What's up with Wednesday?

I'm back to work today, so we shall see what transpires a la BillyBlog.

Here are some random bits of parchment.

So tempted to snag this Pearl Jam poster off the fansite from their Brisbane concert last Fall:

I have always been a Clash fan. No, let me rephrase. I have always liked the music I have heard played commercially by the Clash. And London Calling is a phenomenal album. But, I guess I've never been classified as a "fan" of the Clash. Something makes me want to say Melanie saw them open for the Who in the early '80s. I could be wrong. Anyway, yesterday I noticed that Some Velvet Blog posted all the songs that the Clash covered on their studio albums. I knew "I Fought the Law" was a cover, but the others, I confess ignorance. Click the link and read the post and listen to the tunes. It lends an interesting perspective to the Clash's influences.

And I am reading a new book called Money for Nothing: A History of the Music Video from the Beatles to the White Stripes by Saul Austerlitz. Check here for the Amazon page. Includes reviews and an excerpt. As someone whose adolescence dawned around the same time that MTV did, I am looking forward to the experience of this read.



One point. Everyone has heard people bemoan the lack of "music" on "Music" Television, or the lack of videos, outright. I have never heard the phenomenon encapsulated as well as Mr. Austerlitz did in his acknowledgements at the beginning of the book:

"With MTV and the other music-video channels having mostly ditched the music video in favor of a twenty-four-hour celebration of celebrity and wealth...."

Shifting gears, everyone who followed the Great Newcomb Used Car Lot story will be interested (or not) to know that the Director of Residence Life, John Zacker, who left Occidental in the late '80s, but was a key figure in the drama, responded to Rob's initial email:

Rob and all...

Ok... so after I received the first email I concluded it was spam, but I was trying to figure why someone would think I would know what a "bacon burger dog night" was! So I kept reading it and then read the subsequent replies... and finally it connected. Well, it's been 20 years!!

It's great to hear this connection is so tight!

......
Just a verrrry brief update... after leaving Oxy and So Cal, we moved to Maryland where I assumed the position of assistant director of judicial programs - yes, managing discipline full time!! ... I continue with discipline currently director of student conduct.
......
Thanks so much for connecting with me!!! I look forward to hearing more about your life adventures!

John

Quite funny, how Rob's little missive about the April Fool's Day 20 years ago bridged the gulf between so many people who had been out of touch for so long.

News Briefs:

"It's not about Jim Morrison's image as the Lizard King or The Doors music. It's about a citizen of Florida who was convicted in a case where the law was not applied,"

Thursday Links

A new blog I discovered, called Doctor Mooney's 115th Dream (or was referred to, by The Best Week Ever blog) has posted a slew of rarities from The Clash (here).

Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Mario Vargas Llosa had a fight 31 years ago. Now, details are emerging publicly about what the hullabaloo was about. Nice shiner, GGM!


Architect Frank Gehry is close to having completed his first Manhattan building. New York Times article here. Photo:


Fishbone has announced more tour dates.

There's a new Chris Cornell song streaming on his MySpace page. It's called "No Such Thing," from the upcoming release Carry On. He's playing Irving Plaza on Monday, April 16. Hmmmm.

I am excited to see Lucinda Williams tomorrow night at Radio City. Heartless Bastards are opening. Click their name (a cool one, indeed) to hear some of their songs streaming on MySpace. Or listen here: "Into the Open" courtesy of Adzuki Bean Stash.

Mini bookpeeping. I saw someone on the train reading this book today:



Go here for the Girlbomb website. Looks interesting.

I am working on an autobiographical musical post that deals with my failed relationship at the age of 17 with a young lady in Hawai'i who was the daughter of a judge. The main cause of the breakup: the Pacific Ocean and Satan. Betcha can't wait!