Hey there. Sorry I haven't posted much lately. I don't have direct access to the Net at all times anymore, plus I've been busy.
The horror novel I was working on was put on hold a week ago, when I suddenly got an idea out of the blue that might allow me to finish that Rock Group Novel I've been trying to write for years, plus get some of my other lifelong musical obsessions out in some kind of useable form.... Plus, it's a nicer, brighter place than where I was heading in the horror novel. So I'm working on that instead. I'll keep you posted.
Meanwhile, I was reading lots of horror as homework for the novel I was working on -- most of it was pretty forgettable. One big disappointment: Alan Goldsher's silly zombie mash-up novel, PAUL IS UNDEAD -- the previously untold story of The Beatles as zombies, leaders of The British Zombie Invasion. I thought it had real comedy possibilities -- but the cover painting, showing the Fab Four shambling across Abbey Road as parts fall off of them -- promises much more than the book delivers.
I got maybe 100 pages into it before I gave up. It's basically a one-joke book. Everybody either becomes a zombie or gets eaten up by zombies. Goldsher, a session bassist, clearly did his homework, and knows LOTS of trivia about The Beatles -- you'd have to be a big fan just to "get" the book's title. But beyond the one central zombie joke repeated over and over, there's not much here.
I liked the idea of John Lennon and George Harrison living on practically forever as zombies, but ... I just wish Goldsher had done more with his basic idea. Plus, Goldsher's Lennon sounds nothing like John Lennon -- too bad I'd just finished re-reading Lennon's famous 1970 ROLLING STONE interview.
If you want the real untold comedy story of The Beatles, track down Mark Shipper's PAPERBACK WRITER -- that's where you'll learn about the '50s-style MOR "crooner" album Paul released BEFORE joining the Fab Four, among other shockers.
As for PAUL IS UNDEAD, I haven't been so disappointed with a book since Terry Bisson's THE PICK-UP ARTIST. Still, the illustrations are cute....
Other reading: Mostly short stories, novels still have to be pretty great to keep my interest all the way through. Stephen King's "The Road Virus Heads North" was above-average; Kelly Link's "The Specialist's Hat" was odd and creepy, with lots of spooky atmosphere; M. John Harrison's "The Great God Pan" was pretty low-key, with the real terror implied but never directly shown -- just what were his characters DOING with those mysterious mind-experiments back in the '60s? I've read lots of other shorts, but nothing real stunning or memorable.
When not reading or writing, got some travel time in with the girlfriend a couple weeks back -- visited historic Port Townsend and Port Angeles, 50+ miles up the coast from us. Port Townsend was especially cool, with its old downtown on the flats down by the water, and with the old sailing-era "captain's houses" on the bluff overlooking downtown -- all of it immortalized in Jack Cady's novel THE OFF SEASON, which I also wasn't able to get more than 100 pages into.... Was so distracted watching a deer wander through somebody's front yard that I almost got hit by a truck. ...Pretty cool neighborhood, though. Also interesting how I keep wanting to spell it Port "Townshend" -- ah, yes, Port Townshend, founded by famous British explorer and rock guitarist Pete Townshend about 150 years ago....
Port Angeles was a little less historic, but pretty country with the gorgeous Olympic Mountains seemingly looming up over downtown.... Nice drive there and back, my only complaint was there was nowhere to pull over and look out at the water stretching 50 miles north to Canada....
Got bored at work again and took a big bag of CD's back in last week, music from which helped get me through a couple of bad nights before the Memorial Day Weekend. Still listening to the same old stuff, but it sure beats the radio....
Well, this is just a quick update. I have high hopes for the new music book -- a kind of rock and roll meditation, that will hopefully sum-up what music has meant to me over the past 45 years. God knows how it's all gonna fit together, or if, or whether it's all gonna make sense. I don't even care much. At least I'm writing something....
Cheers! More soon....
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Monday, May 5, 2014
#749: I remember....
A billion years ago back in the '70s, one of the British music-weekly tabloids (MELODY MAKER or NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS, can't remember which) used to have a weekly column called "I Remember," in which their writers/critics or prominent members of the pop scene would write briefly about usually-overlooked music or overlooked performers who left a mark on their lives.
I only caught a couple of these, but in a way I've been mimicking them ever since....
I remember....
* The 16th-Century wind-up-toy-band sound of Gryphon, with their recorders, flutes and krumhorns tootling away until you just couldn't take it no more. As the folk-classical-rock band went through the early to mid '70s they slowly added more electric instruments and more muscle, so that by the time of their last album, 1977's TREASON, they sort of sounded like a kinder, gentler Jethro Tull. Their best work is 1974's all-instrumental RED QUEEN TO GRYPHON THREE, with long, upbeat, spritely, energetic renaissance-dance-style numbers, and one long three-part haunter called "Lament." Nobody else sounded like them. Never boring.
* The bubbling keyboards of Dave Sinclair, playing on his Davoli synthesizer and other keybs on Caravan's first half-dozen albums. Displayed best on 1973's FOR GIRLS WHO GROW PLUMP IN THE NIGHT, where every fizzy, giddy keyboard fill keeps the upbeat, bouncy, optimistic music rolling on. Best on "Memory Lain/Hugh/Headloss," "The Dog, the Dog, He's at it Again," "A Hunting We Shall Go...," and dozens of other pieces on other Caravan LP's -- "Place of My Own," "Nine Feet Underground," "Virgin on the Ridiculous," "For Richard," "And I Wish I Were Stoned," "The Dabsong Conshirtoe," etc. No other keyboard-player sounds like him -- not Rick Wakeman, not Keith Emerson....
* The pastel, fairy-tale-like songs of middle-period Genesis, as found on A TRICK OF THE TAIL, WIND AND WUTHERING and AND THEN THERE WERE THREE. These aren't rock songs, more like fables -- full of ghostly guitars and keyboards and sweet choir-boy vocals. Easy to see why they didn't make much money at this -- they needed to up the funk and commercial factors. But in their approach and instrumental attack, the gentle impact of these songs sounds like no one else. And some of the love songs are gorgeous ("Afterglow," "Your Own Special Way," "Undertow"). And let's not forget funny ("Robbery, Assault and Battery," "Down and Out"). WIND and THREE got knocked in some quarters, but the good stuff was so good, even some of the outtakes are amazing ("Inside and Out," "Vancouver"). Looking back, these songs sound naive and starry-eyed, which might be why I still love them.
* Elton John's guitarist Davey Johnstone, Elton's "secret weapon" through a string of early '70s albums. Though at his best, Elton often had great songs, great band backing-vocals, great production, over the years I've come more and more to hear the guitar. Johnstone's little fills and adds are always a delight to hear, and always keep the music charging forward, especially on stuff like "Love Lies Bleeding" and "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting." Perfect music for cranking up LOUD and screaming out the window to as you drive around. And I'll bet you can name a ton more if you think about it....
* Queen. Like they need any help from me. Jeez, Freddy Mercury was a musical genius. And Brian May -- what a guitarist. And the songwriting! Forget all the stuff you've heard WAY too many times, the stuff that wore out for you by 1982. How 'bout the amazing space-age folksong "'39," or the creepy "Prophet's Song," or that great heavy-metal ballad "It's Late." And the VOCALS! Even their "later" stuff is pretty great -- try the dramatic "The Show Must Go On" or "I'm Going Slightly Mad."
* Renaissance's "Rajah Khan." Yeah, they were prissy and stuck-up and too convinced about their own unique talent. They were also pretty great. And this long, loud, swirling, Middle-Eastern-style psychedelic freakout off of their 1972 album PROLOGUE is the craziest, wildest, greatest thing they ever did. They should have turned it up like this WAY more often. Whoever stand-in electric guitarist Rob Hendry was, they sure missed him after he left.
* '70s Paul McCartney. Yeah, I know. I owe my old buddy Jeff Mann on this one. As with Elton, Jeff inflicted early-'70s Paul McCartney and Wings on me during late-night drives around the Boise area. And as with Elton, I wasn't always sure of what I was hearing. Some of this stuff I've been tracking down for years. I know I heard bits and pieces off of Sir Paul's RAM and MCCARTNEY, and possibly some stuff off of later albums that were even MORE critically-slammed. It all sounded pretty good to me -- at least with all the filler taken out. The thing that's stayed with me longest is something called "Dear Boy." But "Monkberry Moon Delight" and "Smile Away" have their own trashy charm....
To be continued....
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
#748: Submit!
I just sent a really silly horror-comedy short story to website Tor.com, who pay 25 cents per word if they publish your short story. This is the first piece of fiction I've submitted to a professional publication since about 2001. I'm a little shaky.
The story's called "The Coffee Maid," and it's a silly, awful piece about a haunted coffeemaker, and there's not a chance in hell that Tor will publish it. But it makes me laugh, so what the hell.
Tor says they'll get back to me in 3 to 4 months. Hey, if they'll pay me 25 cents a word, I can wait. The story's just over 5,500 words long. How much is that in real money?
I'll keep you posted, but I'm not holding my breath. I don't think the story's quite funny enough or scary enough. Definitely weird enough, though -- and I've read lots of horror short stories that had LESS reason to live. So.... Here we go again.
Hey, my blogging buddy R.S. Crabb over at Crabby's Record World has decided to hang this blogging stuff up, at least for now. I'm bummed by this -- Crabby has been one of the greats to follow since I started doing this stuff 5-1/2 years ago, plus he's made more comments here than ANYBODY ... in addition to turning me on awhile back to some of the strangest music I've ever heard (Cromagnon's CAVE ROCK, etc). So swing by Crabby's place, check out his latest stuff and beg him not to quit, like I already have. And then eat your heart out 'cause you didn't give him enough feedback before.
2000 Man, looks like it's just you and me, now....
Must be something in the air. All the late-night talk-show hosts are giving up, and last night my hero Craig Ferguson announced he's hanging up THE LATE LATE SHOW at Christmas. He's the only one of 'em I'll miss! The man is NUTS! That's why he's worth watching -- you never know what the hell you're gonna see. Perfect for night owls like me. So if you haven't checked out the crazy Scotsman yet, you've only got eight months left to get with the program, you cheeky monkeys! And see that you do!
Craig says he's hanging it up before he gets stale. Maybe Crabby feels the same way.
Course I'm more from the school of Do what you can until you can't do it no more.
I'm not goin' anywhere....
The story's called "The Coffee Maid," and it's a silly, awful piece about a haunted coffeemaker, and there's not a chance in hell that Tor will publish it. But it makes me laugh, so what the hell.
Tor says they'll get back to me in 3 to 4 months. Hey, if they'll pay me 25 cents a word, I can wait. The story's just over 5,500 words long. How much is that in real money?
I'll keep you posted, but I'm not holding my breath. I don't think the story's quite funny enough or scary enough. Definitely weird enough, though -- and I've read lots of horror short stories that had LESS reason to live. So.... Here we go again.
Hey, my blogging buddy R.S. Crabb over at Crabby's Record World has decided to hang this blogging stuff up, at least for now. I'm bummed by this -- Crabby has been one of the greats to follow since I started doing this stuff 5-1/2 years ago, plus he's made more comments here than ANYBODY ... in addition to turning me on awhile back to some of the strangest music I've ever heard (Cromagnon's CAVE ROCK, etc). So swing by Crabby's place, check out his latest stuff and beg him not to quit, like I already have. And then eat your heart out 'cause you didn't give him enough feedback before.
2000 Man, looks like it's just you and me, now....
Must be something in the air. All the late-night talk-show hosts are giving up, and last night my hero Craig Ferguson announced he's hanging up THE LATE LATE SHOW at Christmas. He's the only one of 'em I'll miss! The man is NUTS! That's why he's worth watching -- you never know what the hell you're gonna see. Perfect for night owls like me. So if you haven't checked out the crazy Scotsman yet, you've only got eight months left to get with the program, you cheeky monkeys! And see that you do!
Craig says he's hanging it up before he gets stale. Maybe Crabby feels the same way.
Course I'm more from the school of Do what you can until you can't do it no more.
I'm not goin' anywhere....
Monday, April 28, 2014
#747: Writing spooky stuff
I'm about 10,000 words into writing what I hope will be a horror novel.
But I woke up Thursday morning, stumbled into the kitchen for my morning gallon of coffee -- and was suddenly smacked upside the head by a silly, irresistible idea for a dumb horror-comedy short story....
And as of an hour ago, I've finished a 5,000-word rough-draft of it, the first short story I've managed to write to the end of in ... probably 10 years.
Of course the idea is really dumb, and it made me laugh. That's why I decided to try writing it up.
The story also uses some of the stuff I've been through in the last few years as background for the really silly main idea.
And it was so simple I couldn't NOT write it.
I think this is what writers are supposed to do.
And I think it's a sin NOT to write something when an idea just comes to you out of the air, like that. I've already thrown away tons of ideas when it comes to short stories, and wasted lots of ideas that I somehow couldn't knuckle down and get to the end of....
And even though I've only got a rough draft, I'm already thinking about where to send it.
I've been thinking about Tor.com -- the website for the science-fiction/fantasy/horror book-publisher. They pay 25 CENTS A WORD for short stories. Holy crap, that's unheard of. Course you've gotta be really good, and I kind of doubt this story is going to reach that level. But what the hell.
I was also shocked to find out that WEIRD TALES is only an open market part of the time these days. FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION pays 7 to 12 cents per word, but surprisingly they don't accept e-mailed submissions. And I don't have a printer these days. Plus, they've gone bi-monthly over the past few years. And they always were a tough place to get published -- very high standards. Which means they've got twice as many good stories already waiting to get printed.
There are plenty of on-line markets out there, if you want to get paid a penny per word. Or not get paid at all, just do it for the glory, or whatever. I'm a little bit beyond that.
So, I'll keep you posted. I don't want to let on what the story (or the novel) is about, until I get it finished, or I'm far enough along that I'm pretty sure it's going to work and I'll be happy with it.
If I do end up sending the story off, it will be the first one I've submitted since the early 2000's.
Been reading some spooky stuff -- Stephen King's OK "The Road Virus Heads North," Dennis Etchison's "The Late Shift," about zombies pulling graveyard shifts at the local convenience store -- a great idea I could really relate to, although I wish he'd gone farther with it. Also read Douglas E. Winter's rather good 1985 collection of interviews with horror writers, FACES OF FEAR, and a few other things. I'll be reading more spooky stuff in the future. I'm studying up.
Been awhile since I've heard any new music, and I've pretty much given up playing music at work, other than the radio. SOUND OPINIONS the past two weeks has featured a look back at Abba(!), and an hour of songs that made the rock-critic hosts cry -- in a good way. Best thing I heard in that whole show was Clarence Carter's "Patches," a real classic that I hadn't heard in YEARS -- and they only tossed it in at a station break....
Life is OK here. How are you?
But I woke up Thursday morning, stumbled into the kitchen for my morning gallon of coffee -- and was suddenly smacked upside the head by a silly, irresistible idea for a dumb horror-comedy short story....
And as of an hour ago, I've finished a 5,000-word rough-draft of it, the first short story I've managed to write to the end of in ... probably 10 years.
Of course the idea is really dumb, and it made me laugh. That's why I decided to try writing it up.
The story also uses some of the stuff I've been through in the last few years as background for the really silly main idea.
And it was so simple I couldn't NOT write it.
I think this is what writers are supposed to do.
And I think it's a sin NOT to write something when an idea just comes to you out of the air, like that. I've already thrown away tons of ideas when it comes to short stories, and wasted lots of ideas that I somehow couldn't knuckle down and get to the end of....
And even though I've only got a rough draft, I'm already thinking about where to send it.
I've been thinking about Tor.com -- the website for the science-fiction/fantasy/horror book-publisher. They pay 25 CENTS A WORD for short stories. Holy crap, that's unheard of. Course you've gotta be really good, and I kind of doubt this story is going to reach that level. But what the hell.
I was also shocked to find out that WEIRD TALES is only an open market part of the time these days. FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION pays 7 to 12 cents per word, but surprisingly they don't accept e-mailed submissions. And I don't have a printer these days. Plus, they've gone bi-monthly over the past few years. And they always were a tough place to get published -- very high standards. Which means they've got twice as many good stories already waiting to get printed.
There are plenty of on-line markets out there, if you want to get paid a penny per word. Or not get paid at all, just do it for the glory, or whatever. I'm a little bit beyond that.
So, I'll keep you posted. I don't want to let on what the story (or the novel) is about, until I get it finished, or I'm far enough along that I'm pretty sure it's going to work and I'll be happy with it.
If I do end up sending the story off, it will be the first one I've submitted since the early 2000's.
Been reading some spooky stuff -- Stephen King's OK "The Road Virus Heads North," Dennis Etchison's "The Late Shift," about zombies pulling graveyard shifts at the local convenience store -- a great idea I could really relate to, although I wish he'd gone farther with it. Also read Douglas E. Winter's rather good 1985 collection of interviews with horror writers, FACES OF FEAR, and a few other things. I'll be reading more spooky stuff in the future. I'm studying up.
Been awhile since I've heard any new music, and I've pretty much given up playing music at work, other than the radio. SOUND OPINIONS the past two weeks has featured a look back at Abba(!), and an hour of songs that made the rock-critic hosts cry -- in a good way. Best thing I heard in that whole show was Clarence Carter's "Patches," a real classic that I hadn't heard in YEARS -- and they only tossed it in at a station break....
Life is OK here. How are you?
Monday, April 21, 2014
#746: A legend in his own mind
I'll tell you one thing about this e-book-writing stuff:
It ain't makin' me rich.
Not that I was expecting it to.
I feel better just DOING it. Or knowing that I did it. I don't want to be lying on my death bed moaning "I coulda been a contenda...."
But I was hoping for more feedback.
In terms of feedback, so far this book stuff has worked out about like blogging has:
Only about one in 100 people comment.
And that's flattering. But I'd hoped for more.
Especially if you paid money for this stuff. Especially if you're disappointed after paying cash. Then you should be responding.
Ghod knows I've expressed my disappointment in reviews at Amazon.com, and here. That's how I was taught this game was supposed to be played. You pays your money and you gets your shot.
When almost 100 people downloaded free copies of THE CONFESSOR awhile back, I was thrilled. But I was hoping to hear from some of them.
More than 40 people got free copies of GUARANTEED GREAT MUSIC!, too. At least half a dozen more bought the book. Haven't heard from most of them, either.
So far, the only person who's read THE GAS NAZI! is my girlfriend -- she thought it was hilarious. She was laughing all through it. But for some reason, Amazon wouldn't let her post a five-star review. Probably because she's a little biased.
Anyway, if you're out there and you've read the books, feel free to let the good folks at Amazon know what you thought. Or let me have it here.
See, the thing is, I THINK the books have a lot more going on in them than just my ego. I think they're a lot more than just a me-fest. I figured if I laughed at some of these stories, you'd laugh, too. Or cry, in some cases. And I thought that'd be enough.
I have this secret fear that the books might actually be crap, that I might be bullshitting myself.
Which is why the next book's going to be fiction -- probably a horror novel -- so I can back away from this memoir and memoir-disguised-as-a-novel stuff. And see if I can maybe still be Stephen King when I grow up ... sorta.
One thing I'm not gonna do is STOP. Not now. It took me 40 years to get this thing going seriously.
So if you read the books, lemme have it.
You can still download the first 20 pages of any of them for FREE.
And thanks for listening.
It ain't makin' me rich.
Not that I was expecting it to.
I feel better just DOING it. Or knowing that I did it. I don't want to be lying on my death bed moaning "I coulda been a contenda...."
But I was hoping for more feedback.
In terms of feedback, so far this book stuff has worked out about like blogging has:
Only about one in 100 people comment.
And that's flattering. But I'd hoped for more.
Especially if you paid money for this stuff. Especially if you're disappointed after paying cash. Then you should be responding.
Ghod knows I've expressed my disappointment in reviews at Amazon.com, and here. That's how I was taught this game was supposed to be played. You pays your money and you gets your shot.
When almost 100 people downloaded free copies of THE CONFESSOR awhile back, I was thrilled. But I was hoping to hear from some of them.
More than 40 people got free copies of GUARANTEED GREAT MUSIC!, too. At least half a dozen more bought the book. Haven't heard from most of them, either.
So far, the only person who's read THE GAS NAZI! is my girlfriend -- she thought it was hilarious. She was laughing all through it. But for some reason, Amazon wouldn't let her post a five-star review. Probably because she's a little biased.
Anyway, if you're out there and you've read the books, feel free to let the good folks at Amazon know what you thought. Or let me have it here.
See, the thing is, I THINK the books have a lot more going on in them than just my ego. I think they're a lot more than just a me-fest. I figured if I laughed at some of these stories, you'd laugh, too. Or cry, in some cases. And I thought that'd be enough.
I have this secret fear that the books might actually be crap, that I might be bullshitting myself.
Which is why the next book's going to be fiction -- probably a horror novel -- so I can back away from this memoir and memoir-disguised-as-a-novel stuff. And see if I can maybe still be Stephen King when I grow up ... sorta.
One thing I'm not gonna do is STOP. Not now. It took me 40 years to get this thing going seriously.
So if you read the books, lemme have it.
You can still download the first 20 pages of any of them for FREE.
And thanks for listening.
#745: The places
Well, I didn't do anything for Record Store Day -- my nearest used record store is 30 miles away in Tacoma, and I had to work. But reading stuff like Crabby's recap of Record Store Day (at Crabby's Record World) got me thinking about some of the places I've looked for music over the years.
I wrote a whole book about the first record store I remember ever walking into, because I ended up working there. (The book's called GUARANTEED GREAT MUSIC!, and you can find it at Amazon.com.)
But there have been a lot of others along the way. One of my favorites -- in Boise, Idaho, where I grew up -- was The Record Exchange, which started as a hole in the wall on Orchard Ave., right next to one of the world's oldest McDonald's restaurants.
When it opened, the store was just wide enough for one long table-rack full of vinyl and some room to move around the outside. There might have been a couple more tables along the walls and in the back. I found some great stuff there -- the Incredible String Band's folk-comedy album THE HANGMAN'S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER, among others.
The Record Exchange caught on and expanded. The owners moved it to a store three times as big on West Idaho Street in downtown Boise. I remember being in there at least a few times in 1982 after I quit the record store. There were so many albums in there that you could get lost for DAYS. Don't I wish I could go back there with what I know now....
About the only thing I REMEMBER buying from that store was an imported copy of England's GARDEN SHED, a sort-of Genesis/Yes hybrid, an album I'm not absolutely sure I ever played all the way through....
The Record Exchange continued to expand -- at one point they opened a huge, flashy-looking store on Boise's west side near the Towne Square Mall. I remember being in that store once when I was home on leave from the Air Force. But maybe they over-expanded for their market, because the last time I was home, the Exchange was back to their one store on Idaho Street downtown. The next time I'm back home -- this summer, I hope? -- I've GOT to get in there.
I left Boise and ended up in San Antonio, thanks to the Air Force -- and found lots of great used book and record stores. The best was Half Price Books, which was housed in what seemed to be three or four houses slammed together, just north of downtown SA. Though you could wander for days in the store's library/labyrinth, the music section was right out front. There I FINALLY picked up a copy of Fairport Convention's FAIRPORT CHRONICLES best-of, and found the keystone of British folk-rock. First heard Sandy Denny's haunting vocals and Richard Thompson's great guitar. Still have my copy.
In another dusty, hole-in-the-wall store in SA, right next to a dry-cleaner's, I found a copy of Nick Drake's BRYTER LAYTER and Amazing Blondel's FANTASIA LINDUM, two more classic pieces of British folk. Plus I finally heard the Grateful Dead -- by picking up a copy of TERRAPIN STATION. Why'd everybody think The Dead were so spacey? TERRAPIN almost sounds like progressive rock!
There were some OK second-hand stores in Wyoming, too. One good one in Cheyenne was in the Pioneer Mall -- but in those years I was put on a pretty strict allowance, because my ex-wife knew I'd spend all the rent and food money on books and music if I had a chance.
When I returned to Wyoming after two years in Turkey, Worland only had used books in a section of the local Ben Franklin hardware store. Still found some good stuff there.
When I moved to Raymond, Wash., the small town's only used bookstore had a TON of good stuff. But business wasn't that great, and the store closed. The only other decent second-hand store in town was taken out by a fire that ate up a whole city block -- before I even had a chance to check out their books and vinyl.
Where I'm at now in Port Orchard, Wash., there's a very good used book store about a mile down the road, called Book 'Em (free plug!). Swing by there and drop my name -- they know who I am. I've bought a ton of stuff from them over the years, traded off even more, and been shocked by some of the great stuff they've had on their shelves.
There used to be a narrow little hole-in-the-wall record store in Tacoma, just behind the B&I on South Tacoma Way, that reminded me a lot of the original Record Exchange -- tons of music, period posters all over the walls, cool clerks, etc. I scored a good amount of stuff from them -- but they disappeared without warning sometime before 2008.
I wish the other used record stores were closer, though. Tacoma used to have a whole line of great used record stores on 6th Avenue, but I don't think I've been to any of them since the economy went down the toilet. I wonder if any of them survived? Might be time to go check them out again ... as soon as I get paid....
I wrote a whole book about the first record store I remember ever walking into, because I ended up working there. (The book's called GUARANTEED GREAT MUSIC!, and you can find it at Amazon.com.)
But there have been a lot of others along the way. One of my favorites -- in Boise, Idaho, where I grew up -- was The Record Exchange, which started as a hole in the wall on Orchard Ave., right next to one of the world's oldest McDonald's restaurants.
When it opened, the store was just wide enough for one long table-rack full of vinyl and some room to move around the outside. There might have been a couple more tables along the walls and in the back. I found some great stuff there -- the Incredible String Band's folk-comedy album THE HANGMAN'S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER, among others.
The Record Exchange caught on and expanded. The owners moved it to a store three times as big on West Idaho Street in downtown Boise. I remember being in there at least a few times in 1982 after I quit the record store. There were so many albums in there that you could get lost for DAYS. Don't I wish I could go back there with what I know now....
About the only thing I REMEMBER buying from that store was an imported copy of England's GARDEN SHED, a sort-of Genesis/Yes hybrid, an album I'm not absolutely sure I ever played all the way through....
The Record Exchange continued to expand -- at one point they opened a huge, flashy-looking store on Boise's west side near the Towne Square Mall. I remember being in that store once when I was home on leave from the Air Force. But maybe they over-expanded for their market, because the last time I was home, the Exchange was back to their one store on Idaho Street downtown. The next time I'm back home -- this summer, I hope? -- I've GOT to get in there.
I left Boise and ended up in San Antonio, thanks to the Air Force -- and found lots of great used book and record stores. The best was Half Price Books, which was housed in what seemed to be three or four houses slammed together, just north of downtown SA. Though you could wander for days in the store's library/labyrinth, the music section was right out front. There I FINALLY picked up a copy of Fairport Convention's FAIRPORT CHRONICLES best-of, and found the keystone of British folk-rock. First heard Sandy Denny's haunting vocals and Richard Thompson's great guitar. Still have my copy.
In another dusty, hole-in-the-wall store in SA, right next to a dry-cleaner's, I found a copy of Nick Drake's BRYTER LAYTER and Amazing Blondel's FANTASIA LINDUM, two more classic pieces of British folk. Plus I finally heard the Grateful Dead -- by picking up a copy of TERRAPIN STATION. Why'd everybody think The Dead were so spacey? TERRAPIN almost sounds like progressive rock!
There were some OK second-hand stores in Wyoming, too. One good one in Cheyenne was in the Pioneer Mall -- but in those years I was put on a pretty strict allowance, because my ex-wife knew I'd spend all the rent and food money on books and music if I had a chance.
When I returned to Wyoming after two years in Turkey, Worland only had used books in a section of the local Ben Franklin hardware store. Still found some good stuff there.
When I moved to Raymond, Wash., the small town's only used bookstore had a TON of good stuff. But business wasn't that great, and the store closed. The only other decent second-hand store in town was taken out by a fire that ate up a whole city block -- before I even had a chance to check out their books and vinyl.
Where I'm at now in Port Orchard, Wash., there's a very good used book store about a mile down the road, called Book 'Em (free plug!). Swing by there and drop my name -- they know who I am. I've bought a ton of stuff from them over the years, traded off even more, and been shocked by some of the great stuff they've had on their shelves.
There used to be a narrow little hole-in-the-wall record store in Tacoma, just behind the B&I on South Tacoma Way, that reminded me a lot of the original Record Exchange -- tons of music, period posters all over the walls, cool clerks, etc. I scored a good amount of stuff from them -- but they disappeared without warning sometime before 2008.
I wish the other used record stores were closer, though. Tacoma used to have a whole line of great used record stores on 6th Avenue, but I don't think I've been to any of them since the economy went down the toilet. I wonder if any of them survived? Might be time to go check them out again ... as soon as I get paid....
#744: The best Who best-of
Well, there isn't one. The best Who best-of package I've seen is their four-CD box set, THIRTY YEARS OF MAXIMUM R&B, and even it has gaps. I mean, completists must have screamed because "Athena" wasn't on it, and that was even sort of an actual hit. Though I think it's forgettable enough.
The thing that surprised me about the set was, I thought I knew these guys pretty well, that I'd heard a lot. But I was wrong. I LEARNED a lot. I still think MAXIMUM R&B is the best box set ever. The only REAL mark against it is there weren't enough liner notes from Pete Townshend, and he's written more about The Who than anyone, including Dave Marsh. Pete just decided he didn't feel like writing about the band anymore, that week.
Then awhile back I got a couple notes from Crabby and 2000 Man about how they didn't quite think The Who had enough great tracks to fill up a good best-of. I would most respectfully like to argue with that. I think The 'Oo have more than enough good stuff to fill up a best-of. It's just that MCA or whoever hasn't done justice to them.
To me, a decent Who overview would have to include:
I'm the Face
I Can't Explain
Anyway Anyhow Anywhere
My Generation
The Kids Are Alright
Disguises
Happy Jack (for completists)
A Quick One While He's Away (ditto)
I Can See for Miles
Armenia City in the Sky
Mary Anne With the Shaky Hand
Tattoo
Sunrise
Magic Bus
Dogs
Little Billy
Call Me Lightning
Overture
Pinball Wizard
See Me Feel Me/Listening to You
The Seeker
Let's See Action
Pure and Easy
Baba O'Riley
Behind Blue Eyes
Going Mobile
My Wife
Gettin' in Tune
The Song is Over
Won't Get Fooled Again
Join Together
The Relay
The Real Me
I'm One
Bell Boy
5:15
Doctor Jimmy
Love Reign O'er Me
Long Live Rock
Slip Kid
Blue Red and Grey
Dreaming From the Waist (live)
Squeeze Box (for completists)
Who Are You?
Music Must Change
You Better You Bet
Daily Records
Athena (for completists)
Eminence Front
...OK, that's almost 50 songs, enough for three CD's, and I'm sure I've probably forgotten something. Tried not to leave out the hits and the obvious classics that HAVE to be in there, even if they've never done much for me (I Can't Explain, Anyway Anyhow Anywhere, My Generation).
So if I can do this off the top of my head -- keeping in mind that I'm weak on their early stuff -- the question is why can't MCA do it right?
And the answer has got to be -- because if you DO pull together a best-of that accurately reflects a band's entire career, what reason is there for anybody to buy any of that back-catalog stuff? The marketer -- by doing his job the way it SHOULD be done -- has just shot himself in the foot.
So, to guarantee future sales, you've got to slop the hogs instead. Toss in a little trash with the good stuff: Decent outtakes, OK live cuts, rare B-sides. Forget to include the band's most famous songs -- like Atlantic failed to include "From the Beginning" on the first (vinyl) ELP best-of. Like Bob Fripp leaving "Schizoid Man" off of the first Crimson best-of. (Only in that case I didn't know what I was missing.)
Anybody else have an opinion in this area? I think The Who's got lotsa classic stuff, much of which the radio never plays. I just think their record company hasn't done them justice.
BTW, I played this same game while waiting for The Moody Blues' TIME TRAVELER best-of set to be released. I also came up with a four-disc set in my head -- but with a lot better song choices.... And yet still Decca/Polygram isn't trying to track me down for my expertise....
The thing that surprised me about the set was, I thought I knew these guys pretty well, that I'd heard a lot. But I was wrong. I LEARNED a lot. I still think MAXIMUM R&B is the best box set ever. The only REAL mark against it is there weren't enough liner notes from Pete Townshend, and he's written more about The Who than anyone, including Dave Marsh. Pete just decided he didn't feel like writing about the band anymore, that week.
Then awhile back I got a couple notes from Crabby and 2000 Man about how they didn't quite think The Who had enough great tracks to fill up a good best-of. I would most respectfully like to argue with that. I think The 'Oo have more than enough good stuff to fill up a best-of. It's just that MCA or whoever hasn't done justice to them.
To me, a decent Who overview would have to include:
I'm the Face
I Can't Explain
Anyway Anyhow Anywhere
My Generation
The Kids Are Alright
Disguises
Happy Jack (for completists)
A Quick One While He's Away (ditto)
I Can See for Miles
Armenia City in the Sky
Mary Anne With the Shaky Hand
Tattoo
Sunrise
Magic Bus
Dogs
Little Billy
Call Me Lightning
Overture
Pinball Wizard
See Me Feel Me/Listening to You
The Seeker
Let's See Action
Pure and Easy
Baba O'Riley
Behind Blue Eyes
Going Mobile
My Wife
Gettin' in Tune
The Song is Over
Won't Get Fooled Again
Join Together
The Relay
The Real Me
I'm One
Bell Boy
5:15
Doctor Jimmy
Love Reign O'er Me
Long Live Rock
Slip Kid
Blue Red and Grey
Dreaming From the Waist (live)
Squeeze Box (for completists)
Who Are You?
Music Must Change
You Better You Bet
Daily Records
Athena (for completists)
Eminence Front
...OK, that's almost 50 songs, enough for three CD's, and I'm sure I've probably forgotten something. Tried not to leave out the hits and the obvious classics that HAVE to be in there, even if they've never done much for me (I Can't Explain, Anyway Anyhow Anywhere, My Generation).
So if I can do this off the top of my head -- keeping in mind that I'm weak on their early stuff -- the question is why can't MCA do it right?
And the answer has got to be -- because if you DO pull together a best-of that accurately reflects a band's entire career, what reason is there for anybody to buy any of that back-catalog stuff? The marketer -- by doing his job the way it SHOULD be done -- has just shot himself in the foot.
So, to guarantee future sales, you've got to slop the hogs instead. Toss in a little trash with the good stuff: Decent outtakes, OK live cuts, rare B-sides. Forget to include the band's most famous songs -- like Atlantic failed to include "From the Beginning" on the first (vinyl) ELP best-of. Like Bob Fripp leaving "Schizoid Man" off of the first Crimson best-of. (Only in that case I didn't know what I was missing.)
Anybody else have an opinion in this area? I think The Who's got lotsa classic stuff, much of which the radio never plays. I just think their record company hasn't done them justice.
BTW, I played this same game while waiting for The Moody Blues' TIME TRAVELER best-of set to be released. I also came up with a four-disc set in my head -- but with a lot better song choices.... And yet still Decca/Polygram isn't trying to track me down for my expertise....
Monday, April 14, 2014
#743: Songs it took me years to like
What was I thinking?
Ever have songs it takes you YEARS to learn to like? I've got a bunch of 'em.
But then it's often taken me years to catch on to stuff. It took two years of continuous, daily infliction before I was willing to admit that The Cars' first album had some good stuff on it. It took me a decade to decide that Madonna was an Artist. (Still not convinced? Track down her "The Look of Love.") I'm still not sure about Prince....
Here's a list of rock/pop/soul classics I've only finally decided I liked in the last year or so. And the list is getting longer....
* The Temptations: "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," "Get Ready," "I Can't Get Next to You," "Ball of Confusion," "I Know I'm Losing You," "Cloud Nine," etc. -- OK, some of this involves getting used to the in-your-face production style of Motown's Norman Whitfield. I HATED "Papa" when it came out, thought it was a great example of everything that was wrong with AM radio in 1972. I was an idiot. The lyrics are amazingly direct and brutal, the vocals are phenomenal. And the groove could go on for 30 minutes and I wouldn't care.
I thought nobody could top Rare Earth's version of "Get Ready." Wrong. That ascending-vocal chorus gets me every time -- one of the best 10 seconds of group singing ever. And I've really started to love the Tempts' late-'60s stuff: I thought no one could top Rod Stewart on "I Know I'm Losing You." Wrong again. Love the motivation of "Can't Get Next to You." And how 'bout those chaotic, revolutionary singles "Ball of Confusion" and "Cloud Nine"? They still sound like the late '60s. "Ball of Confusion" sounds like TODAY.
* Stevie Wonder: "I Wish," "Sir Duke," "My Cherie Amour" -- Hated most of Stevie's stuff from SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE at the time -- don't know what I was thinkin'. I guess it was just TOO POPULAR. A nostalgia nut like me shoulda ate up "I Wish." And "Sir Duke" is a lot of fun -- Stevie almost always has a lot of fun. About "My Cherie Amour" I don't know what to say except I think it's beautiful, but it took me years to figure that out. Still, I think some of Stevie's mid-'60s stuff is kinda cheezy: "For Once in My Life," "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday" -- where'd they rent that choir from?
* Undisputed Truth: "Smiling Faces Sometimes" -- Norman Whitfield again. Did this guy have paranoia issues or what? And it's taken me 40 years to figure out some of the lyrics. Weird how the words are getting clearer as my hearing gets WORSE....
* Marvin Gaye: "Trouble Man" -- Didn't exactly HATE this when it came out, but thought it was quite a few steps below "What's Goin' On" and "Inner City Blues." Man, was I wrong. The breezy orchestrations are a great backdrop for Marvin's relaxed vocal style, and at one point in the middle Marvin goes into a sort of winding vocal rap that is an absolute joy to hear and sing along with. Shoulda been a bigger hit.
* Contours: "Do You Love Me?" -- I can't dance. I sorta thrash and writhe around instead, so this song never meant that much to me. But then I got Motown's DOUBLE GOLD various-artists best-of, and man does this thing MOVE! They're screamin', they're shoutin', it's nothin' but a party, and I don't even mind the fake ending. Watch me now! Huh!
* Tommy James and the Shondells: "Crystal Blue Persuasion" -- For years this was way too relaxed for me -- it don't rock like "Mony Mony" or even bounce along like "I Think We're Alone Now" or "Mirage." Don't know why I didn't notice the shimmery guitar and Tommy's laid-back vocals. Is it really about drugs? At least it's a nice, relaxing trip....
* Eric Clapton: "Blues Power" -- I'm a sucker for a lot of Clapton's early stuff, back when he was passionate ("Layla," "Bell Bottom Blues," "Let it Rain," "Badge," etc). I thought "Blues Power" was just some thrown-off second-rate blues ramble -- at least the live versions I'd heard over the years seemed like that. But this past weekend at work I heard the original studio version for the first time in YEARS, and it actually sounded to me like Eric had some FUN with it, like he was sort of laughing at the whole idea of anchoring your career, your whole life-outlook on a firm grounding in the blues. Well, I thought he was laughing....
Ever have songs it takes you YEARS to learn to like? I've got a bunch of 'em.
But then it's often taken me years to catch on to stuff. It took two years of continuous, daily infliction before I was willing to admit that The Cars' first album had some good stuff on it. It took me a decade to decide that Madonna was an Artist. (Still not convinced? Track down her "The Look of Love.") I'm still not sure about Prince....
Here's a list of rock/pop/soul classics I've only finally decided I liked in the last year or so. And the list is getting longer....
* The Temptations: "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," "Get Ready," "I Can't Get Next to You," "Ball of Confusion," "I Know I'm Losing You," "Cloud Nine," etc. -- OK, some of this involves getting used to the in-your-face production style of Motown's Norman Whitfield. I HATED "Papa" when it came out, thought it was a great example of everything that was wrong with AM radio in 1972. I was an idiot. The lyrics are amazingly direct and brutal, the vocals are phenomenal. And the groove could go on for 30 minutes and I wouldn't care.
I thought nobody could top Rare Earth's version of "Get Ready." Wrong. That ascending-vocal chorus gets me every time -- one of the best 10 seconds of group singing ever. And I've really started to love the Tempts' late-'60s stuff: I thought no one could top Rod Stewart on "I Know I'm Losing You." Wrong again. Love the motivation of "Can't Get Next to You." And how 'bout those chaotic, revolutionary singles "Ball of Confusion" and "Cloud Nine"? They still sound like the late '60s. "Ball of Confusion" sounds like TODAY.
* Stevie Wonder: "I Wish," "Sir Duke," "My Cherie Amour" -- Hated most of Stevie's stuff from SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE at the time -- don't know what I was thinkin'. I guess it was just TOO POPULAR. A nostalgia nut like me shoulda ate up "I Wish." And "Sir Duke" is a lot of fun -- Stevie almost always has a lot of fun. About "My Cherie Amour" I don't know what to say except I think it's beautiful, but it took me years to figure that out. Still, I think some of Stevie's mid-'60s stuff is kinda cheezy: "For Once in My Life," "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday" -- where'd they rent that choir from?
* Undisputed Truth: "Smiling Faces Sometimes" -- Norman Whitfield again. Did this guy have paranoia issues or what? And it's taken me 40 years to figure out some of the lyrics. Weird how the words are getting clearer as my hearing gets WORSE....
* Marvin Gaye: "Trouble Man" -- Didn't exactly HATE this when it came out, but thought it was quite a few steps below "What's Goin' On" and "Inner City Blues." Man, was I wrong. The breezy orchestrations are a great backdrop for Marvin's relaxed vocal style, and at one point in the middle Marvin goes into a sort of winding vocal rap that is an absolute joy to hear and sing along with. Shoulda been a bigger hit.
* Contours: "Do You Love Me?" -- I can't dance. I sorta thrash and writhe around instead, so this song never meant that much to me. But then I got Motown's DOUBLE GOLD various-artists best-of, and man does this thing MOVE! They're screamin', they're shoutin', it's nothin' but a party, and I don't even mind the fake ending. Watch me now! Huh!
* Tommy James and the Shondells: "Crystal Blue Persuasion" -- For years this was way too relaxed for me -- it don't rock like "Mony Mony" or even bounce along like "I Think We're Alone Now" or "Mirage." Don't know why I didn't notice the shimmery guitar and Tommy's laid-back vocals. Is it really about drugs? At least it's a nice, relaxing trip....
* Eric Clapton: "Blues Power" -- I'm a sucker for a lot of Clapton's early stuff, back when he was passionate ("Layla," "Bell Bottom Blues," "Let it Rain," "Badge," etc). I thought "Blues Power" was just some thrown-off second-rate blues ramble -- at least the live versions I'd heard over the years seemed like that. But this past weekend at work I heard the original studio version for the first time in YEARS, and it actually sounded to me like Eric had some FUN with it, like he was sort of laughing at the whole idea of anchoring your career, your whole life-outlook on a firm grounding in the blues. Well, I thought he was laughing....
#742: Part of the chorus
Because I can't play a musical instrument, maybe I hear things differently than some music bloggers out there (Crabby, the late lamented Groove Sandwich, etc). Maybe it just means I'm ignorant when it comes to writing about music.
I tried to learn how to play guitar and drums when I was a kid, but I didn't have the discipline to stick with either. I gave up without even trying to learn the piano. I just wanted to make some noise.
So I riff on a computer keyboard instead. My kids were born with all the natural musical talent, and I'll bet they hear things differently than I do, too. When it comes to musical ability, I have a tough time getting the CD player turned on correctly, sometimes. I like to think I've gained SOME discipline with my writing, but that took years, too.
In that autobiographical rock group novel I tried to write, I had myself playing bass because I thought it would be unobtrusive -- because I could hardly ever hear it, or at least never noticed it. But I've since learned that the bass is supposedly one of the hardest rock instruments to master. I'm sure any instrument that requires rhythm would mean I'd be starting from two steps back.
That's why that rock group novel will be FICTION, if it ever gets done.
Though I've been known to play air-guitar and air-drums and even air-keyboards if I've got some good music playing while I'm working, I think the most I could ever hope for in Reality would be to become a backing vocalist -- part of the chorus. I think I blend in OK, vocally. I'd never want to be a lead singer -- I don't actually think I can carry a tune with a fleet of wheelbarrows, and besides I have ZERO charisma. But I think I blend OK, and I enjoy vocal blends more than a lot of other aspects of music. Something about a bunch of people's voices blending together....
I find the vocal blends that attract me in a lot of the music I grew up on -- from Kansas's "Miracles Out of Nowhere" to Yes's "Your Move" and "Wonderous Stories," from Caravan's "Memory Lain" and "Surprise, Surprise" and "All the Way" to just about anything by the Moody Blues. Or the almost-surreal vocal blends of the middle-period Beach Boys. The Beatles, of course. Even the Turtles and (Ghod!) the Association and (yeezus) even the Fifth Dimension sound pretty great to me, vocally.
The Association's "Everything That Touches You" is sort of a little piece of heaven for me, no matter how uncool it might be. The Turtles' "Sound Asleep" and "We'll Meet Again" and "Lady-O" and "She's My Girl" are all, like, vocal masterworks. And Fifth Dimension's "Carpet Man" soars vocally, no matter how "straight" it might sound these days. To be part of an ensemble like that would be ... pretty cool, I think.
Course I'd want some killer guitar and some dynamite keyboards to go with it, too.
I thought Crosby/Stills/Nash/Young had a pretty good handle on this kind of stuff for awhile -- with stuff like "Deja Vu" and "Carry On" and "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" and "Wooden Ships." But they wore it out pretty quick. The Byrds were masters of this kind of stuff, too -- the vocal blend and the musical muscle. The Temptations -- I've come to learn as I get older -- were masters of group vocals and dynamic instrumentals ... course, they had a ton of Motown producers pulling it together for them. Jefferson Airplane/Starship was always real good for great group vocals and solid instrumentation: "Good Shepherd," "All Nite Long," "Save Your Love," anything on FREEDOM AT POINT ZERO.
And Phil Spector, of course. He could make anybody sound like the Hallelujah Chorus. I'm sure my weakness for Spector is why I'm also a sucker for Bruce Springsteen's earlier, more epic "teen-opera"-style stuff ("Born to Run," "Rosalita," etc).
Just woolgathering here. Hell, I don't REALLY know how badly I sing. And I'm not sure I WANT to know. I've never even done karaoke. But whenever I dream about being on-stage, it's always off to the side, with the backup singers. Where the lights aren't quite so bright.
Anybody know any bands who could STAND me auditioning for them? Not as a soloist. As a blend. In a vocal GROUP, man. In a group.
I tried to learn how to play guitar and drums when I was a kid, but I didn't have the discipline to stick with either. I gave up without even trying to learn the piano. I just wanted to make some noise.
So I riff on a computer keyboard instead. My kids were born with all the natural musical talent, and I'll bet they hear things differently than I do, too. When it comes to musical ability, I have a tough time getting the CD player turned on correctly, sometimes. I like to think I've gained SOME discipline with my writing, but that took years, too.
In that autobiographical rock group novel I tried to write, I had myself playing bass because I thought it would be unobtrusive -- because I could hardly ever hear it, or at least never noticed it. But I've since learned that the bass is supposedly one of the hardest rock instruments to master. I'm sure any instrument that requires rhythm would mean I'd be starting from two steps back.
That's why that rock group novel will be FICTION, if it ever gets done.
Though I've been known to play air-guitar and air-drums and even air-keyboards if I've got some good music playing while I'm working, I think the most I could ever hope for in Reality would be to become a backing vocalist -- part of the chorus. I think I blend in OK, vocally. I'd never want to be a lead singer -- I don't actually think I can carry a tune with a fleet of wheelbarrows, and besides I have ZERO charisma. But I think I blend OK, and I enjoy vocal blends more than a lot of other aspects of music. Something about a bunch of people's voices blending together....
I find the vocal blends that attract me in a lot of the music I grew up on -- from Kansas's "Miracles Out of Nowhere" to Yes's "Your Move" and "Wonderous Stories," from Caravan's "Memory Lain" and "Surprise, Surprise" and "All the Way" to just about anything by the Moody Blues. Or the almost-surreal vocal blends of the middle-period Beach Boys. The Beatles, of course. Even the Turtles and (Ghod!) the Association and (yeezus) even the Fifth Dimension sound pretty great to me, vocally.
The Association's "Everything That Touches You" is sort of a little piece of heaven for me, no matter how uncool it might be. The Turtles' "Sound Asleep" and "We'll Meet Again" and "Lady-O" and "She's My Girl" are all, like, vocal masterworks. And Fifth Dimension's "Carpet Man" soars vocally, no matter how "straight" it might sound these days. To be part of an ensemble like that would be ... pretty cool, I think.
Course I'd want some killer guitar and some dynamite keyboards to go with it, too.
I thought Crosby/Stills/Nash/Young had a pretty good handle on this kind of stuff for awhile -- with stuff like "Deja Vu" and "Carry On" and "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" and "Wooden Ships." But they wore it out pretty quick. The Byrds were masters of this kind of stuff, too -- the vocal blend and the musical muscle. The Temptations -- I've come to learn as I get older -- were masters of group vocals and dynamic instrumentals ... course, they had a ton of Motown producers pulling it together for them. Jefferson Airplane/Starship was always real good for great group vocals and solid instrumentation: "Good Shepherd," "All Nite Long," "Save Your Love," anything on FREEDOM AT POINT ZERO.
And Phil Spector, of course. He could make anybody sound like the Hallelujah Chorus. I'm sure my weakness for Spector is why I'm also a sucker for Bruce Springsteen's earlier, more epic "teen-opera"-style stuff ("Born to Run," "Rosalita," etc).
Just woolgathering here. Hell, I don't REALLY know how badly I sing. And I'm not sure I WANT to know. I've never even done karaoke. But whenever I dream about being on-stage, it's always off to the side, with the backup singers. Where the lights aren't quite so bright.
Anybody know any bands who could STAND me auditioning for them? Not as a soloist. As a blend. In a vocal GROUP, man. In a group.
#741: Rest in peace....
Too many writers are dying these days. A couple of recent shocks, within the last month or so -- Lucius Shepard and Michael Shea. Shepard was 70, Shea was 67.
Shepard was a Big Deal in science fiction in the '80s. He had a ton of short stories published, then made a big splash with his first novel, GREEN EYES. He was a forceful, passionate writer -- his stuff sometimes seemed to burn off the page with its intensity.
But for awhile I remember wondering what all the fuss was about. I seemed to somehow miss the point of his stories, though I could see he was urgently trying to get SOMETHING across.
His first story to really grab me was "The Man Who Painted the Dragon Graiule," which I thought was really beautifully imagined. Some of his other short stories were almost hallucinatorially intense and visual, even if they didn't always completely work for me as stories -- "R&R," "Fire Zone Emerald," "Delta Sly Honey," "Only Partly Here," etc.
Later in his career, Shepard published a really creepy zombie-rock-band piece called "A Little Night Music" that really showed off his strengths in his control of mood and ominous atmosphere. An early story, "A Spanish Lesson," to me wasn't much as a STORY, but the last few pages were a passionate moral lecture of the kind NOBODY writes anymore, and it was memorable just for that. If you want lots of Ray Bradbury-ish atmospheric mood, try to find "Journey South from Thousand Willows" -- it was printed in one of Terry Carr's UNIVERSE anthologies back in the early '80s. "How the Wind Spoke at Madaket" is a memorable sea-going horror story with lots of foreboding, creepy mood.
I tried to read his novels -- I got halfway through GREEN EYES before I gave up. It was intense and vivid, but something there just didn't grab me. It's still on my bookshelf for when I want to try it again. I got all the way through THE GOLDEN, which at the time I thought was the most boring vampire novel I'd ever read. Written in a dated style to reflect the setting (late 1700's), I could never re-read it now -- though a review of the book by John Clute convinced me awhile back that I'd probably missed the whole point. I tried to get through the stories collected in LIFE DURING WARTIME ("R&R," "Fire Zone Emerald," etc.), but couldn't get to the end.
Shepard was always passionate and deeply engaged in moral issues. It was clear that he'd seen a lot and was burning to write about it. He put together more big novels and HUGE short-story collections in his later years, and it always seemed like he was destined for major success, though I don't think that ever quite happened for him. His books are still out there.
Michael Shea was a fairly big deal in SF & horror circles in the late '70s and early '80s. "The Autopsy" is a TRULY creepy science-fiction horror story that you can find reprinted in David Hartwell's huge horror-overview collection THE DARK DESCENT. "The Angel of Death" is equally creepy, and "Fat Face" is ... ugh ... somewhere beyond creepy. Shea also had a wicked sense of humor -- some of his shorter stories show off that side of him.
I could never get into his award-winning novel NIFFT THE LEAN, though I've read rave reviews of it. Could be that kind of medieval-heroic-fantasy just wasn't meant for me. But Shea wrote other things too, like Jack-Vance-ish science-fantasy, and other horror-style adventures.
It bums me that some of my writer heroes from my childhood are dying -- first Ray Bradbury and Algis Budrys and Thomas M. Disch and John Brunner from awhile back, then Frederik Pohl last summer, and now these two. And there've been others along the way. I feel pretty good, myself.
I'm currently reading Douglas M. Winter's FACES OF FEAR (1985), a collection of interviews with horror writers -- about half a dozen of those folks are dead now, too. But the interviews are pretty great and pretty detailed -- I don't remember seeing the pieces on Peter Straub and T.E.D. Klein and Alan Ryan anywhere before. I got a couple of really nice rejection slips from Ted Klein back in the days when he was editing TWILIGHT ZONE magazine and I thought maybe I could write spooky stuff. Well, not quite.
Even the Stephen King interview has some new stuff in it. Worth tracking down if you're a horror fan.
More soon....
Shepard was a Big Deal in science fiction in the '80s. He had a ton of short stories published, then made a big splash with his first novel, GREEN EYES. He was a forceful, passionate writer -- his stuff sometimes seemed to burn off the page with its intensity.
But for awhile I remember wondering what all the fuss was about. I seemed to somehow miss the point of his stories, though I could see he was urgently trying to get SOMETHING across.
His first story to really grab me was "The Man Who Painted the Dragon Graiule," which I thought was really beautifully imagined. Some of his other short stories were almost hallucinatorially intense and visual, even if they didn't always completely work for me as stories -- "R&R," "Fire Zone Emerald," "Delta Sly Honey," "Only Partly Here," etc.
Later in his career, Shepard published a really creepy zombie-rock-band piece called "A Little Night Music" that really showed off his strengths in his control of mood and ominous atmosphere. An early story, "A Spanish Lesson," to me wasn't much as a STORY, but the last few pages were a passionate moral lecture of the kind NOBODY writes anymore, and it was memorable just for that. If you want lots of Ray Bradbury-ish atmospheric mood, try to find "Journey South from Thousand Willows" -- it was printed in one of Terry Carr's UNIVERSE anthologies back in the early '80s. "How the Wind Spoke at Madaket" is a memorable sea-going horror story with lots of foreboding, creepy mood.
I tried to read his novels -- I got halfway through GREEN EYES before I gave up. It was intense and vivid, but something there just didn't grab me. It's still on my bookshelf for when I want to try it again. I got all the way through THE GOLDEN, which at the time I thought was the most boring vampire novel I'd ever read. Written in a dated style to reflect the setting (late 1700's), I could never re-read it now -- though a review of the book by John Clute convinced me awhile back that I'd probably missed the whole point. I tried to get through the stories collected in LIFE DURING WARTIME ("R&R," "Fire Zone Emerald," etc.), but couldn't get to the end.
Shepard was always passionate and deeply engaged in moral issues. It was clear that he'd seen a lot and was burning to write about it. He put together more big novels and HUGE short-story collections in his later years, and it always seemed like he was destined for major success, though I don't think that ever quite happened for him. His books are still out there.
Michael Shea was a fairly big deal in SF & horror circles in the late '70s and early '80s. "The Autopsy" is a TRULY creepy science-fiction horror story that you can find reprinted in David Hartwell's huge horror-overview collection THE DARK DESCENT. "The Angel of Death" is equally creepy, and "Fat Face" is ... ugh ... somewhere beyond creepy. Shea also had a wicked sense of humor -- some of his shorter stories show off that side of him.
I could never get into his award-winning novel NIFFT THE LEAN, though I've read rave reviews of it. Could be that kind of medieval-heroic-fantasy just wasn't meant for me. But Shea wrote other things too, like Jack-Vance-ish science-fantasy, and other horror-style adventures.
It bums me that some of my writer heroes from my childhood are dying -- first Ray Bradbury and Algis Budrys and Thomas M. Disch and John Brunner from awhile back, then Frederik Pohl last summer, and now these two. And there've been others along the way. I feel pretty good, myself.
I'm currently reading Douglas M. Winter's FACES OF FEAR (1985), a collection of interviews with horror writers -- about half a dozen of those folks are dead now, too. But the interviews are pretty great and pretty detailed -- I don't remember seeing the pieces on Peter Straub and T.E.D. Klein and Alan Ryan anywhere before. I got a couple of really nice rejection slips from Ted Klein back in the days when he was editing TWILIGHT ZONE magazine and I thought maybe I could write spooky stuff. Well, not quite.
Even the Stephen King interview has some new stuff in it. Worth tracking down if you're a horror fan.
More soon....
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