For a few months now, Kate has been playing in a band with a couple of her girlfriends. The three of them take a rock-band class at a local music school — and let me just tell you, all the music schools in the country owe a big debt to Jack Black for that whole “school of rock” idea — and that’s where they found their drummer, Scott. Together, they are Po. Named for the Teletubby. They were nameless for a long time, until one day when Alan was cleaning the basement and came across Kate’s old talking Po doll. He started to put it in the bin for the Goodwill and must have squeezed her sensor, because she said, “Goodbye!” He took this as a sign we should keep it, and name the band after her. After a while, Kate agreed. If they’re still together when they’re a little older, they can tell people they’re named for Edgar Allen. Or for their parents’ financial state after paying for their music lessons and instruments.
At first I thought the idea of a guided group lesson/practice ran counter to the idea of rock ‘n’ roll, but changed my mind. Their teachers have been great; last week their regular guy was sick, and his sub got Kate and Haley, bass and lead respectively, improvising and sounding like REM.
But mostly they play covers of songs they like, and Saturday was their first real gig, at a local church’s battle of the bands. It was a marathon event, as the lineup indicates, and Po played very early on, not the best spot by a long shot, even when the crowd isn’t drinking. I think this placement was deliberate; they were the youngest band there, the only one whose members were still in middle school. But someone has to warm the crowd up, and that was the straw they drew.
Not only was the event itself hours and hours, setup and preparation took most of the day. Our part wasn’t auspicious; arriving early for setup, Alan found the church locked and no one answering the door. He rapped once, then rapped again, harder. And broke the glass on the door:
“Who puts window glass on a door?” he fumed later, displaying his cut finger. “That has to be a code violation.”
Finally the minister came, having perhaps heard the glass break. Alan offered profuse apologies, his billing address, etc. A ceiling tile was taped over the hole, the amps shlepped downstairs — because these things are always in church basements, aren’t they? — and Alan came home for dinner with me and his sister, leaving Kate to the church-basement pre-show pizza party in the embrace of her peers.
We returned and paid for our tickets. I told them to keep the change for Japanese earthquake relief, but didn’t mention the window. Good karma! Pay it forward! Etcetera.
Showtime:
They sounded pretty good for a bunch of 14-year-olds. They have some work to do on their stage presence, but that will come in time. Before she left, I asked Kate what she planned to wear. She shrugged and said, “What I have on?”
“Don’t you have any leather chaps?” I asked to a look of horror. She never gets when I’m joking. I told her to find something black, so that’s what she did. Her new red hair looked great under the lights. And someday, I’ll sell this picture to Rolling Stone:
They didn’t place, although their early spot gave them hours to shamelessly work their social networks and grab the Fan’s Choice award. That’s what social networks are for, and is to be expected when you put your poll on Facebook.
I often encourage them to stretch a little, maybe cover some Ramones or “Barbie Eat a Sandwich” or whatever, but as Jack Black reminds us, rock ‘n’ roll means stickin’ it to the man, and in this case, I am the man. You can’t force art.
Have to run today, as usual, but here are a few links for your chewing pleasure:
David Carr on the New York Times paywall:
When I was in Austin, I would fall asleep each night to bad dreams, prompted by cable television ranting that the world was melting down, principally in Japan. And each morning I would wake up to reporting that described in very careful detail what was actually known, not feared, about the nuclear crisis in Japan. Throughout the day, I checked my news alerts to make sure the world was not ending imminently. Tellingly, I never picked up a copy of the newspaper, reading it on the new iPad where The Times is a living thing and the better for it.
People, real actual people, went and reported that information, some of it at personal peril and certainly at gigantic institutional expense. So The Times is turning toward its customers to bear some of the cost. The Times is hardly alone: AFP, Reuters, The Associated Press, Dow Jones, the BBC and NPR are all part of a muscular journalistic ecosystem. But it seems an odd time to argue against a business initiative that aims at keeping boots on the ground during a time of global upheaval.
Yes, exactly.
Mich-centric: Today is the day the governor unveils his plan to make local governments more efficient through a carrot-stick approach. This will be interesting to watch. I suspect there will be many, many bad bunnies around here who will not get their carrots.
I don’t know how you feel about Elizabeth Warren, but I think she’s pretty nifty. A little Warren love here and here, which you should read quick, before the paywall goes up.
Me, I have to run.
coozledad said on March 21, 2011 at 10:24 am
“Dressing for contemporary music performance” could be a seminar course. looking back at those old photos of Eno from Roxy Music, and Todd Rundgren when he was sprouting pigeon wings from his shoulders, I’m thinking someone sane has to step in before we start that up again.
It used to drive me apeshit trying to figure out what to wear on stage before Kurt Cobain legitimized the cardigan (and the little black dress). Still, I always thought the most appropriate get up for me would have been a diaper and a catcher’s mask. You’d at least know the people who stuck around were starved for entertainment.
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Randy said on March 21, 2011 at 10:44 am
Battle of the bands? Wow, they grow up fast, don’t they? It seems like Kate was 6 last week.
The first picture is a real keeper, seeing a bunch of kids joined together, doing something that brings them a lot of fun and happiness.
Thanks Nancy, that’s a great way to start my day!
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Scout said on March 21, 2011 at 10:50 am
She is lovely. Not a rock and roll word, so you probably don’t want to pass that on to her. But really, what a great picture of your obviously cool kid!
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Kim said on March 21, 2011 at 10:57 am
Our daughter has been playing in a similar school of rock band for a couple years now, and every time we go to a gig (and they’ve progressed from local clubs to opening for “real” bands, like Marcy Playground. Yeah, the musicians who brought us “Sex and Candy” – nice, right?) my husband and I marvel at the parents. We are all, without exception, living the dream. It is a million times worse than any Little League game I have ever attended. The great part, to me, is that none of the kids have any stage presence. It is all about skill, which is refreshing. For those of you who care, here’s an example of a bunch of 15 year-olds shredding Deep Purple’s “Highway Star.”
On paywalls: The reason it is an odd time is that it’s not like the “Internets” (most older folks in my ‘hood call it that) is a new idea. Print ignored it for too long, at its ultimate peril. If I had the power to turn back the clock like print seems so set on, I’d learn how to play guitar and become a rock star like the kids.
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Joe Kobiela said on March 21, 2011 at 11:17 am
When they hit it big and start to travel, give me a call, I’ll be proud to fly em.
Pilot Joe
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LAMary said on March 21, 2011 at 11:18 am
Eventually she’ll play some favorites of yours, I bet. My sons play Ripple and Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door and King Harvest for me sometimes.
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Julie Robinson said on March 21, 2011 at 11:33 am
Rock on, Kate! School of Rock is a big favorite with my kids and their musician friends. Jack Black was reined in just enough.
Kate’s choice of instrument will make her popular since there are never enough bass players around. Love the new hair. Can a tattoo be far away?
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harrison said on March 21, 2011 at 11:56 am
Nice “MOM!” look Kate’s giving you. Or “DAD!” look she’s giving Alan if he took the picture.
The times…if they’re A.M., no self-respecting rocker is up at that time unless he’s coming home from a night of debauchery.
They have one rock cliche right. The guitarist is skinny and wearing a black T-shirt.
And Hannah Ayrault…props to Hannah Arendt?
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Peter said on March 21, 2011 at 12:03 pm
Nice post, and that’s not a bad name for a band, although it’s not in my top tier:
– Famous Potatoes
– John Wilkes Phone Booth
– Maggie Speaks
– Parts and Labor
– Zuzu’s Petals
– Dow Jones and the Industrials
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nancy said on March 21, 2011 at 12:06 pm
The theme song for “Boardwalk Empire” is by a band called Brian Jonestown Massacre. That’s pretty choice.
And Julie, my bottom line on tattoos is: Not until you feel like paying your own way through college. If it’s impermanent, I’m down. Permanent, not so much.
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moe99 said on March 21, 2011 at 12:10 pm
Keep in mind that many of the tattoo inks have metal in them which would make MRIs, if ever needed, very very painful. Your daughter looks great and just where she wants to be.
Heads up: Treme is back April 24.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLp-bRkVgKI
Just about the same time that Game of Thrones starts on HBO. Winter is coming!
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Dorothy said on March 21, 2011 at 12:26 pm
The day after the first day of spring and you tell us “Winter is coming!” moe?! Yikes!!! (Speaking of tatoos, I know this makes me sound like an old fart but I’m really tired of the entire-arm tats on the college players. I hope it’s a fad that fades quickly.)
Nurse Jackie starts back soon as well, and I’m glad for that. Big Love was such a disappointment this year. I’m not wild about how they ended the series last night, but I’m not sure what other kind of ending would have been satisfying.
Kate looks pretty amazing, and oh so grown up. Can’t wait to hear more stories about Po’s gigs!
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Julie Robinson said on March 21, 2011 at 12:33 pm
Just yanking your chain on the tattoos. I’m totally with y’all and am happy to say that both my kids are too. So far.
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Kirk said on March 21, 2011 at 12:43 pm
I keep getting this image of the preacher hearing the glass breaking and then creeping toward it, all the time fearing that some wild man is trying to break into his church. I hope Alan didn’t bleed too much.
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John G. Wallace said on March 21, 2011 at 12:53 pm
Great pics, and it’s a class students must enjoy rather than endure.
My daughter and her friends want to start a band called, “The Jeff Bridges Experience,” but have absolutly nothing related to Jeff Bridges. For the record they don’t smoke weed. I wish more rock bands would include a horn section, but I’m basing that on The E Street Band, plus the Mighty, Mighty bosstones. Or Los Lobos’s “how will the wolf survive,” and their songs like “Evangeline” or “I got loaded.” 25 years later and those songs still make you want to dance.
I have’t been able to enjoy music as much recently as I experienced a sudden hearing loss in my left ear. Went to bed and it was fine – stone deaf the next. I’m able to hear fine from my right ear, but am clueless in terms of where the sound is coming from. not ready for a hearing aid – it’s part vanity and because the kind I need would require a unit on each ear, but transmit the sound to only the good ear.
Would have been more appropriate for it to be my right ear – as we all know most of what we hear from the right is just noise polution. It’s made me a better listener, and I can reap lips now, always a valuable skill for a journalist.
There was a point to my health issue – I found a company that makes ear buds and headsets specifically for people like me. It processes both audio channels to one ear, but with great sound. It will work with my phone and has a mic. If anyone has a similar issue check out scansound.com
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Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on March 21, 2011 at 12:56 pm
Give ya odds it was proper door glass, got broken at some point, and the church’s property committee “fixed it” with what they had back home in the shop.
“Door glass? No need to spend all that, I’ve got a perfectly good pane left over from a china cabinet I made for the little woman. I’ll just run over and get it, and some putty. You all want me to pick up anything at MickeyD’s on my way back?”
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coozledad said on March 21, 2011 at 1:07 pm
I recently trashed a short story that featured a band loosely based on a local group from the early nineties, “Pine State”. They ripped apart so many clubs in Chapel Hill and Carrboro some of the owners imposed Band No Drink! and Band No Naked! rules.
I changed them into a country-punk outfit called Yank Friehly and the Facials.
Story went no damn where.
EDIT: And whaddya know: There’s a band called the Facials. You just can’t make anything up.
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Sue said on March 21, 2011 at 1:26 pm
MMJeff, any property & grounds committee is made up of:
1 retired electrician who hasn’t looked at a code book in at least a decade;
1 retired owner or manager of a hardware store, or someone who worked there in high school;
5 – 10 guys who are ‘handy around the house’ and who pride themselves on ‘making do with what you have’.
Occasionally there’s a general contractor or builder who, whether he knows what he’s doing or not or is retired or not, is just there to pit everyone against him and each other when he wades into the middle of whatever project is being discussed with frequent references to how it should be done.
Not one of them will consider that this is a commercial property with accompanying liability issues, and the idea that a permit might be required will be viewed with great contempt.
And keep the ladies off this committee, please. They just ask too many questions.
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moe99 said on March 21, 2011 at 1:37 pm
Dorothy, “Winter is coming” is a theme from Game of Thrones. Sorry for the inside joke.
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Bitter Scribe said on March 21, 2011 at 1:38 pm
Nancy, your little girl is cute as a button.
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coozledad said on March 21, 2011 at 2:04 pm
She looks right with that bass. That’s a lot of the stage presence right there.
But if she starts to get into Jaco Pastorious, it may be time to encourage her to take up the six string.
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Deborah said on March 21, 2011 at 2:15 pm
Love the red hair. Great looking kid. While she may need to work on stage presence she looks natural to me.
Here’s the code for residential doors with glass: “… Any door with glass, be it a sliding glass door, a bi-fold door, storm door or unframed swinging doors must have safety glass. Exceptions include doors with glass panes too small for a 3-inch ball to go through, and doors with beveled glass or decorative etching.” from e-how Home.
That doesn’t really make sense to me that decoratively etched glass would be exempt?
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Dorothy said on March 21, 2011 at 2:20 pm
Moe I figured that was the case and I meant to Google the expression + Treme but it’s been wildly busy here today and I just didn’t get a chance. I was kidding around – I knew there had to be some reasonable explanation that went over my head!
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paddyo' said on March 21, 2011 at 2:33 pm
Po, Bro’ and Joe in the same show?
Woh! . . .
In HS seminary in the ’60s, we had a run of folk music groups — doing Ian & Sylvia, Simon & Garfunkel, Gordon Lightfooty-type stuff and old standards. The one I was in (vocals; couldn’t sing AND play guitar at the same time to save my soul) first called ourselves The St. Louis Arch (the Gateway Arch had just opened to the public that year), then became The Patriot Game, and finally, after another personnel shuffle, After The Revolution.
I remember the third name played off the second name, but why the first two, I have no idea.
Guess my head must’ve been messed up by too much burning incense (liturgical, not the hippie kind) . . .
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prospero said on March 21, 2011 at 2:34 pm
Nancy, what did Po play? You know the name is somewhat subversive. Jerry Falwell might notice the reference to the international homosexual agenda.I’d suggest buying the kids some Bangles CDs. (Not Go-Gos, for all the sex tapes and hotel trashing, they were kinda goodie goodie, though Our Lips are Sealed is pretty much pure power pop genius.) I mean, if you are cool enough that Prince rewrites 1999 specifically for you, as he did for Susanna Hoffs, that is pretty cool, Or his Overwhelming Lust is lusting.
And of course, My Generation would be suitable, and has one of the great rock bass breaks ever recorded (well, Jon Entwistle was nonparreil, with maybe the exception of Jack Bruce), let’s the drummer blow up at the coda. And big windmills would add stage presence.
And Nancy, your daughter looks great with the My So-Called Life red hair. She’s very pretty. Was this a bone of contention?
Moe, I assume you’ve read the Thrones books. I have intended to since I heard of them, because what I’ve read about them made me think about The Left Hand of Darkness, which I thing is extremely good. But it would be years until I read anything else. I’ve been reading 2666 since August. It’s superb, and worth the time, but its convoluted and complex, and frequently requires rereading. Meantime, I’ve got a stack of books to get to. I’d be willing to bet that a lot of people that claim to have read 2666 never did. I knew what I was in for, previously having read The Savage Detectives which is better, more difficult, and a third the length. Anyway, it’s Stieg Larrson for me next. Carefree.
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prospero said on March 21, 2011 at 2:49 pm
Paddyo?,
Is it possible you got Patriot Game from the outstanding version of the “Troubles” song, the Judy Collins version? That would lead easily to the third name. The song was rewritten by Bob Dylan, to the more trenchant and provocative With God on Our Side How about a totally clueless version? Leaves out Judas Iscariot..
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John said on March 21, 2011 at 2:57 pm
That is the first picture of Kate that she doesn’t look like an NN clone, which makes me think she is growing up. Major kudos on the red hair as it’s a great look for her. You have any photos of NN as a redhead?
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4dbirds said on March 21, 2011 at 2:59 pm
Very nice Nancy. Kate rocks! We were garage band parents also. We schlepped drums around for 20 years.
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paddyo' said on March 21, 2011 at 3:17 pm
Prospero, I’m not sure — our group leader came up with it. I vaguely recall now his singing a coupla lines from a song he called “The Patriot Game,” but I disremember.
I do, however, remember our sole gig outside of seminary-related events (feast days, dinners, special occasions, etc.), a “battle of the bands” at the big local public high school (big meaning 2,500 students to our 75 or 80). They liked our set so much (I think we did S&G’s “April Come She Will” and “The Spring Hill Mining Disaster” and perhaps one other song), that they called on us to do an encore — and we didn’t HAVE an encore song in our sad little repertoire!
We were looking at each other backstage, dumbfounded that the cool townies would like something from “the seminary boys” on our farm campus outside town. Hell, I think we even wore jackets and ties. And I think we pulled a know-it-already-by-heart “guitar Mass” song out of our butts and faked an encore. Whew . . .
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Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on March 21, 2011 at 3:25 pm
Sue — ladies on the property committee? Ha. Again I say, ha. It is to laugh.
If we need to know what color to paint the women’s restroom, we’ll ask our wives. Ha.
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Sue said on March 21, 2011 at 3:35 pm
That is just as it should be, MMJeff. Just remember to stay out of the kitchen unless there’s a faucet that needs to be fixed, and all will be well.
You may, however, man the grill – outside – during the fundraising pork chop/chicken/cheap beef dinner, and we will fawn and make a fuss over you and hardly notice when things get a little… chewy. Because we are CHRISTIAN LADIES and know how to stay in our place while secretly running the show.
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coozledad said on March 21, 2011 at 3:35 pm
Prospero: Susannah Hoffs and Rainy Day were pretty good. Their version of “I’ll be your mirror” sounds a lot less like the kind you’d be snorting crank off of. I can’t remember if Nico was the one who originally warbled that one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWFDQgRCE4I
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Little Bird said on March 21, 2011 at 4:51 pm
On the subject of “A Game Of Thrones”, the entire series is very good. If you like swordplay, Kings and Queens and the intrigue of courtly life. Oh, and a bit of “magic” thrown in for good measure. I love the books, and while I’m looking forward to watching the series on HBO, I am a little apprehensive about how well the adaptation will go.
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KLG said on March 21, 2011 at 5:13 pm
The red hair of a Rock Star!
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baldheadeddork said on March 21, 2011 at 5:58 pm
First thought: What a lovely girl.
Second thought (breaking in before I could completely finish the first): Is that barely-a-teenager-child in the background playing a Paul Reed Smith?!?
Much old man grumbling/jealousy followed, but I’ll spare everyone the ugly details.
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nancy said on March 21, 2011 at 6:05 pm
Yes, Dork, she is. A little explanation, however: It belongs to her father, who had a long career as a garage-bander with a white-collar side job. His career was recently sharply curtailed by carpal-tunnel syndrome, and I think it makes him happy to see his little girl getting some use out of his old axes. He stood guard over it until it could be locked up in the car after the show.
Kate’s is a Fender, the classic white-on-black jazz bass, found by her father the ninja shopper at a very good price. It’s a 1996 model, same as her.
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brian stouder said on March 21, 2011 at 8:12 pm
Impressive stuff! And winning the Fan’s Choice Award ain’t too shabby either (and presumeably wouldn’t have been possible despite the very best social networking, if they didn’t ante up by putting something pretty good on the table)
Best laugh line: She never gets when I’m joking.
Hah!! Good stuff; and indeed, our 12 year old would say that I often miss when she’s joking – so all’s fair.
Anyway, here’s looking forward to a Vimeo (or whatever) of Po, hittin’ it. (and indeed, any more “breaking and entering” at the venues, and the po-po may descend upon one of the Po’s pa’s, but we digress)
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MarkH said on March 21, 2011 at 8:34 pm
Scout rightfully proclaims Kate an “obviously cool kid”. Just how cool? As a young girl taking up the bass, of all things, she is in legendary company.
Anyone know about The Wrecking Crew? Led by drummer Hal Blaine, these studio musician heavyweights laid down the instrumental tracks on a lot of your favorite songs in the ’60s and ’70’s when the record stars couldn’t (Monkees, early Byrds), or were too lazy (some of the Beach Boys, mostly Dennis) to hack it. Most prolific bass player? Carol Kaye:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevesobczuk/5449760334/
http://www.carolkaye.com/
Check the discography in this wiki article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Kaye
She’ll be 76 on Thursday. Carry on, Kate!
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MarkH said on March 21, 2011 at 9:13 pm
Nancy, it just occured to me that you may have already known about Kaye and got her instructional book for Kate(??). Click the bass solo icon on Kaye’s home page for a sample of what Kate can aspire to.
BTW, how many times do you suppose she’ll be asked if she’s Rick Derringer’s offspring?
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baldheadeddork said on March 21, 2011 at 9:15 pm
Nance – For the love of all that is holy, please keep that guitar story out of Albom’s reach. (Yes, the back of any standard kitchen counter should be enough. I’m here all week.)
Best wishes to the owner of the PRS. Two relatives picked up carpal tunnel from factory work and it is a bitch.
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coozledad said on March 21, 2011 at 9:30 pm
MarkH: There was a broad coalition supporting the Monkees. Nilsson was one of the best pop songwriters in the mid sixties, and he was on contract to them. Mike Nesmith could be a frighteningly good lyricist, but his stuff couldn’t pass for boy-band work.
Check out Nilsson’s Monkees demos sometime. He’s always making the recording engineers suck wind. This one’s a creepy little misogynistic baroque piece, in keeping with Harry’s essential preternatural bastardry:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyU26Rhiab0
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nancy said on March 21, 2011 at 9:37 pm
I have “Poli High” in my iTunes, and I remember when “The Point” was on TV for the first time. I wonder if you could find it via Netflix.
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coozledad said on March 21, 2011 at 9:45 pm
I’m wondering where the documentary about Harry wound up. Apparently it was pretty good, just didn’t get distribution.
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alex said on March 21, 2011 at 9:46 pm
Belated birthday cheers for Brian. Been busy building a patio. I’m right behind you and feeling it, although I’ve seen some former classmates’ pictures show up in connection with crimes and they all look at least seventy.
Great pix, Nance!
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Jolene said on March 21, 2011 at 10:16 pm
I’ve seen some former classmates’ pictures show up in connection with crimes and they all look at least seventy.
It’s the life of crime, alex. The combination of deceit and dissolution will age a man–and likely a woman too. Virtuous pursuits like building patios, though, will add years to your life, years you can spend sipping G&T’s as the sun sets.
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MarkH said on March 21, 2011 at 10:19 pm
Apparently, it’s available on dvd, but stuck in moderation at Amazon, Cooz:
http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Nilsson-Everybody-Talkin-About/dp/B003VZNAUS/ref=sr_1_4?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1300759415&sr=1-4
Broad coalition indeed, Cooz. That was a large varied group, including Harry, propping up all sorts of artists. This is perhaps the best article done on the Crew:
http://www.americanheritage.com/entertainment/articles/web/20070212-rock-n-roll-brian-wilson-beach-boys-glen-campbell-monkees-hal-blaine-carol-kaye-leon-russell.shtml
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brian stouder said on March 21, 2011 at 10:32 pm
Thanks, Alex.
Speaking of the life of crime, we just watched The Fighter this past weekend, and I was prepared not to like it – but it rope-a-doped me right in, and we really liked it. Amy Adams absolutely MAKES that movie.
After the movie, though, we were discussing the Oscars, and how badly (we now realize) Amy Adams was treated, in light of Melissa Leo’s mis-cues, but whatever.
Aside from Ms Adams, the movie definitely captures the one-step-away-from-disaster, deceit-and-dissolution dudes that Jolene refers to; but it does it in a watchable way
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prospero said on March 22, 2011 at 6:37 am
Brian, I once got my kid backstage for New Kids. They acted like assholes, but I believe those Wahlberg boys are very good actors, She’s also met Mike Stipe and he was gracious and I’d say he’s a role model. And that’s what my kid thinks of as rock ‘n’ roll. New kids, no fucking way.
Melissa Leo was so ec]xcellent so long on Homicide. The best prime time US ahow there ever was. And as good as Winter’s Bone seems to be, it is not as good as Frozen River. NOT EVEN CLOSE, we’ve watched watched it three times. We’ll still take Josh Brolin. And he should have plugged Javier Bardem with the cattle killer, But these boys don;t play. They do what the fuck they feel like. They made the funniest movie of all time. That would be Raising Arizona The only two better movies are Chinatown and Bladerunner. In no particular order. But Bladerunner is better. It’s actually clearly the best movie ever made.I know, nobody agrees with my opinion, nor with my choice for second, Chinatown, which might well be the best.
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Dexter said on March 22, 2011 at 7:54 am
John G. Wallace:
Shortly after Otis Redding perished in a plane crash I bought his “The Immortal Otis Redding” album.
http://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/19cbff0dc8a4f3fb0d97d94733e7066d/54515.jpg
I was stunned by all the horns, and how great they sounded. I soon found out that at that time this was referred to as “the Memphis sound” and it just exploded this record onto the pop / rock charts. FWIW, I have had this record for 43 years and I always play it when I have time to dust off the old LPs and give them a spin at 33 rpm.
A short while later a band called “Chicago Transit Authority” was commanding lots of airplay. I was a fan, bought the LPs, but all that brass on the hit charts soon played itself out. A couple years later I had abandoned my fascination with listening to all those horns and began to become enchanted with the orchestral enlightening s of these guys. And this band was really enchanting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtSIEkPqVgk
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Dexter said on March 22, 2011 at 7:58 am
Well I B Dam !!
Prospero and I agree…”Chinatown” is my #2 movie of all time. “Midnight Cowboy” I liked as #1. Just a throw-in…not the time today to discuss film, we B rock and rollin’ 2-Day !
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Deborah said on March 22, 2011 at 8:20 am
Chinatown is probably my husband’s #1 movie too.
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Dorothy said on March 22, 2011 at 8:51 am
Dexter I became a big fan of Chicago Transit Authority when one of my older brothers came home with their album when they were in college. This would be 1966 or 67, maybe 68 – I can’t recall. I’m still a big fan. (I’m glad they shortened the name eventually.) I’ve seen them in concert at least 4 or 5 times. The last time Jimmy Pankow was a.o.l. (a broken ankle I believe) and I was bereft! I can’t get enough of their horns – it’s the main reason I listen to them!
“Chinatown” is pretty much a flawless movie. But if I had to absolutely pick one movie over all, it would have to be “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
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