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.
This one sounds spacey more that is spacey – like if I was flying between galaxies test driving a new star cruiser – I would crank this up and drink some tang.
After the Gold Rush – Neil Young —sung by Dolly Pardon and friends.
The abstract imagery of Neil Young’s song writing allows for many interpretations – The core of the sci-fi genre is us getting off this earth and into the stars – sometimes with aliens helping us. Yeah,…mostly they are trying to make us extinct, but sometimes, as in this song, they are our friends.
Space Boogie – Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck always gets forgotten – too jazzy to be rock – too rock to be jazzy. Fusion? Is that what they used to call it? You are not forgotten on the cave my friend. (Using friend for dramatic effect-I have never met the man or seen the man in concert – but he seems like he would be ok and drink a sensible mid-range beer like a Sam Adams or Newcastle Brown Ale).
Rocket Man – Sir Elton John – hit by William Shatner with phaser not set to stun.
Does not matter how much it has been played – as a serious chronicler of popular music I am contractually obligated to include it. It is a great song (even after this fiasco) – which makes the task not difficult
Space Oddity – David Bowie
David Bowie is a space cadet with no equal and this was written at the birth of the space age. We saw the brilliance and he saw the isolation. He was/is ahead of his time.
I challenge all the other bloggers out there to do a space themed blog!
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.
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.
They don’t fight the time they live in – they embrace it.
This song screams old Pink Floyd with nodes of David Gilmour jam over a quiet background of disillusioned isolation. BUT – Don’t sue them please!
This is artistic influence people.
This is taking the clay of what was before and shaping it for enjoyment right now.
This song has weight – it has mass with a gravitational pull that draws you in – you orbit in free fall while your brain gets a gentle waterfall of clarity – you know —- that is what great music is supposed to do —-if it does not do that – it is not great music.
These guys are the Rolling Stones and U2 of today.
Yes – damn it – I said it —- don’t waste your time paying $478 from a ticket broker to see if Keith Richards can still stand up for a two hour show.
Go see The Black Keys
Go see a band that is playing music they just wrote – go support wild “fresh caught” music.
Cooked right in front of you.
I went to the band website and there is a button you click to play this song (along with others)– not 12 seconds of the song – but this entire song. That is embracing the time we live in.
“I am not going quietly into this mobile era of constant and instant availability.”
I am not cool with it.
Everyone I know except me has ditched their landline. I am the last of the Mohicanslandlinians.
When you reach someone on a home phone in a fixed location – they just might have time to connect and have a discussion in a very human and important way – at least they could have – in a bygone era.
That is gone.
“OK Cave guy, you sound like a Neanderthal now – progress is progress – either get on the bus or get run over.”
Here is what we got with the smart mobile era:
First – what is a “good” number for you? They change so often, it is impossible to keep current unless you are in the “circle” who gets the “new number update” – which I didn’t get because I am still on three numbers ago — My bad.
Second – are you a talker or a text-er?… “Oh, I don’t talk anymore or answer voice mails – Pls txt me btch.”
Third- if I make it through those first two hoops and don’t get a response … now I am being ignored … which means insulted.
And I still haven’t talked to you.
Yeah – this new system is so much better.
And I just want to talk – you know because we are family or friends and that is how we stay that way.
I JUST WANT TO TALK
(sorry, I’m yelling now)
And here is what happens when you do finally get to the mighty castle of “Connection”.
“Oh Hi Wayne, what’s up – I’m just sitting on the toilet at a thruway rest stop, but I saw it was you so I picked up – no problem, just a little stomach bug – go ahead – what you calling about?”
“Dude- I was just checking in, nothing important”
“Oh-then you should just text me”
“Thanks-I’ll remember that for the next time (which will be never) – sorry to catch you indisposed”
That is how it goes for me so I have basically given up talking to my friends.
Talking on the phone is a lost art.
Gone.
It is replaced by this endless barrage of texting.
And by texting – I think I mean gossiping with words.
We get inane texts to interrupt our work and become inefficient – then while we are enjoying free time – we get inane texts from work to interrupt that. We are always working and always texting. There is no separation of church and state in our lives.
And it is driving us all mad.
This is so much better – “here let me show you another cat video and I just got this app that makes my face look like a squashed pumpkin- this phone is so cool – my whole life is on it.”
I love this phone
I hate this phone
I just wanted to talk– you know about how things are going for you and how things are going for me, and then maybe we feel more connected – and maybe we can help each other if help is needed. You know life – and how to get through it and stuff – but only when you have a few moments.
And that can’t happen anymore – soooo
That is why I blog…It is as close as I can get.
Here is a 5-pack of my favorite Telephone songs.
Glen Campbell – Wichita Lineman
Jim Croce – Operator
E. L. O. – Telephone Line
Rikki Don’t Lose That Number – Steely Dan
Lady Gaga – Telephone
Am I insane on this? And did I miss a great telephone song for my 5-pack? Would love to hear what you guys think.
“El Castillo” The temple of the winged serpent Kukulkan. He was a bit of a bass-ass and live-heart-ripping-out monster-god-dude.
It is impressive to look up and think – “Glad I’m not being sacrificed today!” … but, you can imagine the scene.
Kukulkan guards the steps to his Temple.
Here he is again on the “wall of skulls” where they use to place the heads of defeated warriors. No – these ancient Mayans were not easy going in any way. Small and very angry people by all accounts on the walls at this site.
More graphics with common themes of heart-ripping by various animal type gods.
The ball game arena is impressive. This is detail of a high place for important people to sit. Kind of Mayan luxury boxes -This is where Mayan Chris Christie would hug Mayan Jerry Jones after the game.
They call this “the snail” – believed to be an ancient observatory…you know, so the sacrifices lined up with the stars.
Another view of “The Snail”
Here is “actual size” me in front of some ruins (I am not tall,…ok,…I may not even be average height, but here – I am good!). This ancient world is a good fit, except for all the extreme violence and hardship of course.
Shipping tourists to this site is big business – these buses are new, clean and plentiful. Here is a selfie of me and my son taken in the reflection of a shinny wheel.
This was a great trip — I need to say that all the violence and sacrifice came from the tour guides who would remind us of a chilling new way to be dispatched at each ruin we visited. This site was already abandoned a couple hundred years before the Spanish arrived – where we had another great round of blood-letting and savagery ensue.
I loved the food at the Mayan restaurant we visited after touring the site.
And I feel a connection and sadness for the Mayan people that still live in the area of their “lost’ civilization. It seems that they do not share in the fruits of this great peninsula as much as those that came after them.
I was only here a week so I may not have an accurate grasp — they have been here for thousands of years — they have already seen their world completely destroyed at least twice over — and they still approach the day with a smile.
I once had the honor to see this man in a club for a 3 dollar cover charge during a big snowstorm when the place was almost empty. It did not matter if it was 20 people or 50,000 to Mr. Johnny Copeland. He went to work.
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts – Here starts the “one hit wonder” phase for the hall.
“Hey dude-Joan Jett rocked and she was hot-I know she had another song after I love Rock and Roll – I just can’t think of it –hang on let me google this.”
If that is the typical reaction- I ask you – Hall worthy? – I think not.
Bill Withers – at least his “one” hit was so good that I almost don’t have to list it. Ain’t no Sunshine is something else –but again –I have to google to find something else.
Before you say that I am not a dedicated music fan because I don’t know the catalog of these important artists — really —- seriously —- Music fans are crazy and subjective —but find me one – just one— that had either of these “classic-serious-music-stars” tattooed on them anywhere – I don’t care how drunk they were!!!
It has not happened.
Now let’s get to serious Artists:
In the spirit of: We need to add Ringo because all the other Beatles are in separately and we need the complete set.
“Let’s make up an award that will fit him.”
Hey- I got it – he always chooses excellent musicians to hang out with- how about AWARD FOR MUSICAL EXCELLENCE—Really RRHOF? If Joan Jett gets in for her insightful lyrics—why not man up and put Ringo in for his great writing like … “no no no no I don’t smoke it no more, I’m tired of waking up on the floor.”
I blame the Kiss induction of last year for these “treasures” going in. It lowered the bar and declared open season in Cleveland for all the flash.
The others I have no problem with:
Lou Reed and SVR are icons. If you ever heard “Sweet Jane” on the radio or were ever lucky enough to be there when Stevie stepped on a wah wah pedal—MAGIC BABY, MAGIC!
Paul Butterfield is good honest hardworking blue-collar blues.
Green Day is an actual successful rock band in an era devoid of actual successful rock bands.
I don’t know -The “5” Royales – but I will give the hall the benefit of the doubt.
BUT-deny “The Smiths”? Whatever you think of Morrissey- this band was a game changer.
I also would have put Kraftwerk in ahead of that first batch I mentioned.
Another of my cave top ten and I don’t care if it’s a greatest hits compilation.
I also don’t care if Will Smith had an un-natural love for it in “I am Legend”.
This record contains all the great Marley tunes that are easily consumable by anyone if they care to listen.
It is like a set of easily digestible and quality reggae that works for the initiated and uninitiated alike.
(At least until the re-release added a few numbers of a more “gamey” flavor)
Jimi once said “Are you experienced” – You don’t have to be – Listening to this one record over and over will get you as much practical education as is necessary to become a full-fledged Marley fan.
That’s right- You do not have to smoke copious amounts of marijuana and spend countless nights out in the street being warmed by a burning trash can.
Cave of Fame 
