Monday Morning Glory

In the previous installments of this Monday rambling, I've chosen lines that have been bouncing around in my head for years and years. But the thing about all of them is that their impression on me was instantaneous. It wasn't the passing of time that made them stand out. Their genius hit me in the moment. In that spirit, today I've decided to highlight a line that I encountered just yesterday. I read this metaphor yesterday and smiled at its brilliance :

A notebook is a caution against forgetting.

from The Haunting of Charles Dickens by Lewis Buzbee

As someone whose office is littered with scraps of paper and stacks of pocket notebooks and whose ipod Notes application gets frequent entries, I could really relate to this. There are times when I get a great idea after I've already gone to bed and wonder if it's worth turning the light back on for, thinking it'll still be there in the morning if it's worth remembering. I toss and turn and eventually realize I will never get any sleep if I don't write it down...because, well, a notebook is a caution against forgetting.

Weekend Music Roundup (LEGENDS Edition)

As a total music nerd, one of the things I love about the world of music is how it has its own legends, tales, myths and conquering heroes. Along with books and film, popular music is part of our modern mythology. As with any mythology, there are certain figures that tower over the rest and these become our legends. It's always a matter of taste as to which cults we choose to follow. For this, the last of my themed Weekend Roundups that I have planned, I picked newly acquired albums by some of the legends I believe in. Next weekend I will return to the usual hodgepodge of random sounds that has made up the list in the past. Until then, here's the summer semester's listening list for Music History (probably a three hundred level course).

Roky Erickson with Okkervil River - True Love Cast Out All Evil: One of my all time favorite rock figures, Roky Erickson returned to the studio for the first time in over a decade to make this album with one of my favorite current bands Okkervil River. This album consists mostly of songs that appear on the Roky Approved series a few years back, but all are rerecorded with new music by Okkervil River. This record is actually quite beautiful, but I would say it's probably more for aficionados of Roky's catalog. As always, Roky sounds as if channeling a past journey through Purgatory while Okkervil River creates swirling storms of sound. I saw them in concert two weeks ago with Roky and it definitely gave me a new appreciation for the album. As intense as Black Sabbath at moments; as soft as a campfire song at others. Again, quite beautiful.

Wu-Tang Clan - Return of the Wu: Another DJ Mathematics mix compilation of Wu rhymes with fresh beats that follows a flurry of mix tapes from the group recently. Living in NYC in the mid-to-late '90s, it was all Wu in the streets. Wu banging out the headphones as I walked down the avenues. Wu rattling the windows of my no-sunlight apartment. No one ever did hip hop like the Clan - either before or after. Though certainly not essential, any fan would not go wrong to pick this up. The rhymes are just as tight as they ever were and the beats definitely get them heads bobbing.

The Dead Weather - Sea of Cowards: Hands down, Jack White is the most important figure in music of the last decade in my opinion. Besides bringing back garage rock, guitar rock, blues riffs, and a whole host of great bands with him, he's also lead 3 bands to huge success. The Dead Weather is the newest, and this their second album, follows up last years debut with more blues rock numbers. Alison Mosshart (of the Kills) is in many ways the perfect partner for Jack White. She's like the female version of him vocally and they meet somewhere perfectly in the middle. I think this album is slightly better than the debut, which I also enjoyed. This one goes a little beyond the straightforward blues rock of the debut. It's harder, more experimental in parts and the results are something slightly more memorable. Great stuff.

Jimi Hendrix - Valleys of Neptune: The latest in a seemingly never-ending flood of releases from the vaults, this Hendrix album is, well, a Hendrix album. I'm certainly a fan of Jimi, however with such a short career, it's impossible to believe all the compilations that come out are worthwhile. This is a very solid set of songs and Jimi as always is electrifying, but how many times can I hear the same tunes. Honestly, I feel if there were Jimi recordings worth releasing, they would have been released long before now.

Buddy Holly - Down the Line Rarities: This two-disc compilation came out two years ago, and I've searched for it in every big record store since with no luck of finding it. Of course, I could have ordered it, but that's no fun. I finally found it in a small store Brooklyn last week and it was definitely treats. Over the last few years, I've been a Buddy Holly nutter of sorts. His songs are such simple works of genius. There are a bunch of undubbed gems on this collection. It only suffers from being too long with some unnecessary false-start tracks. Still great for fans who want to hear some of the earliest recordings.

Neil Young and Crazy Horse - Music Hall, Cincinnati Feb. 25th 1970: This double album bootleg concert is pretty awesome. The thing about Neil concert bootlegs is that it doesn't matter how many you've heard, there's always something that makes them worthwhile. He's the kind of performer that brings his current state into every song. Half acoustic, half electric, this is great set with some unforgettable songs. Versions of "Broken Arrow", "Everybody Knows this is Nowhere" and "Down by the River" are musts.

Brenda Lee - All the Way: Yet another early Brenda Lee album that I recently picked up on vinyl at a flea market and it turns out to be audio gold. As with Buddy Holly, Brenda was on the Decca label and in many ways, I think the two of them are very similar. Their songs are crafted in the same simple short bursts of genius. I know I keep bringing her albums up on here, that's not only because she's one of my favorites, but I feel she deserves a wider appreciation from music fans of today. "Dum Dum" is on this album and is one of my favorite Brenda songs.

Fleetwood Mac - The Original Fleetwood Mac: Now I have a rule when it comes to this band and that is, No Peter Green=Be Wary. This original Peter Green led line-up consisted of figures that had been around on the British Blues scene of the '60s and they played that sound. I picked up this collection on vinyl thinking there would be some interesting tracks and ended up being pretty blown away. Easily one of the best British Blues albums I've heard (and I've heard tons). Highly recommended.

Jethro Tull - Minstrel in the Gallery: This 1975 album follows two weaker ones, in my opinion. After the first five albums (This Was, Stand Up, Benefit, Aqualung, and Thick as a Brick) which might be the best 5 album stretch of any band ever, Tull did two lesser albums before returning, if not to the top of their game, at least to a level expected from those first five masterpieces. Minstrel in many ways is a slightly lesser Aqualung or Thick as a Brick, following the sort of blueprint set out by those albums. Though not the genius of those two, this is a very solid album and I highly recommend including it in any Jethro Tull collection.

Black Sabbath - Paranoid: Easily considered the best of the original line-ups releases, with classics such as "War Pigs", "Iron Man", "Fairies Wear Boots" and the title track. I never owned this album before because I had the hits collection We Sold Our Souls for Rock 'N Roll (possibly the best greatest hits collection ever). But the lesser known songs on here also rock hard. "Electric Funeral" "Rat Salad" etc, etc. Pure mayhem from 1970...a must own.

Can I Tell The Story...Please!

One question I sometimes have to answer before I write is one about whose story it actually is that I'm about to tell. There are times of course where this question doesn't come up. Sometimes it's obvious to me from the first spark of the idea who is going to tell the story. But other times, when I have an idea for a great story instead of a character, I have to figure out who is going to be telling that story.

This is another one of those pesky writing puzzles that has an impact on so many aspects of the story. WHO tells the story leads to questions of whether the story should be told in first person or third person, past tense or present tense, intimate or observatory, etc. etc. As with any choice you make, there are benefits and pitfalls to each option. I think one of the keys to successfully writing (and completing) a story is knowing the answers to these questions before hand. A little time spent thinking through these options before setting out to write can save the writer a ton of frustration throughout the process.

I'm currently going through this process with two story ideas of mine. At times it can be like riding a never-ending roller coaster where each turn winds its way back to a past loop. But that's okay. In my opinion, it is in these stages where the writer really gets to enjoy his or her story and have fun with it.

As with editing, I believe most young writers don't realize that thinking is another huge part of the writing process. The actual writing is just one step. To be able to present the story you set out to tell, you must be able to shape your writing by knowing how to manipulate it.

A Wandering Mind

Having an active imagination and being able to channel a wide-range of voices is not a talent only for Psychic Readers on the first floor walk-ups of Pre-War buildings throughout in NYC, it's also what keeps us writers in business. Unless of course you're the type of writer who fashions themselves after Hunter S. Thompson, spouting your observations like a deranged Issac Newton, you need to keep dipping your feet in the flow of stories that spins through the cosmos of the collective human conscious. However, doing this can be a dangerous swim if you don't remember to tether yourself firmly.

One of these dangers is the age old and ever-true proverb that the grass is always greener on the other side. Often for me, I will be mucking about in the waters of a story and suddenly there's the sound of happy noisy splashing off in the distance. I recognize the sound. It's the call of another story, a completely different one than what I'm slaving away on and boy, oh boy, does it ever sound fun. It always sounds a lot more fun than what I'm currently doing, because it's easy to convince myself that somehow that other story isn't work. This is where that tied lifeline comes in handy - if I wander away, it yanks me right back.

Experience has taught me to ignore this Siren's call. I've learned that it's not automatically the the song of some sweeter story. Usually, it's a simple case of laziness steering me away from the real nuts and bolts of the craft. An intense amount of discipline is required in order to be an "author" because an author is a person who writes when they may not feel like it. This is one of the hardest things to master about being a professional writer in my opinion. I also believe it's one of the main obstacles that derails many young writers. You have to stay focused and determined.

I no longer follow the allure of the next story like I did when I was 18 or 20 or even 22. Now, I sneakily listen and steal notes from it, but don't dive in. The rare exception is when the story I'm currently working on has reached the point where I'm convinced it's utter crap and I have to cut that lifeline or drown. But as long as I still believe in the idea, the characters, and the basic intent of the story, I finish it first. That other story isn't going anywhere. It'll be there waiting for me. And more than likely, as I get into it, I'll hear that noise again...but I'm prepared for it.

The Great Rabbit Wars Pt. 21

Internal Rodent Army Memo 003 (access previous Communications)

(Confiscated in Raid on Outer Warrens during Second Human Offensive)

-----(Date Classified)----

The following release is approved by the Propaganda Ministry for immediate use in the education of all Human Rabbit Childs. This is to become the history of their race:

The Creation of Me

Once upon a time, there were only rabbits living in the Great Warrens. Rabbits lived peacefully and happily, telling stories and sharing food with other creatures of our world. The rabbits had everything, but they were very lonely. They were the only animals who could speak and therefore, they couldn't share their stories with the others. It made many of the rabbits sad.

One rabbit was especially sad because none of the other rabbits wanted to hear his stories. With no one to share them, he left the Great Warren in search of a friend. He wandered day and night but found no creature to talk to, so he spoke only to the moon. The moon very much enjoyed his stories, but was unable to share any of her own. Then one day during his journey, the moon did not show up. The rabbit was very sad and upset as he dug his hole for the night. When he awoke in the morning, he was amazed to discover a rather large egg beside him. It seemed as large as the moon to him and he was sure it was indeed his friend come to visit.

This rabbit took his friend back to the Great Warren. The other rabbits were also amazed. They all spent many hours with the egg. Then one day, to every rabbits' surprise, it hatched. However, inside there weren't rabbits but instead they found a dozen small children. The rabbits had never seen such strange creatures before with funny arms and legs and no fur. Many wanted to throw them out of the warren, but the one rabbit stood by them and cared for them as if they were his own. Soon, they learned to talk and he told them his stories. They loved his stories so much that the other rabbits grew to accept them. They made each of them a set of rabbit ears to wear so that they would better fit in. From that time on, the moon has delivered Rabbit Childs to the warren once a month where they live happily with the superior rabbits who care for them. But not ever child is nice and good. Every once in a while, an egg hatches too early. These Rabbit Childs are mean and nasty. Their mother, the moon, begs the rabbits to destroy these brutes for her and the rabbits do their best to oblige.

All rabbits are hereby commanded to use this story to answer any and all of the human childs' pesky questions about where they come from. Fival will embed this story into each and every one during the course of their turning. However, it is very important that they memorize it and repeat it every morning. This is what Nippon commands.

Long Live Nippon! Long Live the Great Society!

Monday Morning Glory

This week, I want to share a line that has been stuck with me for fourteen years. For over a year, The Verve's Northern Soul album felt like the soundtrack to my life. The words and music completely captured the way I felt, living in a small apartment on St. Mark's Place in New York City, my body filled with substances and my mind filled with make-believe. There are many, many lines in that album that I could pick out, but there is one in particular that my mind always returns to. It comes from the song "Life's An Ocean" and it goes like this:

-Imagine the future, woke up with a scream

I was buying some feelings from a vending machine-

Richard Ashcroft

What a horrifying, yet believable image even in the mid '90s. It is even more believable today in a world where so many emotions are controlled by prescription. In a more metaphorical sense, we can download applications designed for momentary enjoyment and our serotonin levels are constantly jumping with each new posted comment or text that comes into our world. We are sort of living that future now and forever marching forward.

As with the previous two lines, this one was integral to the development of one of the main characters in my new novel. He views the world through the same lens as one who might write that line. Another bit of trivia, the lines that follow these in the song make up the quote in the beginning of my novel Perfect World.

-There's something inside of me

Crying out for something else

And if someone hears this scream

Put it in a letter to me-

Richard Ashcroft

As I said, this album played a huge part in my life in the years where I was really finding out who I was artistically. If you don't own it, I highly recommend you do. It is still one of ten favorite albums of all time.

Weekend Music Roundup (A Little Bit Country, A Little Bit Rock N Roll)

There's something about sweltering early summer days that makes me want to listen to something with a little twang in it. I'm not talking about that horrible garbage that pollutes the airwaves which popular culture calls "country" music when really it's just corporate radio rock packaged in a cowboy hat and some over-the-top wholesome American patriotism. That ain't country music folks...it's crap. Country music is kind of the opposite of that sound. Country music is raw and sorrowful and full of keen observations on culture. Now, I will confess to liking my country to be of the folk, roots rock, or y'alternative variety. If you do too, here's some great stuff I've been listening to of late.

Wilco - Wilco (The Album): This was the one remaining album from last year that I'd been dying to hear. I purchased it this week on vinyl ($22 but came with the album on CD as well...considering the CD alone sells for $18, that's a crazy deal). If nothing else, Wilco is consistent. This feels almost like a mirror album to their last, Sky Blue Sky. In my opinion, that's a good thing. Jeff Tweedy has an amazing voice and writes great heartfelt songs. Just solidly good music.

Carl Perkins - On Top: This 1969 album was a comeback album of sorts for one of the original rock pioneers. Like Elvis's Vegas concert or Cash's comeback, Carl comes out hard edged on this album. With tracks written by Bob Dylan and others, this is quite a good album. It doesn't sound like someone trying regain past glory, but rather someone who still has something to say from a wiser point of view.

Turner Cody - Great Migration: This is the second Turner album I picked up, after loving The Cody Choir. This wasn't quite as good, but still exceptional. He plays this kind of roots folk that is a hodgepodge of bluegrass, country, and indie rock. The result is a great back-beat and smart lyrics. I could see some people not really caring for his voice, but personally I enjoy it.

Eugene McDaniels - Outlaw: More psychedelic soul than country, but given its uprising feel, it sort of fits here in spirit. Personally, I didn't love this album but many people do. I will say that the charged atmosphere of this 1970 album did appeal to me and the music grooves for sure. Overall though, it just fell a little short. It's like a Dylan album on speed, and that doesn't quite work.

Eleventh Dream Day - Wayne: I picked up this 1988 EP yesterday on vinyl and was pretty psyched for it. I really love this bands debut Prairie School Freak Out (from the same year). This band for me is one of the earliest reinterpretations of Neil Young into something heavier. It's bands like Eleventh Dream Day that earned Neil his title as the Grandfather of Grunge. Though they definitely refer back to Neil (there's even a cover on here), they aren't simply reproducing his sound. Their songs are heavier and dirtier and really reflect a much under represented aspect of American life in the '80s.

The Jayhawks - The Jayhawks: This 1986 debut was reissued for the first time this past week and I quickly snatched it up on new vinyl. I read a review that said this album is before they found their sound and that they are basically a Gram Parson's tribute act here. I can't really argue with that, but personally, I think there should be more Gram tribute acts. A very enjoyable listen and interesting to see where a band begins and where they go on their journey.

Cat Power - You Are Free: For whatever reason, I skipped this album when it came out in 2003, despite having all previous and later releases. I guess at the time I was still into the others I had and there were other more pressing buys. That was a mistake. This is a real gem. Certainly there is a level of a Cat Power album being a Cat Power album, but this one is on the melancholy side, where I think her voice works best. A very powerful record of slowcore folk perfect for starting your day along with a hot cup of coffee before the sun spoils the afternoon with its oppressive heat.

Songs: Ohia - Protection Spells: As regular readers of the Round Up know, I love everything Jason Molina does. This is one of the few releases I hadn't yet had and picked it up recently. As with nearly all Songs: Ohia or Magnolia Electric Co. releases, it's pretty stellar. Whereas Eleventh Dream Day are Neil Young ramped up, Molina is Neil slowed down to its most fragile and beautiful. You can't go wrong with any of his albums.

Arlo Guthrie - Washington County/ Arlo Guthrie - Hobo's Lullaby: This past week, I gave both of these albums a shot, having never listened to any Arlo before but knowing a lot about him. These are both very much Bob Dylan disciple records (which makes sense since, in his early days, Bob was a disciple of Arlo's father Woody), but both are well-done examples of it. There's some great songs on both. "City of New Orleans" on Hobo's Lullaby is fantastic even if the song has been butchered by John Denver. Though all-in-all, I have to say I preferred Washington County for its more folky feel. Fans of Dylan would be hard-pressed not enjoy either of these records.