100 Years

One hundred years ago tonight the RMS Titanic sank two and a half miles to the bottom of the North Atlantic. Why has this tragedy fascinated us for so long? There have been other shipwrecks, but none have captured the imagination like The Titanic. I am guilty too, I will usually stop and watch if one of the myriad of Titanic documentaries is on the Nat Geo channel. I will tell you about a funny one in a minute.

The Titanic is so interesting because it was the perfect combination of many elements. It was the largest ship in the world at the time. It was state of the art, the culmination of Gilded Age progress. It was proudly promoted as “unsinkable,” daring to defy Mother Nature and God themselves. After all of this dizzying progress through the Industrial Revolution and ruthless Gilded Age capitalism (I know the ship was British, but close enough), had mankind finally overcome chance and nature’s whim? Had we become true masters of our own destiny? The luxury was unprecedented, you had the distinct class differences onboard, which was a real factor in determining who would survive and who would not. So, technology, class, hubris…all elements for some great drama. And it was the maiden voyage. I doubt we would be so interested if this had happened on her 23rd voyage across the Atlantic. It also marked the end of an era. The Imperialist Era was about to reach a stage where there were going to be consequences for the Imperialist powers, and the embers of the Gilded Age were dying out. 1912 was only two years before the world erupted into the chaos and slaughter of World War I. Titanic sank on the precipice of the Modern Age. I think it is all of these things, plus the real drama of the stories, both of the survivors and the dead. Stories of heroes and cowards at the inadequate lifeboats.

Have you seen the James Cameron documentary they’ve been showing on Nat Geo this week, I forget the exact title, but something along the lines of “James Cameron’s Last Word on the Titanic”? It is genuinely interesting and well done, but what is so funny is what an egotistical ass Cameron is throughout. He assembles about a dozen experts on Titanic, from historians to naval engineers, and sits them down in a conference in order to definitively determine exactly how Titanic broke up and sank. Now, Cameron really is an expert. He has personally gone to the wreckage about a dozen times, and hearing him talk he does sound like an engineer. But still. I would say 80% of the time Cameron is talking, and whenever one of his experts tries to speak up and offer theories or ideas, Cameron interrupts him and either co-opts the idea making it sound like his own or he dismisses the idea and then launches into one of his own. It is like he gathered them all together so they could listen to his theories, vs. having a real conference of equals. One expert ruefully comments at one point, "Jim (Cameron) will listen to other ideas, but you better have all of your facts in a row, dancing in perfect rhythm" (or close to that, but it was funny). Like I said, the doc is interesting, but I enjoyed even more watching Cameron's ego overwhelm a room full of experts he had assembled ostensibly to exchange ideas.

Oh, BONUS anniversary. Not only did the Titanic sink 100 years ago tonight, but 47 years earlier than that tonight Lincoln was shot.

Dez's Five Star Albums: the M's, Pt. 1

The M's are a bit lengthy, so I need to split them into two posts. I'm really having a blast writing these up and rediscovering so many of these great records. I was hoping for a bit more discussion, though. JMW said it was tough to comment due to the subjectivity of the list. But I don't mind. Disagree, agree, tell me why you don't like a selection or why you also love it. Part of why the listmaking process is fun is the discussion that the list can foster. And with the death of the album, this is really like a preservation project. Anyway, more great five star records...

Baaba Maal – Firin’ in Fouta (1994): Senegal’s great pop singer Baaba Maal’s finest record bursts open with dance grooves and singalong choruses (even though I don’t understand most of what he is singing about), there’re also supposedly some politically charged lyrics too.

Madness – Madness Presents…The Rise & Fall (1982): A blip on the one hit wonder radar in the States, but one of the biggest selling bands in British history; Madness expands their sound from their ska roots to incorporate jazz and pop elements on this concept album that was favorably compared to The Kinks’s Village Green Preservation Society at the time (at least thematically), which in English circles is high praise indeed.

Mahavishnu Orchestra - The Inner Mounting Flame (1971): John McLaughlin and co. make a fusion record that combines the chops of jazz improvisation with the drive and beat of rock and roll, it is full speed and intense from start to finish.

Dave Matthews Band – Under the Table and Dreaming (1994): I have had no desire to listen to DMB for many years, but the fact remains that when they hit the scene in the 1990’s, they had a unique sound and the musicianship in the band (especially Matthews’s guitar playing and Carter Beauford’s drumming) is quite impressive.

MC5 – Kick Out the Jams (live) (1969): Forget the dated politics, is anything more rock and roll than the title track, which starts with the immortal command to “kick out the jams, mother*ckers!” and then proceeds to live up to the opening with brutal, nearly Neanderthal rock and roll?

James McMurtry – Where’d You Hide the Body (1995): Great writing must be in the genes, the son of author Larry McMurtry has carved out a respectable career as a Texas-based songwriter, and this is his most compelling record.

John Mellencamp – The Lonesome Jubilee (1987): Where Mellencamp finally forged his own sound and found his own rural/working class voice, breaking away from the “second-rate Springsteen” tag that had dogged him up to this point.

Men At Work – Business As Usual (1981): The first album (outside of KISS) that I ever really got into, it still holds up as a wonderful 80’s pop record featuring Colin Hay’s stellar and quirky vocals.

Mermen – A Glorious Lethal Euphoria (1995): Taking the surf music template and then obliterating the rules, Jim Thomas and his band create a thrilling blend of surf, psychedelia and Crazy Horse.

Mermen – The Amazing California Health and Happiness Road Show (2000): The creative peak of one of the most eclectic, melodic and creative instrumental groups of the last several decades; this is epic stuff here.

Metallica – Master of Puppets (1986): In the running for the definitive heavy metal album of all time, this is Metallica before they were tamed.

Charles Mingus – Mingus Ah Um (1959): A difficult and complicated artist in a musical genre (jazz) that is full of complicated cats, Mingus’s biggest triumph is also his most accessible and catchy, featuring such wonderful jazz/soul fusions as “Better Git It In Your Soul” and the lovely “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” (a tribute to Lester Young), but it really excels with the musical portraits like “Open Letter to Duke” (Ellington), “Bird Calls” (Charlie Parker), “Jelly Roll” (Jelly Roll Morton) and the wicked, savage takedown of segregationist Arkansas governor Orval Faubus, “Fables of Faubus.”


ABOVE: I am probably more familiar with Men At Work's debut album than any other record I own. It was given to me in 1982 or '83 as a birthday gift from a friend (along with Duran Duran's debut), and I fell instantly in love with it. Other than my KISS records in the late 70's, those two were the first rock/pop records I ever owned. (My first 45 single, by the way, was "Our House" by Madness, from the Madness record listed above.) I can still listen to the Men At Work album all the way through today and love it just as much.

Because It's Axl

It really had to happen this way, didn’t it? When dealing with Axl Rose, you almost expect something like this. As most of you know, Guns ‘n Roses will be one of the inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this Saturday night in Cleveland. Ever since their induction was announced last year, speculation has run rampant as to whether the original line-up would reunite for a performance at the ceremony. It is true that Axl is on tour with “Guns ‘n Roses,” his current 37 or so member line-up. But still, for the Rockhall, maybe he and Slash could bury the hatchet for a night and celebrate their accomplishments.

Once the often conflicting statements from the original members started flying and all of the dirt started to resurface, hopes of a reunion dimmed. The most one could hope for now was that they would at least stand next to each other at the podium. Afterall, Axl has participated before, giving the induction speech for Elton John.
But no. Axl fired off a lengthy letter to the Rock Hall, not only declining to attend, but specifically asking that he not be included as an inductee. This is a first. There have been no-shows before, like Van Morrison, Peter Gabriel (for Genesis), most of Van Halen (David Lee Roth refused to show when he could not agree with Velvet Revolver, Slash’s band, on which Van Halen tunes to play at the ceremony), and most notoriously the Sex Pistols, who sent a funny letter (calling the Rockhall a “piss stain”) that was read from the podium by Jann Wenner. But Axl is the first inductee to specifically request that he NOT be inducted. He states: “I strongly request that I not be inducted in absentia and please know that no one is authorized nor may anyone be permitted to accept any induction for me or speak on my behalf.” First of all, I am surprised that he knows the word “in absentia.” Secondly, what a little brat.

Undeterred, the Rockhall has responded that they regret Axl will not be present to accept his induction, so it appears he will be inducted against his will. The full text of the letter, in which he lays out his reasons, which mainly can be boiled down to the fact that he hates the former members of Guns ‘n Roses and they have done him wrong recently with all of their statements to the media and he feels his current line-up should also be inducted, can be read here. It is a link to the FutureRockLegends site, with the text of the letter and their usual excellent analysis.

My take is this. Axl has every right to do what he wishes with his legacy. He can burnish it to a fine sparkling finish or he can take a whiz on it (actually, the latter may be truer to the spirit of Rock and Roll anyway. I read one article about this controversy that supports Axl, saying he is the last real rock star). But this is bigger than just Axl, bigger than just Guns ‘n Roses. When you are honored in such a way, in a way that means a lot to the fans and people who helped get you there, you show up and accept the honor. You don’t have to play music with the guys again, but you can stand up there for a couple of awkward minutes, say “thanks,” pick up your statue and then gracefully leave. It is a moment, a night, to look back on what you accomplished and how what you did effected the history of this great music. Stand up and take your place, it is as much about honoring all of those already inducted as it is yourself, honoring the whole picture. This music gave you this life that you have now. Where the hell would Axl Rose be today if not for rock and roll? He does praise and congratulate his fellow inductees, and he even awkwardly ends the letter by thanking the fans and Rockhall for the honor, even though he has just finished rejecting it. Your actions speak louder than your words do, bud. He will never admit it, but I bet down the road, when tempers have cooled, he will look back on this as a lost opportunity to celebrate what he accomplished.

Happy Easter

Dez's 5 Star Albums: The L's

One of the fun things about doing this list is that I have revisited many records that I had either forgotten about or had not originally given enough attention. As I was going through the “L’s,” I decided that I needed to revisit some of John Lennon’s solo work. All of the Beatles’s solo careers were somewhat disappointing. On a recent trip to Las Vegas with some friends who are also music fans, we got into a spirited debate regarding Lennon vs. McCartney, and some of the most contentious discussion came in considering their post-Beatles careers. I primarily wanted to revisit Imagine, but my initial feelings were confirmed, the weaker tracks hold it back from five star status. The pleasant surprise however was Plastic Ono Band, Lennon’s first real solo record (if you don’t count his avant-garde releases with Yoko). This record is viewed as a raw masterpiece in many circles, but it had never hit home with me. I decided to give it another shot in considering the "L’s," and I finally got it and connected with what he was doing. I’ve listened to it about three times through today.

Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin (1969): The blues are turbocharged and made heavier than ever on Zep’s explosive debut.

Led Zeppelin – untitled (aka “IV”) (1971): Ground Zero for classic rock fans, this record is the monolith.

Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy (1973): My personal favorite Zeppelin record, it is their loosest and most eclectic, with “Over the Hills and Far Away” standing as a brilliant folk/metal hybrid.

Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti (1975): Most double albums sprawl and need trimming, but the sprawl here is PG's charm.

John Lennon – Plastic Ono Band (1970): That an artist as huge as John Lennon would release a record so raw, honest, open and emotional is so rare.

Ramsey Lewis Trio – The ‘In’ Crowd (live) (1965): My Dad’s favorite jazz record and for good reason; the trio locks into a groove that is as much R&B as it is jazz on the first track and they don’t let up until the end on this boisterous club date.

Los Lobos – By the Light of the Moon (1987): The Lobos's attempt at heart on the sleeve Americana a la Springsteen or Mellencamp, but with a distinct Southwestern Hispanic bent to it.

Los Lobos – Kiko (1992): Absolutely brilliant and experimental, where every chance taken pays off.

Love – Forever Changes (1967): Nothing from the era sounds quite like this, a mysterious acoustic-based masterpiece with psychedelic touches throughout.

Lynyrd Skynyrd – Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd (1973): Helpfully titled debut from Southern Rock giants is already assured and packed with killer tracks, they are as adept at heartbreaking country-tinged epics (“Tuesday’s Gone,” “Simple Man”) as they are boisterous (and often humorous) rockers (“Gimme Three Steps,” “I Ain’t the One”), and it closes with the ultimate cigarette lighter anthem, “Freebird.”


ABOVE: As brilliant as Led Zeppelin was, there is one dark stain on their legacy. On their first two records, they covered and borrowed heavily from certain blues artists such as Willie Dixon, Howlin' Wolf and Sonny Boy Williamson. Originally, they did not credit the blues writers. After lawsuits from Dixon and Wolf's heirs, it was somewhat rectified, changing the credits on subsequent pressings of the albums and settling on a percentage of royalties. This is particularly shameful since these blues masters were generally screwed out of royalties based on unconscionable contractual provisions with their own record companies, so later generations of musicians who were clearly influenced by them should not have engaged in the same practices.

Dez's 5 Star Albums: the K's

I'm a fan of the streak. Be it sports or music, a sustained period of excellence always impresses. The Kinks had a hell of a streak starting in the mid-60's to 1970. The four records by them listed below were there, and one more that is just as respected (Something Else By the Kinks).

Israel Kamakawiwo’ole – Facing Future (1993): Known to most listeners for his lovely and ubiquitous ukulele cover of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What A Wonderful World,” the biggest selling record in Hawaiian music history offers much more from the gentle giant of Hawaii.

Robert Earl Keen – Gringo Honeymoon (1994): Keen’s eye for storytelling detail shines on his most beloved studio release, a record that captures the unique attitudes and feel for Central/South Texas life.

Stan Kenton – Kenton in Hi-Fi (1956): Kenton’s brand of big band bombast was controversial in its day and remains so (harmony and power over swing), this record (outside of compilations) best exemplifies Kenton during a peak period.

The Killers – Hot Fuss (2004): Whenever I despair at the death of rock and roll, groups like this give me some hope for the future.

B.B. King – Live at the Regal (live) (1965): The King of urban uptown blues is caught at the peak of his powers as a master showman.

King Crimson – Red (1974): I love Robert Fripp’s edgy guitar all over this prog-rock masterpiece, it is prog yet with almost punk energy in places.

King Crimson – Discipline (1981): The intricate interplay between Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew’s guitars is a mesmerizing thing of beauty.

Kings of Leon – Only By the Night (2008): These guys give me even more hope for the future of rock and roll; Caleb Followill’s vocals especially draw a direct line back to classic Southern rock singing.

The Kinks – Face To Face (1966): I would put this wonderful collection of British pop up against anything of the era, including Beatles records; Ray Davies takes huge leaps forward as a songwriter here.

The Kinks – The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968): In a period of psychedelic excess and angry protest music, Ray Davies will have none of it, instead releasing a charming set of English pastoral pop songs infused with nostalgia and wonderful lyrical details.

The Kinks – Arthur, or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire (1969): Forgotten, brilliant concept album that is much more successful as a conceptual work than The Who’s much more famous Tommy, released the same year.

The Kinks – Lola vs. Powerman and the Moneygoround, Pt. 1 (1970): The Kinks enter the 70’s with a muscular sound more reminiscent of their early garage days vs. their more recent baroque and pastoral pop, while Ray Davies’s eye for lyrical detail remains sharp as ever.

KISS – Alive! (live) (1975): Big, obnoxious 70’s stadium rock at its finest; this is the record that broke KISS as one of the most successful acts of the decade and also made the double live album a standard for any huge 70’s rock band.

Leo Kottke – 6 and 12 String Guitar (1969): Just as advertised, Kottke delivers a fingerpicking masterclass of acoustic greatness.

Leo Kottke – Great Big Boy (1991): Kottke puts the guitar flash on the backburner here, instead delivering a set of quirky story/songs sung in his languid, humorous style.


ABOVE: Israel Kamakawiwo’ole was a huge man, but he had a lovely, delicate voice that conveyed the beauty of the Hawaiian Islands

Disney's Propaganda

Below is a fascinating piece of propaganda from Disney from the 1940's. It is called "Der Fuhrer's Face," and features life for Donald Duck while living in Nazi Germany. I teach a little unit on propaganda for my classes, and we usually view and analyze this one. Notice the horribly racist depiction of the Japanese, which was common throughout our propaganda of the period (and before).