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Up to the minute notes on the current state of free thinking and free living: Kentucky moonshine - original analysis and reporting from MoreThings, and all round pop culture museum of sight and sound - photo galleries, mp3 and video downloads.
Al Barger and MoreThings - getting people's goats since 1998.
Live free or die!
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June 14, 2003
A helluva Hank Sr CD bargain
Hokey smokes. I found what looks like a real kick ass bargain with a Hank Williams Sr CD box set, Hillbilly Hero - four discs for $22 at Amazon. I'm high on the list of people bitching about record companies ripping people off with stupidly inflated CD prices, but even I am fairly impressed with 109 songs for $22. Heck, looks like they have used copies for less than 20 bucks. You should probably just buy this thing now.
Disc: 1
1. Calling You
2. Never Again
3. Wealth Won�t Save Your Soul
4. When God Comes And Gathers His Jewels
5. My Love For You
6. I Don�t Care If Tomorrow Never Comes
7. Honky Tonkin�
8. Pan American
9. Move It On Over
10. I Saw The Light
11. Last Night (I Heard You Crying In Your Sleep)
12. Six More Miles
13. Fly Trouble
14. On The Banks Of The Old Pontchartrain
15. Rootie Tootie
16. I Can�t Get You Off My Mind
17. I�m A Long Gone Daddy
18. Honky Tonkin�
19. My Sweet Love Ain�t Around
20. Blues Come Around
21. Mansion On The Hill
22. I�ll Be A Bachelor Till I Die
23. Lost On The River
24. There�ll Be No Teardrops Tonight
25. I Heard My Mother Praying For Me
26. Lovesick Blues
Disc: 2
1. Lost Highway
2. May You Never Be Alone
3. Dear Brother
4. Jesus Remembered Me
5. Mind Your Own Business
6. You�re Gonna Change Or I�m Gonna Leave
7. Wedding Bells
8. I�ve Just Told Mama Goodbye
9. I�m So Lonesome I Could Cry
10. House Without Love
11. I Just Don�t Like This Kind Of Livin�
12. My Bucket�s Got A Hole In It
13. Long Gone Lonesome Blues
14. Why Don�t You Love Me
15. Why Should We Try Anymore
16. My Son Calls Another Man Daddy
17. Too Many Parties Too Many Pals
18. Beyond The Sunset
19. Funeral
20. Everything�s Okay
21. They�ll Never Take Her Love From Me
22. Nobody�s Lonesome For Me
23. Moanin� The Blues
24. Help Me Understand
25. No No Joe
26. Cold Cold Heart
Disc: 3
1. Dear John
2. Just Waitin�
3. Men With Broken Hearts
4. I Can�t Help It
5. Howlin� At The Moon
6. Hey Good Lookin�
7. My Heart Would Know
8. Ramblin� Man
9. Pictures From Life�s Other Side
10. I�ve Been Down That Road Before
11. I Dreamed About Mama Last Night
12. I�d Still Want You
13. Lonesome Whistle
14. Crazy Heart
15. Half As Much
16. Baby We�re Really In Love
17. I�m Sorry For You My Friend
18. Honky Tonk Blues
19. Won�t You Sometimes Think Of Me
20. Why Should I Cry
21. You Broke Your Own Heart
22. I Watched My Dream World Crumble Like Clay
23. In My Dreams You Still Belong To Me
24. I Told A Lie To My Heart
25. Singing Waterfall
26. Pan American
27. I�m Goin� Home
28. Home In Heaven
Disc: 4
1. Happy Rovin� Cowboy
2. Mind Your Own Business
3. Wedding Bells
4. Cotton Eyed Joe
5. I�ve Just Told Mama Goodbye
6. Sally Goodin
7. Happy Rovin� Cowboy
8. I Can�t Get You Off Of My Mind
9. I�m So Lonesome I Could Cry
10. Fisher�s Hornpipe
11. Thy Burdens Are Greater Than Mine
12. Sally Goodin
13. Happy Rovin� Cowboy
14. Mansion On the Hill
15. There�ll Be No More Teardrops Tonight
16. Breakdown
17. Prodigal Son
18. Sally Goodin
19. Happy Rovin� Cowboy
20. Pan American
21. Lovesick Blues
22. Arkansas Traveller
23. I Saw The Light
24. Sally Goodin
25. Happy Rovin� Cowboy
26. I�m A Long Gone Daddy
27. I�m Telling You
28. Bill Cheatam
29. When God Comes And Gathers His Jewels
On the other hand, if you're one of those rich folks for whom money is no object, the ultimate BOMB would be the Polygram nine CD set The Complete Hank Williams.
posted by Al at 6/14/2003 01:08:00 PM
George O'Dowd's birthday
Born this day, June 14, 1961, "Boy" George O'Dowd turns 42 today. Happy birthday!
Culture Club has never gotten their proper due. They were marketed and perceived as a cheesy pre-packaged MTV creation. Mr. O'Dowd went right along with it. He leaned WAY too much into the silly androgyny gay gimmick stuff. They were pretty much cast as new Village People. It did work for them commercially, so there's that.
On the other hand, they never got appropriate credit for the quality of their best music. O'Dowd burned out on drugs and whatever personality problems fairly quickly, but for a minute there he was absolutely the shiznit.
Particularly, Colour by Numbers is one of the classic pop albums of all time. Pretty much every track presents pure beauty. "Karma Chameleon" of course was a huge hit, along with a couple of others. Smokey Robinson would have been proud to have written them. Moreover, even Smokey himself could not have sang them better.
Some of the album tracks, however, go off into gospel-type soul that Smokey never got to. There's no gimmicks or anything but beautiful deep soul writing and singing to "That's the Way" or "Black Money". Here's a special shout-out for Helen Terry's perfectly complimentary vocal contributions.
The box set is way too much for a short lived act. The hits album is fine, but you really need the Colour by Numbers album tracks. That's the first place to start. Don't forget to find yourself a copy of "Crying Game", though.
posted by Al at 6/14/2003 01:08:00 PM
June 10, 2003
Modern epistemology
It often seems as if we've changed "I think therefore I am" to "You hurt my feelings, therefore you're wrong."
-Jonah Goldberg
posted by Al at 6/10/2003 03:17:00 PM
Howlin' Wolf's birthday
Born Chester Arthur Burnett on June 10, 1910, today would be Howlin' Wolf's 93rd birthday.
He was one serious 300 pound mass of black manhood, a force of nature. He had such a presence that even playing a 50 year old record seems palpably like having a big serious grizzly bear in the middle of the room. After hearing HIM sing the definitive rendition of Willie Dixon's "Back Door Man" you will absolutely laugh at hearing it come out of some puny little punk-ass white boy like Jim Morrison. When he said that he "eats more chicken than any man seen," you'd better believe it.
I particularly favor a relatively obscure track "Goin' Down Slow." He communicates a really interesting sense of slow, grinding satisfaction as he narrates from his death bed on his pleasures that even kings have never experienced. "I have had my fun if I NEVER get well no more."
I especially recommend the Howlin' Wolf/Moanin' in the Moonlight twofer disc. These are his first two albums, which are made up of his first ten years worth of singles, mostly from the 1950s. The 71 track box set obviously rates pretty high, but for a casual fan these two original albums will give you a good start.
posted by Al at 6/10/2003 02:21:00 PM
Don't you have that backwards?
"You can't say you love your country and hate your government." - Bill Clinton
Actually, I'd generally be more inclined to say that you can't love your country and NOT hate your government. I suppose that's somewhat less true in America than most places, but still.
posted by Al at 6/10/2003 01:45:00 AM
How quaint
Thirteen years ago today, June 10, 1990 members of the 2 Live crew were arrested in Florida for obscenity over their shocking As Nasty As They Wannna Be album.
How quaint and tame does 2 Live Crew and their controversy sound now in the Age of Eminem?
posted by Al at 6/10/2003 01:41:00 AM
June 09, 2003
"Remixing" the Birth of a Nation
This story shows an excellent example of the creative usage of public domain material.
In 1915, �Birth of a Nation� changed the art of filmmaking. It also celebrated the Ku Klux Klan as heroes of the Civil War and Reconstruction.
Now the movie itself is under reconstruction.
The artist and musician DJ Spooky is treating the seminal but racist film like a piece of music � he's doing a �remix.� Spooky's work-in-progress, titled �Rebirth of a Nation,� was shown at the American Museum of the Moving Image this week.
Spooky chose D.W. Griffith's �Birth of a Nation� precisely because it deals with issues of race. By manipulating it, and showing how it can be changed, he hopes to show how images and ideas about race are mutable as well.
"In one era, race is one thing. In another ... it changes," the DJ said. "There's never one final answer for any of this, it's always a remix."
Carl Goodman, curator of digital media at the museum, called it "sampling cinema."
"By allowing people to play with and remix and reconfigure the media of the past, it becomes a powerful form of commentating," Goodman said.
On Thursday night, Spooky projected the film onto a large screen, adding layers of visual effects. An image of a fully robed Klansman underlay the scene depicting the South's surrender at the end of the war. An image of a young Southern woman looking at cotton cloth for a dress was followed by an image of slaves picking the cotton.
Spooky also added material, such as images of a dance performance inspired by Southern history. And the soundtrack was of course his creation, a mix that ranged from a rendition of "Dixieland" to the type of beat-driven music one would hear in a club.
Spooky, born Paul Miller, has recorded with musicians ranging from Yoko One to Wu-Tang Clan's Killa Priest. His artwork has appeared in the Whitney Biennial, the Ludwig Museum in Cologne, Germany, and the Andy Warhol Museum, among others.
Spooky said he planned to travel with the project and was working out arrangements to show it internationally. His ultimate goal is to show it on three screens at a time, accompanied by an orchestra.
********************************
What he's really doing is creating a whole new piece of art built around pieces of the old movie, using the original film as a frame on which to add modern commentary and perspectives. Beauty.
The only bad thing would be if this were offered up fraudulently, tricking people into thinking that this was the DW Griffith movie, rather than a modern refutation of what DJ Spooky takes to be Griffith's idea. The new title Rebirth of a Nation helps with that. In any case, it seems highly unlikely that anyone could mistake this new creation with techno music and such for a 1915 film.
It would probably be a bit sprawling, but it would be great to see the original Griffith film, then the Rebirth film with a group, and then discuss. I'd be all about that.
posted by Al at 6/09/2003 10:53:00 PM
Johnny Depp turns 40
At least in my mind, Johnny Depp is a pretty boy. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I still think of him as only maybe slightly post-adolescent. He could still get away with playing a college boy, if not quite eligible for high school anymore.
Imagine my surprise then to see that he's every bit of 40 years old. Hokey smokes! It's been a long time since 21 Jump Street.
Depp really hasn't gotten quite the proper credit for the high quality of his work. He does alright, so I ain't crying for him, but he's one of the best actors of his generation. See What's Eating Gilbert Grape? or Sleepy Hollow or Edward Scissorhands.
Partly this lack of recognition comes from his high virtue. He's consistently gone for interesting (if not always successful) material. He's clearly chosen art over commerce. This adds greatly to the quality of his name and reputation, even beyond his actual skills as an actor. Any movie that Depp is in will probably be interesting and artistically ambitious.
By contrast, Jack Nicholson may be a little bit better actor, but he's definitely got substantial whore tendencies. If somebody offers him $20 million for a couple months work, he's on the case. I don't fault him for this- it's not like I would turn down that scratch- but it makes for uneven viewing. Nicholson has been in a lot of movies that are just about unwatchable, beyond being saved by any fancy acting tricks he may pull.
Depp could be doing all the mediocre calculated Tom Cruise star roles. He's at least as pretty, and obviously a much more skillful thespian. Thankfully, he's gone a different direction. Give him high points for taste and discretion as well as good acting.
Plus, I'll give him a point of extra credit for being a Kentuckian (born in Owensboro).
posted by Al at 6/09/2003 07:02:00 PM
Secretariat anniversary
Thirty years ago today, June 9, 1973, Secretariat, the "horse of the century" won the Belmont Stakes and the Triple Crown.
"He was the only honest thing in this country at the time. This huge magnificent animal who wasn't tied up in scandal, wasn't tied up in money, he just ran because he loved running." -George Plimpton
posted by Al at 6/09/2003 07:02:00 PM
Jackie Wilson's birthday
Born this day, June 9, 1934, Jackie Wilson would be 69 today. He was the dancingest, singingest, soulfelest guy around.
Jackie Wilson was as good a soul singer as anyone ever, including even Sam Cooke. His range and technical skills are unsurpassed. Unlike, say, Mariah Carey however, he also communicated much emotion, and a great range. He could make some beautiful dark night of the soul thing like "No Pity (In the Naked City)". He has about as good a rendition of "Danny Boy" as I've heard.
Perhaps even trickier, he could work magic with a pop trifle such as his first hit, "Reet Petite". This was during the late 1950s, written by a young Berry Gordy a year or two before he started Motown.
Wilson's career was spotty artistically and commercially. Partly this comes from lack of songs; he was not a songwriter. Partly, he tended to be overproduced.
It's one of the great missed opportunities of pop music that Gordy didn't recruit Jackie Wilson for Motown. Generally more muscular or athletic than Sam Cooke or Smokey Robinson, Wilson would have been perfect working with Holland-Dozier-Holland. Ah, well.
As it is, he left an outstanding recorded legacy. The big Titan of Soul box set would be a sweet addition to any pop music collection. However, the 24 tracks of the Ace label's Very Best of Jackie Wilson set might be sufficient for the casual fan.
In his honor, please check out JACKIE WILSON'S NAKED CITY PHOTO GALLERY
posted by Al at 6/09/2003 07:02:00 PM
Such cynicism :)
"A Government touts God only to assume his powers."
-Sananda Maitreya, aka Terence Trent D'Arby
posted by Al at 6/09/2003 07:01:00 PM
Huh, huh- you said "rod"
Playwright and screenwriter George Axelrod was born this day, June 9, 1922. Happy #81.
He wrote the play The Seven Year Itch. He wrote the screenplay for Breakfast at Tiffany's. Most significant to us cool people, he wrote the screenplay for The Manchurian Candidate.
posted by Al at 6/09/2003 04:54:00 AM
Cole Porter's birthday
Born this day in history, June 9, 1891, today would be Cole Porter's 112th birthday.
I'm proud to claim Porter for Indiana. He's our top Hoosier hero in the Broadway era.
Funny thing with Porter: From Rimler's classic Not Fade Away analysis, ole king Cole was the main one guy amongst the top Broadway composers who was not actually Jewish. Yet he apparently sought out specifically to sound Jewish, to master and incorporate old Jewish musical styles.
Whatever music tradition you want to credit, he wrote Kiss Me Kate, and many of the top classic songs of the era, including:
Anything Goes
Under My Skin
My Heart Belongs to Daddy
I Get a Kick Out of You
Begin the Beguine
Night and Day
Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)
Brush Up Your Shakespeare
Always True to You in My Fashion
Let's Misbehave
Love for Sale
It's De-Lovely
Miss Otis Regrets
Don't Fence Me In
Among scads of recordings, Porter was the subject of a collection of rock era singers covering his songs in the hit 1990 Red, Hot and Blue AIDS benefit album. It's cool that people were taking an interest, but I never dug it. Even with two contributions by my beloved Sinead O'Connor, this wasn't cutting it.
Better to stick with more classic style recordings. Perhaps the Ella Fitzgerald album, for one. Also, a couple of Porter songs were at the heart of Sinatra's classic Songs for Swingin' Lovers. If you don't own that album you should. It also makes a perfect wedding gift. Pretty much every interpretation on the album could be considered the definitive one for the song, definitely including particularly his take on "Anything Goes".
posted by Al at 6/09/2003 04:36:00 AM
June 08, 2003
The Rolling Stones pick for those raised by the hair of the head
Thirty-five years ago today, June 8, 1968, the Rolling Stones released "Jumpin' Jack Flash".
Picking one Rolling Stones song as their best ain't easy. Nice girls might go for a pretty ballad like "Ruby Tuesday." Those who get their best kicks from pure youthful rebellion may favor "Get Off My Cloud". Good goths would likely get excited by "Paint It Black". Deviant sex fiends that dig the dark meat might go for "Brown Sugar". Excellent choices all.
Those of us who were brought up by the hair of the head, however, will be most deeply imprinted with "Jumpin' Jack Flash".
I was born in a crossfire hurricane
And I hoooowled at my ma in the driving rain
Mick and Keef, you wrote my life.
I was raised by a toothless, bearded hag
I was schlooed with a strap right across my back
But it's all right now, in fact, it's a gas
What doesn't kill me makes me stronger.
posted by Al at 6/08/2003 02:22:00 PM
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