Monday, September 28, 2009

Happy Birthday!


. . . . . (flyer from first show at J. Alan's on September 28th, 2006)


Happy 3rd Birthday to ANDREW AND THE PRETTY PUNCHERS!!!


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Friday, September 11, 2009

My Son

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I just returned from meeting my son Andy at Jimmie's Cornerstone Bar. I bought him dinner. We also had two beers and an "Irish car bomb" (a half a glass of Guinness (the car) and a shot of Jameson's whiskey (the bomb)).

Andy introduced me to another half dozen or so Brown Street regulars. We teased the bartenders and gave each other shit for a couple of hours.

Let it be known that there is nowhere else that I would have chosen to be, or anyone else I would have chosen to be with.


I love that boy with all of my heart. It is the simplest and most effortless thing that I have ever done.

God bless my son.

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Thursday, September 10, 2009

Sadly Beautiful Song Series, Songs #9 and #10

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We have a special "double feature" for this Sadly Beautiful Song Series entry. Two songs from one of America's great "unknown" bands: Big Star.

Big Star was fronted by Alex Chilton. Some oldies fans may remember Chilton as the voice of the '60s group The Box Tops. The Box Tops had a mega-hit titled "The Letter" ("Buy me a ticket for an airplane/I ain't got time to take a fast train/Lonely days are gone/My baby, she wrote me a letter"). That growling baritone lead vocal was none other than a 17-year-old(?!) Alex Chilton.

I couldn't decide which of my two absolute favorite Big Star songs would be most appropriate for the Sadly Beautiful Song Series. In the end I opted for both. The opening line to each song nail it perfectly and made me realize that they should be presented in tandem. The two songs are like "now and then" bookends.



. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. .. . . .. . .. . . . . . . . (thirteen)

THIRTEEN

(Big Star)

Won't you let me walk you home from school
Won't you let me meet you at the pool
Maybe Friday I can
Get tickets for the dance
And I'll take you

Won't you tell your dad, get off my back
Tell him what we said about Paint It, Black
Rock 'n' roll is here to stay
Come inside where it's okay
And I'll shake you.

Won't you tell me what you're thinking of.
Would you be an outlaw for my love
If it's so, well, let me know
If it's no, well, I can go.
I won't make you.

please listen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pte3Jg-2Ax4



. . . . . .. . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . . (fifty-five)


BALLAD OF EL GOODO
(Big Star)

Years ago, my heart was set to live, oh
But I've been trying hard against unbelievable odds
It gets so hard at times like now to hold on
My guns they're waiting to be stuck by
At my side is God

And there ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round

There's people around who tell you that they know
The places where they send you, and it's easy to go
They'll zip you up and dress you down
Stand you in a row
But you know you don't have to
You can just say no

And there ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round

I've been built up and trusted
Broke down and busted
But they'll get theirs and we'll get ours
Just if we can
Just, ah, hold on
Hold on
Hold on
Hold on

Years ago my heart was set to live, oh
But I've been trying hard against strong odds
It gets so hard at times like now to hold on
Well, I'll fall if I don't fight
And at my side is God

Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round

Hold on
Hold on
Hold on
Hold on

Years ago I was all set to go
And I've been trying hard against long odds
It gets so hard at times like this to even hang around
I can either stand or fall
And I believe I'm gonna stand tall.


please listen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn1t6l7UUPc


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Saturday, September 5, 2009

Stupid Fucking Deer (revised)





My good friend Sylvia was supposed to visit the Gem City for an extended Labor Day weekend. We haven't seen each other in nine years. Unfortunately she was in an accident with a deer on her way to the Sacramento airport early Saturday morning and missed her flight.

Physically, Sylvia is fine. However the accident did shake her up considerably. It also did some fairly serious damage to her SUV. She called her friend Glenn from the road and he raced to her aid. He also tried to get Sylvia to the airport in his car in time to catch her flight, but to no avail.


(happier times, circa the late 90's . . . off to the Pine Club, and rationing Cheez-its while waiting for a tow truck outside of Cool, California, pop. 2418)


I feel terrible for Syl. She is a basket case - because of both the deer and the missed trip to her beloved Dayton.

This really sucks. We were going to have a blast. We had a list of 13 things to do while she was here. Some of the highlights on our itinerary were: Elsa's, Hasty Tasty, Canal Street Tavern, have a beer with Andy, The Pine Club, the Montgomery County Fair (the Cavalcade of Thrills Demolition Derby specifically), have a beer with Andy, Esther Price, Yellow Springs/Glen Helen, and more. And of course all of this would be accentuated with our one true love: music!

I purchased brand new all cotton bed sheets just for Syl's visit. I also bought a new set of towels for her. The bed sheet was turned down on her side, with the towels, a bouquet of flowers, and M&Ms, at the ready.

Stupid fucking deer.




"so it goes"
(k. vonnegut)

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Friday, September 4, 2009

Wesley Willis, Song #4

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WESLEY WILLIS, SONG #4

My Mother Smokes Crack Rocks
(Wesley Willis)

My mother is a dope fiend
My mother smokes paraphenelia as I speak
My mother buys cocaine from a dope man
She loves to smoke that crack pipe

My mother smokes crack rocks
My mother smokes crack rocks
My mother smokes crack rocks
My mother smokes crack rocks

My mother smoked that crack like a cigar
She had a good time at it
She jacks my brother for dope money
She does it by threatening him with a Smith & Wesson

My mother smokes crack rocks
My mother smokes crack rocks
My mother smokes crack rocks
My mother smokes crack rocks

At 11:00 PM, the police came to my mother's house to eject her
They arrested my mother for possession of a controlled substance
My mother was taken to the metal clink
They locked her up for being a loser

My mother smokes crack rocks
My mother smokes crack rocks
My mother smokes crack rocks
My mother smokes crack rocks

Rock over London
Rock on Chicago
Revco, it's the go ahead and get it store.


please listen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPftjJlqDdQ

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Thursday, September 3, 2009

Wesley Willis, Song #3




WESLEY WILLIS, SONG #3

"The Vultures Ate My Dead Ass Up"
(Wesley Willis)

Once upon a time, a team of hungry birds came down on a dead body
It was a dead deer
They sucked it deep into the dead deer
The vultures were hungry

The vultures, the vultures
The vultures, the vultures
The vultures
Ate my dead ass up

The vultures ate the deer like it was going out of style
They were eating on the skull
They were eating like dogs

The vultures, the vultures
The vultures, the vultures
The vultures
Ate my dead ass up

The vultures took off like a jet plane
They were flying United
They were flying at 150 miles per hour
They were flying like an airplane

The vultures, the vultures
The vultures, the vultures
The vultures
Ate my dead ass up
The vultures
Ate my dead ass up
The vultures
Ate my dead ass up
The vultures
Ate my dead ass up

Rock over London
Rock on Chicago
Wheaties, Breakfast Of Champions


please listen

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Sprechen Sie Guided By Voices?

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Guided By Voices may have never been fully appreciated here in their hometown of Dayton, but apparently they are big in Germany - especially with German school choirs.

Ladies and gentlemen I present to you a June 18, 2008 performance of the Guided By Voices song "Gold Heart Mountaintop Queen Directory,"
or to be more specific:

"Sommerkonzert der Eschweger Gymnasien in der Stadthalle Eschwege am Chor 8.-13. Klasse sowie Ehemalige"


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGu5v9_UH78



the original version of the song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcUG_rXHeRM









[a big shout out to sylvia for turning me on to this]

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Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Wesley Willis, Song #2




WESLEY WILLIS, SONG #2

"Oprah Winfrey"
(Wesley Willis)

You are a movie star
You are a rich woman
You are a talk show queen
You are so sweet as Domino sugar

Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey

You are so pretty like a flower
You are a cute woman
You are a smart woman
You can really flap your yap off

Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey

You are too good to be true
You so talented doing the Oprah Winfrey Show
You can really make an honest dollar at Harpo Studios

Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey

Rock over London
Rock on Chicago
Johnny Rockets, it's the original hamburger



please listen:

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Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Wesley Willis, Song #1





WESLEY WILLIS, SONG #1:


"I Whipped Spider-man's Ass"
(Wesley Willis)

Spider-Man thought he was bad
He was screwin' my date up
He was botherin' my girlfriend
He tried to cut her out of seventy dollars

I whipped Spider-Man's ass
I whipped Spider-Man's ass
I whipped Spider-Man's ass
I whipped Spider-Man's ass

Spider-Man messed with my girlfriend
Spider-Man wrapped his arms around her with my bedroom door closed
Suddenly, I opened the bedroom door on Spider-Man's sneaky ass
I caught him kissing my girlfriend and beat him to a pulp with a rubber hose

I whipped Spider-Man's ass
I whipped Spider-Man's ass
I whipped Spider-Man's ass
I whipped Spider-Man's ass

Spider-Man beat the hell out of me
He whirled me and knocked me to the floor
I tore out his world and threw him against the radiator
Spider-Man was being such a stupid jerk

I whipped Spider-Man's ass
I whipped Spider-Man's ass
I whipped Spider-Man's ass
I whipped Spider-Man's ass

Rock over London
Rock on, Chicago
NAPA, it's the parts store



please listen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFjuPbCShBw





"Rock over London
. Rock on Chicago"
.(W. Willis)

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September is WESLEY WILLIS month!




I have decided to dedicate the month of September to the late, great Wesley Willis. Throughout the month we will feature songs by the "Daddy Of Rock 'n Roll."

Here is a brief intro into the troubled life and musical/artistic legacy of Wesley Willis. The minute and a half video is a promo for the excellent documentary "The Daddy Of Rock 'n' Roll - available at finer rental stores, and my apartment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyOIJTF4Fgc



Ironically, although Wesley considered himself a "rock star," it is his drawings and sketches that are fetching five figures at art auctions. Some of the September blog entries will also feature Wesley's art work.

And regarding that very sporty and apropos t-shirt I am wearing: Yes, that is Wesley Willis' autograph on the middle, left side. I purchased the shirt from the head of Alternative Tentacles, a California record label that released some of Wesley's music later in his career. The guy told me that Wesley walked up to him at an Alternative Tentacles media party and said "I am going to autograph your shirt." As you can see from the video above: you don't argue with Wesley.

Two interesting things about the autograph: 1) it's surprisingly tiny coming from a very proud 400+ pound man, and 2) why the cursive first name and the printed last name? I suppose that it is one of many secrets that Wesley took with him.

God bless Wesley Willis. May you rest in peace, and may no one ever bring your "joy ride" down.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ."Rock over London
. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. Rock on Chicago"
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (W. Willis)

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