Celebrating A Life: John Lennon

John Lennon would have been 72 years old today.

The songwriting team of Lennon-McCartney was my first and perhaps my greatest musical influence. If you were alive when The Beatles entered the picture, you would know they changed everything. The sound, the look, the attitude of the era...all turned on its head.

While both John and Paul went on to successful careers on their own, the sum was always greater than the individual parts. Nothing they did alone could ever compete with the musical genius of Lennon-McCartney.

As we celebrate John's birthday, let's taste a couple from the Fab Four, then go into some solo stuff.


"The Night Before" ...off the Help album. For fun music, you can't get much better than this album.
"Revolution" ...off The White Album. Released a year later, this album showed the direction they took with Sgt. Pepper, was just the tip of the iceberg. This clip has a few words from John about the song.

And a couple of solo tastes...

"Watching the Wheels" ...from Double Fantasy. Is there a better song describing finding contentment in your life...don't think so.
"Imagine" ...To write a hundred memorable songs in your lifetime is a feat done by only a few. John also wrote an anthem for the world.

Thanks John.

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A Little Story About An Earring

A long way to go perhaps, but sometimes you just need to tell a story...

It had been four months since he left.

Life hadn't changed very much, other than the nights. They were long and unsettling. It was time, she thought, time to do a cleansing. First was the bathroom. With waste basket in hand, she grabbed the razors, the deodorant and the toothbrush. Things he had left behind, just as he had left her behind.

Methodically she went room to room, as if removing each object that belonged to him, would also remove him from her mind...and heart. She left the bedroom for last. Most of his clothes were gone, the only ones still there were the ones forgotten in the hamper as he rushed to leave before she came home.

She dusted, vacuumed and disposed of every item with a memory tied to their life. As she moved an end table, something on the carpet caught her eye. She remembered instantly the trip to St. Maarten where he surprised her with it. When their connection seemed unbreakable. When he loved only her.

It had been a pair, but sometime around the breakup one had been misplaced. In her foolish heart, she hoped he had taken it...as a reminder of a time when the heat was intense, the love deep. But as she saw it shining in the bedroom light, she knew he had not.

Golden Earring "Radar Love"

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Well, I Could Have Just Said "Happy Birthday"

The one thing about writing and publishing your work online, is you want other people to read it. Finding people to do that is not as easy as you think. Everyone who does this as a living or just as a passion, needs a little help. Along the way, I have been lucky enough to have had some.

With all the bloggers out there vying for any little bit of attention, you would think competition and jealousy would be rampant...and maybe it is. Just not with the bloggers I know. The group I know is supportive and eager to help another writer dance in the spotlight.

Today I'm going to return the favor and shine the light on a fellow blogger and music maniac, who also happens to be having a birthday. So for today's musical selections, I thought we might listen to a few of his favorites. Since one of his posts on music was how I originally found him, deciding on a few songs won't be too hard.

Journey "Wheel in the Sky"
Survivor "Desperate Dreams"
Lita Ford "Kiss Me Deadly"
Asia "Heat of the Moment"
Night Ranger "Don't Tell Me You Love Me"

and because we both do...
Joan Jett "I Love Rock and Roll" filmed at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, NJ, where I saw my first concert a hundred and forty two years ago.

Happy Birthday Jim, thanks for the laughs, the music, the good reads and the support.
Check out his stuff at gojimmygo.net

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Debating the Debate: You Haven't Done Nothing

So did you watch the debate last night? I listened to it...sort of.

C'mon, it was game 162 of the regular baseball season and it meant something. The outcomes of several games actually determined the playoff schedules. And, at the top of the list..my beloved Yankees. Yes, we did it, we won the AL East. It's a long road til the World Series and I don't have illusions of grandeur, but there is that Kentucky Wildcat thing...hmm. But that's a story for another day.

Back to politics. ugh.

Every four years when you think the candidates can't get any worse...they do. Now due to the fact that I write a couple of blogs, I thought I should at least pay a little attention to last night's pissing contest.

So, I had the Yankee game on TV and the debate streaming on the laptop, listening through my earbuds. During commercials, I switched to the testosterone tiff to get the visual effect. From what I could assimilate...Big Bird won by a huge margin. Everything else was pretty much blah, blah, blah.

I've decided during this political season, for each presidential debate, I should showcase a song to reflect my feelings of the moment. No, I won't be watching or commenting on the vice-presidential debates unless something REAL FUN happens, because quite frankly...who the hell cares. After the vice-presidental debate when Dan Quayle (Mr. Potatoe Head) was handed his hat and told in no uncertain terms by Lloyd Bentsen to "go home little boy," and was still voted in as VP, I realized that no one really gives a shit who the VP is going to be...unless it is Sarah Palin. But I digress.

So one tasty treat today. Mr. Stevie Wonder, who always gets it right.
"You Haven't Done Nothing"

"We are amazed but not amused

By all the things you say that you'll do

Though much concerned but not involved

With decisions that are made by you

But we are sick and tired of hearing your song

Telling how you are gonna change right from wrong

'Cause if you really want to hear our views

"You haven't done nothing"!

It's not too cool to be ridiculed 

But you brought this upon yourself

The world is tired of pacifiers

We want the truth and nothing else

And we are sick and tired of hearing your song

Telling how you are gonna change right from wrong

'Cause if you really want to hear our views

"You haven't done nothing"!

Jackson 5 join along with me say

Doo doo wop - hey hey hey

Doo doo wop - wow wow wow 

Doo doo wop - co co co 

Doo doo wop - naw naw naw

Doo doo wop - bum bum bum 

Doo doo wop

We would not care to wake up to the nightmare

That's becoming real life

But when mislead who knows a person's mind

Can turn as cold as ice un hum

Why do you keep on making us hear your song

Telling us how you are changing right from wrong

'Cause if you really want to hear our views

"You haven't done nothing"!

Yeah

Jackson 5 sing along again say

Doo doo wop

Doo doo wop - oh

Doo doo wop - co co co 

Doo doo wop - sing it baby

Doo doo wop - bum bum bum 

Doo doo wop - um 

Sing it loud for your people say

Doo doo wop - um um um 

Doo doo wop - stand up be counted, say

Doo doo wop - co co co 

Doo doo wop - ow

Doo doo wop - bum bum bum 

Doo doo wop - ah hum"

Politics...what a way to make a living.

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A Lot of Heart

Today marks the release date for one of Rock & Roll's most enduring kick ass bands. Fanatic, the new album by Heart drops today.

I have always been a fan of Heart, but then I've always had a soft spot for women rockers who take no prisoners and have the talent to back it up. Heart has always belonged in the Big Boys League. Great stage show, those vocals; hard rockin' while still able to do soft ballads...and they did it in high heels.

Today, I offer a little tribute to Heart, but we're not gonna listen to a bunch of Heart songs. A fellow blogger commented on a post last week that he would use one of my highlighted songs in a mixed CD for his lady. So that got me thinking about what to  do today. As a twist, let's hear a few good songs with heart in the title. Now there are a kazillion songs with heart in the title, a lot of very well known ones at that. Just for S&G's let's taste a few songs, while lesser known, are still really good listening.

"Hot Rod Heart" ...John Fogarty
"Heart Turns to Stone" ...Foreigner
"Half of My Heart" ...Survivor
"Heartache" ...Lou Gramm
"Chrome Plated Heart" ...Melissa Etheridge

And just a few beats from Ann and Nancy.
"Heartless"

Thanks for the inspiration Sean...maybe you can add one or two of these.

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