Sunday, May 30, 2010

The Bandt


Really good to see the Dutches this weekend. Really, really difficult to sit and watch and not play and not smoke. Thank you kid bartender for keeping a keen eye on my diet coke levels. And for the straw, thank god for the straw. Idle hands are, as you know, the devil's playground.

credits:
vintagedrumforum.com
Dutch Henry

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Field And Stream


I haven't seen an L.L. Bean catalog since they served as coasters on my folks coffee table. Apart from L.L. Bean by fit and some contemporary tweaks, L.L. Bean Signature is like your Dad's younger, hipper, divorced, vintage Triumph ridin, 2 beer drinkin, on the outskirts of town livin brother. The cool uncle.

He's the one who opts for the waxed canvas, Maine Hunting Shoe, not for their hipster status but because they preform well in most any circumstance.

Alex Carlton, who also brought Rogues Gallery to the table, went back to L.L. Bean to serve as Captain of the HMS Signature. His native New England sensibilities and his history with Leon Leonwood Bean can be witnessed in the nautical stripe polos, the madras plaid-short sleeve shirts and Eastport Ranger Moc.
Me? I'm waiting for those very heritagy, buffalo plaid hunting pants to come down the pike this Fall. That's My Daddy's L.L. Bean.

credits:
L.L. Bean Signature
svpply.com

Saturday, May 15, 2010

4 Prophet


I might have met Chuck Prophet around 1985, if Green On Red were in fact touring in support of Gas Food Lodging. It would have been at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor I think. I couldn't even tell you for sure if he was even with them then, but I think I read he was.
I didn't really follow Green On Red much after that. But I do remember hearing the name Chuck Prophet tossed around now and then.
Wasn't there a synthy keyboard or something around that time called a Prophet? I think that's why I remembered it. Like he named himself after it.
Then a couple of years ago somehow, I'd heard Would You Love Me off Soap And Water and remember kind of getting lost in it. Really enjoying the melody and the lonely, thick timbered baritone that went with it. Kinda like Petty in a little lower register, and more marbles.
I bought the CD, Soap And Water with WYLM on it (which would fit nicely on an Alejandro record) but really only play that and The Freckle Song.
His guitar work ain't too shabby either. So nice job Chuck.

credits: puremusic.com

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Hair Today, Gone Tamale

It's a funny thing, hair. What do you do with it? What should you do with it? Like shoes, does hair reveal something about somebody? Can you hide yourself in it? If so, are you anti-social or dishonest? If your total scalp is exposed, does that mean you're an extrovert or wear your heart on your sleeve? If you have tufts or plumes, is it difficult for you to let go of things? Do you hoard?
Does short hair make you feel like a pixie, or feel more masculine?
Do I sound kinda like Shel Silverstein? No?

Maybe I don't care what I put on my feet. Maybe I don't care what my hair looks like. But I do. And I feel a little funny about that. More aha-ha funny though. Less peculiar funny.
I think hair is taken too seriously.
Stop taking hair so seriously.
It's just hair.
Have fun!

credits: No photos were borrowed, nicked or lifted from the internet for the purpose of exploitation or enhancement.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

5 String Open G


With little to no anticipation what so ever, this whole business of the Anniversary reissue of the Rolling Stones' Exile On Main Street, really, I can't be bothered.
3 different formats will be available. The Basic CD is the 18 re-mastered tracks. The Deluxe comes with 10 unreleased tracks from that period. And the Super Deluxe contains the original format of Exile on 2 vinyl discs, bonus tracks, DVD and picture book - who needs it?

You'll recall such stalwart Rolling Stones' greats as Bill Wyman, 2 year vet Mick Taylor, Nicky Hopkins, Bobby Keys and even some pedal steel from Al Perkins on Torn And Frayed. But as it turns out, nothing containing Gram Parsons - yawn, excuse me.

Alternate takes of Loving Cup and Soul Survivor. Tumbling Dice was originally titled
Good Time Women, using the 5 string, open G tuning Keith used on Honky Tonk Women and again on Happy and Rocks Off - big whoop.

I really only knew barely snippets of any of this except of course the bit about the open G tuning as I have long been utilyzing that approach on my drums for, well, quit some time - ?
The rest I culled from a great article in the most recent Guitar World mag, written by Alan Di Perna.
I rarely ever pick up a Guitar World - so what!
But...you know... Keith was on the cover - here, here's a quarter.

credits:
Guitar World
surrenderous.com
photo of Charlie and Keith by Dominique Tarle