I just got an email from someone requesting the song I had up on last New Year's Day. She told me it was quite lovely and was hoping it would be a tradition at The Beef Stand. It's quite a reflective number and one of my favorites. So the tradition begins. We can only hope this year finally brings it.
Here's Quincy Jones - Love and Peace
I spend New Year's being somewhat lazy, it's usually a marathon of jazz thru the speakers and contemplate the year that has passed and look to the year ahead. A nice dinner and perhaps an old movie. How about you?
Download 606_time_after_time.mp3 (John Coltrane)
Hilly must of been yuppifying the club before it closed for good in 06. I've never saw toilet paper in the bathroom and I knew girls would pack their own before going to the club.
Perhaps, the Strummer post from yesterday got me thinking about Hilly and CBGB'S. I was too young and about 800 miles away during it's heyday but spent some time there while in college in Boston at New Music Seminars and CMJ Conventions and of course during my tour of duty in Manhattan.
I was never really a fan of CB's booking policy toward the end of it's run. Not much effort was put into the nights. They knew who ever was on stage really didn't matter, people came to say they've been there, to touch the stage, to whizz in the infamous bathrooms and to buy a t-shirt. But the death of the club, the death of Hilly, the death of Joey Ramone really might of been a warning to us all. I hear The Bowery-Lower East Side now has a Whole Foods! A W HOTEL! A Starbucks! I can't wait for a Panda Express to build a restaurant in Chinatown! Then it really will be a MALL.
A little cynicism on my part or perhaps the old punk trying to show the world what is happening. But the purpose of the post was to share a little Christmas selection recorded by Hilly Kristal recorded in 1976. It's true to the form of the true meaning of CBGB - Country, Blue Grass, Blues.
Download mud_christmas_1976.mp3 (Hilly Kristal)
In music it seems every generation had the one person or group who smashed the mirror, you know the ones who you could define a generation or movement: Chuck Berry, Elvis, The Beatles, The Doors, Bob Marley, The Grateful Dead, Nirvana. Then for me there was The Only Band That Mattered, The Clash. I had read about them when I was 13 and remembering taking a train and then the "L" to a record shop and buying the import of their first album, The Clash UK. It was the first import I had ever bought and probably the 4th or 5th album I had ever purchased. It's sitting next to me now as I write this, looking at I remember how amazed I was, this album wasn't shrink-wrapped, It was in a clear plastic bag, no wonder it was so expensive! When I first heard it, I literally sat there in front of the speaker with my mouth open, this was it! Bands like the Beatles and The Everly Brothers (my early listening) had spoken to me before but not like these guys did. I wish I could really put it in words how I felt, all I knew then was, this was real and honest. I was fortunate enough to see them live at The Aragon here in Chicago. It was life changing, to the crowd we were seeing "The Only Band That Mattered" and to The Clash we were "The Only People Who Mattered"
My love for the group continued, thru London Calling, Sandinista,and Combat Rock. Joe's words not only entertained but educated me, forced me to think and change my ways. Like John Lennon and Bob Marley before him, he preached humanity in his lyrics and showed us about suffering and there is more to life than working for the man. Unlike Lennon and Marley, Strummer and The Clash were my generation's voice. The one who stood up to Reagan and Thatcher and taught me to speak up when I saw injustice either at home or abroad. With each release the group became accepted by more of my friends and the world, The Clash were going to be the answer, the tide was changing goodbye cheesy rock bands.
Then it exploded and Joe Strummer kicked Mick Jones out of the band. I remembering reading that while in college and remember throwing the NME down saying out loud "What the FUCK, FUCK YOU JOE STRUMMER HOW DARE YOU?" I never bought Cut The Crap, I can't even recall hearing a song from it, I moved on, the journey was over. I followed Big Audio Dynamite and knew Joe had worked on some films soundtracks and then started The Mescalaros. A childhood buddy of mine recalled to me seeing the group in Chicago while I was living in New York. He was telling me how great it sounded and that I should go re-discover Joe. Wally knew I still really hadn't forgiven Joe for kicking out Mick and I had moved on. When my friend passed away, I went and seeked out Joe's work with The Mescalaros but unfortunately never got to see the group live.
I recently saw the documentary on Joe Strummer The Future is Unwritten and it is really worth spending some time with. I was glad they didn't make Joe out to be a Saint which some of these documentaries end up doing. Joe like many of us in our lives lose our sense of self,some return to it, others continue to search for it and some never find it. Watching the film it seemed Joe re-discovered himself. Five years ago, Joe Strummer died leaving us with the one thing I heard when I put the needle down on the turntable as a young teen. Hope.
Download career_opportunities.mp3 (The Clash)
Download 08_magnificent_seven.mp3 (The Clash)
Download johnny_cash_redemption_song1.mp3
(Johnny Cash w/Joe Strummer)
Here's something I discovered at work, an audio recording of Paul Simon and Steve Martin from a 1970's Saturday Night Live rehearsal , this never aired perhaps because it's just too funny or probably just a bit over the line.
Download 01_silver_bells.mp3 (Paul Simon and Steve Martin)
Things chug along and times call for some random thoughts.
Unbelievable that The U.S. Constitution continues to be torn to threads. You know, you grow up thinking and being taught what a beautiful piece of work that piece of paper is. The document that guides us and perhaps the world in what could be achieved and the current US Administration walks on it and wipes its dirty feet on it like a doormat, while the mainstream press and Congress and perhaps even us sit idly by. Read the latest atrocity right here. So Much for Checks and Balances and independent branches of government.
On the holiday kick, been visiting these two sites quite a bit for some holiday cheer. Of course one of my favorites Keep The Coffee Coming and then there is AM, Then FM both chock full of the true meaning of Christmas. My deepest gratitude to them both for the time and effort on educating me with unheard songs and allowing me to remember ones that are my favorites.
The Chicago Cubs sign Japanese Outfielder Kusuke Fukudome to play right field. My only advice to him is wear your sunglasses for all Wrigley Day Games in Right Field. Around 3:30pm the sun, seeps over behind home plate grandstands and will hit you right in your eyes. If you drop or miss read a pop up, be ready for a 42,000 person chant of FUCK YOU DOMAY! FUCK YOU DOMAY! and I don't even believe in swearing at the park. Really, some one please let him know.
Since I didn't update yesterday with Saturday with Sammy, here's a little X-Mas ditty for you
Download the_christmas_song.mp3 (Sammy Davis Jr.)
Sometimes something comes along, you want to share with the world. This song is hauntingly infectious.
Let me know your thoughts.
Painting by Dennis Lowe called Autumn Reflections
Duffy is the name of the singer
Download duffy_rockferry.mp3 (Duffy)
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