Trip out on this, or as my very old and close brother Alex, with his almost indistinct Spanish/Mexican accent, used to say, “tripottaniss”, my 300th post. In one of my recent comments I pointed out that if you look at my first 10 posts and compare the to my last ten, I humbly submit I’ve come a long way (not necessarily qualitatively, but what the hell). In the beginning I was doing 4 posts a week and now it’s 4 posts a month. There’s a lot more deliberate effort that goes into each post now, sort of like the difference between being a raging alcoholic, drinking non-stop only to pass out, and the connoisseur
or maybe, the social drinker who savors each sip. It’s been tough sometimes staying focused because as everyone knows life gets in the way of living, but for the most part it’s been a blast. There’s about 7 guys that are regulars around here and I am so grateful for that (them). I’m not really sure what keeps you guys coming back except that maybe you’re just supporting your pal. Even if the words are uninteresting, the music is varied enough to have been at least likable for everyone at one time or another, and if nothing else should shows my love for music in general, in it’s many shapes and forms. I used to upload files to external storage sites like Mediafire and Megaupload, so that a person could easily get the chance to do some listening, but as with any site of this kind, there are hoards of those who are just out to add to their hard drive and probably possess very little music outside of the virtual realm. The Deadhorse “Horsecore” LP was the number one post in which interest was shown, with 685 downloads (8 comments, two of which were mine), and the Butthole Surfers “PCP EP” is in a distant second with 171 downloads. I don’t know which of the direct links are the most popular, I haven’t figured out how to do that yet. Anyway…thanx to everyone who has given me some feedback here, you have made this place that much better.
Remember the early cell phones (dudes thought they were cool when they had one of those)? My cell phone for several months now has been a piece of shit, with a battery that lasts 5 minutes of talking after a full charge (and I’m too cheap to buy a new battery and am just waiting for the free phone you get when you renew your contract). If I wanted to use it for any length of time I had to have it plugged into the charger, stuck standing four feet from a electric socket. Took me back to the days before cordless phones (how did we do it?). Stopping at the pay phone if you needed to get a hold of someone while you were out and about. Amazing how tied to technology I have become. I don’t think I’ll do well with the apocalypse (where would I get smokes, too), but you know I’ll survive because this is NoWhere Kansas.
On a side note, U.S. slips to historic low in global corruption index, go figure in a country where we’re conned into gluttony. Beats living in Somalia though.
I know that most of the guys who stop in here aren’t too keen on the reggae scene, but just wanted to pass on that my favorite, long time crackhead, often arrested, reggae, lover’s rock, vocalist passed away from lung cancer on the 25th of this month. The guy was prolific at releasing records and I think had about as many arrests as he did LPs (not that being arrested is something to aspire to or is cool in any way, but the fact is that you just got caught). I’ve been to several reggae shows, but for some reason when I think of that genre I think of those white “hippy” girls in Arcata circa 1990, with the waspafarian dread locks, the Little House on the Prairie dress over the corduroy pants and the pathetic puppy with an old piece of rope for a leash. Anyway in memory of Mr. Isaacs, one of his all time hits, and rightly so (play it for the one you love, ha, ha, my wife can’t stand reggae).
Gregory Isaacs – Night Nurse
Gregory Isaacs – Night Nurse (Live at Reggae Sunsplash 1983)
What’s there to say about John Lee Hooker, I suppose other than I thought he would be perfect for my 300th post (don’t you just love arbitrary numbers). Did a blues thing with this post about a year ago and gave up a damn good comp if I do say so myself. All those were other people’s rips and stuff I wrangled from youtube, so this time ’round you get stuff off my shelf. Some of my favorite stuff out of all the records I have despite the fact that they don’t have perty sleeves and are seriously used (you can’t miss the Rice Crispy-ness of these things with their snap-crackle-pop). Listening to these tunes as I type, and the first thing that comes to mind is that whatever you have on your mp3 player or hard drive, it will remain completely incomplete if you don’t put these tunes on there. Damn, pick yourself up one of these 45’s for less than $10 bucks (some of the rarer ones, that are apparently rare for a reason that is beyond me, pressing numbers maybe, go for a boatload). Without this man and others like him, most of the shit I’ve posted around here wouldn’t exist. I’ve got several more but I thought it would be kinda neat (because I’m that neat-o kinda guy) to do a Vee Jay thing. These were recorded between 1960 and 1965, so the man was already a seasoned veteran of his craft. Not sure where to start with these eight tunes I’ve got for you, they all stand alone, some hits that you must’ve heard and then some others maybe not. Tupelo is just him and his guitar along with his foot tapping along to the song, so that might be where to start, but I’m listening to Flowers on the Hour with it’s trippy warbled sound (I have two copies of that record and they’re both that way), so…
Vee Jay 366
Dusty Road
Tupelo (Backwater Blues)
Vee Jay 379
I’m Mad Again
I’m Going Upstairs
Vee Jay 438
Boom Boom
Drug Store Woman
Vee Jay 708
Flowers on the Hour
It Serves Me Right