The musicianship of Led Zeppelin is the most overrated in rock and roll history. Jimmy Page’s propensity for air guitar inspiring riffs is undeniable. His limited, meandering solo ability, however, leaves much to be desired. I find the same to be true of John Bonham. For example, the Moby Dick drum solo Sucks with a capital ‘S’. And nothing he ever did even compares to the work of Keith Moon or Ginger Baker.
LLWS
Since I last wrote of the Little League World Series, I’ve done a 180 with regard to Georgia’s star player and ace pitcher, Kyle Carter. The fact that his stuff is overpowering was never up for debate. Yesterday evening, he was even breaking Japanese ankles and knees with an off-speed breaking ball that had them falling out of the batters box; an excellent compliment to his bread and butter fastball. He won me over with sportsmanship. Over the course of this years LLWS I believe I saw Carter hit two batters. It was not the fact that he walked over to the batter on his way to first base to shake hands and apologize, but the way he did it. It was genuine. Befitting his performance throughout, Carter was also the first (at least audibly) coach or player of the LLWS champion team to recommend, excuse me, lead his team over to the opposing dugout to shake hands with a fundamentally impeccable Japanese team; a team without a dry eye up its lineup.
The second most impressive player in this year’s LLWS was Georgia’s second baseman. Consistently overlooked by opposing teams who were perhaps seeking the lesser of two hitting evils by intentionally walking Carter, this kid made them pay with big hit after big hit. More impressive than his bat, he was a vacuum at second base. Fittingly, he made the last out of the last game. Maybe his father, a scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates, should petition Bud Selig to lower Major League Baseball’s minimum age requirement.
Pigs
All they do is talk on cell phones. Like much of the country I’m sure, Boston and its Metro-west suburbs are riddled with cops directing traffic. In Boston, they’re compensating for the incompetence of the Big Dig bureaucracy in light of a recent tragedy. In the suburbs, they’re overseeing the direction of traffic as it conflicts with suburban sprawl projects. No matter the location or the purpose, cops love their cell phones. So while they use up minutes (thank god they switched to Verizon), discussing their guns and racially motivated beatings, we the people foot the bill. How have people not made a stink about this yet? We pay for cops to talk on their phones. Sometimes in Boston, and this is my favorite, they assign three cops to the same intersection. Rather than even stand in the intersection they preside over, and at least pretend to work, they’ll lean up against mailboxes on the street corner and chat amongst themselves, presumably about their guns, food and racially motivated beatings. My second favorite is this cop out here in the burbs who indiscriminately waves on cars with both hands from all directions with no regard for the volume, size, or logistics of oncoming traffic. The good people of this town would actually be better off if this guy were hit by a car and forced into early retirement.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Prepare to Enter a Circle.....Zing!
"I am unfairly characterized as a “novice” Biscuit Head. I do own 5 cd’s worth of Disco Biscuit music and I feel that gives me a good insight into their musical approach. Also, I did not compare them to “fusion” music. Fusion, a derogatory term in serious music circles, encompasses many styles of music and is generally used to describe electric improvised music. This label, as with jam, deserves a blog all its own and I will provide one in the near future."
-The Sgt.
-The Sgt.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
It's My Diary and I'll Cry if I Want to
Operating under an alias grants me some additional freedom; freedom I wouldn’t have for some reason if I hadn’t ingeniously changed my name. Granted, most of the people I know have been given the link to this blog and hopefully repeatedly visit it…..yet I remain undaunted. This is my diary and I’ll cry if I want to.
As is most likely evident from the content of this blog up until this point, I often fancy myself a tough guy. A man’s man. I like beer, good music and sports. I even get into a fight once every 5 or 6 years, albeit coming away with tales of folly and misadventure more often than bragging rights.
Well my friends, I’m also a little crying bitch. In a bold and unprecedented move, I’m going to make a list of the circumstances under which I have shed tears in recent memory. And if anyone ostracizes, patronizes, or chastises me, I’ll fight them….once I stop crying.
1. A couple weeks ago I saw War of the Worlds. I hate Tom Cruise as much as the next reasonable human being for all the obvious reasons….but I pretty much cried every 20 to 40 minutes for the film’s entirety. In one of those lucid hazes that often accompany an intense hangover, I was even comfortable enough with my cowardice to tell my girlfriend who was seated next to me, “I’m crying.” She turned to me, smiled, “Oh my God, you are!” Good stuff.
2. Last night I was home briefly between the hours of 7:00 and 8:00. As the doors to my CD player no longer open (?), I did some brief channel surfing and found Jack on HBO. Jack features Robin Williams as a 10 year old kid stricken with a disease that accelerates the aging process. So, naturally, I cried when Jack stayed home from school for 2 weeks because he just wanted to be like the other boys (ie. not have to shave while in 4th grade, not die shortly after high school). This was a 10 year old kid in a grown man’s body faced with the daunting task of coming to terms with his impending premature mortality.
3. One of the live Pearl Jam discs I own features a rendition of Yellow Ledbetter where Eddie Vedder alters the lyrics such that they’re clearly anti-war/ anti-death, etc. In this version, the song’s subject enlists in the army to pay for college, ends up being killed in combat, and comes home in a “box on the back, a yeaaaaaaaah can you see them”, etc. I was listening to it on my way in to work and for whatever reason the words resonated and struck my pink chord within… and I cried like a baby. So much so, in fact, I had to put on my sunglasses to avoid contingent double-takes and jeers from cars stopped at red lights alongside me.
4. Pearl Jam’s cover of Masters of War on Live at Bennaroya Hall has had the same affect on more than one occasion. I’m apparently anti-war/killing too. Who knew?
5. Every time I see Rudy..
6. Pretty much any time it’s customary for women to cry.
There. I feel better, you?
As is most likely evident from the content of this blog up until this point, I often fancy myself a tough guy. A man’s man. I like beer, good music and sports. I even get into a fight once every 5 or 6 years, albeit coming away with tales of folly and misadventure more often than bragging rights.
Well my friends, I’m also a little crying bitch. In a bold and unprecedented move, I’m going to make a list of the circumstances under which I have shed tears in recent memory. And if anyone ostracizes, patronizes, or chastises me, I’ll fight them….once I stop crying.
1. A couple weeks ago I saw War of the Worlds. I hate Tom Cruise as much as the next reasonable human being for all the obvious reasons….but I pretty much cried every 20 to 40 minutes for the film’s entirety. In one of those lucid hazes that often accompany an intense hangover, I was even comfortable enough with my cowardice to tell my girlfriend who was seated next to me, “I’m crying.” She turned to me, smiled, “Oh my God, you are!” Good stuff.
2. Last night I was home briefly between the hours of 7:00 and 8:00. As the doors to my CD player no longer open (?), I did some brief channel surfing and found Jack on HBO. Jack features Robin Williams as a 10 year old kid stricken with a disease that accelerates the aging process. So, naturally, I cried when Jack stayed home from school for 2 weeks because he just wanted to be like the other boys (ie. not have to shave while in 4th grade, not die shortly after high school). This was a 10 year old kid in a grown man’s body faced with the daunting task of coming to terms with his impending premature mortality.
3. One of the live Pearl Jam discs I own features a rendition of Yellow Ledbetter where Eddie Vedder alters the lyrics such that they’re clearly anti-war/ anti-death, etc. In this version, the song’s subject enlists in the army to pay for college, ends up being killed in combat, and comes home in a “box on the back, a yeaaaaaaaah can you see them”, etc. I was listening to it on my way in to work and for whatever reason the words resonated and struck my pink chord within… and I cried like a baby. So much so, in fact, I had to put on my sunglasses to avoid contingent double-takes and jeers from cars stopped at red lights alongside me.
4. Pearl Jam’s cover of Masters of War on Live at Bennaroya Hall has had the same affect on more than one occasion. I’m apparently anti-war/killing too. Who knew?
5. Every time I see Rudy..
6. Pretty much any time it’s customary for women to cry.
There. I feel better, you?
Monday, August 21, 2006
Rainy Night in Boston
Complete with 45 minute rain delay, everything about last night’s Sox v Yanks clash for AL East supremacy made this 5 game series a tough pill to swallow for the Boston faithful....and it was only the 4th game.
Having been slapped around by the Yankees lethal offense in the first three games, this most recent effort saw the Yankees out-clutch a team that prides itself on the late inning heroics of the franchise’s most clutch hitter of all time – who coincidentally had been honored as such before the game’s first pitch.
In the 8+ Yanks v Sox games I’ve attended at Fenway in the past three years, I have never seen so many out-cognito Yankee fans pay no price for their choice of attire. While Sox fans were sure to stand up and turn up the volume for big pitches during big at-bats, one couldn’t help but notice their shrinking collective swagger. Since 2004, the classless, tasteless, bitterness and jealousy of Red Sox nation was replaced by classless, tasteless, confidence. Now, in August of 2006, Red Sox nation is classless and deflated. A shadow of its former self, Yankee fans young and old were still “gay” and “brokeback Jeter” according the Fenway faithful, only the homophobia lacked its usual conviction and was consequently ineffectual.
Intermittent MVP chants for Big Papi were laid to rest by the Yankee captain in the 9th inning. Anyone who watches the Yankees with any regularity knows the buck starts and stops with Derek Jeter. If the Yankees mount a comeback, you can bet Jeter either started, revived, or capped it off. It’s uncanny and fantastic. He is the center of the Yankees offensive storm. Doubters and haters should be cast aside and forgotten.
GM’s
Was Theo Epstein saving for the future? Or maybe more realistically, just not willing to sell the farm in a lean market? I don’t blame Epstein for the Sox woes. This is a team that has held first place for the vast majority of the season, a team that is suddenly losing badly. Who saw these last four games coming? No one. I was hoping the Yanks would squeak out of the weekend with a 3-2 edge. I definitely did not expect to enter Monday with a 5 game sweep of the Sox, at Fenway no less, on the radar.
I give a lot of credit to the Cash Man for going out and getting Bobby Abreu. Before this year's trade deadline, I never gave pitch count a second thought from an offensive standpoint. I knew, as most fans do, that pitchers often come out of games once they’re counts reach the wrong side of 100. In acquiring Abreu, a move that was oft dismissed as insignificant or at least underappreciated, the Yankees have set themselves up to compete against even the best pitching staffs in baseball. Because of lengthy, patience-ridden at-bats from top to bottom, the Yankees eventually get to see everyone’s underbelly; middle relief. The Cash Man did not so much address Yankee weaknesses as he addressed its strengths and the strengths of the teams they will face in late September and October. Great starting pitching beats good hitting in a 5 and 7 game series. This has plagued recent Yankee playoff runs. How was this addressed? By overloading the scale. The Yankees are so prolifically patient at the plate, they are sure to see at least 3 innings of relief pitching, and bats to bats, no one matches up with the Bombers.
Having been slapped around by the Yankees lethal offense in the first three games, this most recent effort saw the Yankees out-clutch a team that prides itself on the late inning heroics of the franchise’s most clutch hitter of all time – who coincidentally had been honored as such before the game’s first pitch.
In the 8+ Yanks v Sox games I’ve attended at Fenway in the past three years, I have never seen so many out-cognito Yankee fans pay no price for their choice of attire. While Sox fans were sure to stand up and turn up the volume for big pitches during big at-bats, one couldn’t help but notice their shrinking collective swagger. Since 2004, the classless, tasteless, bitterness and jealousy of Red Sox nation was replaced by classless, tasteless, confidence. Now, in August of 2006, Red Sox nation is classless and deflated. A shadow of its former self, Yankee fans young and old were still “gay” and “brokeback Jeter” according the Fenway faithful, only the homophobia lacked its usual conviction and was consequently ineffectual.
Intermittent MVP chants for Big Papi were laid to rest by the Yankee captain in the 9th inning. Anyone who watches the Yankees with any regularity knows the buck starts and stops with Derek Jeter. If the Yankees mount a comeback, you can bet Jeter either started, revived, or capped it off. It’s uncanny and fantastic. He is the center of the Yankees offensive storm. Doubters and haters should be cast aside and forgotten.
GM’s
Was Theo Epstein saving for the future? Or maybe more realistically, just not willing to sell the farm in a lean market? I don’t blame Epstein for the Sox woes. This is a team that has held first place for the vast majority of the season, a team that is suddenly losing badly. Who saw these last four games coming? No one. I was hoping the Yanks would squeak out of the weekend with a 3-2 edge. I definitely did not expect to enter Monday with a 5 game sweep of the Sox, at Fenway no less, on the radar.
I give a lot of credit to the Cash Man for going out and getting Bobby Abreu. Before this year's trade deadline, I never gave pitch count a second thought from an offensive standpoint. I knew, as most fans do, that pitchers often come out of games once they’re counts reach the wrong side of 100. In acquiring Abreu, a move that was oft dismissed as insignificant or at least underappreciated, the Yankees have set themselves up to compete against even the best pitching staffs in baseball. Because of lengthy, patience-ridden at-bats from top to bottom, the Yankees eventually get to see everyone’s underbelly; middle relief. The Cash Man did not so much address Yankee weaknesses as he addressed its strengths and the strengths of the teams they will face in late September and October. Great starting pitching beats good hitting in a 5 and 7 game series. This has plagued recent Yankee playoff runs. How was this addressed? By overloading the scale. The Yankees are so prolifically patient at the plate, they are sure to see at least 3 innings of relief pitching, and bats to bats, no one matches up with the Bombers.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
The Eraser
"Does Thom Yorke need Radiohead?"
.....
"Could this album have been made with Radiohead?"
....
"Would it sound better if it was?"
.......
"Does this sound like Radiohead?"
Finally, a relevant question. The singer's voice sounds a little familiar. The lyrics have a similar quality as well. Actually, much in the manner I've come to expect, the music is both dissonant and harmonic at once; a challenging yet easy listen.
Radiohead and Thom Yorke have always been about juxtapositions; the tension created by Thom's voice as he gently showers us with cynicism and feelings of alienation; the fear of technology apparent in the lyrics as they're complimented by techno-savvy production and sound.
Now, at the height of Radiohead's power, its primary creative force has chosen to stand alone (though he's sure to explain that this solo effort is not a solo effort), to strip down the size and scope of his sound, and to become (relatively) powerless. Yorke has made himself vulnerable. And to be honest, I can't tell if it's a move made out of arrogance or modesty. Either way, it's effective and affective.
Each track on The Eraser is formatted similarly, an observation that bothered me when first made. Upon further review, however, having been rendered incapable of justifying this malcontent, I've discarded the notion and haven't found reason to revisit it. I can't fault an album for having a theme, structurally or otherwise. To be sure, it's imossible to mistake any track on The Eraser for another. Dissonant, elegant, catchy (after a few listens) music ultimately gives way to seemingly unrelated electronic jams that come out of left field, only magically without seeming out of place. Every song has its own hook, whether it's Yorke's slick voice in Atoms for Peace or the bomb of a bass line in And it Rained All Night.
Yorke hasn't done anything new sonically with this, his first solo effort. Radiohead is versed in using computers to make music. He has, however, reminded us of his presence by giving it a clearer definition, which allows for its appreciation, and also for what the additional members of Radiohead bring to the table when they pull up their chairs.
16/20
.....
"Could this album have been made with Radiohead?"
....
"Would it sound better if it was?"
.......
"Does this sound like Radiohead?"
Finally, a relevant question. The singer's voice sounds a little familiar. The lyrics have a similar quality as well. Actually, much in the manner I've come to expect, the music is both dissonant and harmonic at once; a challenging yet easy listen.
Radiohead and Thom Yorke have always been about juxtapositions; the tension created by Thom's voice as he gently showers us with cynicism and feelings of alienation; the fear of technology apparent in the lyrics as they're complimented by techno-savvy production and sound.
Now, at the height of Radiohead's power, its primary creative force has chosen to stand alone (though he's sure to explain that this solo effort is not a solo effort), to strip down the size and scope of his sound, and to become (relatively) powerless. Yorke has made himself vulnerable. And to be honest, I can't tell if it's a move made out of arrogance or modesty. Either way, it's effective and affective.
Each track on The Eraser is formatted similarly, an observation that bothered me when first made. Upon further review, however, having been rendered incapable of justifying this malcontent, I've discarded the notion and haven't found reason to revisit it. I can't fault an album for having a theme, structurally or otherwise. To be sure, it's imossible to mistake any track on The Eraser for another. Dissonant, elegant, catchy (after a few listens) music ultimately gives way to seemingly unrelated electronic jams that come out of left field, only magically without seeming out of place. Every song has its own hook, whether it's Yorke's slick voice in Atoms for Peace or the bomb of a bass line in And it Rained All Night.
Yorke hasn't done anything new sonically with this, his first solo effort. Radiohead is versed in using computers to make music. He has, however, reminded us of his presence by giving it a clearer definition, which allows for its appreciation, and also for what the additional members of Radiohead bring to the table when they pull up their chairs.
16/20
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Sports!
I didn’t watch nearly enough sports this past weekend. The Yankees weren’t on television in New England, I don’t understand ESPN’s fascination with professional poker, televised darts just doesn’t do it for me, and it’s tough to get excited about pre-season football unless I’m on the phone with my dad and we’re sharing our disdain for the mandatory purchase of pre-season tickets in his Giants’ season-ticket package. That's ridiculous right? This is not to say this weekend passed without incident however. 3 potential conversation pieces stand out in my mind: 1. The sausage eating contest in Sheboygan Wisconsin, 2. The beginning of the Little League World Series and 3. ESPN naming the Texas Longhorns as their pre-season number one.
Should professional eating be considered a sport? I don’t really know. I didn’t even actually watch the contest, just briefly caught its introduction. Is Kobayashi amazing? A freak? Yes and yes. Have I recently engaged in a binge eating contest much like I used to play in pretend football games in my front yard by myself (as Phil Simms, Stephen Baker The Touchdown Maker, and Lawrence Taylor all at the same time)…only fueled here less by innocence and imagination, and more by booze? Yes. Dumplings. Chinatown. The winning dumpling was actually stolen off my fork by the bongo player from Girls Guns and Glory….who went on to win in what can only be described as a significant upset. There WILL be a rematch.
Even still, seeing the “chef” brown the brats and drop them into a tub of beer and onions was enough for me. Kobayashi won by like 11 wieners. I’m sure he’s pooping as we speak. Where am I going with all this? I’m not sure. In order to adequately appreciate brilliance of this magnitude, everyone should drink too much with some friends and head over to Chinatown or your favorite wing place for a fat boy battle royale. I promise it will get those competitive juices flowing….among others.
I did have a point. We, as Americans, should be ashamed. Competitive eating is dominated by a muscular Japanese man. Forget the decline of American basketball and copious amounts of war-waging/masterminding/manipulation, this is something that MUST be addressed right away! As the fattest shits in the world, we owe it to ourselves to spend more time and resources on competitive eating. We need to get our tubs of shit off of the couch and into these contests. I recommend a grass roots campaign. Turn to the fat ass next to you and spread the good word. If they whine, "I have a glandular problem," don't believe them.
The Little League World Series has begun. I caught the Southeast Regional Final on Friday. Georgia’s pitcher was about 6’ tall with an 80 mph fastball. 80 mph! Do you understand how fast that is? If his coaches could only get him to straighten out his hat and stop marching around the mound like Eminem ( rap limping), it might have been possible for me to root for that bastard. I want Georgia to go down!
While he was dominant, the Florida team was able to put the ball in play, albeit inconsistently. Everyone should pay attention to the LLWS. While you can be certain to see some pretty obnoxious parents and coaches, you’ll also get to see the best kids in the world playing a kids’ game. Have I mentioned they’re really filthy and sure to make Sportscenter’s top 10 consistently for the rest of the month? Usually the key to the LLWS is a dominant pitcher. The last few teams standing will have one or two kids with facial hair and fast balls in the upper 70’s. More often than not, they’re just too much for the opposing hitters. While impressive and entertaining, the best games usually feature both teams’ number two/three guys. These are the games that showcase the bats, gloves and true colors of both teams…and it’s fantastic. The pride of New Jersey was eliminated last night but Staten Island. Bummer. I can't root for those kids. Due to proximity, I'm adopting Portsmouth NH.
In a surprisingly shortsighted prediction- short on creativity and long on lame- ESPN named Texas its preseason college football number 1. I guess because they won the national championship last year??? Since 1980, only USC has won consecutive national championships with some semblance of consensus among the polls (and now BCS). Under Carroll, USC has been a talent factory with a sophisticated offensive scheme.
Mack Brown has signed Texas’ blue-chip talent throughout his tenure. This isn't up for debate. He’s gone undefeated once since 1998 and it took a playmaker like Vince Young (freak) to push the program over the top (I know football is a team game but if you think Texas had a chance against USC without Vince Young last year you’re an idiot). The fact that Brown has to choose between a red-shirt freshman in Colt McCoy and freshman Jevan Snead is less of an obstacle when you consider the Texas’ relatively simple offensive scheme. It will not surprise me or help them, however, if Brown is indecisive with his two young quarterbacks like he was in 2000 with Applewhite and Simms. And make no mistake, Texas will be good, especially in a paltry Big 12, but there is no way they beat Ohio State. The Oklahoma game should be interesting as well, with their similarly unclear circumstances at the quarterback position but the talent I’ve come to expect out of both programs.
Should professional eating be considered a sport? I don’t really know. I didn’t even actually watch the contest, just briefly caught its introduction. Is Kobayashi amazing? A freak? Yes and yes. Have I recently engaged in a binge eating contest much like I used to play in pretend football games in my front yard by myself (as Phil Simms, Stephen Baker The Touchdown Maker, and Lawrence Taylor all at the same time)…only fueled here less by innocence and imagination, and more by booze? Yes. Dumplings. Chinatown. The winning dumpling was actually stolen off my fork by the bongo player from Girls Guns and Glory….who went on to win in what can only be described as a significant upset. There WILL be a rematch.
Even still, seeing the “chef” brown the brats and drop them into a tub of beer and onions was enough for me. Kobayashi won by like 11 wieners. I’m sure he’s pooping as we speak. Where am I going with all this? I’m not sure. In order to adequately appreciate brilliance of this magnitude, everyone should drink too much with some friends and head over to Chinatown or your favorite wing place for a fat boy battle royale. I promise it will get those competitive juices flowing….among others.
I did have a point. We, as Americans, should be ashamed. Competitive eating is dominated by a muscular Japanese man. Forget the decline of American basketball and copious amounts of war-waging/masterminding/manipulation, this is something that MUST be addressed right away! As the fattest shits in the world, we owe it to ourselves to spend more time and resources on competitive eating. We need to get our tubs of shit off of the couch and into these contests. I recommend a grass roots campaign. Turn to the fat ass next to you and spread the good word. If they whine, "I have a glandular problem," don't believe them.
The Little League World Series has begun. I caught the Southeast Regional Final on Friday. Georgia’s pitcher was about 6’ tall with an 80 mph fastball. 80 mph! Do you understand how fast that is? If his coaches could only get him to straighten out his hat and stop marching around the mound like Eminem ( rap limping), it might have been possible for me to root for that bastard. I want Georgia to go down!
While he was dominant, the Florida team was able to put the ball in play, albeit inconsistently. Everyone should pay attention to the LLWS. While you can be certain to see some pretty obnoxious parents and coaches, you’ll also get to see the best kids in the world playing a kids’ game. Have I mentioned they’re really filthy and sure to make Sportscenter’s top 10 consistently for the rest of the month? Usually the key to the LLWS is a dominant pitcher. The last few teams standing will have one or two kids with facial hair and fast balls in the upper 70’s. More often than not, they’re just too much for the opposing hitters. While impressive and entertaining, the best games usually feature both teams’ number two/three guys. These are the games that showcase the bats, gloves and true colors of both teams…and it’s fantastic. The pride of New Jersey was eliminated last night but Staten Island. Bummer. I can't root for those kids. Due to proximity, I'm adopting Portsmouth NH.
In a surprisingly shortsighted prediction- short on creativity and long on lame- ESPN named Texas its preseason college football number 1. I guess because they won the national championship last year??? Since 1980, only USC has won consecutive national championships with some semblance of consensus among the polls (and now BCS). Under Carroll, USC has been a talent factory with a sophisticated offensive scheme.
Mack Brown has signed Texas’ blue-chip talent throughout his tenure. This isn't up for debate. He’s gone undefeated once since 1998 and it took a playmaker like Vince Young (freak) to push the program over the top (I know football is a team game but if you think Texas had a chance against USC without Vince Young last year you’re an idiot). The fact that Brown has to choose between a red-shirt freshman in Colt McCoy and freshman Jevan Snead is less of an obstacle when you consider the Texas’ relatively simple offensive scheme. It will not surprise me or help them, however, if Brown is indecisive with his two young quarterbacks like he was in 2000 with Applewhite and Simms. And make no mistake, Texas will be good, especially in a paltry Big 12, but there is no way they beat Ohio State. The Oklahoma game should be interesting as well, with their similarly unclear circumstances at the quarterback position but the talent I’ve come to expect out of both programs.
The Sgt. Likes What the Sgt. Likes
And the Sgt. (my dad) likes to split hairs. Because he wasn't brave enough to post his response in comments, opting instead to email it to me directly, I have taken it upon myself to post his response on his behalf.
"“Jam” has been a word used primarily in rock music circles to describe lengthy, sometimes indulgent improvisation (a frequent criticism of Cream, Jimi Hendrix and the Dead). As you know there can be many approaches to improvisation and each has their loyal followers and detractors. From what I have listened to from the current crop of jam bands, Disco Biscuits, STS9, Phish, the jam is based on attaining a rhythmic groove, generally a 4/4, and the improvisations are based around simple musical statements. For the non-believer, these jams can be meandering affairs displaying varying levels of technical prowess that usually take too long to make their point, if any. For the true believer it is a musical journey with no plotted course held together by the “groove”. I enjoy the Disco Biscuits while driving, a great time for groove music, but I don’t think I would try to sit and listen to them critically as I do find their improvs simplistic. Improvisation is a spontaneous and dynamic process that most people don’t appreciate as it requires the listener to “listen” to music, which is difficult to do, and this listening process requires one to try to follow the improviser on their personal journey. This walking the edge of success and failure dynamic is what I have always enjoyed about jazz and improvised music. The ultimate risk for the performer and the ultimate kick for the listener when you “get it”."
I'll respond only by saying the Sgt. has not seen the Disco Biscuits live, and has not taken the time to learn about their musical approach; as he has compared it unfarely to fusion music. By the same token, he's an old man who listens to the Disco Biscuits in his car on the way to work. That's sweet.
"“Jam” has been a word used primarily in rock music circles to describe lengthy, sometimes indulgent improvisation (a frequent criticism of Cream, Jimi Hendrix and the Dead). As you know there can be many approaches to improvisation and each has their loyal followers and detractors. From what I have listened to from the current crop of jam bands, Disco Biscuits, STS9, Phish, the jam is based on attaining a rhythmic groove, generally a 4/4, and the improvisations are based around simple musical statements. For the non-believer, these jams can be meandering affairs displaying varying levels of technical prowess that usually take too long to make their point, if any. For the true believer it is a musical journey with no plotted course held together by the “groove”. I enjoy the Disco Biscuits while driving, a great time for groove music, but I don’t think I would try to sit and listen to them critically as I do find their improvs simplistic. Improvisation is a spontaneous and dynamic process that most people don’t appreciate as it requires the listener to “listen” to music, which is difficult to do, and this listening process requires one to try to follow the improviser on their personal journey. This walking the edge of success and failure dynamic is what I have always enjoyed about jazz and improvised music. The ultimate risk for the performer and the ultimate kick for the listener when you “get it”."
I'll respond only by saying the Sgt. has not seen the Disco Biscuits live, and has not taken the time to learn about their musical approach; as he has compared it unfarely to fusion music. By the same token, he's an old man who listens to the Disco Biscuits in his car on the way to work. That's sweet.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Filters
Most jambands aren't worth the time. Some of them are fantastic. The problem with the "genre" is it really isn't a genre. The only common characteristic shared by all jam bands is jamming and the word jamming isn't very descriptive or even close to adequate. The only thing implied by a "jam" is a prolonged period of instrumentation and the absence of lyrics. Right? (Perhaps it also supposes the presence of some of the elements of the blues and/or jazz but that's another blog altogether.)
Unfortunately, because of time, everyone has to espouse some sort of approach to what could be called the "musical admissions" process. You just can't listen to everything. There isn't enough time. Idiots/most people take the easy way out and use popularity and marketing volume to differentiate between music worth and not worth listening to. Others use varying degrees of reviews, the recommendations of friends with similar tastes and chance encounters. The challenge becomes, or at least it has for me, the resulting balancing act. You don't want to grant too much blacklisting stock in any one source of musical information because in doing so, your taste is no longer yours, but simply the echo of some magazine, website or friend.
I decided to self-indulge and write about this after having had a brief debate with a friend who had indirectly accused me of being an closed-minded elitist. The fact is; he's not too far off. And he wasn't the first person to make this accusation. I'm not refuting his claim so much as I'm attempting to rationalize it. In the abstract, I am willing to listen to anything. I take pride in the range of my musical pallete. In practice, however, there is actually a relatively small number of sources I hold in any sort of esteem. I'm just not going to listen to Arctic Monkeys or Panic! At the Disco. I'm sorry. They're terrible. I'm also not going to go to a Buffet concert just because they're "fun." That guy can go fuck himself. In much the same manner, said friend will continue to chastize any and all "hippy jamband shit" althewhile overlooking his own hypocracy. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree....and I'll continue to have good taste while he, bad.
Unfortunately, because of time, everyone has to espouse some sort of approach to what could be called the "musical admissions" process. You just can't listen to everything. There isn't enough time. Idiots/most people take the easy way out and use popularity and marketing volume to differentiate between music worth and not worth listening to. Others use varying degrees of reviews, the recommendations of friends with similar tastes and chance encounters. The challenge becomes, or at least it has for me, the resulting balancing act. You don't want to grant too much blacklisting stock in any one source of musical information because in doing so, your taste is no longer yours, but simply the echo of some magazine, website or friend.
I decided to self-indulge and write about this after having had a brief debate with a friend who had indirectly accused me of being an closed-minded elitist. The fact is; he's not too far off. And he wasn't the first person to make this accusation. I'm not refuting his claim so much as I'm attempting to rationalize it. In the abstract, I am willing to listen to anything. I take pride in the range of my musical pallete. In practice, however, there is actually a relatively small number of sources I hold in any sort of esteem. I'm just not going to listen to Arctic Monkeys or Panic! At the Disco. I'm sorry. They're terrible. I'm also not going to go to a Buffet concert just because they're "fun." That guy can go fuck himself. In much the same manner, said friend will continue to chastize any and all "hippy jamband shit" althewhile overlooking his own hypocracy. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree....and I'll continue to have good taste while he, bad.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Don't Believe Everything You Read (on Pitchfork)
So I’ve got this friend right. He’s a good friend but he can also be a retard. He thinks that because he did drugs and followed MOE, Phish and Strangefolk around in high school and college, that he somehow he has life-long music aficionado status even though his post-college musical experience has been confined to U2, Coldplay, the guy from Margaritaville (I’m seriously forgetting his name right now) concerts, new Red Hot Chilli Pepper albums, and whatever other crap stock brokers have on their iPods. JIMMY BUFFET. God I hate that fucker.
So when he bought the latest Red Hot Chilli Pepper album it turned me off a little. The reviews I read turned me off a little more. I was expecting more Californication and By The Way. It’s (let’s be serious, they’re basically the same album) fun to listen to but I’d heard it before.
I ended up on a reasonably long car trip with him last weekend. To my surprise, I enjoyed Stadium Arcadium. To be sure, the Chilli Peppers are no longer pushing rap/rock/funk to it’s limits like they did when they were young freewheeling addicts with socks on their wieners and coke in their noses, but they’re not dead yet either. For the first time since Frusciante’s return from the nether-regions of addiction, his guitar playing is prominently featured on this latest effort. The album’s not as easy to listen to as the previous two but it’s not difficult either. This latest (post One Hot Minute) amalgamation has seen the band thrust itself headlong into pop only to retreat back into something that seems to fit better. It’s softer than Blood Sugar Sex Magic but hey, I’m getting older too.
So when he bought the latest Red Hot Chilli Pepper album it turned me off a little. The reviews I read turned me off a little more. I was expecting more Californication and By The Way. It’s (let’s be serious, they’re basically the same album) fun to listen to but I’d heard it before.
I ended up on a reasonably long car trip with him last weekend. To my surprise, I enjoyed Stadium Arcadium. To be sure, the Chilli Peppers are no longer pushing rap/rock/funk to it’s limits like they did when they were young freewheeling addicts with socks on their wieners and coke in their noses, but they’re not dead yet either. For the first time since Frusciante’s return from the nether-regions of addiction, his guitar playing is prominently featured on this latest effort. The album’s not as easy to listen to as the previous two but it’s not difficult either. This latest (post One Hot Minute) amalgamation has seen the band thrust itself headlong into pop only to retreat back into something that seems to fit better. It’s softer than Blood Sugar Sex Magic but hey, I’m getting older too.
Friday, August 04, 2006
Biased College Football Previewing
This is gonna be a big season in South Bend.
Miami....technically a school.....can be described more accurately as school on Sunday......no class. Zing!
Same goes for Oklahoma.
The Big12 is a joke. They play more Division 1AA schools (think late great Fairfield) than any other BCS conference.
It sounds weird to say this with a straight face but Pitt, West Virginia, and Louisville are the best football teams in the Big East and they actually are good football teams.
The SEC is ridiculous- Florda, LSU, Auburn, USC (South Carolina), Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia.
Charlie Weis could win a national championship before Urban Meyer, who turned down the job in South Bend to take the helm in The Swamp. This year, in addition to the other SEC teams noted above, Florida also faces Miami (ACC) and Florida State (ACC).
For the first time in recent history Notre Dame's schedule will be easier than some of their counterparts, namely the elite teams of the SEC. Also taking into account that most of Miami's roster will be in jail or working on getting there, that Oklahoma is without a quarterback (it's going to be all on Adrien Peterson again), and USC (La La Land) is without Bush, Dwayne Jarrett, and Leinhart, I am seeing Ohio State playing Notre Dame for the national championship in an enticing rematch of the Fiesta (?) last year. This is an admittedly biased prediction, however rational.
Please note, Notre Dame's schedule is far from easy. They start off with Georgia Tech, Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State (consecutively) and finish up AT USC (La La Land). BUT they also play all 3 service academies and Stanford. Meanwhile, Ohio State has to make it through a notoriously difficult to predict Big10 schedule, their only noteworthy non-conference opponent being a Young-less, Huff-less Texas. They will not be tripped up by Texas though because Mack Brown is not a good coach. He won last year with OVERWHELMING talent. Most of Texas' teams have underachieved during Brown's tenure.
Go Rutgers!
Miami....technically a school.....can be described more accurately as school on Sunday......no class. Zing!
Same goes for Oklahoma.
The Big12 is a joke. They play more Division 1AA schools (think late great Fairfield) than any other BCS conference.
It sounds weird to say this with a straight face but Pitt, West Virginia, and Louisville are the best football teams in the Big East and they actually are good football teams.
The SEC is ridiculous- Florda, LSU, Auburn, USC (South Carolina), Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia.
Charlie Weis could win a national championship before Urban Meyer, who turned down the job in South Bend to take the helm in The Swamp. This year, in addition to the other SEC teams noted above, Florida also faces Miami (ACC) and Florida State (ACC).
For the first time in recent history Notre Dame's schedule will be easier than some of their counterparts, namely the elite teams of the SEC. Also taking into account that most of Miami's roster will be in jail or working on getting there, that Oklahoma is without a quarterback (it's going to be all on Adrien Peterson again), and USC (La La Land) is without Bush, Dwayne Jarrett, and Leinhart, I am seeing Ohio State playing Notre Dame for the national championship in an enticing rematch of the Fiesta (?) last year. This is an admittedly biased prediction, however rational.
Please note, Notre Dame's schedule is far from easy. They start off with Georgia Tech, Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State (consecutively) and finish up AT USC (La La Land). BUT they also play all 3 service academies and Stanford. Meanwhile, Ohio State has to make it through a notoriously difficult to predict Big10 schedule, their only noteworthy non-conference opponent being a Young-less, Huff-less Texas. They will not be tripped up by Texas though because Mack Brown is not a good coach. He won last year with OVERWHELMING talent. Most of Texas' teams have underachieved during Brown's tenure.
Go Rutgers!
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