My iPod Has Issues – Rainy Day

Friday night, I went to a country concert with Necole and her mom. I am not sure what I was expecting, but it was the best country music concert that I have seen in a long time. Will Hoge opened for Gary Allan at the Ryman Auditorium, the Mother Church of country music. As one of the guys said, this was the room that made the music industry in Nashville.

The Ryman is one of my favorite places, but this post is not about that. It’s about two performers, neither of which I had ever heard of, who restored my faith in country music. There was an entire concert with no songs about tractors, tailgates, back roads or any other southern stereotype that most people in this nation can’t relate to. These songs had depth and sophistication. They were filled with hope and despair. In short, they were what country music used to be and what is should continue to be.

Country music is filled with guys who sing about growing up on a farm when they probably grew up in some suburb. The performers I saw were true to themselves. Of course, the ”fake redneck” brigade plays to sold out arenas, and these guys were in a small venue. I reckon that says something.

I liked most of the songs, but the last one by Gary Allan stood out to me. Songs About Rain is about a man driving around with heartache. The love of his life has married someone else, and his radio is playing nothing but songs about rain.

The song hit me because that is what a country song is supposed to be about.

It also hit me that there really are a bunch of songs about rain, and my mind started working. Why is that? It could be that rain depresses people, so it provides the appropriate feel for a sad song. It could also be that rain is an easy word to rhyme. Pain. Train. Plane. The word works on different levels.

Then, I started thinking about the songs on my iPod that are about rain. It is filled with them. There are songs about rain in different genres and from a wide variety of artists. Like other entries in the “My iPod Has Issues” series, I have put my iPod on shuffle to see what kind of rain songs come out.

“November Rain” by Guns N’ Roses – This one may have the greatest video ever.

“Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” by Willie Nelson – Now, this is a country song.

“Looking for a Rainbow” by Chris Rea – Not many people have heard of him, but he is one of my favorites.

“Crying in the Rain” by Whitesnake – It’s a little different from Willie’s song.

“Rainy Night in Georgia” by Tony Joe White – Georgia says they need water. Maybe this song will help.

“Rain” by the Beatles – This is not my favorite song about rain.

“Rainy Day People” by Gordon Lightfoot – He is one of Canada’s greatest exports.

“She’s a Rainbow” by the Rolling Stones – This one is better that the British Invasion one above.

“Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” by B.J. Thomas – They say it was my favorite song as a little kid.

“Purple Rain” by Prince – He ended his concert with this when I saw him.

“I Wish It Would Rain Down” by Phil Collins – I used to listen to this during every state of depression.

“Kentucky Rain” by Elvis Presley – No list is complete without an Elvis song.

“Early Morning Rain” by Elvis Presley – To prove the previous point, here is another one.

“Rainy Day Women #12 & #35″ by Bob Dylan – I’m not sure what it has to do with rain.

“Rainbow Stew” by Merle Haggard – Now, here is a happy rain song.

“Just Walkin’ in the Rain” by the Prisonaires – This song has a sad true story behind it.

“Fire and Rain” by James Taylor – I have always found this song haunting.

Grand Ole Opry Song

Most people probably know that Nashville is known as “Music City”, and those same people probably know that it is called that because of the country music industry. Nashville actually has been a hotbed of several musical genres. At one time, there was a strong R&B scene, and Jimi Hendrix honed his craft in the clubs on Jefferson Street. Bob Dylan spent a great deal of time in the city, and Elvis Presley recorded here all the time. Heck, the Black Keys and Jack White currently call Nashville home.

Despite a diverse history, country music was and continues to be the dominating form, and, these days, it is dominated by performers like Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Zac Brown. I can’t name them all because I don’t really like what they do. Today’s country seems like a Frankenstein’s monster to me. Take a little bit of country. Take a little bit of rock. Throw in a few more things. Once, you are finished a monstrosity has been created. Personally, I blame Garth Brooks.

Nashville didn’t become “Music City” because of today’s stars. It became “Music City” in the early part of the 20th Century because of a radio show, the Grand Ole Opry. It could be heard every Saturday night on WSM, a powerful AM station that took its signal throughout the United States. In the days before nationwide concert tours, artists could get their music to the masses over the radio. Since the performers gathered in Nashville to perform on the Opry, it made sense for record companies to set up studios nearby. As years passed, Nashville became the destination for those who wanted to get in the country music business.

Sometimes, I think that story gets lost in the glitz and glamor of the modern country music industry. In the old days, country artists didn’t have laser shows at their concerts. They definitely didn’t run around the stage and shake their asses. They stood behind the microphone and sang about heartbreak and trains.

Jimmy Martin was one of the old-time singers.

Jimmy Martin

Known as the “King of Bluegrass”, he performed on the Opry many times. Unfortunately, he faced the demons of alcohol abuse, and uncertainty kept him from becoming a full member of the Opry. Despite that, he recorded “Grand Ole Opry Song“, an ode to the show and the people who made it special. I thought it would be interesting to use that song to introduce (or remind) the blogosphere to some of the people who turned Nashville into “Music City”.

Come and listen to my story if you will I’m gonna tell

About a gang of fellers from down at Nashville

First I’ll start with old Red Foley doin’ the ‘Chattanooga Shoe’

Red Foley

We can’t forget Hank Williams with them good old ‘Lovesick Blues’

Hank Williams

It’s time for Roy Acuff to go to Memphis on his train

Roy Acuff

With Minnie Pearl and Rod Brasfield and Lazy Jim Day

Minnie Pearl

Rod Brasfield

Jim Day

Turn on all your radios I know that you will wait

Hear Little Jimmy Dickens sing ‘Take an Old Cold Tater and Wait’

Little Jimmy Dickens

There’ll be guitars and fiddles, Earl Scruggs and his banjo too

Earl Scruggs

Bill Monroe singing out them ole ‘Kentucky Blues’

Bill Monroe

Ernest Tubb’s number, ‘Two Wrongs Won’t Make a Right’

Ernest Tubb

At the Grand Ole Opry every Saturday night

There  was Uncle Dave Macon his gold tooth and plug hat

Uncle Dave Macon

Cowboy Copas singing ‘Tragic Romance’

Cowboy Copas

Signed sealed and delivered with Sam and Kirk McGee

Sam and Kirk McGee

And the master of ceremony was Mr. George D Hay

George D. Hay

There was Lonzo and Oscar a-poppin’ bubble gum

Lonzo and Oscar

George Morgan singin’ ‘Candy Kisses’ yum, yum

George Morgan

‘Got a Hole in My Bucket’ ‘Bringin’ in that Georgia Mail’

We’ll sing ‘The Sunny Side of the Mountain’

And dance to the ‘Chicken Reel’

You can talk about your singers in all kinds of way

But none could sing the old songs like Bradley Kincaid

Bradley Kincaid

With his old hound dog ‘Guitar’ and the famous ‘Blue Tail Fly’

Stringbean with Hank Snow and old fiddlin’ Chubby Wise

Stringbean

Hank Snow

Chubby Wise

Now, that’s country.

My iPod Has Issues – Part 4

Once again, it is time to explore the dark recesses of my iPod’s mind. Some people think it’s bipolar. Some people think it’s schizophrenic. Others think it belongs alongside Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over a Cuckoo’s Nest.

That’s my iPod on the left.

No matter the diagnosis, almost everyone agrees that my iPod is all over the place.

Sometimes it’s 1950s Rock & Roll. Other times it’s 1970s Punk. In between, it could be everything from Roy Acuff to Warren Zevon. Whatever it is, it plays my kind of music. Like previous therapy sessions, I am putting it on Shuffle and seeing what pops out.

“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” by Ennio Morricone

“Superfly Meets Shaft” by Dickie Goodman

“You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth” by Meatloaf

“Mr. Tambourine Man” by The Byrds

“Tuff Enuff” by The Fabulous Thunderbirds

“I Started a Joke” by The Bee Gees

“Pretty Maids All in a Row” by The Eagles

“I Gotta Get Drunk” by Willie Nelson

“Right on Time” by Jimmy Church

“Strawberry Letter 23″ by The Brothers Johnson

“TV Mama” by Big Joe Turner

“Passing Zone Blues” by Coleman Wilson

“Positively 4th Street” by Bob Dylan

“Skip’s Boogie” by Kid King’s Combo

“Buzzard Pie” by Rudy Green and His Orchestra

“Lady in the Street” by Stacy Mitchhart

“Viva Las Vegas” by Elvis Presley

“Sweet Jane” by The Velvet Underground

“One” by Three Dog Night

“Pearls Girl” by Underworld

That’s it. The therapy session is over. I hope my iPod came out of it with a high sense of self-esteem.

Forever Young

The date in the circle to the left is an important date in music history. On January 8, 1935, Elvis Presley was born in a shotgun house in Tupelo, Mississippi. I have written about Elvis before, so I won’t repeat myself. However, it struck me that he would be 77 years old if he had made it through the perils of fame and fortune. His health declined in the last few years, but, in the eyes of many, Elvis will be forever young. He is an icon frozen is time.

Other famous people hold the same position in culture and history. They died young and remain their youthful selves in the minds of the people who remember them. Thinking about Elvis, I began to wonder how old some of those people would be today.

Elvis Presley died at the age of 42. He would be 78 if he was still alive.

Elvis Presley’s last concert.

Marilyn Monroe died at the age of 36. She would be 86 if she was still alive.

Marilyn Monroe’s last movie.

James Dean died at the age of 24. He would be 81 if he was still alive.

James Dean’s last movie.

Jimi Hendrix died at the age of 27. He would be 70 if he was still alive.

Jimi Hendrix’s last concert.

Martin Luther King, Jr. died at the age of 39. He would be 83 if he was still alive.

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s last speech.

John Lennon died at the age of 40. He would be 72 if he was still alive.

John Lennon’s last performance.

I wonder how the world would have been different if they had made it to old age. We will never know. Instead, they will remain forever young.

Concerts of Interest

I have written a lot about concerts, so you can probably tell that I am a concert-going freak. I will see just about anybody perform. Some of the shows were great. Some of the shows were not as great. Many of them have been forgotten. However, a few have stood out because I found them different and interesting.

Undoubtedly, Luciano Pavarotti provided the most interesting concert experience. He was past his prime, but his power and talent could be felt throughout the arena. I have no idea how someone got him to perform in Nashville, but I feel privileged to have heard one of the Three Tenors.

Seeing Dave Brubeck play at the Ryman Auditorium was also a privilege. I wanted to hear his most famous work, “Take Five”, but I came away with more than hearing one popular Jazz number. I spent the evening mesmerized by a legend who turned a Country music shrine into something completely different.

Speaking of Country music, I have seen Willie Nelson several times, but the most interesting took place in a minor league baseball stadium. He and Bob Dylan toured stadiums throughout the country and had their stage positioned behind second base. People packed the infield as the two legends played throughout the night. It was interesting, but I kept thinking that the show going on backstage was probably more interesting.

Dudley Moore came to Nashville many years ago to play a Valentine’s Day show with the Nashville Symphony. He was a great comedian, but he was also a classical pianist. What do you think he played? If you guessed “Bolero”, then you would be correct.

I saw Leonard Cohen because I wanted to hear “Hallelujah”. I heard “Hallelujah” and a few more songs that I recognized. Actually, one is sung by Don Henley on my iPod. There were several aspects of this concert that I found interesting. First, those that love Leonard Cohen really love Leonard Cohen. Second, those who don’t, like my date who feel asleep on my shoulder, really don’t. Third, he came out for encore after encore. It had to be some kind of a record. I wouldn’t know because we left after about four of them.

Charlie Daniels lives in my county and can be seen hanging around all of the time. His concert was interesting because I watched it from backstage. My friend worked for him and invited me along to sit how a concert works from the other side. I met Daniels around the buffet table, and we talked about people that we both knew. I remember that he had a hard time getting around, and  wondered how he was going to perform. That question was answered as soon as he got in view of the audience. He ran, jumped, and played. When the show was over, he went back to moving around slowly.

There have been many interesting concerts, but the last one I will write about was a live performance by a dead guy, Elvis Presley. I went to Elvis Week on the 30th anniversary of his death and attended the reunion concert. The original band and backup singers performed on stage while a video image of Elvis sang along with them. The sold out show was better than 90% of those I have seen with living people. However, the audience reaction was the interesting part. People were crying, shrieking and screaming like he was really there. I saw the living Elvis when I was a kid and remember that audience acting the same way. ELVIS LIVES!!!

If I see more interesting concerts, then I will let you know.

My iPod Has Issues – The Top 25

iPod’s have all kinds of lists, and one of them is the “Top 25 Most Played”. This could mean a few things. These are the ones that I like the best and tend to play over and over. Or, some of them are dialogue samples that are really short (which have been omitted and made the Top 25 more like the Top 19). Or, these entries have offered payola to the iPod shuffler to get more airtime.

If payola can get Alan Freed, then it can get anybody.

Either way, here is the “Top 25 Most Played” on my iPod.

“Way Down Under” by Charles Bernstein

“Across 110th Street” by Bobby Womack

“For a Little While” by Bobby Goldsboro

“Father Ramirez” by Ennio Morricone

“Arriving in Deadwood” by Michael Brook

“Numb” by Linkin Park

“Alone Again” by Dokken

“A Whiter Shade of Pale” by Procol Harum

“Ballad of Gator McCluskey” by Jerry Reed

“Running Like the Wind” by The Marshall Tucker Band

“New Dawn Fades” by Moby

“Sons and Daughters” by The Neville Brothers

“Take You Back” by Valentine

“Anvil of Grom” by Basil Poledouris

“Wasted Time” by The Eagles

“Early Morning Rain” by Elvis Presley

“Still…You Turn Me On” by Emerson, Lake & Palmer

“Ecstasy of Gold” by Ennio Morricone

“In My Life” by Jose Feliciano

Childhood Memories – TBS

When this blog was in its infancy, there were a couple of posts called Childhood Memories. One was about my parents taking me to an Elvis concert. Another was about the cross-country trips that my family took every summer. Yet, another was about our weekend excursions to Gatlinburg. It’s been a while since Childhood Memories made an appearance, and I felt it was time to bring it back out.

I remember how great it was when we first got cable television. No longer was I limited to three real channels and a fuzzy PBS. There was much more television to explore. Australian Rules Football on ESPN. Cheap looking news sets on CNN. Slime pouring from the sky on Nickelodeon. It was a potpourri over never before seen material.

However, a lot of cable channels were filled with before seen shows. Reruns of shows that had faded into off air oblivion only to be revised as time fillers. Some, like My Little Margie, went back to my mom’s formative years, but most were the shows that my older brother grew up with. Gilligan’s Island. The Munsters. The Andy Griffith Show (my all-time favorite). The list goes on and on.

Everyday brought adventures that had been replayed countless times, but my favorite cable watching time was Sunday mornings. Before getting ready to go to church, I would hop in a chair; cover up in a blanket; and turn it to TBS. First, I watched The Three Stooges beat the crap out of each other. People talk about violence on television these days, but I don’t think anything is like seeing a guy get hit over the head with a crowbar.

Going against the grain, I liked the Shemp version of the Stooges a lot better than the Curly version. Curly worked at being funny, but Shemp brought it naturally.

The best of the Stooges.

Moe was just meaner than Hell, and I am not sure what role Larry was trying to play. Whatever the case, I watched The Three Stooges religiously on Sunday mornings.

However, that was just the opening act for the true reason to watch TBS. When the Stooges got out of their jams, it was time to watch the Robinson family never get out of theirs. I was fascinated by Lost in Space. Will and Robot. Don and Judy. John and Maureen. Penny. Dr. Zachary Smith. Heck, the Jupiter 2 was a character all its own.

They are not Swiss, but they are the Robinson’s.

It was an awesome show, but here is the thing. Just as I liked Shemp better than Curly. I liked the black and white Lost in Space better than the color one. The black and white version had a seriousness to it. The first episode was a realistic glimpse into the space program. There was suspense as Dr. Smith and Robot were out to destroy to mission. When the family found themselves lost on unknown planets, danger faced them at every turn. A trip in the Chariot meant avoided whirlpools, earthquakes and giant aliens. I can’t describe how cool it was.

Then, the show changed. It went to color and the aliens became pastel colored vegetables and interplanetary carnival barkers. Dr. Smith became a comedic character who constantly fought with Robot. Each episode was filled with lines like:

“You bubble-headed booby!”

“Oh, the pain, the pain.”

In short, it went the way to The Three Stooges. I read that the show changed because it had to compete with Adam West’s campy version of Batman. It wasn’t a good decision, but hindsight is 20/20.

When Lost in Space was over, it was time to get ready for church. As I sat in the pew drawing on offering envelopes, I though about Stooges poking the eyes out of each other and Robot saying, “Danger, Will Robinson!” The whole time I was wishing that I was back home watching TBS. I remember many episodes from those shows, but I don’t remember much about what I heard in church.

The Great Pumpkin Carving Escapade

Tonight, I carved a pumpkin for the first time in years. It was great fun, and mine turned out quite well considering my lack of expertise. My handiwork was not worthy of being immortalized on the Internet. Therefore, tonight’s festivities will be honored with pictures of some of my favorite things carved into pumpkins. I have no idea who made these, but they are great artists.

AC/DC

Hell’s Pumpkins

University of Tennessee

Touchdown Pumpkins

John Wayne

Pumpkin Cogburn

Elvis Presley

Ladies and Gentlemen! Elvis Has Left the Pumpkin!

Marilyn Monroe

Pumpkins Like It Hot

Darth Vader

Luke, I Am Your Pumpkin.

Clint Eastwood

The Good, the Bad and the Pumpkin

This is an incomplete list, but I couldn’t find one with Barney Fife.

Questions of Great Importance

Why do Country artists sing about being Rock stars?

Elvis Presley – The King of Rock n Roll

Roy Acuff – The King of Country Music

Hint: You guys aren’t Rock stars.

Whatever happened to Gary Hart?

Yes, you mean more to me than being the president.

Why is it Hardee’s in the east and Carl’s Jr. in the West?

And, you thought the country was split between Red and Blue.

Who was the better fighter – Rocky Balboa, Apollo Creed or Clubber Lang?

Or, was it Drago?

Why do people believe that there is an invisible man in the sky?

This guy has been the reason for a lot of conflicts.

Who thought red light cameras were a good idea?

I’d better not run that yellow light, so I’ll just slam on my breaks and get hit in the ass.

How many bloggers are there?

I think there are more bloggers than people.

Birthday Celebration

Tonight, we belated celebrated my youngest nephew’s 15th birthday. It was actually on June 6, which most of the world knows as D-Day. Our family also knows it as B-Day, Bronson’s Day. To honor his day of birth in the blogging world, here is a list of events from the year he was born.

On the big screen:

- Titanic made a triumphant return from the depths and dominated the film industry.

- Val Kilmer and Elisabeth Shue starred in The Saint.

- James Stewart passed away.

- Robin Williams won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Good Will Hunting.

In the athletic arena:

- the Green Bay Packers defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI.

- Tennessee beat Old Dominion to win the NCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship.

- Mike Tyson bit a piece off of the ear of Evander Holyfield.

- Tiger Woods won the Masters for his first win in a major.

On the boob tube:

- The Crocodile Hunter debuted on Animal Planet.

- South Park first aired on Comedy Central.

- Jacques Cousteau, famous for marine documentaries, passed away.

- The Simpsons passed The Flintstones as the longest running prime-time animated series.

In the music world:

- Elton John re-recorded Candle in the Wind to honor Princess Diana.

- Paul McCartney became Sir Paul McCartney.

- Colonel Tom Parker, the manager of Elvis Presley, passed away.

- The Bee Gees, the Jackson 5 and others were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

For the literate people:

- Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays With Morrie was published.

- Harry Potter looked for the Philosopher’s Stone.

- James Michener, writer of sweeping epics, passed away.

- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was removed from the English curriculum in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

Scientifically:

- the Pathfinder landed on Mars.

- the United States barred federal funding for research on human cloning.

- Deep Blue defeated Gary Kasparov in a chess match, the first time a computer defeated a grand master.

- the domain name Google was registered.

A lot of other stuff happened in 1997. Perhaps, you can list a few in the comments.