Up first in the “My Final Playlist” series of posts is a song from Jimmy Buffet.
Years ago I read a book about Steve Jobs titled “The Journey Is The Reward.” That title (which I later learned was from an old Chinese proverb) really made an impression on me and has shaped the way that I look at life. In my opinion, life is not about the wealth that we accumulate, the fame that we achieve, or the things that we buy along the way. Life is all about the journey and the people that we meet (and help) along the way.
With this philosophy in mind, there is no better metaphor for life than a cruise which makes today’s song is a strong contender for “My Final Playlist.” When I sail into that final port, I want everyone to know that although the cruise is ending it has been lovely and I wouldn’t change a thing.
Following up on Friday’s post where we discussed crazy Republican explanations for events like Hurricane Isaac, I would like to introduce the legal term for such events, Force Majeure. In simple terms Force Majeure means events that are beyond human control. In even more simple terms that my Republican friends can understand…..Shit Happens.
While we are on the topic of Force Majeure, I need to point out that it is also the name of a 1979 Tangerine Dream album. I am particularly fond of the title track of that album and have selected it as my long song Tuesday offering for this week. The song takes a while to get started and transitions through several different themes so be patient and I think you will be rewarded at the end.
Just saw the following headline on Huffington Post. This is truly a sad day………..
Neil was a Navy Veteran, flying combat missions during the Korean. He was also a test pilot and a veteran of both a Gemini and an Apollo NASA spaceflight. He will always be remembered as the first man to set foot on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission. Many of you were probably not around to watch the Apollo 11 mission as it happened. If you are interested in the details, I encourage you to watch the following six part CBS documentary based on the actual live coverage of the mission by Walter Cronkite. For what its worth, Walter was the best damn news anchor of all time (RIP Walter!).
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Finally….I offer up Anchors Aweigh, the Navy song, in tribute to Neil’s amazing service to the US.
This week our word of the week is Hurricane. Unfortunately, we currently have Hurricane Isaac headed into the Gulf of Mexico. Don’t know for sure which direction it will head at this point but it certainly has everyone’s attention. So….while we are watching to coverage of Isaac, and keeping our finger’s crossed that it doesn’t cause any significant damage, let’s listen to some of the best Hurricane songs ever recorded.
After listening to the music, please take the time to read my note after the last song in the post. Have a great weekend!
Hurricane Carter – Bob Dylan
Rock You Like a Hurricane – Scorpions (with full orchestra)
Today I bring you the second best live album of all time, Kiss Alive!, which slots in right behind At Fillmore East by the Allman Brothers (in my opinion). To many of you this is probably a strange choice but it makes perfect sense to me. While the Allman Brothers album was a virtuoso musical performance, Kiss represented the other aspect of rock music. They were loud, fun, and had a performance that was unlike anything that I had ever seen. For that matter I have not seen anything like it since then.
Kiss had put out three studio albums prior to 1975 and everyone had the same complaint, the albums didn’t capture the excitement of a Kiss live show. With one more shot to hit the big time, Kiss decided that if everyone wanted the excitement of their live show why not do a live album. Alive sold over 9,000,000 albums, and as they say, the rest is history.
I saw Kiss twice on the tour that is captured in the Alive! album and my mind was totally blown at each show.
Gene Simmons spitting fire and drooling blood
Paul Stanley providing some of the most inane between song patter that somehow sounded cool in the context of the performance
Peter Criss with a Drum set that extended high above the stage
Ace Frehley (my favorite) staggering around the stage on incredible platform shoes while playing the most amazing lead guitar parts that you could imagine
It was Awesome with a capital A. Although a video of one of their performance is a poor substitute for seeing their show live, it’s all I can offer you at this point. Here is why I remain a member of the Kiss Army to this day
Deuce – Live at Winterland 1975
Strutter – Live at Winterland 1975
Cold Gin – Live at Winterland 1975
Now that you’ve seen the best you can just forget the rest. Here they are….the hottest band in the land……….Kiss……Alive!
Alive! (Sides 1 and 2)
Alive (Sides 3 and 4)
If you aren’t suffering from Kiss overload at this point, I have one more thing for you before we end this post. Here is a great VH1 special on the Alive album! I hope you enjoy it. As always, let me know what you think.
Since finishing the long running Southern California Sound series a month ago I have been think about where to take this blog. Today I want to share what you can expect over from this blog for the remainder of this year. My next series of posts will focus on American Protest Music. Where it started, its heyday in the 1960s, its decline following the 60s, and the few remaining protest singers that we have today. I have high hopes for this series! So….that is where we are headed. Let me know what you think! Of course these upcoming series will be interspersed with posts like “Long Song Tuesday”, “Friday Word Of The Week”, etc. to make sure that you don’t get bored.
An absolutely amazing performance from 1973. Maybe more Marvin is the only thing that can snap me out of my mood….stay tuned for this week’s album of the week post.
With the passing of Scott today it seems like we moved even further away from the spirit of the 1960s. I know that the summer of love was 45 years ago but on days like today it seems like it was centuries ago.
Current mood – Sad (see above) and Depressed (reference my earlier post about the Republicans)
If you aren’t too depressed, see how many 60s musicians you can pick out in today’s video.
If there was ever any doubt, it is now official…….Republican’s Hate Women!
Here is the latest example from this weekend (the one that inspired this post)….followed by numerous supporting stories from the recent past. (updated 08/21….I think Republicans are trying to clean up their mess by getting videos removed from YouTube. I found another similar video and have updated the post.)
I could go on and on but I think my point is made.
I have said it before and I will say it again and again…these people are out to control every aspect of our lives all while claiming that they are for freedom (wink, wink). They think we are all stupid…..are you??
