Alternative

David Bowie

~ Cave_Guy ~ 6 Comments

redneck-stardust-1112

Ziggy Stardust

ziggysd

I was 11 and I was a little boy in England — I was not a happy child – I was an intense and deep thinking young dude.

Music was not a thing to me.

I sorta liked the Beatles and T-rex and Slade (ok, I did like Slade)

But – I didn’t have anything to really connect me.

——– Until the day I would not forget

“Spiders from Mars” arrived at the house.

And it was the Album Cover that mesmerized me.

This was a weak-artsy–deep-thinking-cool-dude. And he had arrived.

The impact of this cover and that day stays with me.

And it had nothing to do with the music – it was this persona – this image —– This ballsy statement of — “I am here, deal with it”

We were waiting for you – This was my pied piper moment – I was hypnotized.

It was my streets with some amazing shift of culture.

If this was ok then I could be ok — We, the new generation had arrived.

This is my last good memory of England; we would soon move to the United States – Ironically – I now live within striking distance from where David Bowie had a home in Woodstock.

This is my upstate NY homage to my hero – yeah…I am not a young dude anymore – And I live in a redneck land.

We become ok with our surroundings and our place in this world or we do not.

David Bowie helped me understand that.

Cheers from the cave!

Just in case you missed what a sublime sense of humor he had.

 

See you later Marie

~ Cave_Guy ~ 73 Comments

 

Sad to report that I lost my wife this morning.

We are coming up on three years since she was diagnosed and I refuse to say that she lost her battle with cancer.

She did not lose anything.

She fought, she kept her spirit and she cared for those around her more than herself.

She was an amazing woman and I am lucky to have met her – she took a wreck of a human being and made him happy.

Truly happy and truly blessed.

There is no more that a person can do in this world – and no more can be expected.

She turned the light on in my soul –

 

 

Squeeze-fest 2015

~ Cave_Guy ~ 5 Comments

The best country/western band to ever come out of England.

“The past has been bottled and labeled with love“

Squeeze was new wave because the band was born in that era.

That is the only reason – at heart they are pure country.

Take out the cornfield and put in a semi-detached cul de sac neighborhood.

Replace sweet tea with hot tea.

Remove the coyote and add a confused and malnourished stray cat.

These guys sing about where they are with humor and fatalism like no band before or after.

And (just like great country music) – they are not singing to us – they are us.

Us amplified in a poetic and tragic way.

Yeah, right in your kitchen

Jools Holland banging at the keyboards almost looks like he is ready to get his own show!

His talent is great but his real gift is getting the best out of those around him —Yes, I am talking Difford and Tilbrook here. One of my favorites* (I almost spelled it favourites) of all time is ArgyBargy

ArrgyBargy is not a perfect record – it has flaws – but like an old friend that you are always happy to see – I love this record.

Love and hate sharing an awkward bath together – with bubbles!

This band works on me on a few different levels.

They always cut through to the humorous core.

Mostly, they make me feel better – and feeling better is what this blog thing is all about, so one more and cheers from the cave!

Did you notice the western theme? Huh?

*Favorite – I often feel sorry for kids from other countries with a different language who come to America.

As an English kid – it was: Favourite is now Favorite and watch out for Colour, drop the u there too. Also——don’t ask where the toilet is, ask to use the bathroom —America is a land of many toilets but they don’t like the word—-also, forget about getting a good cup of tea anywhere and drink cold soda—–Any Questions? Good — Go get ‘em!

Note: If you keep reading my blog, you will get my whole life story- which is reluctantly doled out in tiny scraps here and there.

Things Happen

~ Cave_Guy ~ 2 Comments

Dawes.Things Happen

“Things happen –  that’s all they ever do”

Sometimes you have to let go of trying to figure out how the train got off the tracks – the work of putting it back on is just too important.

Things happen.

When something difficult comes your way, you must resist the temptation to surmise you were born under a bad sign – or born a loser or something else.

Things happen – that’s all they ever do.

In the hospital waiting room – my 13 year old says “Hey Dad, I got a question for you.”

“OK, – go ahead”

[I have no idea what is on the way]

……… “I have never asked you this before but I need to know”

[Am I ready for this? – where are we going?]

“If you could have one superpower what would it be?”

[Did not see this coming]

I have time to think —- Flying is not an option because I am not crazy about heights and it gets really cold as you gain elevation—–those little leotards and a cape are not very insulating – flying is out.

Invisibility? You know – most of my life, I have felt invisible – I already had this power and it is way overrated — so no on this one.

The power to time travel! – now we are on to something – I would go back and tell 7 year old me that everything is going to be ok, there will be some difficult days but it is going to be alright, you will be fine.

And I would have older me come back and visit both of us right here and tell us it will be good – that we will move and grow and live with purpose and conviction because of the things that happen today.

Things happen – that’s all they ever do.

Feeling a little Anarchy with my nomination

~ Cave_Guy ~ 4 Comments

Thanks to my blogging friend Apple Pie for the nomination

https://wordpress.com/read/post/id/41733692/9114

I needed a little kick start to get the cave rumbling. One quote a day for three days – I can do that!

There are no limits to where our brains can take us. We are, if there be a God, God’s gracious creation.

John Lydon

I believe we are “all that” as this quote says – but I respect the “questioning everything” of the punk mentality. Artists don’t always know where it comes from but none hesitate to create with it.

He does wade in some deep waters

I like him because he just steps boldly and gets on with it – that it what it is all about.

This is not everyone’s cup of tea.

But so what

You cannot please everyone.

(Always a bad sign when you have to go to France to get respect)

But whatever

Here he is now:

http://live.philharmoniedeparis.fr/Concert/1010110/public-image-limited.html

And we remember fondly the youthful exuberance:

It always warms the heart

I have to go – the kettle is boiling and I need another cuppa

Cheers!

Pokey LaFarge

~ Cave_Guy ~ 13 Comments

Any parent with a teenager knows that you will sometimes hear strange sounds coming from their room, and unlike what all the TV programs and magazines say about parenting —We do not want to know what is going on!

So when I heard THIS — This tin pan alley type music blaring one day from behind the mysterious-door-of-quickly-dissolving-childhood – I broke my “don’t ask don’t tell” policy and yelled through the door.

“Son, what the hell are you listening to?”

“Dad – This is Pokey LaFarge”

“Pokey LaFarge?”

It’s old and it’s new – it’s really old and really new – even the name is too quirky to be quirky.

Is quirky the new cool?

Pokey Lafarge?

What can I say – the boy has great taste in music.

If you go to the band site there is a free download of his new song – Something in the Water—although the file does sneak into your system like a virus – so good luck finding it after you play it.

http://www.pokeylafarge.net/

Middle Age Angst

~ Cave_Guy ~ 15 Comments

I had a road rage incident recently that scared me.

Mainly because after all the years of driving and experiencing every kind of foolish transgression possible to experience

I thought I was immune.

I am not immune and I harbor deep wells of anger

What?

Bad day – happens all the time – it doesn’t matter what I was doing or where I was doing it. Enough to say that on this day I was giving it all I had and seemed to be getting nothing but aggravation back.

But this does not make me special or unique- many people have tougher paths to walk and life is not fair

I know this – I embrace this – I live this

There is nothing I can do about it

So somebody passing me on the road just to pass me should not bother this beat-down hombre

But it did

I punched the pedal to catch up to the offender – I did not know that my poor engine could respond like that – I am surprised that it did not blow up –

Then when he/she (I don’t know who was in that pick-up truck of doom) pulled in to a convenient store I almost pulled in right behind them (thankfully, I did not).

So I could go eyeball to eyeball with the offender.

This would have been bad – logically I knew that nothing good could come from this

Logically, I knew that there was nothing I could do about all the bad stuff that happened to me earlier in the day

But on the road I could –  two vehicles going mano a mano – I have control and I do matter.

This scared me – because I have not felt this anger for 30 years – not since I was a young nerd/punk at a Clash concert – not since I started to know better.

But when we are beat-down and unable to express it we lash out in other ways —–

I get pro-wresting and looting now – I am not above both if my situation was different.

And all of this got me thinking about Paul Westerberg  and how he proclaimed on one summer night when no one was listening.

“Here is one more song —–  if anyone cares”

And The Replacements played this classic.

the crowd was not impressed.

But I was.

And still am.

They were just the warm-up band for Tom Petty – who would follow and play for the faithful and I left early. To this day I still don’t like Tom Petty.

I have angst.

Hozier – Wondier or Wankier?

~ Cave_Guy ~ 5 Comments

When I first heard “Take me to Church” – I completely lost it – “What is this crap spewing forth from my new favorite radio station?”

And it kept spewing:

It made the song of the day

It made the song of the week

It made the friggin’ song of the year

Hozier is the anointed saint of music for 2014 and I hate this song!!!!

hate-this-song

A hymn about sex – and it is not subtle

Not even a little bit

It blends two things that don’t blend well in a clunky and brutal manner – like say — one of those weird Japanese desert flavors.

Grab two scoops of == Whale Shark Ice Cream ==

I love Whale Sharks – soothingly beautiful giants gently coasting in pristine blue tropical waters —- and who doesn’t like ice cream?

But together? – I get a reaction like I get from this song. It is a queasiness in my spirit.

And this fish is not even cooked – just chopped up and mixed in.

Yuck!  Stop it!

I hate this song and all it stands for.

 

And now for something completely different:

Angel of Small Death & the Codeine Scene – Hozier

This is soulful and rich. It has nodes of gospel and blues. It is intense – this dude is from Memphis, right?

No—-Ireland? —- And it is that same guy who perpetrated the gratuitous crime of a song detailed at the start of this post?

Huh?

Color me with a big ol’ paintbrush of converted to this beat.

This is a great song.

Yes, it mixes genres up – but the blend is tasty this time around.

This is ===Raspberry Swirled Vanilla with a Chocolate drizzle === [or whatever epic flavor you want to add].

Bitter raspberry on cool vanilla with quality rich cocoa – does not get better than this.

Cheers from the Cave!

 

 

Notes on the title for this post:

Wondier is “Wonder” with that Hozier “i” added. (I know, hilarious wordplay)

Wankier is “Wanker” with that Hozier “i” added. For further explanation of the word “Wanker” – I suggest you move to England or simply watch “Spinal Tap” —in fact, everyone should watch Spinal tap at least once every 5 years to remind themselves of the beauty and tragedy with humor in all of rock music.

New York and a Radiohead Mood.

~ Cave_Guy ~ 6 Comments

Item One:

Some dude walks around N.Y.C with a hatchet and takes random whacks at people in uniform- we think he might be a terrorist, or maybe a whacko—or a combo of the two—–and this could be a copycat deal that will spread across the country like the ice bucket challenge.

Not only are we afraid of an isolated brutal act—we are afraid of it trending on twitter and turning into a plaque of insanity.

Item Two:

A doctor risks his life to go to Ebola ground zero and work with “Doctors without Borders” – helping those that are in more trouble and lack more resources than us reasonable people can imagine.

This guy is a hero.

No wait-he caught that crap-The dude brought that shit back to Brooklyn—his neighbors are calling him a big jerk face scumbag.  Ebola is here.

Shut down all flights in and out of Africa right now!

This and other reasons (which I don’t wish to discuss) make me reach for something to pour on my wounded psyche.

Radiohead works.

I love you creepy bastards- I am starting to feel better already.

Muted Cheers from the Cave!

In other news: I have been working on my blog by taking the “Blogging 201” thingee that is going on now-

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/courses/blogging-201-branding-and-growth/

You may notice some changes as I clear my vision and put a little pizazz in my “brand”—Oh yeah- I am a brand baby!

Reflections on “Bad”

~ Cave_Guy ~ 7 Comments

“The great thing about being music insane instead of regular insane is that you hear songs in your head instead of voices”

Yeah—I said that in another post which I may or may not have published-

Anyway, it’s 3:07 in the morning and I am wide awake-“Wide Awake, I’m not Sleeping’—to quote a line from Sir Bono. Maybe it’s that super moon outside which has us all a little wired-the werewolves are just a little more hairy and track you down a little faster!

“Bad” is playing in my head as I shift positions and filter through all my 99 problems until I decide they will dissipate to solutions and I will get up and write a blog post.

It is “leave this hollow place and break away into the half-light…through the flame” that makes the trouble all run from me.

The power in that line and the power in this song has me in a trance.

I have never been to Ireland so forgive me if my vision of a place where Christianity and mysticism combine with rain to keep the land green and Guinness flows naturally to fill a pint glass are a little off. (That is my feeling and I hope to check that with an actual visit in the not too distant future)

This song could only have been made by an Irish band-it has all of that in it and more.

“Bad” was an anthem in the much maligned decade of the 1980’s. We forget about the quality.

“If I could, If I could, I would let it go”

You can interpret this classic anyway you want.

I see it as the never ending struggle to escape the bonds that bind us to whatever we struggle with—being wide awake gives us a chance to look at them clearly for what they are—they are temporary-the permanent is still being formed.

Hey, that is just me.

Just a guy who writes about rock music and is wide awake under this big bright moon.

moon-5