Bob Marley & The Wailers - You Can't Blame the Youth (lyrics by Pete Tosh)
You can't blame the youth You can't fool the youth You can't blame the youth (Of today) You can't fool the youth
You teaching youths to learn in school That cow jump over moon You teaching youths to learn in school That the dish ran away with spoon,
So you can't blame the youth (When they don't learn) You can't fool the youth (Can't fool the youth) You can't blame the youth (Of today) You can't fool the youth
You teach the youth about Christopher Columbus And you said he was a very great man You teach the youth about Marco Polo And you said he was a very great man You teach the youth about the pirate Hawkins And you said he was a very great man You teach the youth about the pirate Morgan And you said he was a very great man
So you can't blame the youth of today You can't fool the youth You can't blame the youth You can't fool the youth
All these great men were doing Robbing, raping, kidnapping and killing So-called great men were doing Robbing, raping, kidnapping
So you can't blame the youth You can't fool the youth You can't blame the youth (none at all) You can't fool the youth
When every Christmas come You buy the youth a pretty toy gun When every Christmas come You buy the youth a fancy toy gun
So you can't blame the youth You can't fool the youth Y ou can't blame the youth You can't fool the youth
But what was hidden from the wise and prudent Is now revealed to the babes and the sucklings What was hidden from the wise and prudent Now revealed to the babes and sucking Lord call upon the youth Cause he know the youth is strong Jah Jah call upon the youths Cause he know the youth is strong
So you can't blame the youth You can't fool the youth You can't blame the youth (Save the children) You can't fool the youth
One of my favorite songs of all time is "Let Down".
You must've heard about Radiohead's break-the-mold distribution and sales model surrounding their new album "In Rainbows". Even though they made the entire album available for free, they still topped the charts when properly released in stores a few weeks thereafter. Link to story.
Sheeeeeet...."All I Need" just came onto my mp3 player. Wow.
Anyway, I was just saying to someone how it took me a few listens for the the album to click...and how the band is so much smarter than me, and me not being smart means it takes a while for it to make sense. But it's getting better and better everytime I listen to it. The evolution of the band is so organic and real and unpretentious and artistic.
On January 16, Radiohead played a free show in London at the small and intimate venue 93 Feet East. The tracklist is as follows:
5 Step Bodysnatchers Nude Weird Fishes/Arpeggi All I Need Faust Arp Reckoner House Of Cards Jigsaw Falling Into Place Videotape
Encore:
Up On The Ladder You And Whose Army? The National Anthem My Iron Lung The Bends
You can watch the entirety of the concert here. Thanks to eeiciap for uploading.
Finally, I have to post these two videos for posterity.
If you know me, you know I love my fucking rock'n'roll.
Here ya go:
Get your motor runnin' Head out on the highway Lookin' for adventure And whatever comes our way Yeah Darlin' go make it happen Take the world in a love embrace Fire all of your guns at once And explode into space I like smoke and lightning Heavy metal thunder Racin' with the wind And the feelin' that I'm under Yeah Darlin' go make it happen Take the world in a love embrace Fire all of your guns at once And explode into space Like a true nature's child We were born, born to be wild We can climb so high I never wanna die Born to be wild Born to be wild
Good news for us East Coasters - the people behind Coachella are bringing their jammy to Jersey City. Known as All Points West, it will be held at Liberty State Park in Jersey City on August 8 - 10. Hot. Even hotter is Radiohead is expected to headline two of the dates.
Read a review of The City of Violencehere. The review is pretty good and I'm pretty deaded right now so I'm feeling particularly lazy and I don't feel like going into how much I thought the movie rocked...but it does. It's ultra-violent (obviously), and it captures many Korean nuances very well. Hopefully you'll learn a few curse words as well.
Okay...so the really, really bad singers...don't they screen contestants before they get to audition in front of the triumvirate or is it just a matter of suspending belief? I'm overthinking it, aren't I? I guess I can look up the whole process...but I'm over it.
Some of the contestants could be really good singers with lessons, in my opinion. Then again, there are those that should never take lessons. Speaking of singers who never had to take lessons - I love Johnny Cash (I'll be writing more about Johnny Cash in the future, but from his website, the story goes "[In 1945] Mother Carrie sends J.R. to a vocal teacher, in which, after three lessons, his teacher tells him to never take another singing lesson and never change his natural voice.). Smart fucking teacher. And for the record, Johnny Cash is one of my American Idols.
So back to the stupid show...that kid who's got a fucking necklace key thing with his old man having the lock that fits the key...yeah. The funniest shit was him asking if they had any advice, and Randy-dog says, "Kiss some girls". STOOPS! It seems really contrived sometimes, but it had me laughing out loud.
Pia was really good. That kid with the fucking bag of nails was just aight. The chick who sang "Piece Of My Heart" got a sympathy vote. But I'm all for giving people who are borderline another shot, especially someone who's got a story like hers, but I doubt she'll go far. Kady Malloy was by far the highlight of the night. Great tone.
One song I truly dislike is "Living On A Prayer". The butchered version the kid sang was the only rendition of the song I actually ever liked. Ever.
The politician kid was "not as bad as I thought it would be". Straight up. I did not think he was a legitimate contestant but he could sing, and it's tough to tackle Freddie Mercury.
I find it genuinely funny when the contestants really thinks they're good, but they suck donkey balls. Seriously, don't they have anyone around them who is honest or who's not deaf? I know I can't fucking sing no matter how much I'd love to channel the inner Frank Sinatra in me...and I know as bloody well that my friends are going to tell me I stink so I ain't gonna front and try to go out for a singing competition, namean?
I'm already boring myself writing about this (but I'm fucking sucked into the show)...so yeah...nice red shoes, Randy.
Janis out!
(I know this ain't the greatest version, but if you find a better video of JJ performing this, hookitup.)
I find the show (at least the earlier episodes of the season) to be highlarious. I find Simon Cowell to be hilarious as well.
The most important aspect of the show is finding the best singer, yeah? Of the ones I saw, I thought Angela Martin and Kristy Lee Cook to be the best...and yeah, they're both very easy on the eyes...but first and foremost, they can sing.
It's good entertainment, though sometimes it's too contrived. I mean, how many times do they have to preview a clip, then show it, then recap it? Also, there's too much extraneous bullshit. The Willem Dafoe chick was highlarious...actressing. HAHA. But seriously...the 40 year old virgin dude? They really had to send a camera crew with him as he did that bullshit? Wouldn't I rather watch a really good audition instead? Yes. Yes, I would.
Anyway...it keeps my mind off of Kenya and the Congo and Iran and global warming and complacency and the upcoming presidential election and mad cow disease.
More often than not, I wake up with a song playing in my head. This morning, it was this:
Green Day - Walking Contradiction
Do as I say not as I do because The shit so deep you can't run away I beg to differ on the contrary I agree with every word that you say Talk is cheap and lies are expensive My wallet's fat and so is my head Hit and run and then I'll hit you again I'm a smartass but I'm playing dumb
Standards set and broken all the time Control the chaos behind a gun Call it as I see it even if I was born deaf, blind and dumb Losers winning big on the lottery Rehab rejects still sniffing glue Constant refutation with myself I'm victim of a catch 22
I have no belief But I believe I'm a walking contradiction And I ain't got no right
Do as I say not as I do because The shit so deep you can't run away I beg to differ on the contrary I agree with every word that you say Talk is cheap and lies are expensive My wallet's fat and so is my head Hit and run and then I'll hit you again I'm a smartass but I'm playing dumb
I have no belief But I believe I'm a walking contradiction And I ain't got no right
I have no belief But I believe I'm a walking contradiction And I ain't got no right
1) Boogie Down Productions - My Philosophy - Jive 2) The Chemical Brothers - Playground For A Wedgeless Firm - Caroline Records/Astralwerks 3) Nigo - March of the General (DJ Format Remix) - Mo Wax 4) Stanton Warriors - Pop Ya Virus - Punks Music 5) Quivver - Spittin Funk - BozBoz Records 6) Mo-Jo - Jump, Stomp and Twist (Blackjoy Re-dub) - Supra Records 7) Chris Lum - Zapped - Deep House Project 8) Tal M. Klein - Houston Brownwater Moccasins (B-Team Remix) - Aniligial Music 9) The Chemical Brothers - Morning Lemon - Astralwerks/Caroline 10) Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son - Fantasy Records 11) Snoop Dogg - Bathtub - Death Row Recordings 12) Daft Punk - Teachers - Daft Trax/Virgin Records 13) John Lennon - Instant Karma - Apple Records
Yeah...another piece that sucks the dick of Anthony Bourdain...but what can I say, I'm a fan. Here's a recent interview featured on avclub.com. The part that got me was this:
AVC: Has becoming a celebrity chef tempered your opinion of your fellow celebrity chefs? In the past, for example, you've said some things about Rachael Ray.
AB: Well, you know, she smartly maintains that she is not a chef. And I agree with her. Like, Emeril [Lagasse] is a chef because he came up through the restaurant system. He was the chef of actual restaurants, and he has a very respectable restaurant empire. I would question Julia Child, whose memory I admire enormously. By that definition, I don't think you could call her a chef. I just see her as a truly great human being, and a force for good in the world. Maybe when I'm harsh on Rachael Ray and Sandra Lee, it's because I think they compare poorly to Julia Child, who I really thought was an advocate for the forces of good and enlightenment. That said, recently I'm beginning to think that I'm just naïve about a lot of things. Why should I feel outraged or surprised that someone with millions and millions of dollars already would want to do something that I see as silly and degrading, like endorse Dunkin' Donuts? It's for the money! Of course it's for the money! Why can't I get that through my head, and why am I having such a problem doing that myself? I was sitting backstage a while back with two chefs whom I really admire—really accomplished chefs who are far more talented than I ever was in the kitchen—and they're talking about how Olive Garden is offering this, and this airline is offering that, and not even blinking. And I asked them "Come on, wouldn't you feel embarrassed if you woke up in the morning and looked in the mirror and saw the chef who endorses Olive Garden?" They looked at me like I was an idiot. And I'm beginning to think that it's just vanity that's kept me from selling out, and doing Imodium commercials or something. [Laughs.] I really don't know why I've avoided it. I'm beginning to think it's for less noble reasons than I have been telling myself.
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It got me thinking (and I'm in no position to even contemplate that I'll be paid to endorse products anytime soon...or anytime in the future really...i love guinness and i love jameson) about pride and one's own principles. Anyway, it's a pretty in-depth and personal interview with loads of insight so check it out if you're a fan.
I know I haven't gotten into why I'm a fan of Bourdain, but if you've read "Kitchen Confidential", you'll know where I'm coming from...especially because I have a predilection for general naughtiness and those that posses a certain 'savoir faire'.
If you don't know, he's got a show on The Travel Channel titled "No Reservations", which I fully support as well. The new season (his third) just kicked off last Monday. In the next episode airing on January 16, he'll be featuring the city of Berlin.
The past few posts have been about things I like. Well, to balance it out, here's something I really, really don't like.
"Shoot 'Em Up" directed by Michael Davis, starring Clive Owen, Monica Bellucci and Paul Giamatti, was the worst movie I saw in 2007. Quite frankly, it's one of the worst movies I have ever seen.
Now, I'm a fan of Clive Owens...and Bellucci is a fucking minx...and Giamatti is tolerable (he kind of reminds me of a not-cool Jon "Yeah! That's the ticket!" Lovitz)...but this fucking god-awful abomination of a motion picture should die. It's got a friggin sex scene with Bellucci, and they don't show her boobs! FAIL. The movie's not even the type of bad where it's so outrageously bad, it's actually good (I should drop some examples, but I'm drawing a blank.) It's just fucking bad. There's no bother in explaining the plot. It sucks and it's shitty retarded and the dialogue makes me wish I never learned English.
For reals, I can't roll with you if you actually like this movie. It's like saying you don't like "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder...there's just something not right about saying that.
Now it's got me thinking that people are going to want to watch it to see how really bad it is. Great. I just made the douchewads who made the movie a few dollars richer. Seriously...who the fuck actually greenlighted this piece of crapola? I'd like to meet them and lay 'em straight with a few of my ideas. For one, I sure as fuck know that there's gonna be titties in my movie. Fucking idiots.
Alright...now I'm reading up on some reviews on Rotton Tomatoes, and some people are writing that the point of the movie was to be campy and over-the-top (now there's a great movie). Am I the one who's missing something? How could I?? I have a sense of humor. I'm relatively smart. For reals, for reals?
Whatevers...that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
The Essential Mix is a weekly radio show broadcast on BBC Radio 1. It is singularly the greatest influence on my disc jockeying career. The summation of the internet, Napster and T1 connection coupled with a desire for music at the first university I attended culminated in my almost student-like devotion in listening to as many Essential Mixes as I possibly could.
The following is a recent Essential Mix done by Hot Chip, a British electro-pop band. It's quite eclectic in tracklisting, which I enjoy. It also features the narsty new Snoop Dogg single "Sexual Seduction" (which has another version titled as "Sexual Eruption").
To whet your appetite, I'll post the tracklist here, but to download the mix, follow the link above.
Tracklist
1. Hot Chip - One Pure Thought - EMI 2. Noze - You Have to Dance 3. Hot Chip - Ready For The Floor (Hot Chip remix) - EMI 4. Jill Scott - Golden (Wookie dub mix) 5. Grovesnor - Drive Your Car - Greco Roman 6. Chic - I Want Your Love (Todd Terje edit) 7. Justus Kohncke - Parage - Kompakt 8. Snoop Dogg - Sensual Seduction - Geffen 9. Romanthony - Bring U Up - Glasgow Underground 10. Timbaland - Drop - AV8 11. Olga Dancekowski - Matt John - BAR25 12. Matthew Dear - Don and Sherri (Hot Chip version) - Ghostly Int. 13. Lanark - Mandinko 14. Alex Under - ? - Trapez 15. Smith N Hack - Falling Stars 16. Undisputed Truth - Law Of The Land - EMI 17. Paul Kalkbrenner - Ick Muss Aus Dit Millieu Heraus - B-Pitch Control 18. Minilogue - Space - My Best Friend 19. Lucio Aquilina - Feelin Plastik - Trapez 20. Giorgio Preiozo and Libre - Pongo (extended) - Nets Work Int. 21. Minimow - Where Is My Pill? - Hell Yeah 22. The Surgery - More Weed (Sticky) - Social Circles 23. Red Robin and Jakob Hilden - Snapdragon - Trapez Limited 24. Tiefschwarz - Original (Carl Craig remix) - Souvenier 25. Jeff Samuel - I Think They Are Trying To Say Something - Trapez 26. Burial - Archangel - Hyperdub
Also, here's the video for "Sexual Seduction" which is the tits. Notice how he's using the vocoder, but when done right, it's on. Even if it's a played out tool, if it's done right, it's aight. Na mean?
Through John Peel, I discovered the song "Common People" by Pulp. It is a track on the full-length album "Different Class" (1995).
Some of you out there must've been like "What?!? You never heard that track until recently?" (The flipside is that hopefully I've turned on a few people to this song...or maybe reminded you of its existence and reintroduced it into your life at this moment in time.) I'll admit, I know nothing. But that is what keeps me going...discovering new bands, new songs, new food, new people, new feelings. In regards to music, that's what dj's do. They play other people's music (durrrr...hahaha). So any fucking way, I'm listening to John Peel's All-Time Festive Fifty (2000) (I will definitely be writing a lot about John Peel in the very near future, as he is my favorite disc jockey of all time) and this song just grabs me by the balls. I literally had in on repeat for at least an hour. I don't know why it struck such a chord with me, and invariably with thousands of other people. It might be something I may ponder over sometime later in the future, but as for now, all I know is that I love the song. And you know how when you love something...and then something else about it comes down the line and makes you love it even more? Well, that's like the performance of this song I found a few weeks after having discovered the song.
So read the lyrics I've copied below...then check out the video and see how the song's performed as opposed to how you envisioned it if you're reading the lyrics for the first time. Or, fuck that and just watch the fucking video and read along (edit: how the fuck are you going to watch the video and read the lyrics at the same time??). Or fuck it altogether and twist one out. In any case...the lyrics and video of "Common People" by Pulp:
She came from Greece, she had a thirst for knowledge She studied sculpture at St. Martin's College That's where I caught her eye
She told me that her dad was loaded I said, "In that case I'll have a rum and Coca Cola" She said "fine" And then in thirty seconds' time - she said: "I want to live like common people I want to do whatever common people do I want to sleep with common people I want to sleep with common people like you"
Well what else could I do? I said "I'll see what I can do"
I took her to a supermarket I don't know why, but I had to start it somewhere So it started there I said "Pretend you've got no money" She just laughed and said "Oh you're so funny" I said "Yeah? (heh) Well, I can't see anyone else smiling in here Are you sure? You want to live like common people You want to see whatever common people see You want to sleep with common people You want to sleep with common people like me"
But she didn't understand And she just smiled and held my hand
Rent a flat above a shop, cut your hair and get a job Smoke some fags and play some pool Pretend you never went to school But still you'll never get it right 'Cos when you're laid in bed at night watching roaches climb the wall If you called your dad he could stop it all, yeah
You'll never live like common people You'll never do what common people do You'll never fail like common people You'll never watch your life slide out of view and then dance and drink and screw because there's nothing else to do
Sing along with the common people Sing along and it might just get you through Laugh along with the common people Laugh along even though they're laughing at you and the stupid things that you do Because you think that poor is cool
Like a dog lying in the corner They will bite you and never warn you: look out They'll tear your insides out
'Cos everybody hates a tourist Especially one who thinks it's all such a laugh - yeah And the chip stains and grease will come out in the bath
You will never understand How it feels to live your life with no meaning or control and with nowhere left to go You are amazed that they exist And they burn so bright whilst you can only wonder why
Rent a flat above a shop Cut your hair and get a job Smoke some fags and play some pool Pretend you never went to school And still you'll never get it right 'Cos when you're laying in bed at night Watching roaches climb the wall If you called your dad he could stop it all, yeah
Never live like common people Never do what common people do Never fail like common people Never watch your life slide out of view And then dance and drink and screw Because there's nothing else to do
I wanna live with common people like you I wanna live with common people like you I wanna live with common people like you I wanna live with common people like you I wanna live with common people like you I wanna live with common people like you I wanna live with common people like you, la la la la Oh, la la la la Oh, la la la la Oh, la la la la lala Oh yeah
Now check this out:
...
Something about Jarvis Cocker's voice...the frailty...the quivering...the balls out. The 'uh' he throws in. The everything.
Tell me this performance is not hot. I dare you. (And there's a whole story about the set...about how they weren't even supposed to perform and they were filling in for another band (which escapes me right now))...and yeah...history is made.
To sum up, I've heard that Jarvis Cocker's last album is pretty nice (which I'm excited about to find and buy)...which gets me thinking about how much awesomeness is out there and how it gets me high knowing how much there is to consume and share and that is what's keeping me going...
"If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it 'Chuck Berry'." -- John Lennon
That about says it all...but allow me to continue for a moment.
I had the pleasure of hearing and seeing Mr. Chuck Berry in the flesh on December 30, 2007 at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in New York City's Times Square. I had been planning on going to see him perform at the Blueberry Hill in St. Louis for quite some time (almost a year), as he does a monthly Wednesday night there...but lo and behold, I found out he was going to be in the hood, so I immediately copped tickets for the jam.
It's always difficult for me to describe musical night outs, especially if it's amazing. For the record...this night was amazing. His one hour set consisted of about 75-80% blues, which was the sweetness. Oh yeah...I thought it was supposed to be rock'n'roll. Well...it was fucking rocking...and rolling...and for someone who's 81 years old and touring relentlessly...it was more than I could've asked for.
Yeah, it's a poor review of the night, but fuck reviewing it as I'm just inspired by it all. He was literally 50 feet away from me and I was hootin' and hollerin' and pumping my fist in the air for most of the time. I would look around incredulously, where you'd lock eyes with someone, and without saying a word, you know both of you were thinking, "Shit...I can't believe how awesome the world is right now". Fuck...I'm getting the chills just thinking about it again.
All I've got to say it to just make sure the next time he's in town, get tickets, go early, have a few drinks, and let the music rock you.
The year's 2008 --- it's time to lay it down straight.
This blog will be an outlet for me to communicate what exactly is going on in my neck of the woods.
I'd like to start it off with a list (and possibly explanations) of those that have influenced me...sort of like covering my ass for everything I'm about to do, because it's all about "protect(ing) ya neck". I'd like to give credit to where it's due...and things that I like (and even dislike) surely will influence my output.
As Daniel Boulud writes in "Letters to a Young Chef (Art of Mentoring)": In any art, to connect with the great chain of masters stretching back through history is both humbling and exhilarating." It also gives me a chance to drop some names that you may have never heard of and hopefully introduce you to some new things. Finally, it gives you an idea of where my brain is coming from...of what my sponge has retained.
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