the psychedelic movement. Beefheart did not do that directly. There are four anti-war songs on the album. It's oddness surely makes it a quick listen. I gave it to a friend to listen to and to this day (it's been three years) he still has not gotten the directness of the album.



As one might expect from music so complex and, to many ears, inaccessible, the influence of Trout Mask Replica was felt more in spirit than in direct copycatting, as a catalyst rather than a literal musical starting point. However, its inspiring reimagining of what was possible in a rock context laid the groundwork for countless future experiments in rock surrealism, especially during the punk/new wave era. (AM) For suggested reading on the album I suggest the quotes I lifted from at the top of this post are from the book I also mentioned above with the essay on Trout Mask Replica. There is also a 33 1/3 series with one of the books wholly dedicated to the album. Both readings are well done on breaking down the album. If you have not heard the album, buy it or grab it from somewhere and the start reading the explanations I give and these two sources talk about and discuss. Lastly, Enjoy! I might not given the best explanation about the album but to me this is an album that is more a painting then just a art project done in 3rd grade. Each album he has put out is unique in so many ways. I could more then likely write about all of them, but this is where I got my start and you as well. Enjoy! I leave you with more lyrics after the photo.



Pena
Her litle head clinking
Like a barrel of red velvet balls
Full past noise
Treats filled her eyes
Turning them yellow like enamel coated tacks
Soft like butter hard not to pour
Out enjoying the sun while sitting on a turned on waffle iron
Smoke billowing up from between her legs
Made me vomit beautifully
And crush a chandelier
Fall on my stomach 'n view her
From a thousand happened facets
Liquid red salt ran over crystals
I later band-aided the area
Sighed
Oh well it was worth it
Pena pleased but sore from sitting
Choose to stub her toe
'n view the white pulps horribly large in their red pockets
"I'm tired of playing baby," she explained
'n out of uh blue felt box let escape
One yellow butterfly the same size
Its dropping were tiny green phosphorous worms
That moved in tuck 'n rolls that clacked
'n whispered in their confinement
Three little burnt scotch taped windows
Several yards away
Mouths open to tongues that vibrated
'n lost saliva
Pena exclaimed, "That's the raspberries."

Don Cherry Is Complete

Is it natural for a music geek like me to like a sideman of Ornette Coleman so much that his recorded output is just as viable as his stuff with Ornette? The answer is yes and I will tell you why. Don Cherry is one of the most gifted and most underrated Jazz giants of the 1960's. If you hear him with Ornette his signature pocket trumpet or cornet make a huge impact on what Ornette is trying to do.

Don Cherry's music is full of world and jazz routes and is not afraid to combine them or try something totally new to get his musical leaning across to his audience. Don Cherry also was a musician that was eager to learn or try something new. He welcomed all types of music and would play on other peoples albums. He played with Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, and Steve Lacy and started two bands that preserved world music leanings and the preservation of his Ornette Coleman type band. He was so wide range of influence and style he guested on Steve Hillage's (guitarist from Gong) album called L.



After having a stint on the prestigious Blue Note label Don went on to explore world music and the fun that brought to him. He did lose focus while doing that he actually made some of his best jazz at that time too. Good Luck finding his album Brown Rice. It is at Amazon but as an import. Some of his stuff was never put out domestically so it's hard to track down. His Blue Note albums though are thankfully still in print. While most of his counterparts were making albums that had side long pieces that went in one direction Don did something different. I am sure Ornette taught him well.

Don Cherry injected enough of his own personality to begin differentiating himself as a leader. He arranged the original LP as two continuous side-long suites, each of which incorporated four different compositions and was recorded in a single take. In practice, this meant that several melodic themes popped up over the course of each side; all the musicians free-associated off of each theme, engaging in intense, abstract dialogues before moving on to the next. As the album's title suggests, every member of the group not only solos, but shares the total space selflessly. (AM) Often the music sounds more like a conversation, as opposed to a solo with support, because the musicians make such intelligent use of space and dynamics, and wind up with a great deal of crackling, volatile interplay as a result. (AM) As a whole, the project comes off remarkably well, establishing Cherry as an avant-garde force to be reckoned with in his own right.(AM)



Don Cherry was a complete musician to me. He covered a broad range of musical styles as I pointed out, but he never gets the credit in the jazz world as he deserves. He does not get lumped together with the likes of Coleman, Coltrane, Mingus, Parker, Davis, Rollins, Hancock and others. So many I can name and then you do feel like you just left him out. I am sure there are countless others that I would leave out in the second grouping would be Don too. His kids too are excellent musicians as well. Even though Eagle Eye and Neneh are full fledged pop musicians they still keep dad's spirit of being not to commercial, but enough to talk about.

I have the pleasure of owning all the Don Cherry Blue Note albums and they are all very good. I have even ten bootlegs from these Blue Note years that sing with joy. Don was not only someone to listen to, but a great person too. The jazz world said when he did that he was the biggest humanitarian too. Anyway! Don Cherry's music should be looked at more. His music is viable as any musician that has come out of the 50's and 60's. He has a lot to teach us. Listen to some of the best music that money can buy and like I talked about other artists that have importance to our world Don is one you can speak to a Jazz musician and he will say the same thing I just did. His music is my favorite and should be yours too. Enjoy!

Chicago The Band, Not The City

I first heard Chicago when I was seven years old. I did not know much about them at that age, but I could guess that they were my dad's favorite band because he used to play the record all the time. He would sit back after having dinner with my mother and just play the album. He would tell me how important Chicago was and how he liked the band because they had horns and had a great happy rock and roll feel. He told me that he saw them in 1970 and 1971 and loved every moment of them on stage. They would get the crowd involved and also make everyone feel great to be part of the moment.

My father had their first six albums and it was not a surprise that he go a week just playing one album. My father was a horn player as well and he told me that if he stuck it out after the military he would have tried to form a band like Chicago. He had the two other friend who played horns and he also had a great guitar player in one of his closest friends. All he needed was a keyboard, bass and drums and he would have the perfect band. Sadly my fathers dream never came true. He still tells me to this day he should went out and looked for the people to play the instruments that were missing in the band he was trying to form. I play drums so I know how hard it would have been to help my dad's vision.



The music of Chicago was unique for it's time. Sure, you had Blood Sweet and Tears and a few other horn driven bands, but they were not (I think) as cool as Chicago. They were good on all accounts. They had a kick ass horn section that included Lee Loughnane, James Pankow, and Walter Parazaider. The drums of Danny Seraphine. The Bass of Peter Cetera. The Keyboards of Robert Lamm, and lastly my favorite guitarist for a while and still think how great he really was Terry Kath. You put this great band together and for about eight years this was the most powerful band in the world. The proof is in so many songs from their debut album.

Chicago Transit Authority is an amazing piece of work. From the first song to the last their is not really a bad song. They have their own unique and characteristic greatness. Even the vocals of Terry Kath made it sound great and sometimes really bluesy. There is even a little Avant-Garde moment when the opening of side three on the record is a bunch of Guitar feedback that washes over you like your being brushed with a paint brush. It sounds out of sink with the rest of the album make it fun to hear a bunch of guitar feed back and noise. The funny part of the whole song is the middle part where Terry Kath laughs. I bet it made Hendrix blush a bit.



What makes the first Chicago album somewhat unique is the lone cover of Steve Winwood's "I'm A Man." It might have the melody of the song, but that's the only similarity. The Robert Lamm Bass line is amazing and the groove in the middle has something that no other song can have or top. The song begs to be turned really high in volume and wants you to sing along. Chicago had their best work when they had Terry Kath. After he died while cleaning his gun they were never the same. They were very soft rock pop headliners. I had the chance to see them and I had a great time.

So you can laugh all you want about Chicago, but if you have not heard the early albums this where it should start. Yea! It's the first but it still has some great power. A must own and even something the older folks will like too. Even at college I had the wonderful great debate how great Chicago was. Listen and enjoy! Just remember that you might play it over and over like my father did when I was growing up. Enjoy!

Who Are The Bad Plus And Why Do They Not Sound Like Jazz

One day I went with a few friends to see a concert in Boston. The Band was called Godspeed, You Black Emperor. This band I have talked about in my blog before. The show was amazing and to make music like they do is truly amazing to me. The use of cello, violin, two bass players, two guitars and two drummers is staggering and definitely something that can be expanded on. On the train back to our car I saw some people who I did not know who also went to the Godspeed show sit across from us. They seemed hip to what was going on. Even more they were talking about other bands that they have seen before this show and mentioned how cool they were as well. One band they talked about, but yet have not seen was a band called The Bad Plus.

Who were The Bad Plus I asked? Do they sound familiar to Godspeed, You Black Emperor? One guy responded and told me they were a Jazz trio on steroids. Full of Energy that no simple Jazz trio would dare try or attempt to sound like them. He also told me that The Bad Plus have a sort of oddness to them that makes them not Jazz, but their own style of music. They do sound at some moments like a Jazz trio, but they just do it so differently that they just scream insane. He continued and told me that there first album was not even out yet, but the buzz and seeing them once at the Regatta Bar convinced him that this was going to be great.



He continued telling me that they play their own material, but they throw in covers of bands like Nirvana, Blondie, Black Sabbath, Aphex Twin and others just for good measure. Their titles of their songs are odd, but just enough to make you laugh. He rattled off some odd titles such as "Keep the Bugs off the Glass and the Bears Off Your Ass." and "Silence is the Question" and "Big Eater." He even rattled off some of the songs from other artists that they did. He told me that they covered "Smells Like Teen Spirit," "Heart of Glass," "Iron Man" and Aphex Twin song "Film." After that explanation I was eager to hear this band. When I went home for a break I called my friend in New York and asked about them. He told me he had a CDR of them floating around and he would make me a copy and send it to me. He warned me that they are just one messed up band with a huge amount of talent.

A week later the CD showed up with a note. Play loud and enjoy. Also was enclosed a ticket to see them in NYC three weeks from the date he sent me the CD. He e-mailed me to tell me that he has a date see them play The Village Vanguard. I accepted and could not wait to get home to get to the city to see this band. When I went back to school I popped the CD in my player and just sat back and was in awe.



About a week after seeing this amazing show I received a CD in the mail. My roommate told me that he had to sign for it. I thought it was kind of odd that he had to sign for the package. I opened up the package and inside was the first Bad Plus CD. There was a note too. The Note read. " Hope you enjoyed the show as much as I did here is a gift for you to remember how great The Bad Plus were." It was the Bad Plus CD. When I opened the CD and looked at the Booklet it had been signed by the band. Also, was attached was my ticket stub and a flyer for the show.

I quickly called my friend and told him I got the package and was very thankful. I returned the favor and bought him a ticket when they were in my area to play. It was the least I could do. The show was fun and exciting, but it was amazing to see that they could have so much energy. If you want something that is not your grandpa's jazz group then this is the one for you. It's fun and the songs they cover are crazy. It is a welcome change to a world full of cookie cutter music and sometimes no talent. This is got the talent, and more. It might be the best thing you put in your CD player. Enjoy!!

Joe Jackson's 24 Hour Story

Growing up in the late 70's and 80's was different then it is now. I mean way different. I took a class at college about the 80's. I happened be the only one that actually knew the 80's because I lived it. While most of my classmates were conceived in the 80's I was seven years old at the start of it. It was a funny class because everyone asked me all the time "What was like to be a 80's child?" The teacher mention all the inventions of the 80's and I of course laughed because I bought most of these products. Some of these products were CD's, Walkman, Personal Computer, Hairspray (and lots of it) MTV or cable for that matter. Everything that we talked about I had. The class was okay, but I really took the class to find out what I missed or the history of the 80's minus the pop culture stuff that I lived through.

We had a project assigned to us and of course we had "The Dream Team" group. I had a few of my friends get together and we choose music. We did not talk about the music that made the 80's, we talked about the stuff that was below the music of the 80's. This included Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, New York Downtown scene, Jazz, Rap, and other things. In the group we talked about all the Punk and New Wave stuff too. We let the other music group talk about the Power Ballads, the Michael Jackson, the Heavy Metal, and the stuff all of us remember the 80's for.



When we were in our study groups I talked about and the stuff I liked in the 80's. This included Joe Jackson. When I mentioned his name to the group one person laughed at me the other two just scratched their heads. I told him he was like a Cole Porter or Gershwin of the 80's. He had real instruments and played real music. He had some great song writing. He was New Wave and cool. Had strong songwriting and was an equal to Elvis Costello. For me Joe Jackson was some of the first stuff I heard growing up. My best friend was a huge fan. He had all his records and when he would pick me up from school he would blast Joe Jackson all the time and ask me to sing along. It was fun and a memory I will always love in my early life growing up.



The other day I was listening to the radio in the car and some guy played Joe Jackson. It was from this very album Night and Day. It was so exciting to hear it again after a long break. What makes night and day so special is that it's full of real music. There is no "power ballad" or corny love song. It's straight forward and fun. It just brings me back when real music was just that real.

Joe Jackson has put out some great albums too. This is not just one his album leading up to this album. The previous four are just as good. So try really something not 80's even though it is from 1982. Some of you know this stuff, others should listen and feel smart because you walk into a store and someone who is my age sees you looking at Joe Jackson. There might be a good conversation there. "When I was young in the early 80's I used to listen to Joe Jackson." Try it and enjoy! Classic all the way!

Everyone's Favorite Indie Rock Cult Band...If You Don't Know Them You Should

Back in 1991 I was invited to a U2 show with a few friend. I thought it was cool that they invited me because I usually went to shows that no one had heard of or just went on my own to shows and then found people I knew at the same show I was at. My friends told me that want to see this tour because of the venue. The Civic Center was not a great place, but we all had connections to get great seats and we could make it a group effort. I knew my connections were in part because of my father. He could get anything at the Civic Center because he built it and was the first person they called when it collapsed on that snowy day in 1979. I got home from school one day to tell my parents that I was going to U2 and my dad handed me two tickets for floor seats. He knew I saw U2 in 1985 with my father and he had a blast. Then I saw them in May of 1987 at the same Civic Center and this time I was with my best friend had a blast again. This time I brought the girl I was seeing and we ran late. We did not miss U2, but we missed the most important act ever to grace the stage of all opening bands. We missed "god-damn" Pavement.

I was not mad at her, but I really wanted to see this band. I never heard of them at that point and not many people did either, but it was worth a shot to know more. I was a bit pissed because I knew that my friend who knew me well would ask me the next day about the opener and I would have to fudge and say "they were awesome." Well the funny thing was they canceled their chance to open and instead we had the Pixies, but damn it I missed that too. I at least knew who the Pixies were and I just wanted to see them at another time. Sadly after the U2 tour the Pixies broke up and I did not see them till 2008. Pavement I never saw again either because they got a bit famous and never came around the area again.



Pavement was a band that was something I always wanted to see. I heard the stuff on the college radio. I even saw the two or three videos on MTV and even saw then on MTV late night alternative TV show 120 Minutes. I thought that Pavement was not your typical Indie-Rock band. They had unusually odd lyrics and really odd musical style. They caught my interest right away and I wanted to heard more.

A few years after the Pavement buzz started. It was around and I jumped right on it. I could not understand why people did not catch on. It was like the biggest cult underground rock band. People that would follow the same music I was following was not following Pavement, but they were following Beck, Live, Weezer, Oasis, Nine Inch Nails, Green Day, Stone Temple Pilots and others. There was not many Pavement fans. It was not till I went back to school in 2000 that there were still a select few who loved them as much as I.



So what attracted me to Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain? The answer is simple. The music is amazing and even better the lyrics are way out there and still have some kind of sense and order. Pavement is a band that is something that should be listened to. The description I could give. Here are a sample of the single from the album. The song and video were very unique for it's time.

Darlin' don't you go and cut your hair
Do you think it's gonna make him change?
"I'm just a boy with a new haircut"
And that's a pretty nice haircut
Charge in like a puzzle
Hitmen wearing muzzles
Hesitate you die
Look around, around
The second drummer drowned
His telephone is found

Music scene is crazy
Bands start up each and every day
I saw another one just the other day
A special new band
I remember lying
I don't remember a line
I don't remember a word
But I don't care, I care, I really don't care
Did you see the drummer's hair?

Advertising looks and chops a must
No big hair!
Songs mean a lot when songs are bought
And so are you
Let's run down to the practice room
attention and fame
a career
career, career, career



If you read those lyrics you can tell they are not exactly about what other bands talk about. There is not about love, lost love, good times, etc. These lyrics are just down right odd. Pavement are a wonderful band that just needs a little time to understand them. All their albums have some kind of unique twist to them that just makes work.

If you want to try something totally new then I suggest Pavement. You cannot go wrong with any of the albums, but this is were I started and it might be the most accessible. Have fun challenging your music friends with them. They might not know or they might and you know they might feel the same way I do. They rock in an odd sorta way. They are just fun and just a little out there for all of us to understand. And, if you are a Pavement fan like me. Hope to see you at one of the reunion shows! Enjoy!!