My New Year's greeting to Trump and his supporters
The road is still long, but we have survived and thrived in year one of the reign of Donald Trump. Do not underestimate how important that is.
In eleven months we have a chance to start taking back our country--a win in either chamber effectively ends what Trump and republicans can accomplish between now and January 2021.
Want to know what we can have again in January of 2021? Read these year end tweets from a true champion of the American people: President Barack Hussein Obama.
I don't know if it's because I'm getting older, but I appreciate what a great song "Auld Lang Syne" is more and more with each passing year...and I found another great version this year from the union championing, Scott Walker bitch slapping, Dropkick Murphys:
I've often thought I should be a big fan of the Dave Matthews Band--it's a bunch of laid back dudes known for their musicianship who play thoughtful pop tunes. But--much like the Grateful Dead--for me it never happened. Which isn't to say, obviously, that both bands haven't had a moment or two that's captured my fancy...much like this week's tune.
Formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991 the Dave Matthews Band has had quite the successful run over the past twenty-six years. Their nine studio albums and numerous live albums have sold better than 50 million copies, and they've had a summer tour virtually every year since the band's inception. Their last six albums have debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, and their six #1 albums ties them with the Eagles for the most #1 albums by an American band. They've been nominated for many Grammy Awards (winning once), and are known for their offbeat music videos. The band's charitable foundation has donated over $8.5 million dollars to various causes, and their coolness quotient rates high thanks to their concerts in support of the candidacy of one Barack Obama, a President whose class, grace, intelligence, and love for his country far surpasses that of the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Released in 1996 on their career defining LP Crash, "Crash into Me" reached #19 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100. The band's performance was also nominated for a Grammy in the longest category title in the history of award category titles: Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. Ten words--for fuck's sake, it's almost as long as a song.
In a VH-1 Storytellers appearance, Dave Matthews said the song was about a voyeur looking through a woman's bedroom window at night, so any mystery as to the song's meaning is pretty much rendered moot. Still, for as creepy as that seems, there's still an innocence (if you can get past the more erotic lyrics) to the man's viewing--there's a lot of the romance of loving someone from afar in his thoughts and words. Matthews (somewhat like the vocals in "Sex and Candy" as I noted a couple of weeks back) makes good use of cadence in his singing, drawing out certain words and deliciously half whispering the word "crash" before completing the chorus. The song is sparse--a little guitar, a little bass, some drums, a sax, and Matthews vocals. In the end, it's one of those songs that has just stayed with me these last twenty years and that I enjoy hearing every bit as much today as I did in 1996 when it was first released.
Lyric Sheet: "Sweet like candy to my soul/Sweet your rock/And sweet you roll..."
I remember reading a Rolling Stone interview with Bob Dylan the year this week's tune came out, and at one point Dylan was asked if there were any songs he was currently hearing that he liked. Dylan begged off somewhat, saying that he didn't listen to too much music because he didn't want his own work to be influenced by what he was hearing--but he did mention "We Just Disagree" as a song that he particularly liked (he'd also play it on his 1980 tour). And I remember thinking, "All the great music that's coming out and that's the song he likes?" Somewhere many years down the road I heard it anew and had one of my "Holy Shit" moments, where I realize a song is much better than I had originally thought.
Dave Mason has somewhat quietly put together a hell of a career resume. Starting with his work with Traffic (with which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004), Mason has through the years done session work with Jimi Hendrix (played acoustic 12 string guitar on "All Along the Watchtower"), George Harrison (All Things Must Pass), the Rolling Stones (Beggars Banquet), had duets with Phoebe Snow and Michael Jackson, and also was briefly a member of Fleetwood Mac. That's in addition to the thirteen solo albums he's released, the last of which came out in 2014. He's still playing about a hundred shows a year, and is involved in charities that encourage kids playing music as well as foundations helping those with substance abuse problems and veterans. Another in a long line of FNJ vets who have made the most out of a modicum of success....
Released in 1977 on his Let It Flow album, "We Just Disagree" was the only solo hit of Mason's career (as was the album, which peaked at #37 on the Billboard 200), as it reached #12 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100. Written by Jim Krueger who also did the backing vocals as well as playing 12 string guitar on the single, the song has, much like last week's tune by the Marshall Tucker Band, remained a staple of Classic Rock radio for forty years now.
"We Just Disagree" tells the tale of a couple meeting up some time after their breakup, with the male half registering some concern for her but also realizing they went their separate ways for a reason and that it's best to just let it all go. In some ways, it's an adult version of the brokenhearted break up song--the protagonist acknowledges there were no good or bad guys in their break up, but rather was just the two of them and they just didn't see eye to eye. The song opens with a delightful guitar that jangles its way into Mason's vocals, where he's quickly joined by Krueger to form some harmonies that are just this side of gospel tinged. There's some nice oh-oh-oh's that convey a little of the pain, and it closes almost abruptly--but like a good short story, you realize its told you just enough. It's certainly not your standard fare for a top 40 hit, but therein lies the beauty of pop music--there's always another surprise just around the corner.
Liner notes: "There ain't no good guy, there ain't no bad guy/There's only you and me and we just disagree..."
My guess is that Senator Collins hates puppies, too...
A note to Senator Susan Collins, in the wake of her claiming the attacks against her vote to give away our money to rich people were incredibly sexist (and never mind that Jeff Flake and Bob Corker, both of whom I believe have penises, were excoriated as well) and trying to tie herself to the #MeToo movement:
The #MeToo movement is for people who got fucked, not the people who did the fucking.
A new day may be dawning...one that leaves republicans behind
A poll today from CNN shows Democrats with an unprecedented 18 point lead on a generic ballot for elections in 2018. While it's tremendously early to get one's hopes up too much, it's becoming increasingly obvious that Trump and republicans tax giveaway to the rich is increasingly unpopular and an anchor around their necks and just may cost them the House and the Senate in next November's elections.
It seems to me that a majority of Americans are finally waking up and seeing the truth of the matter: our lives will not be made one whit better because rich people have more money.
Frankly, our lives will be much better if they have less money--and the less they have, the better for us.
Every now and again a song comes along and the first time you hear it, you know it's going to be a favorite of yours for the rest of your life (e.g., "Don't Do Me Like That" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers). But there's also that song that you hear for years, kind of like, and then one day hear it and think, "How the hell did I not notice how great this song was?" Such was the case with song #155 here on FNJ. The Marshall Tucker Band formed in 1972 in Spartanburg, S.C. (though they'd been playing in various bands and incarnations since the early 60's), and spent the 70's playing kind of cool younger brother to its much cooler older brothers, The Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd. A major player in what used to be called Southern Rock (I think they call it half-assed Country now), they had quite a streak with their first five albums going gold and their sixth platinum. They were well known for being a great live band, as well as being nominated for a Grammy. Sadly, tragedy struck in 1980 when original bassist Tommy Caldwell (brother of chief songwriter and founder, Toy Caldwell) was killed in an auto accident. The band stayed together for a few more years before going their separate ways. Lead singer Doug Gray eventually resurrected the band name, and they still performs 150-200 shows a year with a different collection of musicians. Not a bad gig if you can get it....
Fun Fact: There is no one in the band named Marshall Tucker--the band got its name from a blind piano tuner named, appropriately enough, Marshall Tucker, whose name they had seen engraved on the back of the key to the warehouse they rented for rehearsals.
Released in 1977 (the year I graduated high school--holy shit I'm getting old) on their Carolina DreamsLP, "Heard It in a Love Song" was the only hit single the Marshall Tucker Band had (though "Can't You See" charted and is a fan favorite) throughout their career, reaching #14 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100. Forty years later and it's still a staple on Classic Rock radio--I'd be willing to bet there isn't an hour that goes by that some radio station in America isn't playing it.
Considering that I'm a strict disciple of the Dorothy Gale School of Life ("There's no place like home..."), "Heard It in a Love Song" is kind of an odd song for me to adore. It tells the tale of a rambler who's on his way out the door and leaving behind a woman he knows he shouldn't, but the lure of greener pastures has been his lifelong obsession and has kept him moving on from town to town. Bookended by a dazzling flute solo, the song features heartfelt vocals from Doug Gray, a nice instrumental break (check out the guitars at the end of the break--straight from the Allman Brothers "Jessica"...what the fuck, plenty of good songs out there that stole a little bit here and there), and a simple ("Heard it in a love song" x3, then "Can't be wrong") but catchy as all hell chorus. As is often the case with classic songs, the band manages to sing and play the tale without its getting mawkish, which is no easy feat in a pop song--Gray's vocals are a testament to the song's heartbreaking honesty. Put it all together and it's easy to see why Southern Rock captured American's attention for a few years from the late 60's to the late 70's--there were a lot of damn good songs that came out of the movement, and "Heard It in a Love Song" is most definitely one of them.
Lyric Sheet: "Don't sneak out that door/Couldn't stand to see you cry/I'd stay another year if I saw a teardrop in your eye..."
I don't mean to look a gift horse in the mouth (both literally and figuratively), but Doug Jones win this past Tuesday in Alabama was a fluke--if Roy Moore wasn't a pedophile, despite his hateful viewpoints he likely would have won by a large margin.
Still, it is a lesson for Democrats--in Jeff Sessions last campaign for Senator in Alabama, he ran unopposed. Can you imagine how sick we all would have been if after the allegations of sexual impropriety on the part of Roy Moore came to light we had had no candidate running against him?
Second, there is a limit to what the American people will accept in their candidates. The bar may be high in Alabama (pedophilia, for Christ's sake?), but it's not in states where the citizens are just a bit more sane like Michigan or Ohio. I'd guess in states hit hard by the Great Recession the republicans current tax bill will play about as bad as child molestation in Alabama.
A win in either the House or the Senate in 2018 effectively means the end of the Trump Presidency--it's time to go for the jugular.
A tad over the top, but we've earned the moral high ground
I've never been a big fan of the "when they go low, we go high" (with all due respect to Michelle Obama) strategy--there's just too much at stake and frankly winning is too important to get bogged down in what often amounts to technicalities (and going low has never seemed to hurt republicans all that much electorally, to boot). But the calls for--and eventual acceptance of--the resignations of Al Franken and John Conyers over their sexual harassment transgressions is the right move at the right time. It may be tremendously cynical (we live in a cynical world), but the most important part of Al Franken's resignation speech was when he contrasted himself resigning with pervert Donald Trump staying in the White House and pedophile Roy Moore remaining in the U.S. Senate race in Alabama.
The contrast is stark--we don't accept sexual assault. Republicans do.
I like the way that will play in the 2018 elections.
A few years back I was killing time before going to bed watching one of those ubiquitous VH-1 One Hit Wonder retrospectives, and they were interviewing the guys from Marcy Playground about this week's tune--and unlike so many other bands, they were thrilled to death with everything their one hit had brought them and were truly grateful for the opportunity to play music for the rest of their lives that having a hit single had given them. It was just a breath of fresh air--a bit of insight that those of us who are amateur (key word) musicians (and would give an eyetooth for the thrill of having a hit single) could really appreciate.
Marcy Playground formed in 1994 in New York City via Minneapolis (lead singer John Wozniak's home), bounced around clubs and half-assed studios for a few years, and then released their debut album in 1997--with the single that would allow them to keep playing music for a living for the next 20 years (and counting). There isn't a lot of success to report--they've only released a grand total of 4 studio albums (none of which have sold into the millions), have no record breaking world tours, no Grammy Awards, and most certainly won't be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Still, they released a single that has brought joy to millions and that's a pretty damn good legacy in my book.
For those wondering...the band name comes from a park at the school John Wozniak attended when he was a wee lad in Minneapolis.
Released in 1997 on their oh-so-imaginatively titled debut LP, Marcy Playground,"Sex and Candy" would rise to #8 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100. It was an even bigger hit on the Modern Rock Tracks (see also, Alternative) chart, reaching #1 and staying there for a then record 15 weeks (and breaking the record of another FNJ fave, "Wonderwall" by Oasis). They've released thirteen other singles over the course of their career...and not a single one of them has hit the charts. C'est la vie!
I was originally going to note that "Sex and Candy" was one of those songs that may not be for everyone, but as I was doing my weekly half-assed research I noticed that Rolling Stone hated it and since Rolling Stone hasn't been musically relevant since, oh, the 70's, I figured it was probably a much better single that I was giving it credit for. Backed with a lightly picked guitar and some modest yet potent drumming, John Wozniak drops some blue eyed soul vocals on us as he drawls his way through the way one can be having a perfectly uneventful day and a woman can suddenly come into the picture and make that day so much more memorable. As I've listened to it this week one of the things that I noticed is how well Wozniak makes use of cadence--the way he slows certain lyrics, or stops for a pause, or drags out a line, and I realized it as one of those magical little moments that make a good song a great song. And a hell of a one hit wonder for Marcy Playground to call its own.
Lyric Sheet: "And then there she was/Like double cherry pie/Yeah there she was/Like disco superfly..."
Mitch McConnell yesterday called on Al Franken to resign, without a hint of irony that his party has a moral degenerate in the White House who bragged on tape about sexually assaulting women, and is pouring money into the campaign of Trump's fellow moral degenerate, Roy Moore, who is a known child molester.
The other day I got an e-mail from some liberal group, and in the subject line it noted that I would not believe how low the republican party had gone. And you know what? I thought it was the goofiest subject line ever--I absolutely will believe how low the republican party will go. They have absolutely no shame.
But I still believe there are enough Americans to make them pay for their hypocrisy and their utter disdain of the American people.
And here's hoping the voting public makes me look clairvoyant come next November...
Not your grandpa--just another rich, white asshole
Iowa's idiot senior Senator, Chuck Grassley, was quoted this week claiming the estate tax penalizes people who save their money, quite unlike the rest of us who spend all of our money on "...booze or women or movies."
You know, I do spend a bit of my money on a woman--surprisingly enough, my partner likes to eat and have a place to live. And about once a year we can afford to go to the movies. And while I don't drink anymore, at one time in my life I enjoyed the occasional beer. You know what those things are called?
Being an American.
And for all Grassley's 'aw,shucks, folks" pretending, the plain truth of the matter is that he--and the party he represents--is an elitist who looks down his nose at those of us who work for a living just like every other rich, white asshole.
As far as I'm concerned, Grassley can go fuck himself.
A few years back I attended my oldest son's graduation from law school in Washington, D.C., and for whatever odd ass reason (especially considering it's on the opposite coast), it made me quite nostalgic for my birthplace in the San Francisco Bay Area which in turn led me to realize that after forty years of living in the midwest I really didn't like living in the midwest all that much, and thus began a fervent desire to move back to my home state of California (I play the lottery as much to retire as to move back to my home state). Not coincidentally I'm sure, it was about the time that this week's tune went from a song I liked to one that I adored....
The Mamas and the Papas formed in 1965 and by 1968 managed to create a legacy that lasts to this very day. One of the original purveyors of what would come to be known as folk rock, the Mamas and the Papas released only five albums before breaking up (though the band would reunite in various incarnations off and on through the nineties, they never made another studio album)--and those five albums resulted in 40 million copies sold, six top ten singles, a Grammy Award, an album on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, a single on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and their eventual induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Sadly, fame also took its toll--John Phillips (heroin) and Denny Doherty (alcohol and various drugs) suffered from addictions for years and both died relatively young (Phillips in 2001, Doherty in 2007). Cass Elliot also had her demons and died of heart failure in 1974 at the age of 38, leaving Michelle Phillips as the only surviving member.
Released in 1965 on their debut album, If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears (#127 Greatest Albums), "California Dreamin'" (#89 Greatest Songs) would go on to reach #4 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100. Though "Monday Monday" was their biggest hit, "California Dreamin'" (written by John and Michelle Phillips) remains their signature song and has also been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Fun Fact: When "California Dreamin'" was originally released it garnered little attention in California and actually became a hit thanks to a radio station in Boston that broke the song nationally. So many cool kids in Boston....
Oddly enough, "California Dreamin'" is a song about a young man missing California on a wintry day in New York City. The lyrics are sparse--the chorus is only seven words repeated often (the song itself is a mere two minutes and forty four seconds long), but so much is packed into those so few words--especially about the power of one's home. I'd like to tell you about the instrumentation, but other than the flute solo (these last few weeks have seen a slew of odd instruments in pop songs here on FNJ) and a teensy bit of acoustic guitar, I don't really recall--mostly because the harmonies are so other worldly that they literally carry the entire song. If a scientist ever set out to clone the perfect harmonies, the DNA of "California Dreamin'" would be all he'd need. And for me, it will always be a beautiful reminder of how much I miss living in California, even all these many years later.
Liner Notes: "I'd be safe and warm if I was in L.A./California dreamin' on such a winter's day..."
The average American gets paid just enough so he doesn't quit his job, and works just hard enough so he doesn't get fired.
"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross." Source unknown
Uncle emaycee Wants You For the Coming Class War! Enlist today....
Capitalism: Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you can exploit his labor, become filthy rich, and keep the poor bastard living paycheck to paycheck for the rest of his life.
