Hey, kids! Let’s have a sock hop at the Salisbury’s pad! I bought each one of these albums at the same yard sale for 25¢ apiece — much less than the original owners paid. They threw in the album stand for free! The entire display goes well with our entertainment center, don’t you think?
Bo had the Box Tops album, when he was in the sixth grade. The Fontaine Sisters and Herman’s Hermits were before our time.
I know the Lord is nigh
and would but cannot pray
For Satan meets me when I try
And frights my soul away
And frights my soul away
I would but cannot sing,
guilt has untuned my voice
My sin, just like the serpent’s sting
Has poisoned all my joys
Has poisoned all my joys
Help my unbelief
My help must come from Thee
I would but cannot love,
though wooed by love divine
No arguments have power to move
A soul as base as mine
A soul as base as mine
I would but cannot rest
in God’s most holy will
I know what He appoints is best
And murmur at it still
I murmur at it still
I would but can’t repent,
though I endeavor oft
This stony heart can ne’er relent
Til Jesus makes it soft
Til Jesus makes it soft
Wilt Thou not crown at length
the work Thou hast begun?
And with a will, afford me strength
In all Thy ways to run
In all Thy ways to run.
My friend, Aaron, at I Am Chief brought this to my attention. It’s one of many hymns, besides Amazing Grace, written by the old African blasphemer and it suits me fine. I see myself in this mirror. This is what it sounds like 200 years later.
I just got my copy of the new 77s CD Holy Ghost Building and it’s as good as advertised. It’s raw, gospelbluesrockabillyroots. When we saw Mark Harmon and Mike Roe perform some songs from HGB a month or so ago, I got to speak with Mr. Harmon afterwards. He assured me that they had chosen songs, which would be appropriate for me to play along with on my harmonica. Oh, yeah…
Favorites, so far? Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burnin’, City of Refuge and… well, they’re all wonderful! My advice? Buy it now.
I found this video of Mike performing City of Refuge from the CD in someone’s dining room, playing on what looks to be a vintage Kay guitar. He’s accompanied by Matt Slocum (Sixpence None the Richer and Love Coma), Jimmy Abegg (Charlie Peacock, Sixpence None the Richer, Fleming and John, Rich Mullins), Phil Madeira (everyone, everywhere) and Steve Hindalong. Oh, and be sure to check out Mike playing Ache Beautiful with Matt Slocum on a cello or something like that.
Why is Phil Keaggy one of my favorite guitarists? Here are four reasons, spanning nearly forty years from his days with Glass Harp (and a really cool macramé vest), through his “Alan Holdsworth period,” into the “Windham Hill era” and on to the present. Now, the second video is fairly long, but please be patient… Phil will turn himself and one guitar into an entire band by the time he’s finished with an incredible run. I hope you enjoy….
Yes, that’s Promaster and not Postmaster. Although many of you know me as a Postmaster, I am also a harp player since about this time last year. I took up the harmonica, because I realized that the nerve pain in my right arm would probably prevent me from playing the guitar seriously.
I’ve really come to enjoy the harmonica, thanks in large part to my friend, Tom B., an excellent harp player. He dropped by one afternoon with Amy and a large suitcase full of harmonicas. Being a generous mentor, he gave me a handful of Big River harmonicas, Pucks, a tremolo harmonica and a nice Hohner Chromatic 260. That got me up and running, but I eventually had to buy a good selection of harmonicas in different keys. I’ll talk more about each later, but for now I’ll declare that my favorite is the Suzuki Promaster.
I like the tone of the Promaster and the heavy, resonant feel of it when I play. I would say that the sound is very similar to the Hohner Special 20, but with a richer, fuller tone. I have come to enjoy the Huang Silvertone Deluxe, too. But, unless you’re playing amplified, the Huangs take a bit more work. So, for now my first choice is the Promaster, followed by the Special 20 with the Silvertone Deluxe running a close third.
From the Suzuki site:
We are proud to offer the best professional harmonica you have ever played! Consider the machined Phosphor Bronze reed plates (replaceable) or the computer-aided laser cut, tuned and bendable reed system and the satin anodized, milled, billet aluminum alloy comb that holds it all together. All these cutting edge components combine to produce an instrument unparalleled in the industry. The ergonomically designed, polished stainless steel reed covers provide maximum playing comfort while the inner components produce the rich tones and clarity so sought after by professional players. Once you play a Promaster, you won’t want to put it down. Even the soft lined, hard shell carrying case is specially designed for comfort and protection.
Oh, my. I found this great little clip of the Electric Flag — Mike Bloomfield is in fine form. I was too young to see the original Flag, but caught them on a reunion tour with Moby Grape in about 1974. Fantastic! We were in the orchestra pit and Mike Bloomfield was right in front of us. His guitars were totally memorable. He played a Les Paul that was beat with the standard white knobs from a Stratocaster replacing the originals which he must have lost somewhere. He also played a blue Telecaster that looked like he had painted it himself — there were drips and runs across it. The chrome cover over the bridge pickup was long gone and the pickup switch was all beat up. But, he screamed. Later, Denise and I would see Mike Bloomfield a lot at the Golden Bear in Huntington Beach — always playing a nice looking Strat. I don’t know what changed his guitar hygiene.
In the clip, you will see a young Nick Gravenites on vocals with Buddy Miles on drums, Harvey Brooks on bass, and Barry Goldberg on organ. I don’t know who the horn players were… didn’t recognize them.
Because now, with a little bit of broadband, I can take a trip down memory lane and watch a lot of my favorite bands/artists from the past. For example, Living Colour on the Arsenio Hall show performing Cult of Personality. I once heard Living Colour referred to as the black Led Zeppelin… LZ wishes they were this heavy. Rock, funk, punk, noise, rap, African, reggae, metal, industrial, free jazz… they have it all and stage presence!
Press Release: Christian Music Singer-Songwriter super-group The Lost Dogs to wander in to Roseville.
On Thursday, September 28th, 2006, Valley Springs Presbyterian Church will host an intimate evening with The Lost Dogs at the Underground Café in Roseville. The Lost Dogs are a collaborative singer-songwriting effort that brings together some of the best musicians from the past 30 years of Christian music. It features the skills of Terry Taylor (of the 1970’s Jesus Movement band Daniel Amos), Derri Daugherty (of both the 1980’s alternative music group The Choir and City on a Hill fame), Mike Roe (of the Sacramento-based college radio favorites The 77’s) and Steve Hindalong (also of The Choir and City on a Hill, as well as the writer of the chart topping worship song, “God of Wonders“). They will be touring in support of their eleventh album, The Lost Cabin and the Mystery Trees.
Showtime is 7 PM. Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 at the door. For more information, or to purchase advance tickets, please visit www.UndergroundCafe-Roseville.com, or call 916-786-7940. The Underground Café is located at 2401 Olympus Drive in Roseville, and is a ministry of Valley Springs Presbyterian Church. Media information and images can be obtained at http://www.provisionnational.com/thelostdogs.html.
Denise and I will be there… will you? I learned quite a bit about the Lost Dogs I didn’t know from running down the links in this post. For example, Steve Hindalong’s song God of Wonders was used by NASA each morining to wake up the astronauts in the Space Shuttle.
Levi at Culturezoo has come up with a smart and sassy little blog accessory: It’s called Audiozue and it tells your readers what you’re listening to on iTunes, displays the album art and provides a link to purchase the music. You can customize Audiozue to display up to fifty songs and you can build your own skin to match the stunning design of your blog. If you look at the sidebar, you will see it in action.
Oh, and by the way… check out this great photo titled “Macintosh Repair Tool Kit.”
This past weekend Denise and I enjoyed a concert by the Taipei Philharmonic Chamber Choir and it was lovely (our 30th wedding anniversary, too). What an ecclectic blend of modern western choral/sacred music, spiced up with some Mongolian folk songs, Taiwanese pop music and even an Australian aboriginal chant! It was different than anything we have heard from the Nevada Union Choir, The Boy’s Choir of Harlem or the Choir of the West.
The big draw, however, was Sam’s boyhood friend, Abe Sitzer, who brought the choir to town. We remember Abe as a fun, outgoing kid who loved to clean and organize Sam’s room… seriously! Abe’s turned into a fine young academic and you can read all about him and see his photo here.
Today, I received my copy of the new 77s DVD Collection, featuring seven official music videos by my favorite band, The Seventy Sevens, as well as another disk of “live bootleg” concert footage going back to 1982!
It was just like Christmas in July, as Sean and Emma watched me excitedly tearing the cellophane off the case. They were also very understanding and patient as I rushed to the DVD player and cued up the first video, Mercy Mercy, which I had seen years ago. It was just as I remembered it. I was at a number of the featured concerts and, though they were 20 years ago, it was as if I had seen them just yesterday.
But, the most exciting discovery was yet to come. As the videos were playing and I was checking out the insert and liner notes, a familiar image caught my eye. It was a photo I had taken of the 77s at a concert back about 1987. When we went to see Mike Roe perform a few months ago, I had given him copies of the photos from that concert — he and his daughter got a good laugh out of them. But, they were actually pretty good b&w photos and he used them as a background on one of the pages. Check out the insert and my copy of the original photo.The credits on the back list a few photographers and then I am honored for my contribution:
Additional photos provided by Chris Knight, Brian Heydn and many others.
Yup, that’s me… many others!
It’s been 15 years since I last saw Mike Roe perform with the 77s, my favorite band. Last Monday the Nevada County Chapter of the Mike Roe Fan Club traveled down to Auburn CA to see the Roe vs. Pritzl Winter Tour at the Fishbowl Cafe. The set began with Mike Pritzl of The Violet Burning singing some of the most serious, introspective and spiritual songs I’ve heard in a long time. After about 40 minutes, he introduced Mike Roe sporting a pair of secret agent style sunglasses. Mike sang some new favorites and some old ones, too. His guitar playing was muscular and his vocals were flawless. It was great to hear him again and we were in a wonderful spot — front row sofa center. Then, they brought their Lewis and Martin comedy team to the stage, trading inside jokes, barbs and humorous anecdotes from the road, almost going to blows over Mr. Pritzl’s outspoken disdain for Lynard Skynard (who Mike Roe saw live twice). My favorite of the evening was Mike Pritzl taking the lead on Roe’s I Can’t Get Over It. We enjoyed talking to the two Mikes after the show, as well as Mike R’s daughter, Devon Siobhan. I tried to extort money from Mr. Roe, flashing a set of potentially embarrassing photos I had taken of him twenty years ago, clad only in a long mohawk, tie-dyed t-shirt, plaid trousers with suspenders and Converse tennis shoes. Rather than recoil in horror, Mike seemed to really enjoy them and I heard belly laughs from Devon. We’ll see if they show up on a website somewhere, ending his career. 
I found this band, Warrior, while doing an image search for a Bible study. “Let’s see now… Google Image, punch in ’sword.’” This image came up and I thought to myself, “these guys get to wear some awesome costumes!” I checked out their site, listened to I Want A Walmart Girl and I was hooked!
I called them up immediately and asked for an audition. That’s me on the left jamming with Mike Goodnight, the bass player. I’m pretty much a blues player, but I thought if I could don the leather and “get into character,” I could pull it off. No dice. All was not lost… what they were really looking for was a drummer, so…
I kept the wig, but lost the leathers and makeup (see photo on the left). We covered a few Stryper compositions, because we all knew the tabs and lyrics, plus they really are the reigning kings of Christian metal. Again, I found myself treading new artistic ground. These guys have their own unique brand of sophisticated metal, they sing some amazingly rigorous harmonies and, well, I tend to “play it like Ringo would.” As much as I hate to admit it, I couldn’t keep up.
The guys in the band were swell about the whole thing, even though we didn’t gel, artistically. We had some good laughs, some serious theological discussions and they turned me onto a great leather outfitter in Pennsylvania. The de facto leader of the band, Tad Donley, was kind enough to point me to another band, where an artist like myself with limited musical abilities, yet decent Biblical expositional skills, might find a home. These guys, it turns out, aren’t so focused on instrumental virtuosity. Instead, they have crafted their own brand of theatrical, Bible-based shock-metal to carry the comforting message of the gospel to a wider audience. Angry Little Freaks or “ALF” are lining up a tour of family theme parks this spring and I hope, by God’s grace, to be up to speed and on board with this evangelistic troupe.
Start your day on a lighter note with this touching rendition of a popular romantic ballad: tow chinese boys:i want it that way*
*Yes, that’s their title.
What an exhausting week. I actually stuck around work for a couple hours to catch up and now I’m listening to the Cowboy Junkies at a respectable volume. I’m one of those oddballs who, after a stressful day, will relax by hammering myself with some really loud music… it feels like getting tenderized.
The week started out well enough with barbecued ribs and beef brisket. Our trip to North Carolina inspired us and we had a hankerin’ for our kind of barbecue. I suppose I would classify it as Kansas City Barbecue or something along those lines. I’m not an expert… I just know I like it all. These ribs were smoked with maple from the tree behind me in the next photo.
Michele found me a wonderful apron for making smoke and searing animal flesh — I wear it with pride. Ryan, Natalie and Andrew brought Sadie and Dan over for a down home suppah’. Sadie brought punkin’ pie… she’s a country girl at heart 
The table was set with plenty of sides. We had corn bread, brown bread, slaw (white), green beans, homemade applesauce and the blue crock holds Maine baked beans… yellow eye beans. Denise likes to use Jacob’s cattle beans, but hasn’t found them outside of Maine.
Later this week, I had to go to training down in Sacramento. They served lunch and it was, you guessed it, barbecue!!!!! I have to tell you, it was delicious and Chef Jake from Moveable Feast was there, so we exchanged strategies. He prefers cherry and apple wood over mesquite and hickory. I told him about my maple and occasional walnut. His tri-tip was perfect and had a great herb crust on it. I didn’t try the chicken, because… well, I get enough chicken.
It’s fall and Denise has created a holiday tree like the one my grandma Louise had at her house in El Monte (Emma Louise’s namesake). Denise started decorating with pumpkins and added fall leaves later. Grandma Louise had firecrackers on the tree for 4th of July and my dad would light them off under tin cans. That was sure a big deal back then.
I’ve been trying to spend a little more time alone with the Lord lately, walking or getting off by myself. Last Saturday I went searching around town for a taste of fall and I found it. I like the light and contrasts of fall; particularly the radiant, warm colors of the leaves against the cold, darkness of the bark on the maples and liquidamber.
This is the maple that borders the property with our neighbors. It can be spectacular in the fall, as long as it’s had enough water and doesn’t get too hot during October. It’s been a good year for fall in Nevada City. There was no color in North Carolina two weeks ago and our friends in Maine told us they just got their first frost today. This is very late for them.
We got our new iMac G5 about a month ago. We waited until the iLife suite had matured, particularly iPhoto. It is truly wonderful and it’s fun to have a computer that does anything you like, after struggling through the 80’s and 90’s — seeing the potential, but never realizing it. I have fond memories of Sam using Strata Studio, creating a 3D character and pushing the render button at about 10PM. We would wake up in the morning and it would just be finishing it up. Although we waited to get the iMac, we wanted to get it before our warranty ran out on the Powerbook. The optical drive in the iMac was DOA, so I called Applecare and a guy showed up in two days and swapped it out in about ten minutes. I was impressed. The drive is a dual layer DVD burner.
We have semi-retired the Powerbook. I will use it with Keynote for presentations and trips and such. Denise will use it around the house. Her computing habits were totally revolutionized by our wireless network. We had Camille’s old Presario notebook and installed a wireless card. Next thing you know, we had two laptops wireless with Emma networked via Ethernet and I even got my old Yosemite up. I toyed with the idea of turning it into a print server, but ran out of energy and time. Anyways, Denise enjoys the Powerbook very much, but it didn’t last too long…
I took the Powebook to work, sat down and got the screen open about .5 inch and the hinge popped and shot a piece of the monitor across the keyboard at me! Evidently, it was frozen and even cracked the case a bit. The hinges on the TiBooks are a known issue and I thought I’d escaped the scourge. I called Applecare, but got quite a different response than with the iMac. The agent told me a broken hinge is a cosmetic problem and not covered by the warranty. I became indignant, in a restrained way, and reminded him that it was a known issue and that the Apple discussions on their support site are full of accounts of people getting their hinges replaced. He checked with his boss and said they would repair it. Let’s hope this doesn’t turn into a saga… I don’t need another one.
Goodnight, friends.
Newsday.com: Anesthesiologists Take Pride in Music: “Anesthesiologists Take Pride in Music
By LINDSEY TANNER
AP Medical Writer
October 2, 2005, 4:03 PM EDT
CHICAGO — General anesthesia or local? Hip-hop or Sinatra? These are among the decisions facing Dr. Frank Gentile in his double-duty job as anesthesiologist and self-styled DJ of the OR. He doesn’t use a microphone or speak in a fake baritone. But the eclectic range of CDs he loads onto the anesthesia cart headed for the operating room would impress any bona fide disc jockey. Gentile’s collection is between 50 and 100 CDs, and his iPod holds about 5,000 songs.
‘I choose my music strategically. I know my surgeons’ tastes,’ says Gentile, the anesthesiology chairman at Edward Hospital in Naperville. There’s Eminem and 50 Cent for one surgeon who likes rap — the songs are ‘cleaned-up’ to avoid offending anyone. For another doctor it’s Metallica. Others prefer oldies or opera. Gentile picks different types of music for different stages of surgery. Many surgeons prefer up-tempo beats for the final stage and one doctor Gentile works with ‘always closes to J-Lo.’ Many U.S. operating rooms have sound systems, so playing music during surgery has become commonplace. Some doctors say it relieves the tension; studies have shown it can also benefit patients, even reducing the need for anesthesia somewhat during surgery. ”
Finally, they must believe me!
Everyone seems skeptical when I tell them about surgeons and music at UC Davis. The first time I was wheeled, conscious, into the OR I spotted a desktop stereo system perched high atop some shelves, against the pale green tile. I asked, “do you guys use that during surgery?” The answer was in the affirmative and I learned later that the trauma team under F. William Blaisdell listened to classical music, while other trauma teams preferred classic rock. Thank God I wasn’t being grafted to Free Bird! Having your skin “harvested” with the dermatome is torture enough without being subjected to classic anthems such as Black Dog or Highway To Heck!
I was also informed that the plastic surgeons listened to rap and hip-hop, but I was skeptical… until my friend with necrotizing fasciitis confirmed this fact to me months later. Some of the younger doctors were prepping him for the “peel and stick” operation and the collapsible gurney did just that as they were preparing to move him to the operating table. While this was going on, some gangsta rap was blaring at about 113db. He told me that he was cursing a blue streak when the plastics surgeon ran in and turned off the music. “I want a real surgeon,” he shouted. “These guys aren’t even old enough to buy beer!”
It’s Time for a Blog Break
¿Que Paso Blondie?
Awareness Never Fed A Starving Child
Emma Spreads Her Wings
It’s Time for a Blog Break
Okay, so I’ve just about finished Mounce’s commentary on Revelation, got my notes ready for Tuesday and took a trip to Remnant Books to round out my studies: John Walvoord’s commentary from the dispensational perspective, James Ramsey’s postmillennial commentary from The Geneva Series and Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond, edited by Darrell Bock.
I also answered a bunch of eMail… Denise and I repaired our window… I got a haircut at the Gentlemen’s Quarters in Grass Valley.
I think the photo above captures the simple joy of blogging… it’s nearly bed time, the heavy lifting has been done, the Powerbook is behaving properly and a large home brewed decaf latte´awaits me.
¿Que Paso Blondie?
I’m listening to Beck’s Guero and it’s taking me back to my roots: a surfer growing up in barrio South Whittier. The title tune captures the sounds and vibe of Brooklyn Avenue in East Los Angeles, then effortlessly transitions into Girl, an electronica surf tune with Beach Boy vocals and a bottleneck guitar solo, which would certainly measure up to Brian Wilson’s discriminating standards. Camille’s favorite is the funky Heck Yes and it is definitely the most danceable tune. Hey, ese! I’m stoked!
Awareness Never Fed A Starving Child
“I don’t think the awareness thing is working,” said Sue Kim, a 22-year-old student, in Philadelphia. “There’s going to be a lot of drunk people and what are they going to remember?”
Truer words were never spoken, yet expect to hear a lot of caterwauling and calls for the Group of Eight to forgive third world debt. If you want to know what to do about Africa, I’m afraid you may have to take a trip and see how the folks there do things. The Live 8 is a nice sentiment, but I think Sue Kim nailed it.
Emma Spreads Her Wings
Well, in about a week, Emma will take off for North Carolina. She will be going there to establish residency at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, along with her miniature roommate, who shall remain anonymous. Here’s a photo of her diminutive pal:
They are a real pair. I say her roommate is miniature, because Emma is the smallest of our children by at least a half a foot and her roommate is a tad tinier. They remind me of a couple of elderly ladies and I told them that if they could just get some nylons to bunch up down at their ankles, they would look like fugitives from the convalescent home. They like the same “little ol’ lady” activities and seem to compliment each other quite well. They thought my observation was accurate, so they call themselves “the golden girls.”
It’s been kinda fun getting ready to send them off… we had supper to get to know “the in-laws.” Seriously, that’s what it was like and we really hit it off with them (I’ll keep them anonymous, as well). Denise will meet them all back in NC, where they will help the girls get settled in.
This week at my Post Office, my barn swallow babies were doing their Al Jolson routine… when mom and dad fly in to feed them, they all look up and open their mouths and it looks like a little Minstrel Show, with their little white beaks and dark heads. I call them my little “Al Jolsons.”
Well, Thursday the two older ones flew off and when I came in Friday morning, the last one was in the nest moving around nervously as mom stayed perched on the floodlight watching her. She would come up to the edge and flutter her little wings, lose her balance a little bit and then turn back around. This went on all day… I would check every half hour or so. Then, finally, she flew. She would land on the ground or the lower bushes and seemed a little uncertain about going higher. With each circle away from the nest, she went higher and higher, eventually landing on the telephone line or the tree across the street. But, she would always come back near the empty nest. I say “near,” because she would fly right up to it, then turn back away and land on something close by and look at the nest. It’s as if she wanted to return home, but knew it was time to go and be a grownup barn swallow.
I went out to watch her a number of times and talk to her (yes, I do talk to animals, even though they don’t understand a darn thing I’m saying). Then it struck me: This is a metaphor for Emma’s stage of life and our empty nest. The rest of the afternoon, I called the little barn swallow “Emma.” Later that day, she was on the wire outside with another swallow, chattering away just like our Emma does. Then, they would fly off in their little circular path and swoop down to puddles, drawn intuitively to the mud they will need to make their own nests. At the rate that little swallow is developing, I think she’ll figure out how to make a nest any day now: just like Emma and her miniature roommate will in North Carolina.
Sadie tagged me on May 25, 2005. So, today I will be “it” and drive my blog even further out of relevance to the popular culture and run off any remaining visitors. My musical tastes are, how shall we say, out of the mainstream. These are definitely tunes which would never make it on to American Idol or the iPod of anyone under the age of 40 (I’m fairly certain… I’ve never even watched AI and I can’t imagine one of those Apple Silhouette Dancers gyrating and thrusting to choral music).
After this, I will talk a bit about what I’ve been reading: obscure works, which will bore any sympathetic hangers on to tears… little, if any, fiction.
Finally, I will nail the coffin shut as I move PietyHill Press to the purpose it was intended: a hub or pointer to essays on even more obscure interests like the occultation of the twelfth imam and the nature of prophecy in primitive Christian gatherings.
The last CD I bought was:
Eric Whitacre: The Complete A Cappella Works, 1991 – 2001 Denise surprised me on my birthday, by taking me to a performance of the Choir of the West at Grace Lutheran in Grass Valley. I absolutely love modern choral music and have searched for exactly the sound I have been longing for. The COTW performed Whitacre’s i thank You God for most this amazing day and I said to myself, “that’s it!” I bought this CD and it is flawless. I wrote to Mr. Whitacre about other artists I might like and he was kind enough to respond. i thank You God for most this amazing day is perfect: I cannot think of any composition of any style or genre, which is so absolutely wonderful.
Song Playing Right Now:
Our Town by Aaron Copland: Copland conducts Copland. This piece was composed for the 1940 film adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town and Copland was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Score. It is melancholy, which I seem to tend towards. It captures the feel of New England.
Five songs I listen to a lot or that mean a lot to me (in no particular order):
I checked iTunes to see what the top 25 I’ve been playing are — the top five were not really a surprise. In my top 25 are Copland, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Concrete Blonde, Beck, Mike Roe and the 77’s. However, I will not use such a cold, empirical measurement to come up with my top five.
Unbalanced by the 77s
This is the perfect rock song with Mike Roe’s signature lyrics about unrequited love, a wide dynamic range of sound, Mike playing lead guitar at the top of his form and one of the most insane, quirky, seductive interplays between drums and bass I’ve ever heard. I get a kick out of playing it for drummers and asking them to tell me what’s going on. They eventually get it, but the expression on their faces says it all – Bruce Spencer is a total original.
The song opens with a muted snare (?) and then Mark Harmon joins with a monotonous groove on the bass. The beat, as the title suggests, is unbalanced and Mike Roe opines an out-of-whack love relationship:
I come with lines, you talk in circles
I own the blues, you rent the color purple
I scream for ice cream, you whisper for wine
You do your life, baby I do my time
I’ve got time, you’ve got none
You know all and I know some
I fall short, you stand tall
You conceal and I show it all
I like playgrounds, you love games
I nail things down and you rearrange
You loved early and I love late
You throw the dishes, babe I just clean my plate
You plant a family, I dig a space
I watch my back while you wash your face
You work for money and I play for fun
Babe you’re so inviting but I still can’t come
The song breaks into extended, crunchy soloing by Mike and slowly tones down into his wafting, melodic, “western” lead and chording reminiscent of the Ventures:
When I think of getting deeper with it baby
You throw on something deep and purple baby
The song builds and builds, frustration and confusion, until poor Mike blurts out:
Unlike me diggin’ Donnie Lee and the Children of Truth babe
Sit down! Shut up! listen to me go crazy…
At that, Mike unleashes a frenetic barrage of wah-wah and distortion with Mark Harmon picking up on the bass and Bruce Spencer wildly banging and crashing everything within reach (is Mike punching the wall? Is she throwing the dishes?). The song fades out with what sounds like the disoriented, surreal confusion following a domestic disturbance. Finally, it concludes with a one-minute restatement of the complaint and then, silence.
Boum! by Blossom Dearie
Blossom Dearie is the most delightful singer I’ve ever heard. Her music simply makes me feel good! She is a jazz singer from the be-bop period and I heard that Miles Davis would have her open for him at the Vanguard Club. She was a great piano player and had to accompany herself whenever she sang — even in the studio. She traveled to France early in her career, so a number of her songs are in French. Boum! is just such a song and it is fun!
Tomorrow, Wendy by Concrete Blonde
This is a sad, haunting song by Andy Prieboy, which I believe is about a young woman he actually knew, who died of AIDS. Johnette Napolitano’s sultry voice is perfectly suited to this complaint to God for the untimely death of someone dear. The lyrics are tough for a Christian to listen to. But, it will take you into the mind of a sensitive, thoughtful skeptic with a religious background, who can’t quite embrace atheism, expressing a resigned anger towards God. This “outsiders” view of the suffering and death of Christ is so accurate, so insightful. One can only conclude that, if they will simply surrender and believe, they will have a stronger grasp of the theology of the cross than the mass of evangelicals. James Mankey’s guitar work deserves mention. It’s almost cliché, because the former Sparks guitarist is so outstanding, but I am amazed at how many effects or sounds he employs in one song. Yet, it never seems overdone or gaudy. He is the master of textures… of applying layers of sound behind a song. Tomorrow, Wendy is a fine example of rough, perceptive “biker poetry.”
The Jig Is Up by Michael Roe, live on It’s For You
I have a feeling this is autobiographical for Mike Roe. It’s a pretty, folky, acoustic song. I have to say that I am drawn to it, because it captures my sense of utter dependence upon Jesus… my total unworthiness… how I always let Jesus down… how He is always there, in the end.
I won’t go gently into that bad earth,
I will fight for you with all that’s in me, for all that it’s worth
Can I run to you forever?
Cause, if I can’t run to you forever, how can I run to you now?
You live on my doorstep,
Is there room in my heart?
A Tie!
The Lark Ascending and Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis by Ralph Vaughan Williams
I think I enjoy Vaughan Williams the most when he takes a traditional English folk song, a poem from the 19th century or the work of an older composer, like Thomas Tallis, and then casts it in a modern classical fantasy, employing modern instruments. This is the best of the genre.
This was too hard… music has been such a force in my life… it could have been a very negative force, if I had not gotten it under control by bringing it under Christ. How can I close without mentioning Bill Mallonee, Ofra Haza, Thelonius Monk, Cowboy Junkies, The Cure, Little Feat, Jennifer Knapp, The Altar Boys, Living Colour, T-Bone Burnett, Charlie Parker, Frederick Delius…
Has anyone read this post to the end? Then you, the reader, have been tagged.
I promised Zombieslayer a post about my short venture into the world of record producers, fusion guitarists, “shred-heads” and, of course, those vultures who bring all fun to a halt — lawyers and record distributors. Dear ZS… I hope this meets with your approval.
One day sometime in 1990, I believe, I came home from work and Denise told me she had met some new neighbors and they were real nice. She said that “Mark” produced and recorded music – he was working on a children’s CD. I remember thinking to myself, “So, what’s new… everyone in Nevada City is recording a CD.” Well, we got together for dinner and I met Mark Varney and his charming family. He was a school psychologist and we talked about everything except music. The conversation turned to faith, so we invited them to church. One Sunday, Mark and I were chatting after our gathering and he told me that his brother was a record producer – Mike Varney. I said, “Do you mean Mike Varney of The Nuns?” His mouth dropped open and he said, “You’ve heard of The Nuns?” I said, “Sure, I’m a huge John Cipollina fan.” Well, we were instant pals and began gushing on about shared guitar heroes. he asked if I’d ever heard of Allan Holdsworth. “Sure! Gong and UK!”
As it turned out, Mark had his own record label, Legato Records. He had signed Frank Gambale and was about to produce a CD with Gambale and Holdsworth shredding over some fusion standards, with Chick Corea’s Elektric Band.
Here are some of the highlights of our association with Legato Records:
Another highlight was going down to the NAMM show in Anaheim in January to hobnob with the industry big-wigs and legendary musicians. I rubbed elbows with John Sebastian, Steve Morse, Neil Schon, Jorma Kaukonen and another hero, Harvey Mandel… In 1993, we got VIP passes to the Ibanez Axe Attack, a jam featuring Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Shawn Lane, Paul Gilbert, Reb Beach and a few others I don’t recall… Lanny Cordola, perhaps?
But, it was really fun when the guys signed to Legato or appearing on Guitar on the Edge stopped by our booth. For example, here’s Mark with Blues Saraceno. As I recall, he was there with his dad, because he was too young to get his driver’s license. Quite the prodigy! And, he was very nice… In fact, all of the guys we met were smart, focused, polite and a pleasure to work with.
Renowned finger-picker Muriel Anderson was as sweet as could be. She and Denise got along very nicely. She’s also tiny, so we took a photo of her standing next to Mark on a chair.
Mike Varney, Mark’s famous brother and creator of Shrapnel Records dropped by to hand out promotional goodies! The fellow laughing on the left is Todd Duane, my personal favorite of all the guitarists Mark worked with. I spoke to him about his style and he explained that what I described about his music was the result of his being a drummer before he played guitar. He approaches the guitar as a percussion instrument! And, a heck of a nice guy… a real gentleman.
Tom joined Mark and I for this show and we got a photo of him with the legendary, now deceased, Shawn Lane.
But, best of all was our “trophy girl,” Denise. The guys all got a kick, finally meeting the “office manager” from the closet!
Yes, there we have many fond memories of the few years we were “in the music business.” But, the best thing of all was finding lifelong friends in Mark Varney and his family.
I’ve been getting a whole slew of very thoughtful gifts over the past two weeks. The biggest surprise was the video, John Cipollina: Electric Guitarslinger. Brian, Kathy and boys (last name withheld for privacy) sent it to me for my birthday and I was just floored. It was totally unexpected. Words can’t express… Anyway…
John Cipollina was my first guitar hero. A friend’s older brother let us listen, through headphones, to Who Do You Love on Quicksilver Messenger Service’s Happy Trails album. I was captivated by his stinging tone and use of a Bigsby “whammy bar.” That’s all it took. I paid homage to my hero by painting a ginormous watercolor of John, which I started when I was about 15 or 16 and completed in 2002.
Unfortunately, I never did see Quicksilver with John in the lineup. Or, my favorite, Copperhead. The band had a $1.5 million contract with Warner Bros. and played straight forward rock and roll with nonsensical / comical lyrics (Kibitzer would have been roundly condemned in this day of politically correct finger wagging).
However, I did see him on some very special occasions. The first was at Winterland with Terry and the Pirates. John and Greg Douglass traded blistering solos… the photo below shows John with Terry Dolan… I don’t know who shot it.
A few years later, I saw John with the short lived band Freelight. I think that was the band that inspired him to reach for his full potential, playing fusion with Pam Tillis on vocals. Pam was the daughter of Mel Tillis… she would go on to become a huge country star. I got to meet John and chat with him that night at the Starwood in Los Angeles.
A friend went back stage and played John’s signature “batwing” Gibson SG.
Finally, in 1980, I heard on the local radio station in Grass Valley that the Novato Frank Band, featuring John Cipollina, was playing a benefit in the remote town of Alleghany. Denise and I drove up there as fast as we could and there they were! I got some great photos of John that day. For some reason, I felt awkward and didn’t speak to him… I really wish I had.
I remember being at work in Camptonville when I heard the news that John died in May of 1989. He was too young.
The video is a lot like a home movie… I think that was by design… John’s identity was inextricably bound up in his family… his mom and dad, sisters and brother.
What did I learn from the video that I didn’t know? A few things. First, John had a twin sister. I also found out that he was attractive… that women fell all over him, but he was a gentleman. Nick Gravenites relates that women would go to John’s hotel room and Nick would check in on them at 1AM… they would be talking. Check back at 3AM… still chatting. At 7AM, John would see them to the door… they thought they were going for a romantic interlude, but John just treated them as fans. That was refreshing. It seems John was very likeable, that he would speak with anyone who approached him and give them his full attention, and that he was a bit of a joker. I was surprised to find that most of the vibrato on his records really was done with his Bigsby and not his left hand on the neck. He had big hands with long fingers, perfectly suited to classical guitar, but he never felt he was strong enough to perform the bends and finger vibrato so common to blues or rock guitar. Last but not least, I discovered that John was a bishop in The Old Catholic Church! I just hope he trusted in Jesus.
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