This year’s nominees are (mostly) wack!-Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame 2015

~ Cave_Guy ~ 9 Comments

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.

But hey- I am just a simple blogger.

Cheers from the cave!

 

 

 

 

Winter scenes

Image ~ ~ Cave_Guy ~ 11 Comments


   winter-river-4

 

Taking a few pictures that give an idea of what we have around the cave this time of year. I went to one of my favorite places on the Hudson river and there were more than a couple hunters with high-powered rifles in these same woods. I understand the passion about the sport and the need to keep the deer population in check (because we killed all the wolves that used to do this job without having to spend $800 bucks at the nearest Cabela’s!)—-having said that—–I really did not want to get shot at—and I wasn’t,… so….

 

Cheers from the cave!

river-tree-1classic-river-1winter-road-1winter-road-2

 

What we doing tonight Brain?”

~ Cave_Guy ~ 2 Comments

“Same thing we do every night Pinky — Try and take over the world!”

The WordPress world map is my favorite of all the “how is your blog doing?” tools.

The first time I saw it I thought- “Wow, this is kinda cool and somebody found me from Canada.

And then, I had this thought that must pass through the mind of every WordPress blogger at least for an instant——–I —er, yes me—-want every country to visit my blog; from the little ones that I don’t know exist to the big ones that scare me—-every country in the whole world!!!

And why do we think this crazy Napoleonic thought?

Because WordPress puts this map on our nice new blog with all these blank spots that need to be filled in.

We can’t help ourselves.

Below is my progress on this map:

world map 2014

Except for Africa and that middle east/central Asia part-we are doing pretty good.

The day I got my Greenland hit  is one of my single most proud moments in my blogging life. I still remember how warm the hot chocolate was and my screams of joy almost resulted in a 911 call from my neighbor’s house—-that was a great day.

I made a joke about a Mongolian yak herder in a post about Joe Bonamassa and got a hit from Mongolia-that was kind of weird but also cool at the same time.

A couple days ago I got a visit from Laos or more accurately “Lao People’s Democratic Republic” – this one was not on my radar. I saw the country light up and thought for a moment it was North Korea.—-Oh no!  Kim Jung Un is at the cave!–it would have to be, right?- because he is the only one in the whole country with Wi-Fi.

But no, this was next door. North Korea Lite

Which makes this post a little dangerous because nothing stops anyone in the world from taking a glance at it.

Hope you have a good sense of humor.

And hope that whatever corner of this friendly or unfriendly world you find yourself in. This post finds you in good spirits.

Cheers from the cave!

Reboot Yourself

Image ~ ~ Cave_Guy ~ 12 Comments

photo 3

Reboot Yourself

I started “Blogging 201” http://dailypost.wordpress.com/courses/blogging-201-branding-and-growth/ last week and have been making some changes with the website.

I am not done yet.

These are not tweaks – these are discarding the clutter to keep the vision clear.

I am not abandoning rock music—I am bringing it with me on my new adventures.

I just need to stand up and declare to my music purist friends – that I am not one, or at least; not a good one.

Although I respect and admire those of you that stay on point and on topic. I guess I do not have the discipline to keep this blog “In the lines”.

I am faced with two options –

One: Abandon it altogether and do something more “useful” with my time.

Two: Rock it out in the direction it is pulling me and go as far as it will take me—with feeling.

So here we go with option two and you are most welcome to join me.

And as always-Cheers from the cave!

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!

This Will Destroy You- They move on tracks of never ending light.

Image ~ ~ Cave_Guy ~ 2 Comments

Post Rock

It does not shake us – it does not rattle us — it calls us

lake-george02-invert

This image is from an early morning shoot at the lake a few weeks ago- it is a mundane effort that I originally over-saturated and turned gold.

Then I wondered what would happen if I inverted the whole thing for the opposite effect.

Boom Baby!~  Black becomes white- yellow becomes blue – warm to cool and we are on to something. It takes it from warm reality to cool dream—-just one little [Ctrl-i] click of the keyboard and we have magic.

This Will Destroy You- They move on tracks of never ending light.

This song pulls me in to a void of contemplation-not a bad thing or a good thing; more like another realm of the mind thing—like stepping outside of yourself in order to take a little gander.

I think this band is from Texas and this is soothing stuff.

The blue image starting me thinking of this tune.

Below is the image that started this:

lake-george02-inver-smAnd sorry for using arty words like invert and saturation in a post.

Is that black metal or death metal? … And btw those are some bangin’ gauges.

~ Cave_Guy ~ 5 Comments

I had to ask- I could not let it go-There was this kid listening to his music and I had to ask.

As a music fan who prides himself on not discounting any genre, (even something sounding still warm from being forged in the bowels of hell) this was a valid question.

The answer, a somewhat indignant – “This is death metal”

The difference as explained to me: Black metal is more rhythmic with complex guitar work while Death is more smash and thrash.

I will have to go with that because I am swimming a bit out of my depth here.

And I understand that part of the attraction is to reinforce the alienation that the listener wants to bathe in.

If that is your deal dude—go for it.

It just surprised me that I could insult someone by simply suggesting this sacred (or more correctly “anti-sacred”) death metal is associated with that whimpy-assed-candy-coated black metal.

Excuse me – I am a stranger here in electric land.

I got away with it mostly because I am just a curious and amicable middle aged person with all the malice worn off me at this point in my life.

I want music that inspires me and touches me- I do not want to summon up demons.

Mostly because they tend to want to hang around and don’t fall for those subtle hints— like…..”er hey guys, yeah it was real fun dancing around the fire and all but I got to put some ointment on these burns and crash, big day at work tomorrow—-so—er see you later?”

They tend to get under your skin and move right in.

Continue reading →

Bob Marley Legend-Cave Top 10

~ Cave_Guy ~ 16 Comments

I-am-legend

Bob Marley Legend

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.

Listen and learn.

Listen and let it wash over you.

I love Bob Marley!

Johnny Cash – The original conflicted badass and friend to all.

~ Cave_Guy ~ 5 Comments

This song has been hounding me all week—I have seen it performed live a couple times (both great!). It sneaked on a Pandora feed when I picked Coldplay to start. (Hey, Coldplay is great to matt and frame to-you need to be in a zen state while slicing those boards to perfection!)

I have this on-and-off-fling-thing going with country music. I love the passion and the traditional “common man struggling against the odds” mixed with the drinking and facing down trouble. It cuts right to the heart of the American dream.

Maybe it’s all the time at the county fair this week—I’ll just say it—The Washing County Fair in Greenwich N.Y. — Full of bad food, rides, and….of course…cows, pigs and people of all shapes, sizes and attitudes.

It brings you back to earth.

I need to be brought back to earth.

To get out among the huddled masses and connect because I am they and they are me. I can think I am whatever I want..… but in reality –I am just a guy struggling to get by, just like lots of others here in the great Upstate agricultural land of New York.

fair

Which brings me to Johnny Cash. I don’t care how famous or rich he got-I don’t care about the awards and all the other trapping of his historic rise to the top of the music world.

This guy is genuine and down to earth. Accessible to prisoners, punks, senior citizens and [put another group in here-they all work] at the same time.

If he walked by you at the fair-you would think of him as a long lost friend. You would think of him as one of you.

This is a rare and beautiful thing to have.

The ability to connect with everyone.

Who does not love this guy and his music?

Respect from the cave.

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