Yeah, the Sox got blown away in extra innings, so I’m biding my time on an off-day with actual inspiration, work, creativity, etc. Or trying. It is disconcerting how much time I spend watching, even passively, Red Sox games throughout the season — which, for those of you unfamiliar with the details, lasts for 6 months.
I don’t know how much more productive I would be with music, but I know I would read more. Right now, I am reading and re-reading some John Cheever stories. I read and appreciated them as a much younger fellow, but nothing can prepare you for their impact until you start hitting the same age as most of his characters. Some devastating stories. I left it home by mistake when we went to the Cape for Labor Day last month, so I picked up Lolita to read again. Also have Ian McEwan’s Atonement to star again. It was one I put down without getting too far, not due to a judgment on my part; just got distracted by something.
Speaking of books, keep an eye on the Powell’s book store blog at Powells.com (one of the great independent book stores in the world, based in Portland, OR). They will be having a guest series by authors from Continuum Books’ 33 1/3 series, to which I contributed the book on Exile on Main St. I have a blog entry that will be posted there, music-related.
Here is some music I am listening to lately:
This is a song called “First Night” by a band I have finally gotten into after hearing friends recommend them for the better part of the last year or two, the Hold Steady. Look them up. Great record called Boys and Girls in America
http://www.divshare.com/flash/audio?myId=2351104-dd0
Here is another great one, a bit more wistful:
http://www.divshare.com/flash/audio?myId=2351102-d3a
Speaking of wistful, I will shout about these guys out of Iowa City, a band called Deathships, until everyone buys their records and makes the millions. This is one of the year’s great rock records. Check out “Little Mystery.” I was going to stream it here, but Divshare does not stream Mp4 files, made when you load CDs into or buy from iTunes and i am not about to start converting files and all that. If you care about me, you will seek the tunes out:
I was riding my bike and, as often happens, the iPod gave me a great random mix, including Nina Simone’s “No Opportunity Necessary”
That went into the Velvet Underground’s “Sister Ray”
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyhCG6GT2jY]
And on into the Faces’ blistering version of “I’m Losing You”
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4PXMCCTMwM]
I highly suggest Ian MacLagen’s book about those years called All the Rage.
The Faces/Rod Stewart version of “Losing You” is one of the rare instances of a Motown song being bested by a cover. Everyone should check out the Ronnie Lane documentary that is now out on DVD entitled “The Passing Show”.