Sunday, August 31, 2008

"Freeway"

The awesome Newscoma made me hip to this. It's Hooterville's own Laura Carson performing Aimee Mann's "Freeway." Aimee was holding a contest whereupon the winning entrant got to sing with her in concert. I don't know who won, but this talented girl sounds fantastic.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

A Wasted Meme?

Someone tagged me with a meme where I'm supposed to list six weird things about me. Sorry, but there's nothing weird about me at all. I tried to think of something but to no avail.

(Or maybe I should just let my wife guest-blog the answer.)

The path to the Greenway can look a bit spooky from here.



Friday, August 29, 2008

Feel Good Friday

Courtesy of my French heritage, here's Serge avec Jane Birkin singing "Elisa."



While I have your attention (or do I?), I'm curious to know how folks come to the blog. Is it through Google Reader, some other feed reader, or do you just keep me in a folder and visit when the mood hits? I'll put up a little poll in the sidebar, but feel free to just answer in the comments.

There's no grand marketing strategy behind this. I'm just curious.

Thanks. Or, as Serge would say, merci beaucoup.

Listening to Michelle Obama and thinking of the future.

Summer's Almost Over

Siblings

Thursday, August 28, 2008

I'm thinking the way that they want you to think.

I'm pretty sure that if I had an external hard drive, then my life would be perfect.

I'll look around online at prices tomorrow. I'm up way too late as it is.

Reading Bukowski late at night.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Ignite Your Passion with Nashville Opera

Don Giovanni
Andrew Jackson Hall, TPAC
Friday October 10, 2008, 8:00 PM
Saturday October 11, 2008, 8:00 PM

The Student Prince
Polk Theater, TPAC
Saturday November 22, 2008, 8:00 PM
Sunday November 23, 2008, 2:00 PM
Tuesday November 25, 2008, 7:00 PM

Amahl and the Night Visitors
and Opera Holiday Concert
Polk Theater, TPAC
Tuesday December 9, 2008, 7:00 PM

La Bohème
Andrew Jackson Hall, TPAC
Friday April 17, 2009, 8:00 PM
Saturday April 18, 2009, 8:00 PM

It's louder than it might appear.




















It's funny how loud the cars and trucks are as they scream by so close to this beautiful little path.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Careful Where You Step


All I do is walk these days. Almost nine miles to and from my mom's house a week or so ago. Three miles home from work the other night. Four and a half miles yesterday to and from the employee picnic at Nashville Shores. I'd like to get back to increasing my carbon footprint, please.

Running across the dam the other night, I twisted or turned my ankle a bit. It was a minor injury but I had two thoughts about it. First, I had that "woe is me" moment. (All this vehicular stuff and now my damn foot?! I can't win.) Then I thought that at least it's cheaper to fix a foot than a car. Anything that happens to my car tends to cost $300 or more to fix, but because of my excellent health insurance all I'd be out is a $20-50 co-pay if I limped my injured self to the hospital. (Well, as I write that I guess I have to factor in the monthly cost for healthcare that comes out of my paycheck, so maybe my point is moot.)

Anyway, I kind of like the picture and figured I'd write something down as an excuse to share it.

Have a nice day.

(My boss is giving me a ride to work today. Yay!)

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Watching the Skaters at Donelson Skate Park

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Scolded

I was scolded by my daughter today. As she looked over my shoulder watching me load pictures onto the laptop, she saw these attempts of mine:




















"Dad, you're doing it wrong. You're only supposed to take pictures of humans."

Duly noted.

My True Love















I've been cranky today. Same old reasons.

I try to be Great Dad, but feel more like Overwhelmed Dad.

And yet she sticks by me and loves me despite it all.

I'm a lucky man.

Concert Happiness

I was talking with a friend the other day about when I saw Ronnie James Dio way back around 1986 or so.

A huge fan at the time, it was my first time to see him in concert and I was thrilled to be there. As I stood in the crowd before the stage, watching the curtain come up, I was excited to see the large behemoth of a dragon at stage left.

Two things were certain:
  1. There was gonna be some serious rocking.
  2. There was gonna be some serious dragon slaying.
Dio delivered awesomely in both departments.

Verdi on the Radio.

For those who like the stuff, I recommend listening to WPLN 90.3 this Sunday night at 8 p.m. for The Nashville Symphony's May performance of Verdi's Messa de Requiem, led by Giancarlo Guerrero.

Also, if you missed it earlier this year, Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14 will be broadcast on the same station on the night of August 31. Very nice.

Thriller

I love this shot. I wasn't into Michael Jackson too much back when Thriller came out, but once we learned that Eddie Van Halen played the solo on "Beat It," my crowd of 13-year-old metal head friends and I warmed up to it enough to become closet fans. And we all had to admit that the video for "Thriller" was spooky cool.

I'll show her.

My wife has been entering a MasterCard sponsored contest where the winner gets to meet one of three music stars. Of course, one of the three stars is Jon Bon Jovi. The other two are Kenny Chesney and Eric Clapton.

She's been entering my name as well to increase her chances of winning. You just know I'm gonna piss her off and pick Clapton if it's my name that comes up as the winner.

My car woes solved with a wrap?












I loved seeing the Janet's Planet car the other day. I'd be happy to let any company wrap my Honda station wagon in advertising in exchange for the cost of its repair. Or I can just drive someone else's company car. There are a multitude of companies that advertise online selling lists of companies to interested parties. Being that I'm naturally skeptical of most opportunities, I'll just share my love for the idea here and let the big corporations come to me.

While I'm the type of guy who likes NPT, NPR, and its like, I'm not averse to advertising anything that keeps me from having to walk everywhere I go. Beer companies, strip clubs, tobacco products? I like two of those three anyway.

Those little Red Bull trucks are pretty cool.
I'd even drive the Oscar Meyer car if they did that sort of thing. Although I'm not so sure about its gas mileage.








Anyway, I'm just half brainstorming, half being silly. There's a Budweiser scooter I saw the other day that I entered to win. Wish me luck on that one.

San Francisco's Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, AT&T Blue Room brings it inside your home.

Tonight's surprise was Beck's appearance at San Francisco's Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival. Had I been home I would have watched his performance via AT&T Blue Room. As it turns out, I'm off the rest of the weekend and will be able to catch the rest of the festival online.

Check AT&T Blue Room for schedule and webcast info.

Highlights include:

Bela Fleck
Galactic
Steve Winwood
Ben Harper
Primus
Toots & the Maytals
Andrew Bird
Sharon Jones & Dap Kings
Broken Social Scene
Cake
Jack Johnson ("America's Matthieu Boogaerts"?)

It's good being a music lover in the Internet age.

Insert Clever "Walking" Title Here

It finally happened. I knew it was a matter of time and tonight was the night. Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire once famously said, "I have always depended on the kindness of strangers." Well, I have recently depended on the kindness (and availability) of co-workers while my car has been on the mend. I call it ridesharing. I call it "reducing my carbon footprint." But it can also be called being broke, desperate, and very appreciative of friends giving me rides to and from work.

Tonight, no ride was available to me and so I walked home after clocking out at 11 p.m. Of course, people being people, I was honked at and ridiculed by jerks in cars within my first half mile. I lucked out and was seen by a co-worker pretty early into my late night walk. He offered me a ride and I happily accepted. What I thought was to be a ride all the way home turned out to be just a ride as far as he was going. Always the appreciative one, I thanked him for the distance he saved me from walking and forged on ahead on foot. What I didn't know was just how helpful he was. My workplace is 6.3 miles from home and the distance he drove me was just over half that length. (And probably the darkest part to walk.)

I walked a total of three miles tonight and it took me maybe an hour. Not bad considering the backpack on my shoulders, the dark ground at my feet, and my frequent stopping to check and send Twitter updates on my phone. (Geek!)

Some Twitter highlights:
"Got a ride. Cool."
"Partial ride. Maybe 3 miles of walking to go."
"Why people gotta honk at people who walk?"
"Ha Ha. Your beer can missed me."
People in cars can be jerks to people on foot. I'm just glad to be home, safe and sound. I've got Bellini on the opera channel, a Rogue Mocha Porter in a frosty mug, and a nice, warm laptop on the top of my lap.

If you're reading this, thanks for reading this.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Selective Multi-tasking

Why is it that I can get so frustrated when my two in-house kids try to talk to me at the same time, but I can sit here in absolute peace while, at once, opera plays on the television, The Dawn and Drew Show plays on my iPod, and "Let The Good Times Roll" (Aunt B's Feel Good Friday) plays online?

I believe the good folks call this Feel Good Friday.

I picked up a CD compilation by Putumayo Records called French Cafe the other day. Getting in touch with my French heritage, ya know. Some artists I was already familiar with: Serge Gainsbourg, Jane Birkin, Brigitte Bardot. Others, not so much. Among the not so much is a fellow by the name of Mathieu Boogaerts. His track, "Ondule," hardly seems to exist, but is a delight everytime I hear it. It's barely a light breeze on a sunny afternoon. Maybe we can call Matthieu Boogaerts "the Jack Johnson of France." I listen to "Ondule" and imagine myself enjoying a leisurely stroll on the Champs-Elysees. It's beautiful. It's Friday and I feel good.


Of course, the French do love their nudity. Click for the same artist singing "Silliguri."

Other Feel Good Friday players include: GingerSnaps, Squirrel Queen, Heartbreaktown, Newscoma, Kat Coble, LeBlanc (sounds like a good French name), Sharon Cobb, Subtle Bluntness, Jagadiah, and Holly.

Good folks, all of them.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Neuron? Neuroff.

My brain is a decent brain. It's not brilliant, but it's not dumb either. Those first few minutes when I wake up from a hard, interrupted sleep, however...

I'm calling my sister at 10 a.m. today to make plans for lunch. So before getting Sleep Part II at 7:30 this morning, I set my alarm clock for that time. My wife keeps it set an hour ahead so I actually set it for 11:00 which means 10:00. I wake up on my own at 9:00, I look at the clock and it reads 10:00 and I have to do and redo a lot of math in my head before I confirm that this doesn't really mean that it's 11:00 and I really havn't overslept by an hour.

Also, I dreamed that I was using Google Image Search to find pictures of a Target store. I was frustrated because it just kept bringing back YouTube videos of people shopping at Target.

Thanks for reading my nonsense.

The closet hippie in me posts this:

I'm reading lots of stuff about God and the "infinite replication paradox." I'm on an existentialist (-ism?) kick.

Whatever.

What's prettier than a rainbow? How about a kid drawing a rainbow on a sidewalk with chalk?

("Well, you know my name is Simon, and the things I draw come true...")

Back to Pink Floyd and chocolate beer. Enjoy your existence, whether or not you are really here.

Wheee!

Trippy.

"All we are saying..."


Obvious Title: One Foot in the Door


These are the podcasts I know, I know. These are the podcasts I know.

No links, because that's just too much work, but here's a list of stuff to which I subscribe. I invite your recommendations in the comments. What do you listen to?

A Prairie Home Companion's News from Lake Wobegon
Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac
Beatport.com Burners
Believer's Voice of Victory Audio Podcast
Belmont Church - Nashville, TN
Bengals Report
Blarm!
Chelsea Lately Video Podcast
The Cincinnati Enquirer Bengals
The Clerkenwell Kid
Comedy Central: Stand-Up
Concert Blast!
Coverville
The Dawn and Drew Show
DJ LOLI
The Economist
ESPN: Football Today
ESPNU College Football Insider
Girls Gone Geek
Global Music Hunters
GROOVELECTRIC
Hospital Records Podcast
The Interface
Joel Osteen
KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic
KCRW The Treatment
Keith's T.I.C.
Les Concerts a emporter
LSAT Logic in Everyday Life
Mad Decent Worldwide Radio
MobLogic
The Moth Podcast
Music Popcast
NASACast Video
New Yorker: Comment
New Yorker: Conference Video
New Yorker: Fiction
New Yorker: Out Loud
NFL Rants and Raves
NPR: All Songs Considered
NPR: Car Talk
NPR: Day to Day
NPR: Fresh Air
NPR: Live Concerts
NPR: Shuffle Podcast
NPR: Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
NYT: Tech Talk
The Overnightscape
PRI's Studio 360
PRI: The Sound of Young America
The Ricky Gervais Podcast
Ritmo Latino
Rocketboom
Savage Love Podcast
Stones Throw Podcast
STS9 Podcast
This American Life
TitansOnline.com
Undressed
USA Today's Pop Candy
WNYC's Radio Lab

This Blogger at a Very Young Age.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Library Report

I picked up some good stuff at the library today. Like any good idiot, I walked there on a hot day in jeans and a long-sleeved black dress shirt. The walk to the library wasn't too bad, but returning home resulted in a very sweaty self. (I guess the books I returned weren't as heavy as the books I checked out.)

Before me now are:
  • The Ballad of the Late, Great Townes Van Zandt
  • The Infinite Book: A Short Guide to the Boundless, Timeless, and Endless
  • France - a travel book by National Geographic Traveler
  • God's Debris by Scott Adams
God's Debris is excellent so far, which means that I will probably put it on top of my car and lose it within the week. I hope to get to the Townes book soon, but the title and subtitle of The Infinite Book make me smile and I imagine I'll start that one as soon as I lose God's Debris.

I also picked up a couple of compilation CDs by the good folks at Putumayo. One is called French Cafe and the other is Paris. Listening to Serge Gainsbourg recently has really put me in that French mood. And like so much of the opera I like, I don't know the words so I can pay as much or as little attention to the songs as I choose.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

The Overnightscape on Tennessee

Podcast host Frank Edward Nora likes the shape of our state. Literally, the shape of our state.

In dedicating his 731st show to Area Code 731, he looks at a map and mentions how much he likes our state's shape. He says it makes him smile.

His show makes me smile.

I still plan to make my own irreverent podcast someday. If any local characters know the technology and would like to show me the ropes, I welcome your help. I've got a laptop, a microphone, and my voice. I just need to learn how to make them all work together.

How I Write


Someone recently shared a photo of his handwriting on his blog. (I forget who, otherwise I would link to him.) We so rarely write anything now it seems. I used to write pretty nicely in cursive. Now it's all block letters for me when I have to jot something down.

Regarding the photo above, it's a list of items that I have recently checked out from the library. Half of them have already been returned, but one item is lost forever. When I got the news about the cost of the new transmission for the van, I placed my copy of The Gulag Archipelago on its roof while I made a call to my mom. I even glanced at it a few minutes into the call and made note not to forget it. I forgot it. It probably fell off somewhere between Hwy. 96 and I-65. I hope its finder appreciates it. I was about twelve pages in and absolutely riveted. The library's gonna want some cash for that little mistake.

Maybe I should do some sit-ups before I give this a try.

I was looking around at a site where models and photographers meet to work together. It's a bit embarrassing to share my interest in this, but I'm beyond broke and I think it would be nice to be photographed by someone who might have extraordinary talent behind the lens. And who knows? Maybe I'll stumble into crazy riches. I'm no hottie, but that won't stop me from seeing if I can make a buck or two. Stranger things have happened.

Anyway, while looking at models in the Nashville area, I saw a former coworker of mine. It cracks me up to see him striking a fashion pose. Just like it would crack him up if he saw me doing the same. That's the second time I've come across someone I knew from the workplace while surfing around online. If anyone does photograph me in a similar style shoot, I'll be sure to share it with my friend so that we can laugh at each other.

Home


Thinking aloud, "blogging it out."

The part (the transmission) is ready at Darrell Waltrip Honda. It's typically a two-day job for install.

Tomorrow I'll drive the family to school in the van, then drive the van to the dealer so they can put in the new transmission. While in Franklin, I'll walk over to the hospital and see my mom. That's all I've got worked out. I'll need to get back home to Hermitage somehow.

The following morning, I will need to get the family to school again. (In my busted old Honda whose suspension I'm not trusting right now? I don't think so.) Maybe I can rent a car in Franklin, but I don't know if my credit card has enough room on it for the authorization. Maybe I can borrow my mom's car, but I don't know who to ask or how I'd come across asking.

Anyway, if all goes as it should, the van should have a brand new transmission with a 3-year warranty by Thursday afternoon.

"It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."



I've always liked that line, but I have to admit that I think of its use in Steve Martin's L.A. Story before I think of Shakespeare.

The sound and fury of my life, the one that comes with two kids bouncing around the house, so often jockeying for position (of what, I have no clue), does have a signifying object. Rather, it brings relative appreciation for the peace that comes to me at night. As they sleep, as they dream (of what, I wish I knew), I rest, weary from my day, in the living room. Jazz plays on the iPod and the absence of any sound or fury is the most beautiful thing in the world.

I'm dealing with some stuff that I won't get into here, but I will share this. A friend at work asked me last night if there was a certain artist that I choose to listen to when I'm frustrated or angry. I told him that I had two answers depending on what I wanted to do with my mood. If I want to hang onto it for a bit, I listen to Nine Inch Nails. If I want to ease out of my bad mood, then I listen to early Tom Waits. There's enough poetry in that stuff that I always end up relaxing more and stressing less.

This morning, however, while wondering and reading about existentialist philosophies online, I chose a playlist on my iPod that has a lot of my dad's favorite songs. No Reznor and no Waits, just lots and lots of jazz. I didn't want to do anything with my mood. I just wanted background music with no lyrics to distract me. However, among so much Stan Getz, Chet Baker, and Bill Evans, he's got some a nice collection of pop songs as well. Case in point, a song came on that I needed to hear that I would never have selected in a million years: "Sailing" by Christopher Cross. After a night of purposeful boozing, "Sailing" was the perfect song for reminding me to open the shades, stretch my body, get outside and embrace the day.

Before a night of purposeful boozing.

Who dey? Who dey? Who dey think they cut that Bengal?

Bengals close to signing Henry

Monday, August 18, 2008

I'm reading about cancer survivor Michael Violandi.

I was honored to meet his family tonight at the hotel where his proud father told me about the odds he has beaten regarding his cancer.

Information about Michael Violandi here.

As they say, Godspeed.

No John Prine on my iPod,* but plenty of his lyrics in my head.

"Blow up your TV, throw away your paper, move to the country, build you a home ... plant a little garden, eat a lot of peaches, try and find Jeeesus on your own."

*I'll remedy that soon.

It seems everyone goes on vacation these days but me.

I close my eyes and I go to Fernandina Beach. My toes are in the sand and the waves do what waves do.

I am relaxed. I am at peace.

Frank "never could stand that dog."

From a CNN piece on Tom Waits:
"Bukowski had a story that essentially was saying that it's the little things that drive men mad," Waits said. "It's not World War II. It's the broken shoe lace when there is no time left that sends men completely out of their minds.
"I think there is a little bit of Frank in everybody."
In the song, Frank eventually runs amok, setting fire to the family home and blazing a trail up the Hollywood freeway because, as Waits quips in the pay-off "he never could stand that dog."
I think it's the little things that will be my undoing. So far, some semblance of a sense of humor is what's keeping me laughing instead of crying. Last night as I was walking across the dark hotel parking lot to the shuttle bus, I was softly singing Waits' "Rains On Me" and keeping a relaxed mood despite the stresses and strains of life's grand challenges swirling around in my head.
This is how the world will be
Everywhere I go it rains on me
Forty monkeys drowning in a boiling sea
Everywhere I go it rains on me.
Like a really bad joke, the sprinklers were on and one was spraying its H2O decisively against the door of the bus. Rain on me, indeed. Thank goodness for my mood. If any other night or any other disposition, who knows what crazed reaction would have ensued?

I'm reminded of a story I remember hearing but can't find evidence of online. A popular children's television actor from the 70s apparently once had a minor freak-out and was arrested for streaking though the streets of Nashville.

Sometimes the mad dogs in one's head just need to be let off the leash for a while. "It's not World War II. It's the broken shoe lace when there is no time left that sends men completely out of their minds." I understand completely.

Here's to holding on when the shoe lace breaks. And here's to simply laughing it off when the sprinklers target your door.

I don't know jack about Tom.

As much as I go on about Tom Waits, you'd think I knew something about him. It seems I'm listening to him every day. For maybe eighteen years, I've been listening to him off and on. Once a completist, I had everything commercially available by him. Now I have most of his stuff, but there are still Very Important Albums by him that I have don't currently own.

Anyway, as many times as I've played 1987's Frank's Wild Years, I just heard "More Than Rain" and it's the first time that the lyrics really grabbed me. It's like it's the first time I've ever given the song a spin. He calls it his "little Edith Piaf attempt and it's quite the woe is us kind of tune.

Excerpted lyrics:
And it's more than a bad dream, now that I'm sober
There's no more dancing
There's no more dancing

And it's more than trouble, I've got myself into
Nothing but sad times
Nothing but sad times

None of our pockets, are lined with gold
Nobody's caught the bouquet
And no dead presidents we can fold
Nothing is going our way

And it's more than goodbye, I have to say to you
It's more than woe-begotten gray skies now

The words are evidence of kind of a downer of a song, but the accordion gives it a bit of a playful French feel. For its intro in the Big Time concert film, Waits gives some good (and typical of him) advice about dealing with bad days:
"Eh this is about all the bad days in the world. I used to have some really bad days. And I kept them in a little box. And one day I threw them out into the yard. Oh, it's just a couple of innocent bad days. Well, we had a big rain... I don't know what it was growing in, but I think we used to put egg shells out there and coffee grounds too. Don't plant your bad days! They grow into weeks, the weeks grow into months, and before you know it you got yourself a bad year. Take it from me: CHOKE those little bad days! CHOKE 'em down to nothing! There are your days, CHOKE 'em! You choke my days, I'll choke yours! All right... It's more than rain..."
I love that I've been listening to him for all these years and still hear his songs sometimes as if I'm brand new to his art. I'll try to remember not to plant my bad days. Lord knows, I've been warned.

I was all set to write someting wonderful and profound tonight.

I'm home now and I can't for the life of me remember what it was.

We'll just assume it was the most awesome thing ever.

Have a nice night.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

She's got a romantic heart.

My daughter looked up at our Doisneau print today and said, "I want to go to that city."

She paused and then added, "It's where everyone kisses every girl."

I think I love Paris for the same reason.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Mark Germino, Tonight at Bluebird Cafe

I drove a guy from the airport to the hotel today who really made my day. He flew into Nashville from Detroit just to see Mark Germino play a gig tonight. We shared a seven-minute conversation that took me back to my old record store days in the coolest possible way.

I really miss hanging out with music-obsessed folks like me.

I'm working tonight so I won't be able to see Germino play this time. I've seen him several times and he's always awesome. Here's hoping that the hotel guest I met has a wonderful time at the show.

When I told him to have a great stay in Nashville, he replied by saying, "I'm having a great time already. You're a part of that."

Made my day.

Save Gas; Leave It In Park



A few Nashville area ride share links for ya: 

eRideShare

PickupPal

RTA Carpool

Friday, August 15, 2008

The Mysterious Shoe



I found its mate later on the other side of the road. And then I saw a lone bracelet.

What to make of it? Hopefully nothing bad. My prints are all over the shoe in the photo.
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"Go Raiders!," says the little guy.

I gotta admit, it is a very cool hat he's got.

Evidence of the Brasso Bear at my workplace.



He's no Bigfoot, but he's mythical enough for me.

A Walk Across Clovercroft Road

I walked 8.8 miles today. From a Franklin dealership to my mom's house and back. I wondered if I looked like this guy:

I was even offered a ride from a pretty woman, but she was going in the opposite direction and didn't seem too committal about it. I politely declined and just kept walking, backpack on back, camera around neck, and a world of financial woes dancing around in my head.

The walking was pretty good for my head, but the snake holes at my feet kept me a bit wary throughout my little journey. At one point, I saw a high heel shoe. Later and on the other side of the road, I saw its match. About twenty feet later, I saw a large bracelet. Nefarious doings or just a few drunkenly discarded items? It's not for me to know. All I know is you see some interesting things when going on foot.

And to those who follow me on Twitter, thanks for putting up with my multiple (and maybe tedious) tweets today. It was good to have you guys around. Had Peter Jenkins had Twitter, he might never have written A Walk Across America, but rather just a series of 140-character-or-less musings.

Here are a few pictures from the day.

Thanks for reading and have a nice day.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

State of Shock

While listening to the Coverville podcast tonight, I got a real treat. Remember "State of Shock," that funky duet between Michael Jackson and Mick Jagger? I learned that it was actually co-written by Michael Jackson and Queen's Freddie Mercury. Somehow, somewhere, Coverville's very cool host found the demo version of those two singing it. (YouTube link.)

True, the rawness of Mick and Mike together is still the version that works best for me, but this original cut is quite special in its own regard. I don't recall exactly when it was recorded (released in '84 on The Jacksons' Victory album), but it would have fit perfectly among Queen's more disco-sounding Hot Space release from 1982.

If I'm not careful, I'll end up watching Freddie Mercury clips on YouTube way past my bedtime. Enjoy your day and enjoy this ridiculous photo of me, preferably while listening to Hot Space.