Triple (or more) Threats

For my birthday, my wife got me the Neil Young disc “Live at Massey Hall 1971″.  It is quite stunning to hear this great artist at the height of his talent.  As I listened, I went back to see what albums of Young’s were released when.  I was stunned to realize that from 1969 to 1972 he released Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, After the Gold Rush, and Harvest, three of his greatest albums and undoubted masterpieces.  This got me thinking of other artists who have released three or more excellent albums.  So, here is my list of artist’s who had a serious run of sustained brilliance:

• Simon & Garfunkel: Wednesday Morning, 3 AM (1964) , Sounds of Silence (1966), Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme (1966), Bookends (1968), and Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)
• Neil Young: Everybody Knows This is Nowhere (1969), After the Gold Rush (1970), and Harvest (1972)
• Elvis Costello:  My Aim is True (1977), This Year’s Model (1978), and Armed Forces (1979)
• Talking Heads: Talking Heads ‘77 (1977), More Songs About Buildings and Food (1978), and Fear of Music (1979)
• U2: Boy (1980), October (1981), War (1983), Unforgettable Fire (1984), and The Joshua Tree (1987)
• R.E.M.: Murmur (1983), Reckoning (1984), Fables of the Reconstruction (1985), Life’s Rich Pageant (1986), and Document (1987) (and from there it is a rapid and extended turn downhill)
• Husker Du:  Zen Arcade (1984), New Day Rising (1985), and Flip Your Wig (1985)
• Uncle Tupelo: No Depression (1990), Still Feel Gone (1991), March 16-20, 1992 (1992), and Anodyne (1993)
• Drive-By Truckers: Southern Rock Opera (2001), Decoration Day (2003), and The Dirty South (2004)

And, though it combines a group and then a solo career, I must include:

• Flying Burrito Brothers: The Gilded Palace of Sin (1969) and Burrito Deluxe (1970)
• Gram Parsons(left FBB in 1971): GP (1973) and Grievous Angel (1974)

Top (and Bottom) Ten Sit Coms

Because I promised in a previous post and I have refrained from listing for a while:

Top Ten Situation Comedies

1. Arrested Development
2. Taxi
3. Soap
4. The Bob Newhart Show
5. The Office
6. M*A*S*H
7. All in the Family
   
8. Get Smart!
9. Sanford & Son
10. Seinfeld (had to include it)

Almost included The Simpsons but I think it has gone on a bit too long and just isn’t what it was in its prime. Berke Breathed had it right when he stopped Bloom County (Greatest Comic Strip Ever (another list?)) at the height of its appeal. Also, I was very close to including Newhart but that really belongs on the Greatest Final Episodes Ever List and The Bob Newhart Show is the better (not by much) show. I left off The Young Ones, which I truly love, because I decided to limit this list to American shows.

And now, part two is the Bottom Ten Sit Coms. I am only including shows that were/are network shows and relatively successful (there are a whole spate of terrible ones that didn’t last too long and just make a far too easy target) and I have actually seen (unfortunately).

1. Mama’s Family
2. The Nanny
3. Golden Girls
4. Home Improvement
5. According to Jim
6. Friends (The Three’s Company of our generation)
7. Three’s Company
8. Family Matters
9. Blossom
10. Roseanne

There it is: my opinions of the situation comedy.

Old Time Music and New String Bands

I was asked the difference between bluegrass and old time string bands, a distinction I mentioned in a previous post. The real difference between bluegrass and old time music is quite simple and easy to detect.  See below for a brief explanation.

Bluegrass focuses on each instrument taking a turn playing the melody and speedy improvising around it, while the others revert to backing; in this it is quite similar to jazz. I once saw someone refer to bluegrass as solo-oriented.

Old Time music is a simpler and older tradition that features all instruments playing the basic melody together or one instrument carries the lead throughout while the others provide accompaniment; it lacks the shared improvisation and the solo-orientation so crucial to bluegrass. Think “O, Brother, Where art Thou?”

Though they share instruments, there are definite differences. With that in mind, I will provide you with another list.

This one is of The Top Ten Newish Old Time String Bands .

1. Old Crow Medicine Show
2. Avett Brothers
3. Carolina Chocolate Drops
4. Uncle Earl
5. Foghorn String Band
6. Abigail Washburn (a solo artist backed by a string band)
7. Crooked Jades
8. Freight Hoppers
9. Jim & Jennie and the Pinetops
10. The Mammals

There you go. Again, check any of them out and you can’t go wrong. They are all available on Amazon and iTunes. I will confess a personal preference for the virtuosity inherent in bluegrass. However, there are times when I prefer the sweet melody and toe-tapping, old time stuff.

Listing of a Musical Nature

Having just finished Perfect From Now On, I am inspired to list.

Guitarists Whose Style I Wished to Imitate  and Combine to Create My Own Original Style When I Had Dreams of Rock (circa 1990)

• The Edge (U2)
• Johnny Marr (The Smiths, the The, etc.)
• Bryan Harvey (House of Freaks)
• Kenny Withrow (Edie Brickell & New Bohemians)
• Peter Buck (pre-Green R.E.M.) 

Bands Who Folks with Otherwise Great Taste in Music Rave About That I Have Never Truly Liked

• Radiohead – Please spare me anymore comments on the genius of this band; it all sounds like insincere, self-indulgent experimentation to me.
• The Beatles -  I have tried and tried but  so much of their catalog is just silly.  I hear the argument that they laid the foundation for what we listen to today, which may be unfortunate.  I would rather listen to the music that owes debts to Johnny Cash and Buddy Holly than John and Paul.
• Nirvana – Their music is far too derivative.  They owe their success to those who came before and David Geffen’s money and marketing savvy.
• Belle & Sebastian – I challenge anyone to find a group who has more consistently produced boring and uninteresting music.
• Led Zeppelin – If we’re talking about the fathers of hard rock, the names we should be discussing are Roger, Paul, John, and Keith not Robert, Jimmy, John Paul, and John.

Greatest Power Trios

• Husker Du
• Rush
• Yo La Tengo
• The Minutemen
• The Police

Luckiest People in the History of Modern Music

• Adam Clayton (U2)
• Ringo Starr (The Beatles)
• Meg White (The White Stripes)
• Art Garfunkel  (At least until 1970)

That’s all for now, but the listing impulse will surely return.

Things That Make Me Happy: An Abecedary

Because I am not feeling original, I am going to steal borrow this idea from another blog. Plus, I want to see if I can match one of my likes to every letter of the Alphabet. So, away I go:

• Austin, TX
• Bluegrass
• Cholula hot sauce
  
• Don Quixote
• Extra Innings
• Fans (the kind with blades not rooters)
• Gadgets
• Hummingbirds
• Irish Spring
  
• Job
• Kayaking (only done twice but I love it!)
• Lost
• Mandolins
• National League Games (w/o the DH there just isn’t as much strategy)
• Offspring (Jonah and Toby not the band)
• Playing catch
  
• Quizno’s
• Robert Caro’s Years of Lyndon Johnson
• Spouse
• Timbuk2 Bags
• Uncle Tupelo
  
• Vans
• Woodpeckers
• Xavier De Maistre’s Journey Around My Room
• Yo La Tengo
• Z – the letter. I love to write Zs and 7s and cross them

Damn, that was hard! I started while waiting for my hotel room, got frustrated, and put the computer away. I then tried again after I got back from the baseball game. I must have spent an hour after that trying to come up with these and I am not sure that Z is not a cop out…although I do get happy when taking notes or keeping score and I get to write a Z or a 7.

“‘My Favorite Things’…

…is playing again and again. But it’s by Julie Andrews and not by John Coltrane.”

I realize that material things should not be valued too highly. But I also realize there are some things I own that I really like. While they do not give meaning to my life, they make a little more happy. So, I thought I would list some of my favorite things.

1. Leatherman Juice S2 - I love this little tool. It is somewhere between the useless keychain size tool and the industrial size ones that strap to your belt. Though a bit large, I carry this on my keychain. It has every tool I need, whether I am opening those grey book bins, building a book truck, or cutting those annoying ties that surround and secure every boxed toy made in the past few years. Bonus: it is burnt orange; Hook ‘em!

   

2. Sony SRF-M97 Radio Walkman – This little radio is a dream. It is roughly the size of a pack of Wrigley’s. It has a cool reverse LED display. The tuning is digital–a big plus. And, a hold switch. Ergonomically speaking, it is one of the best designed products I have owned. I love to take this to baseball games. The AM reception is fantastic. I can hear Milo crystal clear. With the clip, I just attach it to my shirt, pull out my scorecard, and enjoy the hell out of myself. Plus, it is great for listening to game while I run (This is an assumption as this was why I purchased it but have not yet worked up to the running part).
3. Cherokee Plaid Shirts from Target - These shirts comprise my primary non-work wardrobe. (I realize that last sentence might imply I run around with just a plaid shirt and no pants; I do usually wear some pants with the shirts). I must own twenty or so. I love the pocketed shirt because I can carry whatever gadget is my latest obsession easily. Plus, at under ten bucks, I really could care less if I tear them or–more likely–spill something on them. God Bless Target!

   

4. Creative Labs Stone MP3 Player – Just bought this today but am already digging it thoroughly. They got everything right that Apple got wrong with their shuffle. First, this unit allows you to skip folders to get to the folder you want. I organize mine by artist and can move to who I want to hear. Second, in non-shuffle mode, the Shuffle plays in whatever order the songs were added; this can’t be changed unless you remove and reload songs. On the Stone, they are put in alphabetical order by folder name, which makes locating songs much easier. Third,I am so glad that Creative (or anyone) finally realized we don’t need ten foot USB cables to connect PAD to computers; this comes with a two inch cable. Fourth, I hate, hate, hate, hate that iPod’s work only with one computer; you should be able to move your music between multiple computers. Finally, I paid thirty bucks for this thing as compared to the Shuffle’s $80 pricetag.

   

5. Sony ICD-SX46 – 128 MB Digital Voice Recorder - I can’t live without this little guy in my shirt pocket. It functions as my memory. Throughout the day, I am given projects, requests, ideas, suggestions, and asked questions. All of which require follow-up. This saves me. As soon as something comes up, I just make a short recording and put it back in my pocket. When I get to my office, the first thing I do is plug this in to the computer and listen to my recordings. Then, I follow up on the questions and complete requests. It helps me do my job well. Plus, it has three folders that I use for work, birding, and miscellaneous (e.g., ideas for blog, remembering parking spaces, books or music to check out). This is a true lifesaver.

6. Kangol 504 Argyle Stripe Ivy Cap – I have always been fond of the ivy cap. I have worn them since the late ’80s. At an early job they took to calling me Pip because my brother let them know that he called me “Pip the Newsboy” because of the hat. Another friend claimed my affinity for the hats was somehow tied to my fondness for Dickens; something orphanesque about the hat I presume. Of all my ivy caps, the 504 has the best fit. Plus, one of the downfalls of this type of hat is most are wool. The polyester knit of this particular cap is ideal for Houston’s ten months of summer.

 

By the way, if anyone can identify the quote that lead this posting off, you will win a free Parker Blotter Pen, one of my other favorite things.

Funniest Books: My Top Ten

The top ten listng continues with the top ten funniest books I have ever read.

1. English as She is Spoke by Jose de Fonseca and Pedro Carolino
   • I promise not to annotate this entire list but this book needs some explaining. This was written as a phrase book for Portuguese speakers learning English. The problem is it was written by authors whose knowledge of English was rudimentary at best. It is quite simply the funniest book I have ever read in my life.  Find a copy, open to any page, and laugh.  To quote Mark Twain: “Nobody can add to the absurdity of this book, nobody can imitate it successfully, nobody can hope to produce its fellow; it is perfect.”
2. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome
3. Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
4. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
5. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
6. 1066 and All That by W.C. Sellar and R.J. Yeatman
7. Wake Up, Sir by Jonathan Ames
8. Diary of a Nobody by George and Weedon Grossmith
9. Any of P.G. Wodehouse’s Blandings Castle or Jeeves and Wooster books
10. The Partly Cloudy Patriot by Sara Vowell

And there it is, yet another list. Have fun and comment on your favorite funny books.