Those of you who blog every day: honestly, how do you do it? Seems like at some point the details would get trivial–do you really want to know what I had for breakfast? (Okay, Kashi Go-Lean it was.) The dogs are asleep. My son’s home from school with a lingering but low-grade flu, reading. It’s quiet. I can think. I think.
Almost done with the Keith Richards autobio, “Life”. Highly recommended–the amount of stuff he remembers, and the details he provides really make you see him as a multi-dimensional human being–not just rock n’ roll’s king of consumption, though there’s plenty of talk about that. (I know more about heroin now than I ever imagined I would). I don’t know why he goes into a track-by-track discussion of one of the Stones’ latest releases towards the end; marketing ploy, perhaps? But I’ve ridden along for 500+ pages, so I guess I’ll go with it. I’m in. I feel like we’re pals at this point. Nice to see the mention of the All the King’s Men sessions (for those who don’t know: Keith, along with Scotty Moore, Levon Helm, and some other “top hands”(his words) recorded Deuce & a Quarter, written by me and Gwil Owen, for that record, a tribute for Scotty Moore and D.J. Fontana, the two surviving members of the trio which backed Elvis in the early days).
Saw a vid yesterday on fb; Paul Westerberg with band, from a few years ago, doing the Replacements song, “Left of the Dial”. The sound (and video quality) sucked, but the performance trumped all that. That’s always been one of my favorite songs of his. I love his writing, but I’ve never gotten to see him live. The clip ends with PW executing a less-than-original rock n’ roll maneuver, but . . . I bought it somehow. Real.
Other visuals: Just know that on Saturday, watching the DVD of the Springsteen’s Houston show from 12/78 made me feel guilty for lying on the couch, and otherwise slow and out of shape. So I got up afterwards and went down to the bar and drank beer! Damn. They were killin’. For three hours. Other than some lighting moves, it’s all about the music, and the band’s connection with the people in that room. Simple. Direct.
Last fall in Knoxville, I did a show with Paul Burch and Paul Thorn. PT and I are talking about a gig somewhere, and out of nowhere he says something like “it’s weird, isn’t it: they feel how you feel”; “they” meaning the audience. That you can’t hide what you’re really feeling behind your own face. That you’re bringing more than music with you to the stage. You can look at that a number of ways; ain’t as simple as it sounds. All I want to say is that it’s been helpful to me.
Maybe you’re wondering about the new record, Gloryland? Me too. Go ahead, yell at me. I’m working on it, y’all. (Hey, how many votes for vinyl? Thinking about doing a 10″ with Colfax and two other tracks on it.) Much to decide. But I want it to be right. More info in future posts. Soon.
I think it’s nature of writing that how much you do depends on both your audience and your subject. It’s a miracle if I manage a post a week, or even a month, in my sewing/everyday life blog. But I do blog daily (roughly 28 days a month) elsewhere, rather anonymously, and because my audience doesn’t know me, I’m free to say what ever I like, and I generally treat it more like journaling than like ‘blogging.’ As a reader I’d rather read something more like a journal (a trip inside someone else’s life) than a blog (a thought out, somewhat planned treatise on some subject). Sometimes the two cross or blend beautifully, but for me blogging is work, rather than the outpouring of writing that journaling, which requires anonymity for the sake of being more emotionally free. Your mileage may vary on this.
And they/we do feel what you feel. That’s why you make music, right? Authorial intent can be lost in words, but the emotions strains through in music and we all share it equally, even as we bring our own experiences to it. We need you, singer poet man, to be our sieve. But it is kind of weird. 🙂
saw the Replacements a couple of times. Mid-late 80’s. Bar shows, both. They once lived up to their reputation: 5-1/2 songs in and it was all over. Drunken craziness prevailed. And me being who I was at the time, had a gas! Don’t remember much of that one. The next time-probably the same year-they put on a stellar show, Bob was just ripping the guitar! Tommy never quit moving. PW’s songs-always great on record, just came to life. One of the best shows I ever saw. (I rarely talk about the Replacements without mentioning that everyone should try to find ‘Horseshoes and Hand Grenades’ by Chris Mars)
saw Springsteen in ’78 in Omaha. 3 plus hours. 1/2 the songs were unrecorded at the time. Wore me out for days-and he played K.C. the next night. Amazing!
VINYL PLEASE!!!
We agree: I’m long overdue on a post to my contrarian’s, but very positive and helpful, view of the job search blog. Very tough to be consistent with posts. Gloryland….ahh the waiting is just teasing all of us. Rumors of you in Chicago in April?? We’ll make the snow melt by then for sure (well…probably).
More bloggin’ please! larry
Yes, blogging every day is tough. I’m a longtime music writer/journalist who now teaches at a university here in Mass. Luckily I’m always seeing/reading/listening to something or other that’s new and/or exciting. Tomorrow I’ll be blogging about your latest CD. So, there’s always good stuff to share (better late than never).
Westerberg’s a favorite of mine. Tough to see sometimes how he tosses his talent away with drunken performances (in the past) and more recent CDs where he’s performed by himself in his basement. Could be so much better. Oh, well, I’m glad for the great stuff we have.
Heard you may be coming to New England. Hope to catch your show. Best, JW