At last night's Rush show, there was some discussion about Neil Peart being the Best Drummer Ever.
Back in high school, I played along with Neil Peart in my bedroom with my drum sticks (uh, my dad's screw drivers), dreaming of making a living as a drummer. I also drummed along with John Bonham, Keith Moon, Sib Hashian, Carl Palmer and others.
Through the years, I have had two friends who actually made their livings as drummers in bands.
Marc, whose band put out two CD's here in New Orleans in the early 1990's, played with the same tree-trunk drum sticks that John Bonham preferred and - at least to my ear - tried to emulate his sound.
Kyle, who is the only person that I know personally that has a Wikipedia entry (sorry, no link, I try to keep this blog a bit anonymous), was the third drummer for a still-successful New Orleans rock band. He even played on one of their best-known hits. When he's drumming, he looks and sounds like Keith Moon. His all-time favorite drummer, however, is Ringo Starr.
My point is that Neil Peart is a great drummer, but the title of Best Drummer Ever depends of one's taste.
Who is your all-time favorite drummer?
Incidentally, my all-time favorite drummer is Don Henley...
Eagles - Hotel California by hushhush112
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Playwright Albee Defends 'Gay Writer' Remarks
I heard this on NPR's Morning Edition earlier this week and really agreed with Edward Albee's position.
June 6, 2011
Edward Albee's recent remarks about being labeled a "gay writer" sparked controversy within the gay community, but the playwright insists such definitions are "prejudicial."
"Maybe I'm being a little troublesome about this," Albee tells NPR's Renee Montagne, "but so many writers who are gay are expected to behave like gay writers and I find that is such a limitation and such a prejudicial thing that I fight against it whenever I can."
Albee was recently criticized for a speech he gave while accepting an award at the 23rd annual Lambda Literary Awards. The ceremony, held May 26, honored work by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender authors. Albee — who is best known for plays such as Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Zoo Story and A Delicate Balance — was presented with the Pioneer Award, meant to honor those who have broken ground for LGBT literature and publishing.
In accepting the honor from Lambda, Albee told the audience, "A writer who happens to be gay or lesbian must be able to transcend self. I am not a gay writer. I am a writer who happens to be gay."
He continued by saying, "Any definition which limits us is deplorable."
Some artists in attendance felt Albee's tone was inappropriate for the event and have said that creating and supporting work that is specifically gay is important to the visibility of the gay community.
"The only part of the evening I truly found disappointing was the acceptance speech given by Edward Albee for his Pioneer award," attendee Sassafras Lowrey wrote on her blog. "He spent the majority of it talking about why writing from a queer experience was a lesser art form, how his 'sexual proclivities' have nothing to do with his art."
The Wall Street Journal's Speakasy blog and lesbian website Autostraddle also wrote about Albee's comments and the debate they have ignited about the future of gay writing and publishing.
Albee tells Montagne he has always fought for gay rights and points out that other artists are not put into such categories.
"Who goes around talking about abstract expressionist painters and making a definition or a distinction between those of them that were straight and those of them who were or are gay? Nobody does it," Albee says. "People only do it with writers and I find that so ridiculous."
Albee says he remembers being discriminated against by theater critics who knew about his sexuality early on in his career. He says when Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf — about a professor and his wife throwing a party for a new professor and his spouse — debuted in the early 1960s some critics wrote in their reviews that Albee was likely portraying two gay couples.
Now, at age 83, Albee says he's working on a new play. He isn't giving any details yet, but he says it explores various prejudices.
"None of which, oddly enough happens to concern being gay," he says, "but it concerns itself with prejudices that involve us a great deal more as a society."
---------------
Here is the original NPR story, where there is also a seven-minute audio version of the story for those reading averse.
June 6, 2011
Edward Albee's recent remarks about being labeled a "gay writer" sparked controversy within the gay community, but the playwright insists such definitions are "prejudicial."
"Maybe I'm being a little troublesome about this," Albee tells NPR's Renee Montagne, "but so many writers who are gay are expected to behave like gay writers and I find that is such a limitation and such a prejudicial thing that I fight against it whenever I can."
Albee was recently criticized for a speech he gave while accepting an award at the 23rd annual Lambda Literary Awards. The ceremony, held May 26, honored work by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender authors. Albee — who is best known for plays such as Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Zoo Story and A Delicate Balance — was presented with the Pioneer Award, meant to honor those who have broken ground for LGBT literature and publishing.
In accepting the honor from Lambda, Albee told the audience, "A writer who happens to be gay or lesbian must be able to transcend self. I am not a gay writer. I am a writer who happens to be gay."
He continued by saying, "Any definition which limits us is deplorable."
Some artists in attendance felt Albee's tone was inappropriate for the event and have said that creating and supporting work that is specifically gay is important to the visibility of the gay community.
"The only part of the evening I truly found disappointing was the acceptance speech given by Edward Albee for his Pioneer award," attendee Sassafras Lowrey wrote on her blog. "He spent the majority of it talking about why writing from a queer experience was a lesser art form, how his 'sexual proclivities' have nothing to do with his art."
The Wall Street Journal's Speakasy blog and lesbian website Autostraddle also wrote about Albee's comments and the debate they have ignited about the future of gay writing and publishing.
Albee tells Montagne he has always fought for gay rights and points out that other artists are not put into such categories.
"Who goes around talking about abstract expressionist painters and making a definition or a distinction between those of them that were straight and those of them who were or are gay? Nobody does it," Albee says. "People only do it with writers and I find that so ridiculous."
Albee says he remembers being discriminated against by theater critics who knew about his sexuality early on in his career. He says when Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf — about a professor and his wife throwing a party for a new professor and his spouse — debuted in the early 1960s some critics wrote in their reviews that Albee was likely portraying two gay couples.
Now, at age 83, Albee says he's working on a new play. He isn't giving any details yet, but he says it explores various prejudices.
"None of which, oddly enough happens to concern being gay," he says, "but it concerns itself with prejudices that involve us a great deal more as a society."
---------------
Here is the original NPR story, where there is also a seven-minute audio version of the story for those reading averse.
Post Scrips
Here are updates to some of my past posts.
In my post Top 10 Artists: Badfinger, I mentioned my friend Kyle. This past Thursday, he called me. Besides a few brief conversations about four years ago, I hadn't really spoken to him in at least 10 years.
He called to tell me that his step-dad, the one who along with his mom raised him from an early teenager, had died on Monday (June 6th). After further questioning, Kyle told me that he had actually killed himself, one day after his 62nd birthday, apparently distraught about money issues.
I attended the visitation Thursday afternoon.
--------------------
In my post List: Top 5 Classic Rock Bands, I discussed Rush in detail. I have seen them live once before, in 1988 in Shreveport. Last night, Amy, Carlos, Debbie, Lloyd, Morgan, Steve, and I saw them live for their Time Machine tour, one of the highlights being that they played their 1980 album Moving Pictures in it's entirety.
Thursday night, the night before the concert, Carlos, Debbie and I watched Rush: R30, 30th Anniversary Concert - all the while blind taste testing Canadian beer, in honor of Rush's home country.
Carlos and I both picked Labat Blue as our least favorite. (Debbie came too late for the taste testing.) He picked Molson Canadian as his favorite; I picked Moosehead as mine. Truthfully, all three really tasted the same.
---------------------
In my post Judgment Day, I mentioned in passing my current Favorite TV Show Ever (This Week) Supernatural.
I first discovered the show while the TNT network was running season four. I have now seen all of seasons four, five and one - with the TNT network starting over the showings after season five. The show is currently in its 6th season on the CW network. I am watching the new episodes too. I have a big gap in the middle of the series, having never seen any of season three and only at the beginning of season two via TNT.
As I did with my other Favorite TV Shows Ever (This Week) Criminal Minds and Ninja Warrior, I have printed out a complete episode list and am crossing them off after viewing.
--------------------
Postscript to the above postscript:
When Morgan came over Friday night to pick Carlos and I up, I was watching an episode of Supernatural. His reaction was, "Oh, isn't that the show with that guy that used to be on Gilmore Girls." True, but not the connection that I expected from one of my straight friends. I guess Gilmore Girls is just that good of a show. (More on that TV show another day.)
In my post Top 10 Artists: Badfinger, I mentioned my friend Kyle. This past Thursday, he called me. Besides a few brief conversations about four years ago, I hadn't really spoken to him in at least 10 years.
He called to tell me that his step-dad, the one who along with his mom raised him from an early teenager, had died on Monday (June 6th). After further questioning, Kyle told me that he had actually killed himself, one day after his 62nd birthday, apparently distraught about money issues.
I attended the visitation Thursday afternoon.
--------------------
In my post List: Top 5 Classic Rock Bands, I discussed Rush in detail. I have seen them live once before, in 1988 in Shreveport. Last night, Amy, Carlos, Debbie, Lloyd, Morgan, Steve, and I saw them live for their Time Machine tour, one of the highlights being that they played their 1980 album Moving Pictures in it's entirety.
Thursday night, the night before the concert, Carlos, Debbie and I watched Rush: R30, 30th Anniversary Concert - all the while blind taste testing Canadian beer, in honor of Rush's home country.
Carlos and I both picked Labat Blue as our least favorite. (Debbie came too late for the taste testing.) He picked Molson Canadian as his favorite; I picked Moosehead as mine. Truthfully, all three really tasted the same.
---------------------
In my post Judgment Day, I mentioned in passing my current Favorite TV Show Ever (This Week) Supernatural.
I first discovered the show while the TNT network was running season four. I have now seen all of seasons four, five and one - with the TNT network starting over the showings after season five. The show is currently in its 6th season on the CW network. I am watching the new episodes too. I have a big gap in the middle of the series, having never seen any of season three and only at the beginning of season two via TNT.
As I did with my other Favorite TV Shows Ever (This Week) Criminal Minds and Ninja Warrior, I have printed out a complete episode list and am crossing them off after viewing.
--------------------
Postscript to the above postscript:
When Morgan came over Friday night to pick Carlos and I up, I was watching an episode of Supernatural. His reaction was, "Oh, isn't that the show with that guy that used to be on Gilmore Girls." True, but not the connection that I expected from one of my straight friends. I guess Gilmore Girls is just that good of a show. (More on that TV show another day.)
Friday, June 03, 2011
Top 10 Artists: Badfinger
Back in the early to late 1990’s, my two closest friends were Matt and Kyle. We each had strong and quite different opinions on the best bands in the land. (Matt’s favorite band was Van Halen; Kyle’s favorite drummer was Ringo.)
The three of us all agreed on very few bands, but one of them was Badfinger.
Badfinger is one of my Top Ten Favorite Artists of All Time.
Their history is filled with bad luck and bad timing, and they never became as successful as they could have been. (Typical of their luck, their edition of Behind The Music on VH1, while having one of the most compelling stories, was the lowest-rated episode of the series. The episode is not currently mentioned on VH1's website. I found this on IMDB: "Much like the band itself, this 'Behind the Music' episode was somewhat jinxed. It was originally commissioned to be the 76th BTM episode, but due to numerous pitfalls, setbacks, and curses, it ended up airing approximately two years or about sixty episodes later than originally planned." According to another source, the episode was so low rated that it was aired only six times, during a time when VH1 was airing their "Behind the Music" series nearly around the clock.)
Badfinger evolved from The Iveys, an early 1960’s British band. After a small lineup change, recording an album (Maybe Tomorrow) as The Iveys, and contributing three songs to the Magic Christian movie soundtrack, the band consisted of Pete Ham, Tom Evans, Mike Gibbins and Joey Molland.
Picked up by The Beatles' Apple label in 1968, in 1969 they adopted the name Badfinger. (Apple Corps' Neil Aspinall proposed "Badfinger", in reference to "Bad Finger Boogie", an early working title of Lennon/McCartney's "With a Little Help from My Friends", as Lennon had hurt his forefinger on a piano by using only one finger.)
Badfinger released No Dice in early 1970.
The single from this album, "No Matter What", peaked in the United States at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1970. The song is often regarded as an early offering in the power pop genre – and is also the ALL-TIME FAVORITE SONG of my friend Matt. (I personally can’t yet pin down my all-time favorite song, though Matt's entry is a worthy one.)
"No Matter What" - from No Dice, written by Pete Ham
Other stand-out tracks on No Dice are "Better Days", "I Don't Mind", and the closer "We're for the Dark". The album also contains the original version of "Without You". Although Badfinger did not release the song as a single in Europe or North America, it was taken to number one on the Billboard charts in 1972 by Harry Nilsson, and again became a hit for Mariah Carey in 1994. "Without You" has been the top money-earner for Badfinger in publishing royalties, having been covered by over 180 artists. The song was also picked to provide the title for Dan Matovina's 1997 biography, Without You: The Tragic Story Of Badfinger. Of course, continuing in Badfinger's tragic tradition, the out of print book is much sought after and commands $499 on Amazon for the hardcover version.
Starting the countdown of my Top Ten Favorite Badfinger Songs (in chronological order)…
#10
"Midnight Caller" - from No Dice, written by Pete Ham
#9
"We're For The Dark" - from No Dice, written by Pete Ham
Recordings for their next album Straight Up began in early 1971 under the direction of producer Geoff Emerick at Abbey Road Studios, who produced the bulk of No Dice. Although these early recordings were completed and both the album and a single, "Name of the Game", were ready to be released, Apple Records co-president George Harrison decided the album could be improved under his personal direction, which led the single to be canceled and all the material recorded up to that point to be shelved. Harrison recorded a couple of new tracks with the band in the summer of 1971, as well as re-recording a couple of the original tracks. (He can be heard playing a slide-guitar duet with Pete Ham on the song "Day After Day", with Leon Russell featured on piano.) Additionally, Harrison and Phil Spector planned a different string arrangement for "Name of the Game", but this apparently never came to pass.
"Day After Day" - from Straight Up, written by Pete Ham
Due to a hurriedly assembled benefit concert that summer, The Concert for Bangladesh, at which Badfinger performed, Harrison lost interest in the Straight Up project and did not return to it after the concert. Apple retained Todd Rundgren to finish the album. Rundgren utilized recordings begun by both Emerick and Harrison, re-recorded some of them, and also recorded several new tracks with the band (notably "Baby Blue") in less than a month. (It had already taken the band over a year to record what songs they had.)
"Baby Blue" - from Straight Up, written by Pete Ham
#8
"I'd Die Babe" - from Straight Up, written by Joey Molland
#7
"Perfection" -from Straight Up, written by Pete Ham
Although recordings for their next album began as early as 1972, shortly after the release of Straight Up, Ass wasn't released until November 26, 1973 in the United States and May 1974 in the UK. The album was originally delayed because of production quality, as the band attempted to produce the album themselves after producer Todd Rundgren departed the project with just two songs recorded. After a first version of the album was rejected by the label, Apple engineer Chris Thomas was hired as a first-time producer to improve the overall recordings and make new track selections.
The album was further delayed when a disagreement surfaced between Apple and Badfinger's management on publishing copyrights. The majority of the tracks on Ass were written by Joey Molland. Molland, unlike his bandmates, never signed a publishing agreement with Apple Music, instead assigning the individual copyrights of his songs selected for Badfinger albums to Apple Music after production. Badfinger's then-manager, Stan Polley, attempted to use Apple's lack of a publishing agreement with Molland to block release of the album; he told Molland not to agree to any individual assignments, and Molland obliged. To circumvent Polley's strategy, all songs on the US and UK album releases of Ass were credited by Apple to Badfinger, not to the actual authors.
Ultimately, Ass peaked at #122 in the Billboard 200 and did not chart in the UK. The single "Apple of My Eye" only peaked at #102 on Billboard's "Bubbling Under" chart in America. After the album was deleted from the Apple catalog a large number of heavily discounted copies appeared in cut-out bins at U.S. record stores during the 1970s. The original CD version released in the 1990s is now rare because it was re-released only in a few countries (UK, Canada and Japan) for a limited period.
Ass was the last original album issued by Apple that was not by an ex-Beatle. From then on, only the Beatles as solo artists and Yoko Ono released records on Apple until the label went out of business in late 1975.
As Badfinger was completing work on Ass, Badfinger's manager, Stan Polley, signed the band to a three-year, six-album deal with Warner Brothers. As a result, shortly after the band and producer Chris Thomas completed recording of Ass, they found themselves back in the studio making a new album for Warner.
Although the album is technically untitled, it is commonly referred to as Badfinger.
The intended title, For Love Or Money, was misplaced by the label at the time of production and was never used. The intended title referred to Badfinger's label change from Apple Records to Warner Brothers.
Unfortunately for the band - and the fans - this release and the next are, in my opinion, the two best of Badfinger's albums. And until many, many years later, these were also the rarest of their albums.
#6
"Lonely You" from Badfinger, written by Pete Ham
#5
"Shine On" from Badfinger, written by Pete Ham and Tom Evans
#4
"Song for a Lost Friend" from Badfinger, written by Pete Ham
Although the album received positive reviews in Rolling Stone magazine upon its release and is sometimes considered to be the band's best work, their next album Wish You Were Here was pulled out of record stores in 1975, seven weeks after release, because of a lawsuit between WB music publishing and Badfinger's management. The album's abbreviated manufacturing run and short tenure on the market has made the original LP relatively rare.
I personally saw the album in a used record store on Magazine Street in 2002 for $110 – and would have bought it if I had had the money on me.
Before being recalled, the album had time enough to chart, peaking at #148 in the US. In the 1990s it was re-released in CD format in Japan and Germany only. Until the album was eventually released on CD in the United States in 2007, a complete set of those songs was a music Holy Grail for me.
#3
"Got to Get Out of Here" - from Wish You Were Here, written by Joey Molland
#2
"In The Meantime / Some Other Time" from Wish You Were Here, written by Mike Gibbins / written by Joey Molland
#1
"Meanwhile Back at the Ranch / Should I Smoke" from Wish You Were Here, written by Pete Ham / written by Joey Molland
--------------------
Despondent with the frustrating situation of his record company and his manager, in April 24, 1975, Pete Ham committed suicide by hanging. He was 27.
For me, this is when Badfinger ceased to exist.
The next three years saw surviving members trying to rebuild their personal and professional lives against a backdrop of lawsuits. Comebacks with the albums Airwaves (1978) and Say No More (1981) floundered, as Molland, Gibbins and Evans see-sawed between cooperation and struggle in attempts to revive and capitalize on the Badfinger legacy. Having seen Ham's body after Ham's wife had called him, Evans reportedly never got over his friend's suicide.
On November 19, 1983, Evans also took his own life by hanging – at the age of 36.
--------------------
Pete Ham, who I feel was the backbone of the group, has two posthumously released albums. The better of the two is 7 Park Avenue.
If you want to check out only one Badfinger album, I recommend Badfinger: Best of Volume II, which contains the best of the later albums.
---------------------
Here is a link to a website about a Badfinger convention in 2006.
-------------------
Postscript.
Both Badfinger and The Beatles had a song entitled "Love Me Do". Here are both. Which do you prefer?
The three of us all agreed on very few bands, but one of them was Badfinger.
Badfinger is one of my Top Ten Favorite Artists of All Time.
Their history is filled with bad luck and bad timing, and they never became as successful as they could have been. (Typical of their luck, their edition of Behind The Music on VH1, while having one of the most compelling stories, was the lowest-rated episode of the series. The episode is not currently mentioned on VH1's website. I found this on IMDB: "Much like the band itself, this 'Behind the Music' episode was somewhat jinxed. It was originally commissioned to be the 76th BTM episode, but due to numerous pitfalls, setbacks, and curses, it ended up airing approximately two years or about sixty episodes later than originally planned." According to another source, the episode was so low rated that it was aired only six times, during a time when VH1 was airing their "Behind the Music" series nearly around the clock.)
Badfinger evolved from The Iveys, an early 1960’s British band. After a small lineup change, recording an album (Maybe Tomorrow) as The Iveys, and contributing three songs to the Magic Christian movie soundtrack, the band consisted of Pete Ham, Tom Evans, Mike Gibbins and Joey Molland.
Picked up by The Beatles' Apple label in 1968, in 1969 they adopted the name Badfinger. (Apple Corps' Neil Aspinall proposed "Badfinger", in reference to "Bad Finger Boogie", an early working title of Lennon/McCartney's "With a Little Help from My Friends", as Lennon had hurt his forefinger on a piano by using only one finger.)
Badfinger released No Dice in early 1970.
The single from this album, "No Matter What", peaked in the United States at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1970. The song is often regarded as an early offering in the power pop genre – and is also the ALL-TIME FAVORITE SONG of my friend Matt. (I personally can’t yet pin down my all-time favorite song, though Matt's entry is a worthy one.)
"No Matter What" - from No Dice, written by Pete Ham
Other stand-out tracks on No Dice are "Better Days", "I Don't Mind", and the closer "We're for the Dark". The album also contains the original version of "Without You". Although Badfinger did not release the song as a single in Europe or North America, it was taken to number one on the Billboard charts in 1972 by Harry Nilsson, and again became a hit for Mariah Carey in 1994. "Without You" has been the top money-earner for Badfinger in publishing royalties, having been covered by over 180 artists. The song was also picked to provide the title for Dan Matovina's 1997 biography, Without You: The Tragic Story Of Badfinger. Of course, continuing in Badfinger's tragic tradition, the out of print book is much sought after and commands $499 on Amazon for the hardcover version.
Starting the countdown of my Top Ten Favorite Badfinger Songs (in chronological order)…
#10
"Midnight Caller" - from No Dice, written by Pete Ham
#9
"We're For The Dark" - from No Dice, written by Pete Ham
Recordings for their next album Straight Up began in early 1971 under the direction of producer Geoff Emerick at Abbey Road Studios, who produced the bulk of No Dice. Although these early recordings were completed and both the album and a single, "Name of the Game", were ready to be released, Apple Records co-president George Harrison decided the album could be improved under his personal direction, which led the single to be canceled and all the material recorded up to that point to be shelved. Harrison recorded a couple of new tracks with the band in the summer of 1971, as well as re-recording a couple of the original tracks. (He can be heard playing a slide-guitar duet with Pete Ham on the song "Day After Day", with Leon Russell featured on piano.) Additionally, Harrison and Phil Spector planned a different string arrangement for "Name of the Game", but this apparently never came to pass.
"Day After Day" - from Straight Up, written by Pete Ham
Due to a hurriedly assembled benefit concert that summer, The Concert for Bangladesh, at which Badfinger performed, Harrison lost interest in the Straight Up project and did not return to it after the concert. Apple retained Todd Rundgren to finish the album. Rundgren utilized recordings begun by both Emerick and Harrison, re-recorded some of them, and also recorded several new tracks with the band (notably "Baby Blue") in less than a month. (It had already taken the band over a year to record what songs they had.)
"Baby Blue" - from Straight Up, written by Pete Ham
#8
"I'd Die Babe" - from Straight Up, written by Joey Molland
#7
"Perfection" -from Straight Up, written by Pete Ham
Although recordings for their next album began as early as 1972, shortly after the release of Straight Up, Ass wasn't released until November 26, 1973 in the United States and May 1974 in the UK. The album was originally delayed because of production quality, as the band attempted to produce the album themselves after producer Todd Rundgren departed the project with just two songs recorded. After a first version of the album was rejected by the label, Apple engineer Chris Thomas was hired as a first-time producer to improve the overall recordings and make new track selections.
The album was further delayed when a disagreement surfaced between Apple and Badfinger's management on publishing copyrights. The majority of the tracks on Ass were written by Joey Molland. Molland, unlike his bandmates, never signed a publishing agreement with Apple Music, instead assigning the individual copyrights of his songs selected for Badfinger albums to Apple Music after production. Badfinger's then-manager, Stan Polley, attempted to use Apple's lack of a publishing agreement with Molland to block release of the album; he told Molland not to agree to any individual assignments, and Molland obliged. To circumvent Polley's strategy, all songs on the US and UK album releases of Ass were credited by Apple to Badfinger, not to the actual authors.
Ultimately, Ass peaked at #122 in the Billboard 200 and did not chart in the UK. The single "Apple of My Eye" only peaked at #102 on Billboard's "Bubbling Under" chart in America. After the album was deleted from the Apple catalog a large number of heavily discounted copies appeared in cut-out bins at U.S. record stores during the 1970s. The original CD version released in the 1990s is now rare because it was re-released only in a few countries (UK, Canada and Japan) for a limited period.
Ass was the last original album issued by Apple that was not by an ex-Beatle. From then on, only the Beatles as solo artists and Yoko Ono released records on Apple until the label went out of business in late 1975.
As Badfinger was completing work on Ass, Badfinger's manager, Stan Polley, signed the band to a three-year, six-album deal with Warner Brothers. As a result, shortly after the band and producer Chris Thomas completed recording of Ass, they found themselves back in the studio making a new album for Warner.
Although the album is technically untitled, it is commonly referred to as Badfinger.
The intended title, For Love Or Money, was misplaced by the label at the time of production and was never used. The intended title referred to Badfinger's label change from Apple Records to Warner Brothers.
Unfortunately for the band - and the fans - this release and the next are, in my opinion, the two best of Badfinger's albums. And until many, many years later, these were also the rarest of their albums.
#6
"Lonely You" from Badfinger, written by Pete Ham
#5
"Shine On" from Badfinger, written by Pete Ham and Tom Evans
#4
"Song for a Lost Friend" from Badfinger, written by Pete Ham
Although the album received positive reviews in Rolling Stone magazine upon its release and is sometimes considered to be the band's best work, their next album Wish You Were Here was pulled out of record stores in 1975, seven weeks after release, because of a lawsuit between WB music publishing and Badfinger's management. The album's abbreviated manufacturing run and short tenure on the market has made the original LP relatively rare.
I personally saw the album in a used record store on Magazine Street in 2002 for $110 – and would have bought it if I had had the money on me.
Before being recalled, the album had time enough to chart, peaking at #148 in the US. In the 1990s it was re-released in CD format in Japan and Germany only. Until the album was eventually released on CD in the United States in 2007, a complete set of those songs was a music Holy Grail for me.
#3
"Got to Get Out of Here" - from Wish You Were Here, written by Joey Molland
#2
"In The Meantime / Some Other Time" from Wish You Were Here, written by Mike Gibbins / written by Joey Molland
#1
"Meanwhile Back at the Ranch / Should I Smoke" from Wish You Were Here, written by Pete Ham / written by Joey Molland
--------------------
Despondent with the frustrating situation of his record company and his manager, in April 24, 1975, Pete Ham committed suicide by hanging. He was 27.
For me, this is when Badfinger ceased to exist.
The next three years saw surviving members trying to rebuild their personal and professional lives against a backdrop of lawsuits. Comebacks with the albums Airwaves (1978) and Say No More (1981) floundered, as Molland, Gibbins and Evans see-sawed between cooperation and struggle in attempts to revive and capitalize on the Badfinger legacy. Having seen Ham's body after Ham's wife had called him, Evans reportedly never got over his friend's suicide.
On November 19, 1983, Evans also took his own life by hanging – at the age of 36.
--------------------
Pete Ham, who I feel was the backbone of the group, has two posthumously released albums. The better of the two is 7 Park Avenue.
If you want to check out only one Badfinger album, I recommend Badfinger: Best of Volume II, which contains the best of the later albums.
---------------------
Here is a link to a website about a Badfinger convention in 2006.
-------------------
Postscript.
Both Badfinger and The Beatles had a song entitled "Love Me Do". Here are both. Which do you prefer?
New Discovery: Tracy Chapman's Change
I recently discovered Tracy Chapman's 2005 song Change. I can think of at least two friends of mine who would benefit from these words.
Plus, it's catchy!
Here are the lyrics, with the song following below:
If you knew that you would die today,
Saw the face of God and love,
Would you change?
Would you change?
If you knew that love can break your heart
When you're down so low you cannot fall
Would you change?
Would you change?
How bad, how good does it need to get?
How many losses? How much regret?
What chain reaction would cause an effect?
Makes you turn around,
Makes you try to explain,
Makes you forgive and forget,
Makes you change?
Makes you change?
If you knew that you would be alone,
Knowing right, being wrong,
Would you change?
Would you change?
If you knew that you would find a truth
That brings up pain that can't be soothed
Would you change?
Would you change?
How bad, how good does it need to get?
How many losses? How much regret?
What chain reaction would cause an effect?
Makes you turn around,
Makes you try to explain,
Makes you forgive and forget,
Makes you change?
Makes you change?
Are you so upright you can't be bent?
If it comes to blows are you so sure you won't be crawling?
If not for the good, why risk falling?
Why risk falling?
If everything you think you know,
Makes your life unbearable,
Would you change?
Would you change?
If you'd broken every rule and vow,
And hard times come to bring you down,
Would you change?
Would you change?
If you knew that you would die today,
If you saw the face of God and love,
Would you change?
Would you change?
Would you change?
Would you change?
If you saw the face of God and love
If you saw the face of God and love
Would you change?
Would you change?
Plus, it's catchy!
Here are the lyrics, with the song following below:
If you knew that you would die today,
Saw the face of God and love,
Would you change?
Would you change?
If you knew that love can break your heart
When you're down so low you cannot fall
Would you change?
Would you change?
How bad, how good does it need to get?
How many losses? How much regret?
What chain reaction would cause an effect?
Makes you turn around,
Makes you try to explain,
Makes you forgive and forget,
Makes you change?
Makes you change?
If you knew that you would be alone,
Knowing right, being wrong,
Would you change?
Would you change?
If you knew that you would find a truth
That brings up pain that can't be soothed
Would you change?
Would you change?
How bad, how good does it need to get?
How many losses? How much regret?
What chain reaction would cause an effect?
Makes you turn around,
Makes you try to explain,
Makes you forgive and forget,
Makes you change?
Makes you change?
Are you so upright you can't be bent?
If it comes to blows are you so sure you won't be crawling?
If not for the good, why risk falling?
Why risk falling?
If everything you think you know,
Makes your life unbearable,
Would you change?
Would you change?
If you'd broken every rule and vow,
And hard times come to bring you down,
Would you change?
Would you change?
If you knew that you would die today,
If you saw the face of God and love,
Would you change?
Would you change?
Would you change?
Would you change?
If you saw the face of God and love
If you saw the face of God and love
Would you change?
Would you change?
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Comedian Lisa Lampanelli versus the Westboro Baptist Church
"We're here. We're queer. We take it in the rear!" -- that's the chant comedian Lisa Lampanelli started in Topeka, KS when she promised to donate $1,000 for every Westboro Church protester that picketed her show. Forty four protesters showed up. $44,000 of Lisa's dough went to the Gay Men's Health Crisis.
Taken from one of my daily reads, Joe My God
Taken from one of my daily reads, Joe My God
Friday, May 27, 2011
Recipe: Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
For quite a few years, I have been making Red Beans and Rice every Sunday. Here in New Orleans, it's tradition to cook Red Beans on Mondays - something about wash day - but I have a large block of free time on Sundays. Each week, I tweak the recipe a bit until now I think I have it perfected. Cooking a good pot of Red Beans and Rice is a deceptively complex endeavor. I don't have my current (final?) recipe worked out on paper yet, but I'll post it here once I do.
In the last few months, I have been rotating into my Sundays cooking Chicken and Sausage Gumbo in place of Red Beans and Rice - and have been getting really good compliments on the results each time. I thought I'd share my recipe here.
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
(adapted from a recipe by Karlie, my sister Christine's girlfriend)
Ingredients:
½ cup butter
½ cup flour
2-3 lb. chicken
3 large onions – diced
2 green bell peppers – diced
4 stalks celery – diced
1-2 lb. Andouille or smoked sausage
1 bay leaf
Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning
Worcestershire sauce
Rotel Tomatoes
Salt
1 lb. okra – cut
3 tbsp. Parsley
Kitchen Bouquet®
Directions:
In large pot, cover whole chicken with water. Bring to a boil and then cook about 45 minutes. While chicken is cooking, make a roux in a large Dutch oven. Add onions, bell peppers, and celery. Sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add sausage.
Set chicken aside to cool. Add chicken stock to mix. Once chicken cools, peel and discard skin. De-bone chicken and add to mix.*
Add bay leaf, parsley, seasoning (Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning works best), Worcestershire sauce, Rotel Tomatoes, and salt to taste. Cook for two hours on medium, stirring occasionally.
Add okra. Simmer for three hours, adding more seasoning as needed. Add Kitchen Bouquet® to taste.
Serve over rice.
*Alternate: Add entire cooked chicken with stock. As chicken separates from bone, remove bones and discard.
In the last few months, I have been rotating into my Sundays cooking Chicken and Sausage Gumbo in place of Red Beans and Rice - and have been getting really good compliments on the results each time. I thought I'd share my recipe here.
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
(adapted from a recipe by Karlie, my sister Christine's girlfriend)
Ingredients:
½ cup butter
½ cup flour
2-3 lb. chicken
3 large onions – diced
2 green bell peppers – diced
4 stalks celery – diced
1-2 lb. Andouille or smoked sausage
1 bay leaf
Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning
Worcestershire sauce
Rotel Tomatoes
Salt
1 lb. okra – cut
3 tbsp. Parsley
Kitchen Bouquet®
Directions:
In large pot, cover whole chicken with water. Bring to a boil and then cook about 45 minutes. While chicken is cooking, make a roux in a large Dutch oven. Add onions, bell peppers, and celery. Sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add sausage.
Set chicken aside to cool. Add chicken stock to mix. Once chicken cools, peel and discard skin. De-bone chicken and add to mix.*
Add bay leaf, parsley, seasoning (Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning works best), Worcestershire sauce, Rotel Tomatoes, and salt to taste. Cook for two hours on medium, stirring occasionally.
Add okra. Simmer for three hours, adding more seasoning as needed. Add Kitchen Bouquet® to taste.
Serve over rice.
*Alternate: Add entire cooked chicken with stock. As chicken separates from bone, remove bones and discard.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Judgment Day
According to sources, this Saturday - May 21 - is Judgment Day.
Here are four perspectives.
My Friend Steve
In discussing the upcoming New Orleans Wine and Food Experience, he guides his readers:
Maybe you’re afraid you’ll be Raptured this weekend and don’t want to make any big plans. That’s understandable, but I am here to help. If you fear you may be a divine bubble-team, a potential at-large participant on Selection Saturday, you still have time to ensure this is not so. Here’s a handy list of activities. Make sure you do a few of these over the next day or so and you can rest easy that your name will be wiped from the Rapture list, freeing you for dinner next Wednesday. You can thank me at MiLa.
1. Assert that the earth is more than 4000 years old
2. Believe in evolution
3. Treat someone gay as, like, just another human being
4. Dance (see Footloose for more information)
5. Refuse to handle snakes
6. Commit a crime against nature (this is an advanced strategy)
My Friend Jason
My Current Favorite TV Show Ever - This Week (Supernatural)
The series's Season 4 Episode 20 episode entitled The Rapture (click the link to see the episode) is described as:
Castiel appears to Dean in a dream and says he has something important to tell him but they need to meet somewhere private. Dean and Sam go searching for Castiel but instead find Jimmy, Castiel’s human vessel, who has only a spotty recollection of being an angel. Jimmy wants to return to his family and normal life, but Dean and Sam are concerned about his safety.
This movie (or Arnold Schwarzenegger's current situation)
New Post This...Sunday (May 22)
Here are four perspectives.
My Friend Steve
In discussing the upcoming New Orleans Wine and Food Experience, he guides his readers:
Maybe you’re afraid you’ll be Raptured this weekend and don’t want to make any big plans. That’s understandable, but I am here to help. If you fear you may be a divine bubble-team, a potential at-large participant on Selection Saturday, you still have time to ensure this is not so. Here’s a handy list of activities. Make sure you do a few of these over the next day or so and you can rest easy that your name will be wiped from the Rapture list, freeing you for dinner next Wednesday. You can thank me at MiLa.
1. Assert that the earth is more than 4000 years old
2. Believe in evolution
3. Treat someone gay as, like, just another human being
4. Dance (see Footloose for more information)
5. Refuse to handle snakes
6. Commit a crime against nature (this is an advanced strategy)
My Friend Jason
My Current Favorite TV Show Ever - This Week (Supernatural)
The series's Season 4 Episode 20 episode entitled The Rapture (click the link to see the episode) is described as:
Castiel appears to Dean in a dream and says he has something important to tell him but they need to meet somewhere private. Dean and Sam go searching for Castiel but instead find Jimmy, Castiel’s human vessel, who has only a spotty recollection of being an angel. Jimmy wants to return to his family and normal life, but Dean and Sam are concerned about his safety.
This movie (or Arnold Schwarzenegger's current situation)
New Post This...Sunday (May 22)
Sunday, May 15, 2011
News Story: Wasilla High School Bans Song by Gay Rock Legend
Freddie Mercury's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' deemed inappropriate
By K.T. McKee
Frontiersman
Published on Thursday, May 12, 2011 9:39 AM AKDT
WASILLA (Alaska) — When members of Wasilla High School’s symphonic jazz choir heard Friday it wouldn’t be singing the popular Queen hit “Bohemian Rhapsody” at this year’s graduation ceremony after working on it all year, the students couldn’t get their heads around it.
WHS Principal Dwight Probasco reportedly had received complaints from at least one parent that the 1975 hit written by Freddie Mercury wasn’t appropriate for the ceremony simply because Mercury was gay.
“The whole thing was just ridiculous,” senior Rachel Clark said Monday. “They’d played the song on the school intercom and we played it at prom. It’s a great song and the choir was really excited to be singing it. And the senior class felt like it defined them.” Choir member Casey Hight, a junior, was angry enough to contact a gay and lesbian support organization in Anchorage for help. They told her to contact an attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union.
“I felt like the school was discriminating for sexual orientation and I felt it was wrong,” Hight said Monday. “It’s so stupid because there’s nothing sexual in the song. There aren’t even any cuss words.”
Although Probasco wouldn’t comment on the issue Monday, Senior Class Advisor Deb Haynes said Probasco has now agreed to allow the choir to sing an edited version of Bohemian Rhapsody that doesn’t include lyrics in one section about killing a man.
“The kids had put a lot of time into the song, but at graduation we really try to accommodate anything that might be a sensitive issue for anybody,” Haynes said, adding she didn’t understand why the song would have been a problem in the first place. “I’ve heard it a hundred times and it’s never bothered me.”
Hight said she believes Probasco decided to put the song back on the graduation program because he didn’t want any problems with the ACLU.
Clark said it didn’t make sense for the school district to tout tolerance for all and then turn around and allow homophobia to dictate something such as graduation music.
“We were joking about singing Elton John’s ‘Candle in the Wind,’ instead,” Clark said. “I guess no matter what you do, someone’s feathers are going to get ruffled.”
Clark said she’s glad the choir will be able to sing the song after all, because several of the singers have solos.
“The whole attitude of the song just seems to fit our class,” she said.
---------------
Link to original story.
By K.T. McKee
Frontiersman
Published on Thursday, May 12, 2011 9:39 AM AKDT
WASILLA (Alaska) — When members of Wasilla High School’s symphonic jazz choir heard Friday it wouldn’t be singing the popular Queen hit “Bohemian Rhapsody” at this year’s graduation ceremony after working on it all year, the students couldn’t get their heads around it.
WHS Principal Dwight Probasco reportedly had received complaints from at least one parent that the 1975 hit written by Freddie Mercury wasn’t appropriate for the ceremony simply because Mercury was gay.
“The whole thing was just ridiculous,” senior Rachel Clark said Monday. “They’d played the song on the school intercom and we played it at prom. It’s a great song and the choir was really excited to be singing it. And the senior class felt like it defined them.” Choir member Casey Hight, a junior, was angry enough to contact a gay and lesbian support organization in Anchorage for help. They told her to contact an attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union.
“I felt like the school was discriminating for sexual orientation and I felt it was wrong,” Hight said Monday. “It’s so stupid because there’s nothing sexual in the song. There aren’t even any cuss words.”
Although Probasco wouldn’t comment on the issue Monday, Senior Class Advisor Deb Haynes said Probasco has now agreed to allow the choir to sing an edited version of Bohemian Rhapsody that doesn’t include lyrics in one section about killing a man.
“The kids had put a lot of time into the song, but at graduation we really try to accommodate anything that might be a sensitive issue for anybody,” Haynes said, adding she didn’t understand why the song would have been a problem in the first place. “I’ve heard it a hundred times and it’s never bothered me.”
Hight said she believes Probasco decided to put the song back on the graduation program because he didn’t want any problems with the ACLU.
Clark said it didn’t make sense for the school district to tout tolerance for all and then turn around and allow homophobia to dictate something such as graduation music.
“We were joking about singing Elton John’s ‘Candle in the Wind,’ instead,” Clark said. “I guess no matter what you do, someone’s feathers are going to get ruffled.”
Clark said she’s glad the choir will be able to sing the song after all, because several of the singers have solos.
“The whole attitude of the song just seems to fit our class,” she said.
---------------
Link to original story.
Economics
Back in college, I took three Economics courses. I remember hearing about "guns and butter" and tuning out. I was totally confused. Somewhere in my third course, however, I had a breakthrough and suddenly understood the concepts.
I never considered being an Economics major - though I did end up studying for four other majors (Psychology, English, Math, and Business) - before settling on the one that I graduated with - Marketing.
I was thinking about Economics recently because NPR's Planet Money ran a story about the website The Economics of Seinfeld. From the website: Seinfeld ran for nine seasons on NBC and became famous as a “show about nothing.” Basically, the show allows viewers to follow the antics of Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer as they move through their daily lives, often encountering interesting people or dealing with special circumstances.
It is the simplicity of Seinfeld that makes it so appropriate for use in economics courses. Using these clips (as well as clips from other television shows or movies) makes economic concepts come alive, making them more real for students. Ultimately, students will start seeing economics everywhere – in other TV shows, in popular music, and most importantly, in their own lives.
I haven't yet read through the seven pages of examples, but the site does bring back the memories of college - and my fascination with Economics.
I never considered being an Economics major - though I did end up studying for four other majors (Psychology, English, Math, and Business) - before settling on the one that I graduated with - Marketing.
I was thinking about Economics recently because NPR's Planet Money ran a story about the website The Economics of Seinfeld. From the website: Seinfeld ran for nine seasons on NBC and became famous as a “show about nothing.” Basically, the show allows viewers to follow the antics of Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer as they move through their daily lives, often encountering interesting people or dealing with special circumstances.
It is the simplicity of Seinfeld that makes it so appropriate for use in economics courses. Using these clips (as well as clips from other television shows or movies) makes economic concepts come alive, making them more real for students. Ultimately, students will start seeing economics everywhere – in other TV shows, in popular music, and most importantly, in their own lives.
I haven't yet read through the seven pages of examples, but the site does bring back the memories of college - and my fascination with Economics.
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