Music Rant & the Union

A radio talk guy – whose name is not worth mentioning was jabbering on about the evils of rap or hip hop or some such and in the process made a comment about white music – in the blog that made a snarky comment on said radio talk guy some other nitwit wrote gibberish about white music citing Johnny Cash, Led Zeppelin, the Clash as examples of “white music”. Along with Black Flag. Now I don’t always dig Henry Rollins but I know for damn sure he’d bitch slap anyone who said he was making ‘white music’.

Anyway what I want to say here is simple – music does not have a f-king color. People who happen to have different skin colors make music – but that doesn’t make it ‘black’ or ‘white’ – fast examples – the blues derives its pull (to quote Howlin’ Wolf) from the tension between its European 1-IV-V chord progression and the African originated blues scale (I forget the formal name it’s been a while since I took music theory and yes I did take a course in it once) – the actual notes played over the chords create the unique sound of the blues – but boys and girls that’s physics - air molecules in motion – robots could play it (and sometimes you think they are). Now where music lives is between the notes where your show up – the whole gestalt your heart and soul. (Okay I do tend to romanticize things – like music and pretty women so cut me some slack). It’s not white or black – it’s the result of two cultures and the music they make rubbing up against each other (which is a prototypical American southern event).

And let’s talk country – one of the founding fathers of country music the Jimmy Rodgers the singing brakeman routinely titled his songs “blues” (as did Hank Williams who did have a lot to be blue about – physical pain a turbulent relationship with his wife and the bottle guy was a mess). And Rodgers also recorded with Louis Armstrong (which is a pretty mind blowing mixture of genres but actually musicians don’t have time for that junk). And the Carter family freely songs they learned from African Americans. And then the songs mutated - let’s trace one - Worried man – which they did was mutated by several blues singers into Mystery Train – which Elvis did as his last single for Sun Records.

I could go on but I need to cut this short – work and all that. Cause there is so much more to this – but anyway I prefer to quote Duke Ellington who said there are only two types of music Good Music and Bad Music.

More on this as I think of it.

Playing tonight at Waltz last before the Friday gig – yeah it’ll be the coldest day yet but come on down anyway – It’ll be lots o fun.

Did not see the speech – why bother – same old junk. He’s pleading with congress to give his plan time to work. If the first place your plan is simply to stretch this out until you leave office and let somebody else fix it. What you’ve done your entire misbegotten life.

And two – why the hell should be trust you? You’re the reason we’re in the mess we are in the first place – this is like going back to the doctor who managed to damage your liver and remove a kidney when you needed a nose job and asking him to fix the damage. He grins and takes out the bone cutting saw and draws a dotted line on your right leg just above the knee.

“What the hell?” you say as the ether takes effect.
“Trust me” he says – “I have a plan.”

And three – sweet mother in heaven how much more time do we give him. He’s – to quote Keith Oberman – has had Three years already – time for someone who knows what the hell they are doing to be in charge before he does more damage.

The heath care idea is fortunately DOA. For one thing – if you don’t have a job your tax deduction isn’t going to do much yes? And – per people smarted than me about such things the way it is set up folks are going to be tempted to buy cheap doesn’t really cover anything health insurance, pocket the difference and get completely screwed when they end up in the hospital.

Meantime – Lieberman has proven himself to be such a poisonous little toad that I’m surprised that pages and some of the younger senators aren’t licking him to get high.

This is the Weekly Dina Rigg pic.

Peace Love Blue notes.