Boy what a Run!

It would only be good to be a Smurf if Smurfette was easy.

Yay, I love work. That's sarcasm. Actually -- I do love work... but being an EMT can be so draining sometimes. The job's not exactly routine... that's one of the things I love about it. Helping people in need completely trumps that... but I'm just glad I don't wake up Monday-Friday and put on a tie to go to the office... same thing, all the time. Yawn. I just couldn't do it. So I do this. 7 shifts in two weeks. Sometimes an 8th. Sometimes 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. ... usually 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ... and sometimes a 24-hour shift.

There are days when the worst case is someone's wittle tummy is upset... so we taxi them to the hospital where they get the doctor's examination which'll probably end result in something like this -- "You've got gas."

Then there are the meth addicted mommies who can't take care of their kids. And sometimes the elderly are neglected because their kid is the one who's addicted to meth. Hooray.

No wonder there's a high burnout rate in the profession. But for now I stick with it. Glad there's an open gym after work and good music to listen to.

Monday After Work Run: 17 minutes 22 seconds

(+4) · indoors ·

XXXXXXXX+++++++ 04 sec +++++++XXXXXXXX

Run Time February: 1 hour 59 minutes January: 2 hours 56 minutes

Been a couple days since my last run. Decided to take yesterday off for
President's Day. I needed to pay respect to Millard Fillmore and George W. Bush, etc, etc...

A good run; it went... alright.

My left hamstring's been acting up over the past week or so... and I don't know why. This really blows. Yesterday's day of rest seemed to do it no good at all. Oh well. It's not hurting, thankfully. Discomfort there is but no pain that makes me cringe or go "owww." That's a good thing, yes, good indeed. I've gotta monitor it, that's all.

As far as running, the hamstring did not hamper the performance at the Rec Center this evening. Felt fairly good, no major trouble. Feelin' damn fine now and knowing that I'm doing something good for my heart and my health and my waistline -- just makes running absolutely worth it!

Running tunes from
the album of the day...

U2

Boy

1980

their debut





I Will Follow
Twilight
An Cat Dubh
Into The Heart
Out Of Control
Stories For Boys
The Ocean
A Day Without Me
Another Time, Another Place
The Electric Co.
Shadows And Tall Trees

Great freakin' album! I think U2 still today is the 2nd coolest band alive, next to the Rolling Stones, of course. They'll turn to dust soon enough (I have reason to believe Keith Richards already has, he's just a hologram on stage these days) and U2 will be king. But sometimes I joke that this is when they were truly great. The music on Boy is from a time when they were nobody on the world stage, just a small club band from Dublin, Ireland. Today they'd sell out Madison Square Garden 20 nights in a row... but when they first traveled across the seas to come to the shores of America, small joints like The Ritz was where people would have go to see them play. Man... they've come a lonnnnnng way. Read the AllMusic review here.

320 kbps dload right here

U2 - Boy

Mutterings for this weekend ... Semper Fi!

All I have to say is -- nothing. Not a thing. Nope. The new Sheryl Crow album -- eh. Plus there's one song on there where she lies and it's just really sad how misguided and brainwashed she is.

But anyway...

Unconscious Mutterings

a free association game -- I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Passport :: International travel

2. Small world :: it's a ... after all ... Disney song, sorry, no mp3, if you don't know it, I guess you're out of luck.

3. Radio :: Free Europe ... old R.E.M. song, from when they used to be a great band... there's a sample to hear at the link.

4. Marine :: A member of one of the World's Greatest organizations to defend freedom.

5. Wall :: Pink Floyd's The Wall, movie and album... classics.

6. Wanna be :: poser

7. Pigtails ::
		Cindy Brady

8. Hyphen :: -

9. 9.99 :: THE MOST IDIOTIC WAY TO PRICE SOMETHING!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy cow, this is one of the most perplexing things related to commerce in America. Does anyone really think, "Whew, I'm really glad that's not $10.00 otherwise it would cost too much"?!?!?!?!?!?!

The worst -- when a car costs like $19,995 and the TV commercials says "Less than $20,000." Give me a freakin' break. Or the High-Def plasma screen that costs $2999.99. GIVE ME A BREAK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll believe that whoever invented this thought he could psychologically sway some people... and as much faith that I don't have in American smarts, in general, is anyone really so dumb to think -- "I'm just so glad it's under $3,000.00 otherwise I just wouldn't buy it" ?!?!?!?!?!!

Okay, now that I've raised my blood pressure a little...

10. Unrated :: version of a movie on DVD, slightly different from the one shown in theaters.

Just a confusing Trans run

Why do I always feel compelled to type utter nonsense here? Sometimes it's interesting information. All I did today was nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada. One of the laziest days I've had all year... and I liked it!!!

Did get off my butt for a run about an hour ago. The Rec Center never seems to be that crowded on a Saturday night. Very cool. Students must be gettin' ready to enjoy their night, not hugely in a gym mood. I was, just for running, and I got my run in. Yup. Good day.

Saturday evening Run: 17 minutes 18 seconds

(+3) · indoors ·

XXXXXXXX+++++++ 42 sec +++++++XXXXXXXX

Run Time February: 1 hour 41 minutes January: 2 hours 56 minutes

Tonight's run was one of those where inexplicably I succeeded with very little difficulty. Not just a so-so run, actually somewhat easy. Why, from one day to the next, does it change when my preparation is essentially the same? Very confuzling. In any case, done deal, another run in the books. I only added 3 seconds but then again, I'm not in a huge race or nothin'. Yes, I'd love to be able to run a marathon in 4 hours... but quite possibly that's never in my future so these relatively short runs, they're better than nothing! I keep saying that... 'cause it's so true! This exercise is strenuous and it's the only strenuous exercise I get and for that I'm wicked grateful!

Running tunes from
the album of the day...

Neil Young

Trans

1982






Little Thing Called Love
Computer Age
We Are In Control
Transformer Man
Computer Cowboy (AKA Syscrusher)
Hold On To Your Love
Sample And Hold
Mr. Soul
Like An Inca

Wow. I just commented at Infinite Foolishness that I can't imagine what the person who listened to this album before ever hearing any other Neil Young must have thought. Hopefully not scarred for life from how... odd this is. There are a couple very straight-forward Neil songs here. Like An Inca is the exceptional stand-out. At almost 10 minutes, for my money it's a freakin' masterpiece. Little Thing Called Love has a rather country-ish feel to it. Hold On To Your Love is also one of the normal tracks. Mr. Soul comes very close to being normal yet still has a touch of what Neil was messing with on so many of the other songs here.

The rest of the tracks that are on Trans -- just... completely out there. According to the Wikipedia page for this album (and we all know Wikipedia is the be-all-end-all of accurate information on the internet) when recording these futuristic songs about computers dominating the world, Neil used something called a vocoder, a device he used in communicating with his kid with cerebral palsy. Okay. It makes for some weird stuff, so different than the classic Neil Young that so many people know and love.

320 kbps dload @ Strange Rhythm

VH Run I but listening to II

Today was a day when the Earth kept spinning... like every day. The "warm" temperatures have subsided and we're back to winter. There's so much more light now, I've noticed. Wasn't too long, it seems, that the sun would rise at 9 or 10 a.m. and never really pop up all that much above the horizon. No real sun today because of snow and clouds, but a lot of light now as we slide into the last month of what's technically winter. But back to colder temps. As the day went on... it got colder, not warmer, plunging, after the sun went down, to a bitter -17° (-27 C.) When you've been enjoying 14° (-10 C,) -17 sucks.

Then when you have to deal at work with a meth addicted 21 year old mommy who can't properly care for her 2 children while her husband is away for weeks at a time in the Arctic oil fields-- yay, life's grand!

At least I got a run in right after work. More of having to drive to the gym or the University Rec Center for this indoor crap on a track... but it's better than nothin'!

All cleaned up and relaxed now, feelin' great. As soon as I post this I'm out the door... meeting up with friends, the enjoying of a pitcher while playing some pool... despite the drop in temp and the crap day at work, gonna be a good night!

Friday after work Run: 17 minutes 15 seconds

(+3) · indoors ·

XXXXXXXX+++++++ 24 sec +++++++XXXXXXXX

Run Time February: 1 hour 24 minutes January: 2 hours 56 minutes

Swell run. Yes, swell. Made my time just fine and dandy, yes sir. Great tunes set the pace. A little winded after I stopped, took a moment to gather my breath, walked a lap and started feeling better in no time. I think if I typed this as it happens, which, of course, is impossible, my thoughts would be somewhat different... not so positive. Running blows chunks. It's not easy. After I get back to my house, I'm showered and clean and resting and breathing normally, and feeling great, it's so much easier to be positive about something which is kinda hellish at the time. This is why it's worth it! This and how it helps me be a healthier person, of course. Tis a shame more people don't partake.

Running tunes from
the album of the day...

Van Halen

Van Halen II

recorded in 1978
released in '79




You're No Good
Dance The Night Away
Somebody Get Me A Doctor
Bottoms Up!
Outta Love Again
Light Up The Sky
Spanish Fly
D.O.A.
Women In Love
Beautiful Girls

I don't think I've ever heard this... no... wait... I'm pretty sure I have heard this album before... at least 20 years ago! Wow. Does that mean I'm getting old? Pretty good stuff, though! Dance The Night Away used to get a fair amount of radio play back in the day. Everything else is just those other songs on the album that so few people ever hear. Glad I heard 'em again. Really a trip back in time... but at the same time this is timeless stuff, great rock and roll... not quite heavy metal, not quite... whatever. Eddie Van Halen on guitar -- fun to listen to. Diamond David Lee Roth was one heckuva singer with these songs. Apparently they're out on tour right now? Man, no way they can be as good as back in the day. I'd probably rather just dig the albums than see 'em live nowadays... but that's just me. In any case -- I've really gotta play more Halen 'cause this is gold!

128 kbps dload @ walldill

GD 40 Yrs Ago ... So Long, Neal

"There was Cowboy Neal at the wheel, of a bus to never-ever land."

So long, Neal Cassady. 40 years ago this month the legend's life came to an end in central Mexico. A week and a half later, the Grateful Dead played their first show since his death. With this great music, they pay tribute to a dear friend gone too soon.

Neal Cassady
Feb 8, 1926 - Feb 4, 1968

Grateful Dead
February 14, 1968
Carousel Ballroom, San Francisco, California

1st Set: Morning Dew, Good Morning Little Schoolgirl,
Dark Star-» China Cat Sunflower-» The Eleven-»
Turn On Your Lovelight

2nd Set: Cryptical Envelopment-» The Other One-»
Cryptical Envelopment-» New Potato Caboose-»
Born-Cross Eyed-» Spanish Jam, Alligator-» Jam-» Alligator-»
Caution (Do Not Stop On The Tracks)-» Feedback

Encore: In The Midnight Hour

Country Joe and the Fish played between GD sets

Sometimes the words, they don't come to me so easily; or: I'm not a professional Grateful Dead show reviewer, not by any means... I only play one on television; or: it's a lot easier for me to review shows closer to the later years than shows from the amazingly unbelievable age of the band. That's the case here.

All I really have to say is: Wow.

There are no spacey and truly exploratory wanderings into jams that turn songs into mind-blowing 15 or 20 minute journeys that take ones mind Furthur into the great beyond. Nope.

But what's played on this night at the Carousel is exceptional from song to song, from the first note to last. The three times I have listened to this in the past few days, I just layed in my bed, enveloped by darkness, headphones filling my ears with nothing but some of the best music I have ever heard.

Here's a short review transcribed from my copy of Deadbase...

(written more than 10 years ago, before the Soundboard Reel Master source of the show made its way onto the scene...)

This is the famous show where Jerry "pushed Phil down the stairs." Upon listening to the tape the band discovered that it was so hot it became the core tape for Anthem Of The Sun (along with parts the November 1967 Shrine shows). It's not hard to see why, and since the second set had the good fortune to be broadcast live on KPFA, the tapes are in wide circulation.

All I know of the first set is that they played Good Morning Little Schoolgirl. I know this from a friend who also informed me that his friends taped the show and also others at the time. He has, however, since lost the track of them. (If the people he is referring to read this, PLEASE come forward!) Whatever else happened that set, it is set two that makes this one of the all time greats. That's It For The Other One starts things off maniacally after which the band settles into New Potato Caboose, a real good version of a song that developed quite a bit before being inexplicably dropped from the repertoire in May of 1969. Born Cross-Eyed comes after that, it seems as though the song sequence of this set was the model for that on the album with a notable exception -- Born Cross-Eyed they jam and space before settling into the Spanish Jam. It's hard to believe that the band has been doing this jam for over twenty years and STILL hasn't come up with a name for it.

After a short feedback stretch the band stopped playing. From the onstage banter it seems they were having equipment problems. Once things got fixed they managed to coax Pigpen out front and began Alligator, this version being one of the hottest, most energetic things they've ever played live. Having the tape makes it possible to hear what got cut out before putting it on the LP. After Alligator a neat transition into Caution is made. The jam that follows absolutely rips and the set closes with a howling feedback jam.

For the encore Pig gets coaxed out once again for a Midnight Hour that sounds totally out of whack but no matter. It's still a lot of fun.

--from Deadbase IX by co-author Mike Dolgushkin

I have no clue what the reference is to Jerry pushing Phil down the stairs. Not a one. But what Mike says about Set 2 is dead on. I'll add that in the first set, the Dark Star transition into China Cat -- whew... I was blown away by that. That whole 4-song sequence at the end of Set 1 is just spectacular.

It's not like me at all to specifically say: Own This Show or to give out recommendations. If I did, then I would only post the bestest shows there are. What I do is sample it all, often completely at random... and I like it that way.

This show, 2/14/68, was a little less at random, in fact it was chosen by a whopping 27% of the voters in my inaugural (and maybe last) Show of The Month poll... just edging out (5 votes to 4!) a date from '77. Truth be told, I'm glad this won and here it comes, a rare event -- Own This Show!!!

Source: Soundboard Reel Master > DAT > CD
(the encore is FM> Reel> Reel> DAT> CD)

2-14-68 is @ Archive.org for listening only.

-or-

Download The Show Right Here

2/14/68 Carousel Ballroom - Part One

Part 2 - Carousel Ballroom 2/14/68

2-14-68 a.k.a. 2/14/68 a.k.a. 68-02-14 320 kbps mp3 download & setlist

a Claptony Creamy "Where Rock Lives" NYC kinda run

Fan-freakin'-tastic day in Fairbanks, Alaska! Fascinating that 8° (-13 C) brings people out like it's the first day of beach season. So many have been cooped up, for the most part, for so many days (because of the extreme temps last week) that today was like -- "Is it really safe? The Japs and Nazis are all gone, right? We can come out now?" People everywhere. You'd a thunk it was... like the first day of beach season. Is there even such a thing as "beach season"? Seems like a freshly hatched term. Beach season... the more I think it and type it, the more odd it sounds.

In any case -- with the day off from work, I was able to catch up on so many things that I had completely neglected lately. Life doesn't stop when it's -20° (-30ish C) and worse... but a lotta people just don't give a crap about anything when all you wanna do is stay INSIDE and keep feeding logs into the wood-burning stove. Not today. Hopefully no longer this winter. Don't get me wrong, read my lips: it ain't quite shorts and t-shirt weather... yet... it's still freakin' cold. It just ain't so damn mother-f'in cold that crawling into your freezer would seem like relief compared to going outside!

And tonight I headed on over to the University to get me another run in.
Hell, yeah! Exercise -- it does a body good. More people oughta try it!

Wednesday Night Run: 17 minutes 12 seconds

(+4) · indoors ·

XXXXXXXX+++++++ 9 sec +++++++XXXXXXXX

Run Time February: 1 hour 7 minutes January: 2 hours 56 minutes

Not a bad run.

On the good ol' 0 to 10 Scale...

0 being a piece of cake walk to fridge
9 being mandatory hospitalization due to collapsing
10 being death

about a 6.5 -- that's cool because running ain't a piece of cake for me by any means. I hate it. Every time out I wanna quit early. Somehow 99% of the time I persist.

The way I feel for about 5 to 10 minutes immediately after stopping: like crap.

The way I feel once I'm showered and relaxing: oh mean, soooo good!

I'm really gonna bust my butt to eclipse my January Run Total. Taking off so much time because of the hellishly cold weather has hindered my progress towards that... but I'm gonna make a good push!

Running tunes from
the album of the day...

Cream

Disraeli Gears

1967





Strange Brew
Sunshine Of Your Love
World Of Pain
Dance The Night Away
Blue Condition
Tales Of Brave Ulysses
SWLABR
We're Going Wrong
Outside Woman Blues
Take It Back
Mother's Lament

What a sweet classic. One of the most classic rock and roll records ever! The two singles that so many people know -- Strange Brew and Sunshine Of Your Love -- plus Tales Of Brave Ulysses really took me back a couple decades, back to my beloved home state, well, the state where I grew up, New Jersey, out in the 'burbs, not too far from New York City. Thanks to Scott Muni and Dan-O and Pat St. John and Carol Miller and many other great radio personalities from that time, I used to hear those three tunes quite often on 102.7 WNEW. On the way to work, driving down the Garden State Parkway to The Shore, goin' anywhere around Bergen County when a tape wasn't playing, WNEW -- the place "Where Rock Lives" -- was there to fill the void and provide a trillion hours of great music. Just a shame to read about the demise of that once legendary radio station.

Anyway, a week or two ago was the first time I ever heard this entire album and... wow, just so great! I got nothin' against the blues but for Cream to move in this direction, definitely the right choice. On shuffle and repeat I could keep this going for hours.

I'm pretty darn addicted to listening to different music ALL the time, it seems. Much I love, much I like, some I tolerate... but this is yet another of those albums that makes me completely question why I listen to so much that just doesn't quite achieve this level of greatness.

128 kbps dload @ walldill

No GD, JGB, RD, TOO or P&F... How about some LOM?

After finishing my shift at 9 p.m., with the day off tomorrow, what a better way to relax than to kick back in a friendly watering hole with friendly folks, maybe throwin' some darts, maybe shootin' some pool while puttin' away a pint or three of Guinness... ahhhhh... especially on the first night when the friggin' temperature isn't so damn freezing that polar bears are complaining.

Or... don't spend any money, come back to my humble abode, and Play Jerry. Ahhhhh... yeah, sounds good to me!

Jerry Garcia & Merl Saunders (Legion of Mary) May 15, 1975 Great American Music Hall San Francisco, CA

1st Set
(missing Tore Up)
Jam #5
Every Word You Say
I Feel Like Dynamite
The Wicked Messenger
Day By Day
Mystery Train

2nd Set
I'll Take A Melody
You Can Leave Your Hat On
Little Sunflower
Neighbor, Neighbor
Boogie On Reggae Woman
(missing How Sweet It Is)

Wow. Drawbacks first to get them out of the way: missing songs -- who cares, doesn't matter, yes it would be nice to have them but when they don't exist, what are ya gonna do? And the vocals are a little distant, just a wee bit but not too bad. Annoying crowd noise because this is an audience recording? Not much, some loudness between songs but the music comes through loud and clear. Soon after a quick fade into Jam #5, it's clear that this is sounding really nice!

And the music? Holy schnikeys, Chris Farley! Mmmm... almost makes one wonder why bother with the Jerry Garcia Band from the 90's?! The last Jerry that I posted at Inspiration, Move Me Brightly was also from 1975... actually stradling '75-'76... but listening to Legion Of Mary for the first time in a long, long time (too long!) I almost don't want next time to leave this era of Jerry (outside of the Grateful Dead.) It's not necessarily that Jerry's smokin' on every song. Not at all. It's the whole band sound that makes this so fun, funky, groovy, jamming, bluesy, jazzy, smokin', and any other adjectives that would work, as well.

This show would mark quite possibly the very last performance of Bob Dylan's The Wicked Messenger. According to the not-updated-in-a-couple years The Jerry Site, about a month and a half earlier it debuted and here is the eighth and final time played. In light of new recordings and known setlist info, that might be incorrect and maybe there've been a few more... maybe not. In 2005, a Legion Of Mary compilation was released and on the Bonus Disc given out with advance orders, there's a really sweet sounding version. If not for that, no commercial release would have it. Oh, and the "advance order" disc is still available for anyone who wants to order it. Go, support the Jerry G. estate (just a little) and maybe they'll hook us up in the future with some more soundboard releases!

Back to this night in '75... man, this is so nice. I'm absolutely diggin' Martin Fierro on sax. Reminds me somewhat of Dave Ellis with Ratdog... or one should really say listening to Ellis is a reminder of Fierro. He keeps popping up here and there to take a solo for awhile... just as sweet sounding as Jerry and he really adds a nice jazz flavor to this. Ron Tutt on drums keeps in time with everybody so perfectly, never outdoing anyone, knowing just what sound to add. John Kahn, of course, lays down the perfect backbone to all this on bass. And then there's Merl who's takin' great solos just as Fierro and Jerry do; with that Hammond B-3 of his he helps make magic out of these songs. More wondering -- did Brent listen to tapes of LoM and get any of his inspiration from Merl? I wouldn't be surprised.

With over 2 hours and 45 minutes of music, this is quite a killer show. Almost every song is close to or more than 15 minutes long so there is a lot of room to jam. Leave Your Hat On was definitely my favorite with the almost 20 minute Little Sunflower right after it a close second fave. Those two back-to-back clock in at almost 40 minutes. Time and time again they dive right into jamland yet they always keep the basic rhythm of the song going, never getting lost, always ready to emerge from jamming at just the right place.

Three of the songs are instrumentals -- Jam #5, Day By Day, and Little Sunflower. That fact allows this show even more space to just play... and they do! Little Sunflower would have been so cool in a Grateful Dead setlist. I'm envisioning it out of Estimated -> into Drums... or out of Space -> into... hmmm... Not Fade Away, maybe. Drums-> Space-> Little Sunflower-> Not Fade Away-> Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad-> Touch Of Grey. Wow. Ohhhh man. Too bad, oh well, at least there are great amazing performances like this one to listen to!

San Francisco's oldest nightclub (101 years old in 2008,) the Great American Music Hall, had only a few people boogieing on this night. Only a few? Well, it has a capacity of only 600 and who knows if the theater was even filled all the way. To have been there must have been pure bliss.

Source: Bob Menke & Louis Falanga using
Sony ECM-250 & ECM-270 mics... upfront but not onstage
Audience Master Cassette > DAT > CD

Ain't digital grand?!
No pesky hissy cassette generations to muddy the sound!

Thanks, Bob & Louis!

Download The Show Right Here

5/15/75 Legion of Mary - Part One

Part Two - Legion of Mary 5/15/78

5/15/75 Legion of Mary - Part III

5-15-75 a.k.a. 5/15/75 a.k.a. 75-05-15 320 kbps mp3 download & setlist

Untitled Tuesday Run Above Zero with the Maniacs

Finally above 0 Fahrenheit! Yesterday afternoon the mercury slowly crept up to 1 and then it kept on moving, getting up there... all the way on up to a whopping 4° (-16 C.) First time above zero in how long now? Like 6 or 7, maybe even 8 days? Man, if anyone in the Lower 48 thinks they've had it bad this winter -- Yo, come see what we got and you'll be cryin' for mommy in no time!

I don't think we'll see such an intense stationary blanket of extreme cold again this year. It's not about to turn into Spring anytime soon, nope, no daisies popping up through the snow yet... but 4 degrees above zero almost feels like Spring compared to the nightly -35 to -45! At those temps, most people don't wanna do nothin'. Just stay inside and stay warm, plenty of time to work on plans for global domination and new ways to castigate the loonie liberals or other miscellaneous etc etc that you've been wanting to accomplish forever now. No leaving the house unless you absolutely must. But temps like yesterday afternoon and this morning, just so good to get out, to drive down the road, to get errands done, to enjoy again!

Running isn't exactly enjoyable but it's good for ya so that's where I went this morning. I oughta stick to running AFTER work 'cause gettin' up so early blows. But tonight I wanted to listen to and post up a Jerry show so off to the gym bright and early I was. Yay? Not so yay when I woke up but I feel great now!

Well, my shift starts soon so adios!

Tuesday Morning Run: 17 minutes 8 seconds

(+11) · indoors ·

I'm not sure exactly why I did it but I tacked on a huge amount of time to this morning's run. Tacked on meaning I arranged today's playlist to run 11 seconds longer than yesterday. That's fairly significant for me but no problem, for the most part.

Soon as I hit the track I was ready to go. Not a piece of cake run but not difficult either. Definitely an improvement over yesterday. Adding on so much time I don't think I'm gonna do much of... kinda planning on taking my time getting up to 18 minutes. These times of mine are still laughable for some people but for me they're mostly just fine. Better to go 17 minutes than 0!



Running tunes from
the album of the day...31 sec

10,000 Maniacs

Hope Chest:
The Fredonia Recordings
1982-1983

(released in 1990)


Planned Obsolescence
The Latin One
Katrina's Fair
Poor de Chirico
Grey Victory
National Education Week
Death of Manolete
Orange
Tention
Anthem For Doomed Youth
Daktari
Groove Dub
Pit Viper
My Mother The War

I have always loved the 10,000 Maniacs album from 1987 -- In My Tribe. This one had escaped me somehow. Never listened to it until just recently and again this morning. The tunes here, recorded way early on in the Maniacs existence back around Jamestown and Buffalo, New York, feel quite raw and not so managed in a studio by a highly successful producer. For my musical tastes, some of these songs completely blow away what's on In My Tribe. They have that early 1980's new wave "alternative" feel to them. In My Tribe kinda feels like a girls album, sort of, but tunes on Hope Chest have a darker feel and the reggae vibes on a couple of them make me dig the Maniacs in a whole different way. Cool collection that I'm definitely going dig listening to in the future.

10,000 Maniacs - Hope Chest @ 320 kbps
mp3 free rapidshare download

So long BRRRRRR. Hello brrrrrr.

Upon waking up this morning, I was pretty stoked to see that the deep-freeze that we've had for about the past week, it's pushed on outta here!!!!!

Finished my 24-hour shift last night at 9 p.m. -- went pretty much straight to sleep as soon as I walked in the front door of my house. Temperature: mid -30's.

This morning: -12° (-24 C) ... that's not that bad.

I've wanted to run over the past week... but a whole 'nother part of me said driving over to the university in those temps just for a 15-20 minute run at the gym -- not worth it. It would have been worth it but the extreme cold won.

Not today. When I walked into the garage, I think my Bronco was smiling at me because it's not as freakin' freezing as it has been. -20° and lower: it takes a moment or twelve to start and warm up even with the engine block heater workin' its magic. Not this morning. My truck was ready to go without much of a problem at all. Pretty sweet!

Monday Morning Run: 16 minutes 57 seconds

(+5)

I've had a playlist with today's run time in my mp3 player and ready to go for about a week now, ever since the day after my last run. I seriously can't remember when that was. Too long ago. Had there not been such an extreme length of time between runs, today's 16:57 would have been fairly easy. Unfortunately this morning, over the last 8 minutes or so, all I wanted to do was quit. I wanted the current song to end and then please, next song, get here fast! Just a sucky time... but I finished without quitting. Sittin' at home now, cleaned up and feelin' great!

Running tunes from
the album of the day...31 sec

Phil Vassar

American Child

2002









American Child
Forgettin's So Long
Time's Wastin'
I'm Already Gone
Athens Grease
Baby, You're Right
Ultimate Love
Stand Still
Someone You Love
Houston
I Thought I Never Would Forget
I'll Be The One

Hailing from Virginia, here's another piano player in the public eye. Unlike Bruce Hornsby (from Williamsburg,) Phil Vassar (from Lynchburg) went to Nashville to get his career off the ground.

This is his second studio album and it made him a star. Okay, he might not be in the realm of ultra-stardom like Kenny Chesney and Toby Keith, but when you can get singles on the country music chart, hey, that ain't bad. Vassar had a part in writing every song here. When it comes to commercially released country music in Nashville, that's kind of rare thing. So many performers, so few true artists. But Phil Vassar is a true artist and perhaps that's why he hasn't joined the best-selling ranks. Despite that (or because of that!) there are some good songs here with plenty of well-written lyrics; not a whole lot of cheesy schmaltz that often dominates commercial country albums in the 21st Century so far.

Unfortunately this isn't the re-release which has two extra tracks including a cover of the Huey Lewis "classic" Workin' For A Livin'. I wish I didn't find out that existed because now I'm kind of disappointed. Oh well... I'll get over it in a few seconds. Still, this is definitely a pretty good listen.

	dload 256kbps
Phil Vassar - American Child (2002)