I’m more than aware that my bleating about politics does not make for an interesting read, and I apologize for that, I really do. It’s not that I wake up with an agenda to talk about this sort of thing, it’s just that I’m trapped in this mindset of devouring news and politics in the morning so that by the time I sit down to write this little bastard on my lunch break it’s had time to stew in my wee brain.
So I’ve been thinking about the Baby Boomers a lot lately, how different my (our?) generation has such a completely different situation then theirs, yet constant comparisons are still being made. The one thing it makes me think of, though, is the scene in Freaks and Geeks when President Bush I was visiting their school and Lindsay is selected to ask the then-president a question from the student population. Her hippie guidance counselor convinces her to do it right before having a crisis of political faith, accurately described here by Television Without Pity:
Lindsay wanders up and asks what he's doing. Evidently, Lindsay's is a case where book-smarts and street-smarts diverge, which is essentially what Mr. Rosso's response indicates. She offers to help him, and he defensively tells her he can handle it. Stung, she makes to leave, but he calls her back to tell her that "Bush's people rejected [her] question, so they've written one for [her]." He hands her a slip of paper, from which she reads, "What is your favourite place to eat in the state of Michigan?" She demands to know what happened, and he tells her that the Bush people (of the Kalahari?) found the question she wrote to be "too sophisticated." She contemptuously asks what that's supposed to mean, and Mr. Rosso grumbles, "That's code for 'Nice try, but this is a glorified photo opportunity.'" Lindsay scoffs non-verbally, and Mr. Rosso says that he's disappointed, too, but that she should try to keep a positive perspective, bitterly informing her, "You actually get to interact with the Vice-President of the United States. That's historic." Sarcastically, Lindsay whines, "Ooh, maybe if I'm lucky he'll tell me which steak house has the best prime rib!" Mr. Rosso expresses his disillusionment that there will be no real political dialogue, and that "you can't win with these people. You know what all my protesting accomplished in the sixties, at Berkeley? Sixteen scars on my head from a tear-gas canister. We tried to get them to stop the war. They stopped the war when they felt like it. And now all my compatriots are gettin' rich workin' Wall Street, and I can't get my keys out of my mother's car!" Lindsay, in turn, expresses her disillusionment that Mr. Rosso is apparently giving up so easily: "Come on, there's nothing we can do?" Mr. Rosso mutters, "Yeah, there's something you can do. You can go get Brooksie the janitor to come out here and help me." Lindsay stares at him, heartbroken.
I guess it’s a lot funnier to watch than it is to read, especially since Dave “Gruber” Allen is the comedic genius hippie that he is (seriously, IMDB him. He’s popped up in everything). Regardless, I like to think of that fictional scene when I’m all pissed off and feel like making a difference is impossible, because the most of the time it is, but it still shouldn’t stop people from trying. Nothing would ever get done if people weren’t always trying.
But enough of that. Back to the grill thing.
Freddie King was a blues guitarist from Texas, and probably the least well known of blues’ “3 Kings” made up of himself, Albert and B.B. There’s something about the way his guitar sounds on this track, though, that puts him in a place high above either of those legends. I usually try to avoid using hack cliché words like “mercurial”, but damned if that’s not the first word that springs to mind. It’s the sort of work that you might even catch yourself making faces to without even realizing it. My favorite part, though, is the little “whaow” he lets out in the background 2 or 3 times throughout the song. Listen for it, it really does make everything even out.
Buy Freddie King’s Ultimate Collection here
A Couple of years ago, this tiny label put out a compilation called Chains & Black Exhaust, which might be the greatest assemblage of black rock from the 70s that’s ever been assembled. It was hastily packaged, received little press, and I have never actually seen it for sale. It didn’t have any credit notes either, so I’m not actually sure this is Sir Stanley singing, but it doesn’t matter because half a minute in you won’t care either. That said, if fucking rocks and this song in particular is unspeakably awesome for enjoying nice weather and moving your ass a little bit.
“I Believe I’ve Found Myself” – Sir Stanley (YSI link)
If you can find this record for sale anywhere let me know, because my copy's pretty much dead.
so that's it for today. I just realized that the second track is an m4a, which might give some of you trouble. Just let me know if that's the case. Also, looking up "Black Chains Exhaust" on eBay yields nothing but crappy hot topic merch. Also, that guy at the top is not the same Sir Stanley.
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