THANKS GIVING

"You didn't have to love me like you did
But you did, but you did and I thank you..."

"Thank you
For lending me your hand,
For sharing time today,
For giving that idea
That made
It a nice and easy day..."

"Thank you falletinme be mice elf agin..."

And thank you Sam and Dave, and Danielson, and Sly, and all the others too numerous to mention. Thank you.

BE IT DEAD OR ALIVE

The distillation of everything that was right about The Who is in that performance of A Quick One, from 4:43 to 5:15 (yes, 5:15). I believe the lyrics are as follows:

Dang, dang, dang, dang, dang, dang, dang, dang, dang

Cello, cello, cello, cello, cello, cello
Cello, cello, cello, cello, cello, cello
Cello, cello, cello, cello, cello, cello
Cello, cello, cello, cello, cello, cello

And on top of that is the most clinking, clanking, clattering collection of caliginous junk you've ever heard.

It is the goddam choir celestial, and the essence of rock and roll in 32 seconds...

YOU ARE FORGIVEN

Ever since I heard Chris Michaels when I was half asleep a couple of weeks ago, I've been half obsessed.

So I took the next logical step last night and made a mix CD for my commute-- called it “Taco Lettuce Crunch Mix.” And of course, it led off with Chris Michaels.

The next song after was A Quick One by The Who (Rock and Roll Circus version). Because Chris Michaels is basically A Quick One writ sideways, in secret-twin language.

Like this:

“Plume bloom bloom blaby bloom
Cheep cheep beep bee-bee beep.”

Or, with a slightly more narrative bent, like this:

“But just now she’s angry came up
And said You’re so so stup’
It’s all disrup’
You’re blah blah this this that so now sh’up
You messed it up.”

And don't get me started on Tony of the Franklin Park hockey club...

Plain fucking genius.

HISTORY LESSON PART 2

Amazon is trying to guilt me into buying Double Nickels on the Dime by Minutemen. $5 for the month of November.

Problem is, I never really developed an affection for Minutemen. Liked them more than, say, Black Flag, but it just never clicked. But I liked what they stood for.

Is that worth 500 cents?

OHIO

OK, The Cleveland Show is just as scattershot funny/unfunny as Family Guy (only less scattershot), but I have to give it the edge in theme songs...

HI, HOW ARE YOU?

I don't know much about Daniel Johnston beyond M. Ward's cover of To Go Home from a few years back.

But what I do know from that is that this is genius:

“Dark night on a long highway,
Little lights in the houses say
There's somebody staying up late.”

Damn. That is like Proust in pill form...

NATIVE NEW YORKER

Many years ago, in one of our one-room apartments, I was listening to Lady Godiva's Operation. The part came up where Lou interjects a New York “sweetly” to finish John Cale's Welsh thought.

Taeko stuck her head around a corner and asked “Did you call me?”

And asked sweetly, I might add...

FOLK IMPLOSION

Album name of the day, courtesy of the early 70s British folk scene and a group called COB:

"Moyshe McStiff and the Tartan Lancers of the Sacred Heart"

Fuck yeah.

Betcha by golly wow and just fuck yeah...

BEEP BEEP 'M BEEP BEEP YEAH

I was designated driver for an office field trip yesterday. So yeah, I made a mix.

"Car and Driver"

Come On Get Happy-- The Partridge Family
Drive-- R.E.M.
Airbag-- Radiohead
Crawling From The Wreckage-- Dave Edmunds
Shut Down-- The Beach Boys
I Get Around-- The Beach Boys
Little Honda-- Yo La Tengo
Emperor Tomato Ketchup-- Stereolab
Cars-- To Rococo Rot
Cars-- Gary Numan
Car Song-- Elastica
Killer Cars-- Radiohead
Fast Cars-- The Buzzcocks
I Love My Car-- Belle & Sebastian
Car Wheels On A Gravel Road-- Lucinda Williams
Keep the Car Running-- Arcade Fire
Car Wash-- Rose Royce
Back Of A Car-- Big Star
Motor Away-- Guided By Voices
Gravity Rides Everything-- Modest Mouse
Keep On (Groovin')-- The Brady Bunch

The Stereolab/To Rococo Rot/Gary Numan part was my favorite stretch. Krautastic!

YOUR SCENT IS STILL HERE

In one of those only-on-cable moments, I found myself watching Nirvana play the 1992 Reading festival a few days back.

When I first heard Kurt had killed himself, I hurled my remote control. It helicoptored across the living room and smashed into the far wall, breaking the battery cover.

His suicide was inevitable and stupid and a waste. And I was as unsurprised as I was pissed.

So I clutched my remote tightly for the whole of the Reading show, and I never let it go...

RUN TO THE SEA

In one of those only-on-the-internets moments, I found myself reading about The Joshua Tree a few days back.

Fun fact: turns out that the sequence of the album was determined by Kirsty MacColl, then wife of Steve Lillywhite, and soon-to-be duet partner with Shane MacGowan on Fairytale of New York. (Bonus Pogues connection: her dad Ewan was a noted folk singer, and wrote Dirty Old Town, which the Pogues covered on their second album.)

The final running order is essentially her ranking of the songs, from favorite to least. I think she got it right, mostly-- I'd probably just flip Bullet the Blue Sky and One Tree Hill and be satisfied enough...