It seems that all anyone ever talks about now are the protests. And the media's having a field day-they love this kind of stuff-the reporters get to drive all over the country on the company's dime, drinking cheap booze while staying at one star roach motels. I don't know about you but I call that a vacation!
These protests remind me an awful lot of what they had kicking around this country in the late '60s and early '70s-the Vietnam years(cue in Hendrix's All Along The Watchtower). There must be a cycle to these things: An extended period of prosperity followed by a brief interlude of restlessness and then capped off by the inevitable chaos-the protests!
I read an article a while back-a retrospective on a handful of New York artists-and the interviewer asked the artist his thoughts on city life. His answer was a revelation; he said he felt "Lost in America." The constant hustle and bustle, the endless police sirens-the noise was a bit overbearing.
I can relate to that sentiment-it's easy to get lost in the crowd, especially if you live in a Megalopolis such as New York. Moving to the big city especially if you've lived in a small town all of your life can be a Culture Shock of sorts.
The Beat Generation poets had the right idea-Alan Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs. These guys looked both inward and outward-they revelled in their artistic abilities and they had no qualms about ruffling a few feathers along the way. And they travelled extensively-they must've seen the whole country at least half a dozen times.
Road trips have always been cool. In times of chaos and confusion it's always a good idea to take an extended road trip just to see what's out there, if nothing else. After the Beat Generation this country was almost ready for Vietnam.
How does this all tie into music? The perpetual misery and rancor that hangs over this country like a dark cloud can be channeled into our music and thus infuse it with a certain timeless quality. Unfortunately, nothing creates great music like oppression and abject poverty. That's why we all love blues music-it has that magic ingredient that puts a little sting into those E7 chords. It's just like that.
Success is the kiss of death for musical inspiration-just look at what happened to Jimmy Page, for example. He attained demi-god status and then he created ...The Firm? Really? Why would you inflict that on the public? That's why it's good to have occasional failures-excessive hubris is never a good thing. That's why Willie Nelson's still going strong.
In other news, the frenzied pace continues and I am currently working my way through CCR's Proud Mary and The Church's Under the Milky Way. I'll never forget my introduction to The Church-my old pal brought over their just-released classic Starfish and I, quite frankly, didn't know what to make of it. At the time I was enjoying the typical dirthead metal bands like everyone else and I didn't know what to make of this band where the singer seemed to whisper and/or mumble the vocals. After repeated listenings I gradually came to appreciate the sheer brilliance and uniqueness of The Church. They remain one of my all-time favorite bands.
P.S.: I guess things have continued to get worse in 2014. Yay!!!
These protests remind me an awful lot of what they had kicking around this country in the late '60s and early '70s-the Vietnam years(cue in Hendrix's All Along The Watchtower). There must be a cycle to these things: An extended period of prosperity followed by a brief interlude of restlessness and then capped off by the inevitable chaos-the protests!
I read an article a while back-a retrospective on a handful of New York artists-and the interviewer asked the artist his thoughts on city life. His answer was a revelation; he said he felt "Lost in America." The constant hustle and bustle, the endless police sirens-the noise was a bit overbearing.
I can relate to that sentiment-it's easy to get lost in the crowd, especially if you live in a Megalopolis such as New York. Moving to the big city especially if you've lived in a small town all of your life can be a Culture Shock of sorts.
The Beat Generation poets had the right idea-Alan Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs. These guys looked both inward and outward-they revelled in their artistic abilities and they had no qualms about ruffling a few feathers along the way. And they travelled extensively-they must've seen the whole country at least half a dozen times.
Road trips have always been cool. In times of chaos and confusion it's always a good idea to take an extended road trip just to see what's out there, if nothing else. After the Beat Generation this country was almost ready for Vietnam.
How does this all tie into music? The perpetual misery and rancor that hangs over this country like a dark cloud can be channeled into our music and thus infuse it with a certain timeless quality. Unfortunately, nothing creates great music like oppression and abject poverty. That's why we all love blues music-it has that magic ingredient that puts a little sting into those E7 chords. It's just like that.
Success is the kiss of death for musical inspiration-just look at what happened to Jimmy Page, for example. He attained demi-god status and then he created ...The Firm? Really? Why would you inflict that on the public? That's why it's good to have occasional failures-excessive hubris is never a good thing. That's why Willie Nelson's still going strong.
In other news, the frenzied pace continues and I am currently working my way through CCR's Proud Mary and The Church's Under the Milky Way. I'll never forget my introduction to The Church-my old pal brought over their just-released classic Starfish and I, quite frankly, didn't know what to make of it. At the time I was enjoying the typical dirthead metal bands like everyone else and I didn't know what to make of this band where the singer seemed to whisper and/or mumble the vocals. After repeated listenings I gradually came to appreciate the sheer brilliance and uniqueness of The Church. They remain one of my all-time favorite bands.
P.S.: I guess things have continued to get worse in 2014. Yay!!!
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