"Andy, if you met a space alien visiting Earth and he wanted to know what Rock 'n' Roll was, who would you instruct him to listen to?"
Glad you all asked. You certainly would not send him toward ELO, what with the uncommon emphasis on the strings. You wouldn't tell him to listen to The Beatles, either. At the beginning, they have too much of a stripped down pop sound, and towards the end, they venture too far into arcane psychedelia to be considered representative. Warren Zevon is too weird. Elton John is too piano-centric and soft. Journey is too ridiculous.
Instead I'd point him in the direction of Jackson Brown. I'm not familiar with the entire Jackson Brown canon; in fact, my knowledge is pretty much limited to his cover of "Stay", "Runnin' on Empty", and "The Pretender," but I feel pretty comfortable recommending him. See, when you listen to Jackson Brown, the piano does exactly what you'd expect in a rock and roll song. The guitar follows suit. The vocal line doesn't try anything too daring and relies on the singer's warm low baritone to fill out the sound. Some simple but entertaining solos might pop up here and there. The tempo stays at a fair, mid-tempo clip. The lyrics are thoughtful without being shocking or relying too heavily on dumb cliches. The female back-up singers come in at appropriate times and sing the expected words.
In short, the song never deviates from the formula. It sounds exactly as you'd expect a rock and roll song to sound. Not that this is a bad thing; just an example of beauty found within the form.
Anyone have a different suggestion?
Friday, September 28, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
Remember when I used to have a blog?
Well, now I have something that I've heard of, but never experienced firsthand. It's called a "social life." Apparently, it involves having people known as "friends" who invite you over to "hang out."
And it's the bane of bloggers everywhere. I hang out with people all night, then come home and sleep all morning, then get up in the afternoon and work. I used to be a bloging wunderkind, but these friends have turned me into just another person with better things to do than write dumb crap on the internets. Like talking about dumb crap with my friends.
So, posts might be a bit more sporadic in the near future. Until this new-fangled friendship thing loses some of its luster.
And it's the bane of bloggers everywhere. I hang out with people all night, then come home and sleep all morning, then get up in the afternoon and work. I used to be a bloging wunderkind, but these friends have turned me into just another person with better things to do than write dumb crap on the internets. Like talking about dumb crap with my friends.
So, posts might be a bit more sporadic in the near future. Until this new-fangled friendship thing loses some of its luster.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
My Original Favorite Band
The year was 1990. I was in second grade. The world was in love again. We were marching hand in hand. The ocean levels were rising up. Then there was a brand new record: They Might Be Giants' brand new album, Flood.
And my sister Jessica bought it, and played it for me for some reason. I'm not sure if she ever got to listen to it again, because I remember playing it for myself, pulling out the tape liner notes, reading the lyrics, and wondering what the crap they meant. Little did I realize that even if I knew what the actual words meant, I still would be fairly clueless about the song's true meaning. Nonetheless, I pressed on, and soon I became the only second grader to know what an Argonaut was.
Flood supposedly hasn't gone platinum, but I find this difficult to believe, considering I have bought 4 copies of it over the years, as copies got lost, destroyed, or never returned. The last part didn't bother me; how could I begrudge someone for liking They Might Be Giants so much that they never could bring themselves to return it?
My interest in TMBG would wax and wane, but every couple of years I come back to them and find them just as awesome as they were when I left them. In high school, I expanded my collection to Apollo 18, Factory Showroom, and John Henry. I'm certain I bought their debut album too, but it has been lost. I bought A User's Guide and The Spine when they were released. When my nephew Simon, Jess's son, turned three, I bought him the DVD version of Here Comes the ABCs. I pointed out a conifer to him last Labor Day, and he was able to sing "C is for Conifers" to me, although he said that he didn't like it, he liked Pirates of the Berry Bean, but mom always makes him watch ABCs.
Now, They Might Be Giants has a new album out. It's called The Else. How did this happen without me knowing about it? I must be off my game.
I nearly purchased it, but then I realized the time commitment required to buy a They Might Be Giants CD. Odds are good that I haven't heard any of the songs from it. It takes hours and hours and hours of listening to fully absorb it, to entangle one's self in the lyrics and work one's way out, to catch all the subtle instrumental effects. I bought Factory Showroom at the same time I bought John Henry, and never put the time in that it required until I started working at Shell, seven years later, when I bought The Spine. Instead, I'm going to spend a couple weeks listening to all their CDs again, and probably insert their lyrics in everyday conversation to subtly show how awesome I am.
They also have a really cool wiki that I'm going to read, www.tmbw.net Every song they released is rated and ranked by users. I correctly guessed the consensual favorite. My personal favorite is surprisingly ranked #2.
And my sister Jessica bought it, and played it for me for some reason. I'm not sure if she ever got to listen to it again, because I remember playing it for myself, pulling out the tape liner notes, reading the lyrics, and wondering what the crap they meant. Little did I realize that even if I knew what the actual words meant, I still would be fairly clueless about the song's true meaning. Nonetheless, I pressed on, and soon I became the only second grader to know what an Argonaut was.
Flood supposedly hasn't gone platinum, but I find this difficult to believe, considering I have bought 4 copies of it over the years, as copies got lost, destroyed, or never returned. The last part didn't bother me; how could I begrudge someone for liking They Might Be Giants so much that they never could bring themselves to return it?
My interest in TMBG would wax and wane, but every couple of years I come back to them and find them just as awesome as they were when I left them. In high school, I expanded my collection to Apollo 18, Factory Showroom, and John Henry. I'm certain I bought their debut album too, but it has been lost. I bought A User's Guide and The Spine when they were released. When my nephew Simon, Jess's son, turned three, I bought him the DVD version of Here Comes the ABCs. I pointed out a conifer to him last Labor Day, and he was able to sing "C is for Conifers" to me, although he said that he didn't like it, he liked Pirates of the Berry Bean, but mom always makes him watch ABCs.
Now, They Might Be Giants has a new album out. It's called The Else. How did this happen without me knowing about it? I must be off my game.
I nearly purchased it, but then I realized the time commitment required to buy a They Might Be Giants CD. Odds are good that I haven't heard any of the songs from it. It takes hours and hours and hours of listening to fully absorb it, to entangle one's self in the lyrics and work one's way out, to catch all the subtle instrumental effects. I bought Factory Showroom at the same time I bought John Henry, and never put the time in that it required until I started working at Shell, seven years later, when I bought The Spine. Instead, I'm going to spend a couple weeks listening to all their CDs again, and probably insert their lyrics in everyday conversation to subtly show how awesome I am.
They also have a really cool wiki that I'm going to read, www.tmbw.net Every song they released is rated and ranked by users. I correctly guessed the consensual favorite. My personal favorite is surprisingly ranked #2.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Shirts
Wednesday:
Description: Ash 2001 Indiana Key Club Convention shirt. Slogan is Channel Surfing for Service. I was too tired to get a decent picture of it.
Origin: This was after I left Key Club due to graduation, but my sister was the Governor, so I went to the convention to hear her speech, I think. Either that, or it was Aaron's.
Decision: This one can go.
Thursday:
Description: Dark blue, with light blue collar. No picture.
Origin: Presumably a Birthmas gift.
Decision: I wore this to work one day and immediately a patient realized that he was wearing the exact same shirt. Lots of hilarious jokes were made at my expense. That bit of serendipity is enough to get me to keep it.
Friday:
Description: Wabash College Blood Tour 2001
Origin: There was a blood drive.
Decision: Probable keeper. I like my blood drive shirts, plus it also has Wally Wabash, who does not look anything like Purdue Pete, on it, which is a plus.
Description: Ash 2001 Indiana Key Club Convention shirt. Slogan is Channel Surfing for Service. I was too tired to get a decent picture of it.
Origin: This was after I left Key Club due to graduation, but my sister was the Governor, so I went to the convention to hear her speech, I think. Either that, or it was Aaron's.
Decision: This one can go.
Thursday:
Description: Dark blue, with light blue collar. No picture.
Origin: Presumably a Birthmas gift.
Decision: I wore this to work one day and immediately a patient realized that he was wearing the exact same shirt. Lots of hilarious jokes were made at my expense. That bit of serendipity is enough to get me to keep it.
Friday:
Description: Wabash College Blood Tour 2001
Origin: There was a blood drive.
Decision: Probable keeper. I like my blood drive shirts, plus it also has Wally Wabash, who does not look anything like Purdue Pete, on it, which is a plus.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
I should've mentioned this a couple days ago
SuperBad is awesome. Really really funny. I laughed very loudly. Everyone else in the theater, which was nearly full, did too.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
The Dental Hygiene Tag has been neglected for too long
So I have purchased a new kind of toothpaste after spending a few tubes in the safety and comfort of Tarter Control Crest Whitening. However, this new product was such a high achievement of marketing that I couldn't resist trying it out.
It is Crest Whitening Expressions Extreme Herbal Mint, a new flavor in the same product line as the aforementioned Lemon Ice toothpaste I bought. It came in some really slick packaging, green and sparkly, with those cool mirror prismatic effects going on. The box even had a scratch and sniff sticker on it, just like the lemon kind, to let me know exactly what the stuff smelled like. As I said in the last post, if there's a person who can resist scratch and sniff stickers, I haven't met them.
Anyways, this is one of the best named toothpastes I've ever heard of. First, we have "Crest Whitening." Trusted brand name plus whitening. I am the type of person who will not buy toothpaste that does not call itself 'whitening.' One of the main benefits of having good dental hygiene is that you don't look like a gross yellow mess when you smile, and while I'm pretty sure adding "whitening" to a toothpaste box does not require approval from the FDA, it still makes me feel good, so I need it. Next, "Expressions." Now we've entered unheard of new territory for toothpaste. I'm no longer just brushing my teeth, see, I'm now expressing myself. And what exactly does my toothpaste say about me? Let's finish it out: "Extreme Herbal Mint." I am extreme. I certainly do not compromise when it comes to plaque, no sir. But, the "Herbal Mint" says I'm concerned about what goes into my body, and about the environment. No toxic, synthetic, factory mass produced mint for me. Just the regular herbal kind. It's like brushing my teeth with leaves. And, uh, not to bely my botanical ignorance or anything, but, mint is an herb by definition, right?
However, I still was not convinced I should try this kind. It was only after a moment's reflection that I decided to try it, when I realized that Proctor and Gamble's marketing stooges put all of this effort in an attempt to make me think that mint flavored toothpaste was a radical new concept. Job well done, everyone.
It is Crest Whitening Expressions Extreme Herbal Mint, a new flavor in the same product line as the aforementioned Lemon Ice toothpaste I bought. It came in some really slick packaging, green and sparkly, with those cool mirror prismatic effects going on. The box even had a scratch and sniff sticker on it, just like the lemon kind, to let me know exactly what the stuff smelled like. As I said in the last post, if there's a person who can resist scratch and sniff stickers, I haven't met them.
Anyways, this is one of the best named toothpastes I've ever heard of. First, we have "Crest Whitening." Trusted brand name plus whitening. I am the type of person who will not buy toothpaste that does not call itself 'whitening.' One of the main benefits of having good dental hygiene is that you don't look like a gross yellow mess when you smile, and while I'm pretty sure adding "whitening" to a toothpaste box does not require approval from the FDA, it still makes me feel good, so I need it. Next, "Expressions." Now we've entered unheard of new territory for toothpaste. I'm no longer just brushing my teeth, see, I'm now expressing myself. And what exactly does my toothpaste say about me? Let's finish it out: "Extreme Herbal Mint." I am extreme. I certainly do not compromise when it comes to plaque, no sir. But, the "Herbal Mint" says I'm concerned about what goes into my body, and about the environment. No toxic, synthetic, factory mass produced mint for me. Just the regular herbal kind. It's like brushing my teeth with leaves. And, uh, not to bely my botanical ignorance or anything, but, mint is an herb by definition, right?
However, I still was not convinced I should try this kind. It was only after a moment's reflection that I decided to try it, when I realized that Proctor and Gamble's marketing stooges put all of this effort in an attempt to make me think that mint flavored toothpaste was a radical new concept. Job well done, everyone.
Today's Shirt
Description: "Tulsa Hurricane Futball Club" Soccer jersey
Origin: Purchased at a thrift store next to our motel in Tulsa on the Glee Club Trip to Hell. It was $2. I got a good deal.
Decision: I really love everything about this shirt. The internets have told me that the Golden Hurricane is the mascot for the University of Tulsa, a city known solely for its devastating hurricanes. I admit to being confused by the singular form of the nickname (Does the entire team make up one hurricane? How do you refer to individual players? Winds, maybe?), while the totally made up word "Futball," which I like to pronounce "Fuhht Ball," is such delightful Spanglish that I laugh a little every time I see it. However, without looking closely, it looks like I'm just wearing a soccer jersey, and soccer jerseys just make me feel about 60% cooler. Plus, I'm lucky number 7. If only I had a cool nickname on the back, this shirt would be absolutely perfect. You could say this is a keeper, I guess.
Origin: Purchased at a thrift store next to our motel in Tulsa on the Glee Club Trip to Hell. It was $2. I got a good deal.
Decision: I really love everything about this shirt. The internets have told me that the Golden Hurricane is the mascot for the University of Tulsa, a city known solely for its devastating hurricanes. I admit to being confused by the singular form of the nickname (Does the entire team make up one hurricane? How do you refer to individual players? Winds, maybe?), while the totally made up word "Futball," which I like to pronounce "Fuhht Ball," is such delightful Spanglish that I laugh a little every time I see it. However, without looking closely, it looks like I'm just wearing a soccer jersey, and soccer jerseys just make me feel about 60% cooler. Plus, I'm lucky number 7. If only I had a cool nickname on the back, this shirt would be absolutely perfect. You could say this is a keeper, I guess.
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