But My Good Friends Is All I Need
For the past few years, I have received many comments which basically come down to one central theme: It’s about time I started acting my age.
I am 42 years old. But even when I was in my late thirties, many people around my age and even younger were surprised to hear that I still like to go shows at First Avenue. In fact, many of them were shocked that I left the comfort of my easy chair in front of the TV and (gasp) went out! Having fun with friends was even more shocking. That’s what younger folk do! I should just spend all of my time with my family. At first, I just sort of blew them off as being silly. Or perhaps lazy. Then I realized that our culture has essentially evolved into a mild variation on the 1976 film Logan’s Run.
In the film, as soon as people reach the age of 30 they are liquidated. Of course, that does not literally happen in our culture. Yet, somehow…some way…some insane fucking bullshit way…we now live in a country where anyone that is 30 years or older is now Grandpa.
HUH?
We have always been a culture that looks at youth as being the center of all that is perfect. Ages 19-26 or so have always been considered the “best” years. But now, anyone in this age range is to be worshiped as if they are Jesus Christ. And, nauseatingly, they know it. In fact, a sort of “Mid-20s Mafia” has sprung up and once you are out of that age range, you are expected to marry, have children, and relinquish all youthful endeavors in your life. If you don’t do these things you are sneered at, jeered, vilified, and emotionally abused by the Mid 20s Mafia.
When you turn 30, it’s time to be fitted for your coffin.
If you continue to act as if you are still in that age range…see bands at clubs, have fun with friends out on the town, get drunk, high and spend all weekend fucking the crap out of someone you love…then you are gross according to the Mid 20s Mafia. And weird. Why? Because 30+ means Grandpa. And grandpa doesn’t do those things.
Grandpa watches TV in his comfy chair. Grandpa listens to bad music such as Dave “Ass-Cock” Matthews. Grandpa rarely goes out and when he does, it’s to the cabin in the summer. Grandpa shouldn’t have any friends to go out with on the town. Going out at that age is “weird” since he should be home with his family. Any friends should be limited to those with whom he can gripe about mowing the lawn at the cabin over a beer at yet another (and seemingly never ending in a series) monumentally stilted social gathering at a fellow parent’s home. Those are the rules.
I listen to Asher Roth’s song “I Love College” and I say fuck those rules. Fuck them hard. Not in a loving slide-the-cock-in-the-ass way. But in a colossal stick-it-to-the-man way.
My first reaction upon hearing the song was actually slightly derisive. Doesn’t it represent the decay of our modern culture? And then I felt guilty for liking a song with this chorus.Man, I love college, ay!
And I love drinking, ay!
I love women, ay!
Man, I love collegeNot exactly Lennon and McCartney.. But then I heard the line
Drink my beer and smoke my weed…my good friends is all I need…
and quickly realized that the song is not really about that. It’s about the simple fact that life is about fun and friendship. Everyone has a limited amount of time on this planet–some shorter than others–and turning into Grandpa at age 30 + is beyond a complete waste of that time. It’s insane. People shouldn’t be confined to only cutting loose in college. Starting your decay at such a young age is fucking ridiculous!!!
Now, I want to be clear about something. I am NOT suggesting that people blow off work or school and party all the time. Even Asher, in the song, admits that he “needs to get to class” at the end. I am suggesting that people should stay young at heart. This is not to be confused with being immature which would include blowing off one’s obligations to themselves or the ones they love. It most certainly fucking DOES include NOT living by someone’s (and by someone I mean people who have a ten foot pole up their ass) rigid vision for what all of us are “supposed” to be…at any age.
I am begging all of you…and especially those in the Midwest where this problem is as prevalent as a fart (after a night of drinking) that hangs there forever…don’t become Grandpa. I don’t care how old you are. Don’t live by society’s social rules any longer. Stay out with your friends until 5am and then go get breakfast…on a Tuesday night. Drink several glasses of red wine, walk up to a girl/guy you don’t know, and tell them how fucking gorgeous they are and how you would like to kung fu their ass and make them come. Drink your beer and smoke your weed with your good friends. Tell them how much you love them and how important they are to you.
While you are doing all of these things, play “I Love College” by Asher Roth at an extraordinarily loud volume and, as he says in the song, “dance your ass off.”
Oh, and tell the local mortician that your coffin fitting can wait until…never.
Christmas in New Orleans with Kermit Ruffins
So it turns out December 12th is the date of my first foray into Christmas music this year. It also happens to be the day I put my Christmas lights up – as well as that lit up metallic deer that swivels his head back and forth. Ho ho ho, people!
I trust and hope that a lot of you have been visiting Popdose’s annual month-long immersion into all that is not so good about Christmas music. Jeff and Jason’s Mellowmas series is a required visit this holiday season, so go over and check them out.
As for my family and me – other than daily viewings of Mamma Mia! (we just discovered it, and seriously, we can’t get enough), it’s Kermit Ruffins‘ new Christmas album that is helping us get into that Christmas spirit. It’s good seasonal music like this that helps me shed the layers of stress and anxiety that seem to crop up every December. It’s the Music that pinpoints that part of my brain that absolutely loves the Christmas season – the excitement, the atmosphere, the gathering of loved ones… it certainly helps to have two young daughters bouncing off the walls in anticipation – but it’s also the music that helps me see beyond the dollar signs, and actually enjoy the holiday season.
If you’re from New Orleans, you damn sure know who Kermit Ruffins is. He’s a fixture on the local scene, blowing his trumpet every Thursday night at Vaughns’s, then cooking BBQ for everyone after the gigs. Outside of New Orleans, Kermit may not be a household name, but you’d do yourself good to track down some of his music for some genuine Louisiana flavor.
The Christmas album, Have a Crazy Cool Christmas, has your standard holiday tunes – “Winter Wonderland”, “Silent Night”, “O Christmas Tree”, “Jingle Bells”, “Let It Snow”, “Little Drummer Boy” – all dipped into a jazzy, dixieland, cajun gumbo. And there’s the originals – the title track, and the fun “A Saints Christmas” [mp3] – with the timely Christmas prayer to take the New Orleans Saints all the way to the Super Bowl.
Kermit also takes on this Louis Prima Christmas tune (Prima and the other Louis – Armstrong – are also from New Orleans)…
“What Will Santa Say (When He Finds Everybody Swingin’)”
[audio:KR-swingin.mp3]Kermit Ruffins is one of the most passionate and talented New Orleans musicians out there today, so pick up his Christmas record – and feel good about supporting someone who’s stuck with the Crescent City through thick and thin. And if you’re in New Orleans on a Thursday night, stop by Vaughn’s for some tunes and barbecue courtesy of Kermit.
Buy Have A Crazy Cool Christmas
The Friday Five: December 11, 2009
Friday Five : ˈfrī-(ˌ)dā,-dē ˈfīv : On the sixth day of every week I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.
The Five:
Ani DiFranco – “Hide and Seek” (from Living in Clip, 1997)
Steve Perry – “If Only for the Moment, Girl” (mp3) (from Street Talk, 1984)
The Smashing Pumpkins – “Cherub Rock” (from Siamese Dream, 1993)
Joe Jackson – “Tiger Rag” (from Tucker: The Man and His Dream, 1988)
John Mayer – “Perfectly Lonely” (mp3) (from Battle Studies, 2009)
It’s still Friday, right? What are you listening to this evening?
Open All Night as Bruce takes a rest
After the whirlwind schedule that Bruce and the Band have put themselves through the last couple of years, they’ve definitely earned some much needed R&R. And with some sort of hiatus underway (1 year? 2-3 years?), Boss Geeks like me start to speculate on what his next move might be. We know he can’t stay idle for too long, especially these days.
After The Rising Tour, 2005 and 2006 brought about two great albums and tours away from the E Street Band: Devils and Dust, and We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions. Thankfully, Bruce made it through Phoenix on both tours. Seeing him solo was certainly a treat (as was the Tom Joad tour) – but that damn Seeger Sessions tour. Man oh man, what a show they put on!
Counting Bruce, the Sessions Band numbered 18 musicians & singers. Eighteen! It was a joyous concoction of sound, as they tackled old folk songs, new originals (“American Land” and “Long Walk Home” debuted), gospel music… and then there were the Seeger Sessions tweaks to Bruce’s catalog. Well, more like overhauls than tweaks… from “Blinded By The Light” to “Ramrod” and “The River”, the results always brought out new elements in the songs, and seeing them performed by so many on so many instruments – steel guitar, banjo, trumpets, trombones, and tubas…
One of the best examples is how Bruce modified “Open All Night”, a track from the sparse acoustic Nebraska album. It’s actually one of the more uptempo numbers on Nebraska. But the Sessions Band took the song to another level – a piano and horn driven stomper right out of the 1950’s.
I put on the Live in Dublin DVD earlier this evening as my family and I set up the Christmas tree. The Sessions Band had everyone shimmying and shaking, but “Open All Night” really got the joint rocking. I gotta confess, I enjoy this DVD as much as any E Street live DVD, and as far as speculating and hoping and wishing goes – I hope Bruce gets the Sessions Band together for another tour!
Here’s some evolution for ya – a trio of “Open All Night”…
Bruce Springsteen & the Sessions Band – Open All Night (mp3) – from Live In Dublin
Bruce Springsteen – Open All Night (mp3) – from Nebraska
Bruce Springsteen – Open All Night (mp3) – Short outtake from the Nebraska sessions
Single: Sade, “Soldier of Love”
In the past 25 years Sade has only put out 5 records – not accounting for live, remix and hits compilations – and it’s been nearly ten years since their last release, the brilliant Lovers Rock, so it’s a bit hard to anticipate what to expect of the group. Surely, you can count on it to sizzle; to find that slow burning subtle groove and unleash Sade Adu’s seductive tone and prose. I suppose it is that expectation that left me surprised me upon hearing the new single “Soldier of Love” – from the forthcoming album of the same name. There is absolutely nothing subtle about this track. Opening with a single trumpet and staccato string stabs over a driving cadence Sade croons “I’ve lost the use of my heart, but I’m still alive”, sounding more like a woman scorned than a woman in love. The track builds at a slow, almost clunky, pace and never really resolves itself, rather leaving us hanging and “Still waiting for love to come.” While I’d be lying if I didn’t say that that it’s wonderful to hear Sade’s voice again, I’d be equally libelous if I didn’t say it comes with some disappointment. But even in disappointment I’m thoroughly enjoying this song and look forward to hearing the rest of the record.
You can hear for yourself at the band’s official site.
The Friday Five: December 4, 2009
Friday Five : ˈfrī-(ˌ)dā,-dē ˈfīv : On the sixth day of every week I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.
The Five:
Great Lake Swimmers – “Unison Falling Into Harmony” (from Lost Channels, 2009)
Largely overlooked in favor of the indie folk-pop of Fleet Foxes, Canada’s Great Lake Swimmers released one of the most lush, yet intimate folk-rock records of the past year.
U.S.A. for Africa – “We Are the World” (from We Are the World: U.S.A. for Africa, 1985)
I’m fairly certain I could fill an entire page writing about “We Are the World”, what hearing it again reminded me of was the time in which Michael Jackson could do no wrong and how, even at eleven, I was in awe of his considerable talent.
Miles Davis – “All Blues” (from Kind of Blue, 1959)
To say Miles is a force in my life and my musical DNA would be an understatement, I even named my son after him. Part of Davis’ magnum opus, “All Blues” is eleven and a half minutes of pure bliss.
The Notorious B.I.G. – “Sky’s the Limit” (feat. 112) (from Life After Death, 1997)
I never connected with the tunes on Life After Death nearly as much as I did Ready to Die.
Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention – “Happy Together” (from Fillmore East, June 1971, 1971)
It occurred to me as this track started – and it is a brilliantly crass take on The Turtles classic – that only one of the artists featured on the Five this week is still with us. Not the thought I want to leave you with on a Friday, so I highly suggest hitting play on the track above and regaling in the joy. Baa-Ba-Ba…
Okay, so who’s next!
Ick’s Pick: Jesse Johnson’s Verbal Penetration
As a Prince-obsessed maniac since the age of Purple Rain, I’ve always been interested in following those he helped spawn back in the day. The Time were obviously the most talented of the bunch, and a sizable contributor to the feel and sound of the band – along with Prince, Morris Day, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis – was guitarist Jesse Johnson.
After the success of Ice Cream Castle (which featured “The Bird” and “Jungle Love”, tunes co-written by Jesse), he left the group for a solo deal with A&M Records. His body of work has always ranked up there as my favorite – his first two albums, Jesse Johnson’s Revue and Shockadelica, are classic Minneapolis synth-funk. Also solid were his other two studio efforts: 1988’s Every Shade of Love and 1996’s Bare My Naked Soul.Except for a 2000 greatest hits collection, Jesse has been quiet all these years… that is, until Verbal Penetration came along. I know, I know, the album title is pretty cringe-worthy at first glance. But after picking it up earlier this week, I’m here to tell you – this is a fantastic collection of neosoul, retro-funk and R&B. It’s 29 tracks spanning two discs, and clocks in at almost two hours, and you quickly succumb to the verbal penetration ride that Jesse wants to take you on.
At the forefront is Jesse’s prolific guitar work. It’s been 13 years since his last studio album, and this album burns with a funky ferocity that feels like Jesse’s been bottling up this energy all these years, and he’s finally been uncorked. Case in point is the instrumental “Merciful” [mp3] – where a smooth, simmering groove sets the backdrop for a jaw-dropping guitar solo that kicks off 25 seconds into the song, and doesn’t let up until the song finishes at almost 5 minutes.
There are so many highlights, and I’m just a few listens in… Check out “Sheila Rae” [mp3], a dose of warm and sunny pop/funk with synth horns and some catchy female backing vocals (which show up a lot on this album).
“1000 Watts of Funky” is old school – you guess it – funk, paying obvious homage to Sly & the Family Stone.
There’s “Ali vs. Frasier”, where Jesse puts on his Wes Montgomery hat and kills with some jazz guitar.
“Letter From a Soldier (Reprise)” and “Love Letters” mashup classic Curtis Mayfield vibes with smooth neosoul grooves.
Even the strange ones are captivating. There’s “Redemption for the Soul, Enlightenment for the Earhole”, a tale set in the far future where music is banned. It is the “Days of the Deafening Quiet”, after the “Great Last War left the Nurennus Realm in control”. It’s narrated by French-Norwegian artist Jezabella Kipp-Messmer, and her accent will confuse, possibly annoy, and probably mesmerize you. What’s truly mesmerizing is the funky sounds backing up the story.
Verbal Penetration is a welcome surprise from a familiar old friend. It sizes up well against Prince’s post-2000 output, and even far exceeds it at points. Jesse’s hiatus hasn’t diminished his talent and potency in any way whatsoever. If you have a little purple in you, do yourself a favor and pick it up.
Buy: Verbal Penetration
Visit: JesseJohnson.com
