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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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April 14, 2004
Loretta Lynn's birthday and new album
Loretta Lynn was born 69 years ago, on April 14, 1935 in Butcher Holler, Kentucky. Happy birthday, Loretta!
Loretta has apparently become big buddies with the White Stripes since they dedicated an album to her. She talks on her website about them coming out to stay with her, and how she enjoyed cooking for them.
In fact, they got on so well that Jack White got her into the studio, and produced a whole new album- apparently all new Loretta original songs. Van Lear Rose will be released April 27.
Not only that, but judging by this cover picture, she's looking pretty hot for a 69 year old woman. She distinctly looks better than any photo I've seen of her in probably 20 years. Labels: country_music
posted by Al at 4/14/2004 05:02:00 PM
April 13, 2004
Reagan's best and worst moments
On October 23, 1983, Hezbollah (with Iranian backing) bombed barracks of US soldiers in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 241 Marines.
Besides being a horrible loss of life, this event obviously stirred up a feces tsunami for the Reagan administration. Shortly thereafter, President Reagan withdrew US forces from Lebanon, and looked for a couple of weaker bad guys to smack around. Hey, any bad guys in this Grenada place we can make an example of?
In retrospect, withdrawing those troops was the worst moment of Reagan's presidency. This retreat was one of the top moments giving the likes of Bin Laden some good reason to think that we're paper tigers, lacking the will to use our power.
Now, we probably shouldn't have been in Lebanon in the first place, but leaving like that obviously cost us rep, making them think they could kill our people and get away with it. That has cost us. We should have took the opportunity to wipe out as much of Hezbollah as we could find, and pretty much anybody who knew them- then left.
Ah well, Reagan didn't see what we were going to be getting into decades later. He was still fighting the last war- the Cold War.
This brings us to perhaps the best moment of Reagan's presidency though, in retrospect perhaps the final psychological tipping point of the half century standoff with the Soviets.
On August 11, 1984, President Reagan was on stage preparing for a radio broadcast. Joking around, Reagan "accidentally" said into a live microphone, "My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes."
This little snafu didn't cost American lives, so the public didn't much care. Democratic opposition, however, pitched a fit. Why, this guy's NUTS. He's off his beam.
The Soviets probably thought the same thing, as well as some other dirtbags. They gave THIS crazy old man keys to the nukes? Holy crap!
Perhaps I'm too cynical or giving Reagan too much credit, but I doubt that the incident was accidental. What a brilliant and subtle communication this was if purposeful. Let our enemies think the guy at the top isn't quite all there. Scary! Better not TRY him.
One way or the other, Reagan put the fear of God into our enemies. He did pretty good that way for someone who never really did have a major war. Perhaps it's good for the president to have people thinking he's maybe just half a bubble off level. Keep them off balance.
Maybe he really WAS the Great Communicator in ways we haven't yet fully appreciated.
posted by Al at 4/13/2004 02:01:00 AM
New album releases, week of 4-13-2004
Among this week's new album releases, cool people are especially anxious to hear the Kill Bill 2 soundtrack, particularly a rendition from somewhere of Johnny Cash singing "A Satisfied Mind." Sweet.
The two "roots of rock and roll" sets from Hip-O look pretty interesting, pushing the erudition even of scholars of groovy music such as myself. Put differently, looking at the song titles and artists seemed like I should know more of these than I do.
There are also several classic rock releases of key original albums (not just hits packages) by Bo Diddley, Buddy Holly and (big fave) Chuck Berry's 1964 From St Louis to Liverpool.
Full list HERE.Labels: new_album_releases
posted by Al at 4/13/2004 12:20:00 AM
April 12, 2004
50 years of "Rock Around the Clock"
Bill Haley recorded "Rock Around the Clock" 50 years ago today, on April 12, 1954. By one way of looking at it, you could peg this as the first day of the rock era.
Some consider this the first rock and roll record, though of course there are a good many possibile contenders for the title. Coming along after the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, I've always thought the song was weak. Associating it with the watered down vision of the era from that whack Happy Days show doesn't make it seem any hipper.
On the other hand, you can't deny that it was a big hit, and somehow had a fairly unprecedented impact when it was featured in the movie Blackboard Jungle, with riots and vandalism in the theaters.
Sounds like the begining of something rockin'.
posted by Al at 4/12/2004 11:51:00 PM
April 11, 2004
Saturday Night Live with Janet Jackson, 4-10-04
Saturday Night Live was well above average this week, though host and musical guest Janet Jackson was really the least of it.
Let's start with Ms Jackson's better part. She can dance. Not only her, but her whole troop had some outstanding choreography. It was worth watching her musical performances to see them.
The problem there being that the core part of all this, the actual SONGS, were nothing. Geez, no wonder this stuff isn't going over at radio. Forget any Superbowl backlash, the songs have no melody or hooks to speak of.
As to being a player in the sketches, though, Janet was just awful. She couldn't remember the lines, she's giggling nervously in the middle of others. The parts she actually remembered sounded like they were being read off cards by someone who doesn't get what they are supposedly saying.
This seems odd. She's had something of an acting career. What's the problem? Idiot baseball players and such have given stronger performances. Everyone thinks Jessica Simpson is a moron, but she gave a much stronger performance than this.
Wait though- I started out saying this was an especially good episode. Take it then that pretty much everything else was superior.
They did get good mileage out of Janet in the opening sketch. Jackson's execution was mediocre, but the IDEA of Janet as Condoleeza Rice flashing a titty to distract the 9/11 commission was killer. Best I could make out, apparently Janet in fact flashed The Titty to the live audience before shouting out the classic "Live from New York" tagline. In this case, however, The Titty was highly pixilated for broadcast and thus safe for public consumption.
Interestingly, the network made a point of noting that they would be broadcasting live (on the East coast), with no tape delay- despite the recent unpleasantness. The last time they put the show on tape delay was with host Andrew Dice Clay something like 14 years ago.
They did a pretty fair Good Times parody. The nominal reason would be that Janet had a part in the actual series. Her character was only minor to the show in the first place, though, and the least point of interest here.
Besides having fun parodies of the old characters, they had a good point of satire with the entire show, and how unfortunate and mistreated they were. Parnell showed up from a college to withdraw a scholarship from the gifted son, on the grounds that he had an overdue library book- about a "Malcolm the Tenth." Then he explains that "If you were white, we could overlook this." Then a huge rat ate the winning lottery ticket that JJ had spent the rent on.
Don't know if they have a name, but they had a little reunion of their group that features Horatio Sanz singing "I wish it was Christmas today." Both Chris Kattan and Tracy Morgan were back as guests. Only this time, Simon Cowell himself was in the audience to review their performance- and eventually be dragged on stage with a pair of maracas to actually perform with the group. That was pretty cute.
Saving the best for last, Fred Armisen did an excellent sketch as Prince hosting a talk show. They did a surprisingly good job for starters at making Fred look like Purple Rain era Prince. Both the writing and performance of the parody were outstanding, putting Fred through paces as flake boy. By turns, he's playing fake-shy, whispering responses to the girl co-hosting, spouting non-sequiters, playing a bit of guitar, singing, and of course crawling across the floor a la "When Doves Cry." Then there were the recognizably masculine moments, seeming odd just by saying a normal sentence. "OK, I'm done with this."
This is the best work Armisen has done on the show. When someday they come up with a Best of Armisen DVD, this Prince sketch will be Exhibit A.
posted by Al at 4/11/2004 12:23:00 AM
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