Stuck in a moment....

On “To The Best of our Knowledge” this week, there was a story about the rituals the 16 year old Amish go through. It has a name, but I can’t even imagine how to spell it. They send these kids, who have barely, if at all, seen television, movies, or the Internet, into the world to do what they will. The kicker is, most of them come back to the church, supposedly. They do point out that it is a little bit of a stacked deck-with no marketable skills, there isn’t that much they can do outside of the community. But still-to experience the hedonism of the modern world at 16-when you’re most willing to partake in it and least able to throttle back your own desires-and voluntarily step away from it? Wow.

Thinking about it a little more, though-the Amish life has its pluses. I can see the appeal of belonging to a group that needs you, needs your skills and talents to contribute to the world. Can the Amish read novels, though? I would think not. That would be a deal breaker.

A second TTBOOK is on atheism. Pound for pound, this might be the most consistently informing, interesting, listenable podcast I have.

My IPod is starting to make disturbing noises. I hope not, but I earnestly suspect that it is not long for this world. I haven’t looked, but I am fairly positive it is outside of its warranty. I bought the Applecare extended warranty, but I’m pretty sure even that has run out.

Richard Dawkins, of course, is on the program, and typically terrific. Controversial, stimulating, and brilliant. You may not agree with him, but you can’t ignore him.

Alistair Dawkins is his interlocutor, and he is also charming and intelligent. I tend towards Dawkins, instinctively, and his notion that there isn’t anything really transcendent -just a few things science hasn’t learned yet.



I have been behind on podcasts, pretty much since I got out of the hospital. Now I’m finally caught up, so it’s music for the rest of the day.

“This Land Is Your Land”(Live), Bruce Springsteen

Next to “Born in the USA” as one of the most misunderstood songs ever. Not a hymn to American greatness, but instead a bitter complaint about rampant consumerism and corporatism. This version is actually from “Live 1975-85”, which was my first exposure to Bruce other than the songs from “Born in the USA” and “Born To Run”.

“Invisible Touch” (Live), Genesis

Another band whose back catalog I didn’t learn until long after the height of their powers. The first Genesis song I remember clearly is “Land of Confusion”, because of that remarkable video with the caricature puppets.

Maybe that’s not right. I think I have to have heard “No Reply At All” on the radio back then, too. If that is a Genesis song. Does anybody else have trouble remembering which songs are Genesis and which are Phil Collins? Other than the obvious ones, like “Susudio” and “Against All Odds”.

“Against All Odds” has a very clear memory for me, watching a girl I liked slow dancing with someone else. 8th grade, new town. Middle School cafeteria.
Probably spring, though I can’t be totally sure. It was 25 odd years ago. And boy, were they ever odd.

I don’t have that trouble with Don Henley and the Eagles, though. I guess because Don Henley had a lot fewer really memorable songs. “End Of The Innocence” and “New York Minute”, really, and that’s it.

“Harvester of Sorrow”(Live), Metallica.

Probably, if you held a gun to my head, my very favorite Metallica song. That and “Frayed Ends of Sanity”.

“Only Living Boy In New York”, Simon and Garfunkel

They kind of have a Led Zeppelin problem-their hits are so enormously huge that you tend to forget how many other very good songs they have.

“Limelight”, Rush

“Each another’s audience/outside the gilded cage”

Other people are just playing bit parts in the movie of your life. Of course, you’re just playing bit parts in theirs.

Get me rewrite!

“Masters of War”(Live), Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready

A harrowing reading of a song that, at the time it (this version) was recorded (mid 1990s) , we had no idea how prescient it would be. Of course, the original was relevant, too. Just a bit.

“For threatening my babies/
Unborn and unnamed/
You aint worth the blood/
That runs in your veins.”

“Shoot Me Again”, Metallica
“Sound of Silence”(Live), Paul Simon

A guy I am definitely ashamed to say I’ve never seen in concert. I am positive I would love it, as I know his material really well.

“Wonderwall”, Oasis

A group I never really understood the appeal of. They were always supposed to be so unbelievably fantastic, but they never did much in this country. As if we’re the arbiter of world taste or something.
Good song, though.

I only bought this after Noel Gallagher (or the other one, I don’t remember) appeared on all those documentaries I was watching on VH1 for a while. In all the disappointment over their not being the Next Big Thing, I kind of forgot how good they were. Kind of a so-overrated-that-they’re underrated thing. Like Kobe Bryant. Or sex.

“ I Can’t Tell You Why”(Live), The Eagles

I can actually sing this song and sound pretty good. Doesn’t say much for Timothy B. Schmidt.

Something just occurred to me. If I put my Ipod on “Mike’s Playlist”, it will shuffle within my actual music, and not skip into my Henry Rollins or Lewis Black audiobooks. Sweet.

“Bleeding Me” (Live), Metallica

The source of my single favorite Metallica line, “I am the beast that feeds the beast.” Aren’t we, though? Aren’t we, on some level, the cause of at least some of what ails us?

From “S+M”, their album with the San Francisco Symphony, which was a phenomenal way to present their music.

Tastykakes has another limited edition flavor, Pancake- butter flavored filling, and maple syrup flavored icing. Life isn’t fair.

I am the beast that feeds the beast.

For those of you who aren’t Philadelphians, Tastykakes are a local snack cake company. Think Twinkies, but a little less artificial tasting, and with demonic people thinking of new flavors to tempt you with.

Though it’s not like anybody forced me to buy them.

“Finding My Way”, Rush

From Rush’s very early days, when they still thought they were a heavy metal band. Actually sounds almost Skynyrdish in places.

“Imitation of Life”, REM

From “Vancouver Rehearsal Tapes”, an ITunes creation that is something I’ve been crying about for years. If you’ve got stuff like this laying about, why not let ITunes sell it to the fanboys?

“Stardust”, Billie Holliday

Some singers need no explanation, introduction, or interference by me.

“Auctioneer(Another Engine)”, REM

They had a gift for titles, didn’t they?

“Nobody’s Child”, Traveling Wilburys

Possibly the greatest single amount of musical talent in one room in the history of man.

Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, George Harrison, Roy Orbison.

Not bad.

OK, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. Maybe.

“Get Back”(Live), Paul McCartney
“It’s Your World Now”, The Eagles
“Before My Eyes”(Live) , Tesla

For a while, my favorite album by my favorite band. There was a time, long ago, when everybody in my social circle championed a favorite band. It went unspoken, but you were expected to know nearly everything about them, have all their albums, including bootlegs, and just generally be a know it all. There was the Judas Priest guy, the Iron Maiden guy, the Metallica guy. I was the Tesla guy.

“Michelle”, The Beatles

“C’est les mots qui vont tres bien ensemble.”

“Man”, Elton John
“Break On Through” (Live), The Doors
“A Poem on the Underground Wall”, Simon and Garfunkel

“River of Dreams”, Billy Joel

A really good song, that is bordering on “sick of it” territory. Like “Piano Man” or “Just The Way You Are” or “We Didn’t Start The Fire”, a hit song by my favorite artist that I hear so often that I’m actually sick of it.

“Where I Want To Be”, Chess
“The Memory Remains”, Metallica
“Kiss The Bride”, Elton John

I’ve said it before. There is a story in me, and this song is somehow involved.

“Happy Jack”, The Who
“Boat Drinks”, Jimmy Buffett
“Seven Bridges Road”(Live), The Eagles
“Miami 2017(Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway)” (Live), Billy Joel

Criminally underrated song. I always thought it would have been a great song to play on the Concert for New York, a nice angry song, wistful, but powerful. But “New York State of Mind” was the obvious choice.

“Hoodoo Man”(Live), Eric Clapton
“Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down”, Johnny Cash
“Hey Joe”(Live), Jimi Hendrix

Breaks my heart to think what he could have done if he lived longer.

“Ultraviolet(Light My Way)”, U2

Hey what’s with (all these parentheses in song titles)?

“Burn Down The Mission”, Elton John

The studio version is way inferior to any live version, for some reason.

“Sick Again,” Led Zeppelin
“Am I Evil?”(Live), Metallica
“That Would Be Something” (Live), Paul McCartney
“Welcome to the Jungle”, Guns N Roses

Easy to forget what a shock to the system this song was when it came out. Guns N Roses was everything your parents told you was bad about rock n roll, only more so.

I still remember a Spin magazine caption about Axl that began, “Reeking of sex, drugs, and unspeakable acts…”

“Soul Kitchen”(Live), The Doors
“Let It Be”(Live), Paul McCartney

Reminds me of the Sesame Street parody with a group of Beetles singing “Letter B”.

“Let Me Share The Ride”(Live), The Black Crowes
“Better Than You”, Metallica
“Wilbury Twist”, Traveling Wilburys
“Scenes from an Italian Restaurant”(Live), Billy Joel

I probably have 6 or seven versions of this song, and I love every dadblamed one. The best one I no longer have, though, a cassette taping of the Leningrad concert where the saxophone solo was absolutely blazing.

“Storm Front”(Live), Billy Joel
“The Long Run”, The Eagles
“Achilles’ Last Stand”, Led Zeppelin

I remember reading somewhere that it took Jimmy Page months to get the overdubs on this song right.

“Heart’s Done Time”, Aerosmith

I still remember listening to this album, fresh off store shelves, with my friend Jim. Reading the liner notes obsessively. I’m pretty sure this was the first song on the first side, though, of course, that concept is increasingly irrelevant.

“Low Man’s Lyric”, Metallica
“Peaceful Easy Feeling,” The Eagles

This song always reminds me of one particular woman, who I had a crush on in college. Huge Eagles fan. Never got anywhere with her, though. Nicole, her name was.

“Emotional Rescue”, The Rolling Stones
“Crazy Mary”(Live), Pearl Jam

“That which you fear the most/
Could meet you halfway…”

“Down By The Seaside”, Led Zeppelin

A pretty un-Led Zeppelin song. I always used to surprise my Mom with that song. “You know who sings that? Led Zeppelin.” My Mom pretty much gave up on pop music when the Beatles broke up.