It's time for another installment. I need to remember to keep these weekly or I'll never finish. I'll make sure to add it to my calendar.
We're listening to Amy Allison's "The Maudlin Years" which, I got to admit, is not going to fit my mood today (I'm rather chipper if I'm honest).
As it starts, slide guitars over a melancholy old country sound tell me that I'm going to be bummed out again. Thankfully I'm going to the gym when this album is over and my workout playlist will pick me up again.
Cheater's World is the first song and I'm enjoying it. It sounds like modern-day Tammy Wynette, which is definitely meant to be a compliment. I appreciate people who do this old style of country in the modern era. I have no room in my life for the "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy"s of the world, but this I can get behind.
Hate at First Sight is next and what a great title! It's a little more upbeat, which is nice. Her voice is a little high pitched and I'm not sold on it yet. It kind of goes back and forth.
The Whiskey Makes You Sweeter has started and yeah, the voice is getting annoying. It's like she's singing through her nose, which is an odd choice for the type of music she's trying to make. The lyrics and the music are still giving it a boost. This song appears to tell the story of a woman who chooses partners that may not be great for her as a result of her drinking.
I like the intro to Put It In a Box. It sounds like it's played on a slide guitar and a cigar box guitar. I've always wanted to learn to play the Lap Steel. I think that would be cool. Her voice is a lot more tolerable here. Sometimes it sounds like she's doing an impression of a country singer...maybe that's what I'm finding annoying. It's a short and sweet song, over before I knew it.
Garden State Mall sounds like a pretty straightforward old country song. While singing about her shopping habits at the mall, I feel very seen by one lyric. "And a whole album, just for one song." I can only imagine how many records I bought in my younger years just because I loved the single. I was just thinking about that on my drive home the other day because I definitely purchased Joan Osbourne's "Relish" just because I loved "One of Us".
Anyway, this song is enjoyable enough, but she's back to that nasal voice and it's getting increasingly irritating.
"Another Day to Cry" is on but I kind of got distracted with work, so I missed a good chunk of it. I guess I can start it over...But I really didn't need to.
"You Just Don't Know What It's Like" is really melancholy, definitely a song of heartbreak and loss. The verdict is out on this record I think. Great lyrics, great themes, great music...but this voice. I just don't know.
"This Misery" has my shoulders shimmering at my desk, so that's cool. I'm digging the lead guitar on it a lot too. I'm wondering if I'm doing any good at these little missives. I know one friend who has told me she looks forward to them. But I'm never fully engaged in the music...plus I'm no critic. Sometimes I feel like I'm just going "Meh, like it, don't like it." which is not a blog post, it's barely a tweet. I guess it was a lie saying I'm no critic. I'm the world's foremost Tubbs Critic.
"Everybody Ought To Know" is a song about people trying to keep their relationship quiet in a gossipy small town. Fun idea and it's a really enjoyable song. I love the small-town feel of it.
"Holding the Baby" is breaking my heart despite it's fun and upbeat sound. I hate hearing stories about dudes that abandon their kids. I consider myself to be a really engaged and involved parent and hearing the line "When she says 'Where's Daddy' and I say I don't know" is just murdering me as I can't even imagine Max going through something like that...fuck the guy this song is about.
I wasn't able to write anything during "My World Ain't So Blue" but it wasn't really a song that grabbed me either.
I listened to "Walking to the End of the World" while I went to the bathroom. I'm working pretty intensely on a project and so this has been harder to do than normal. Maybe I should start doing these at night when I can focus. I did like this song, it's one I could relate to in my earlier days where you just wanted one person so bad you would do anything to have them. When I think of how constantly I felt that in high school...Jesus man....it was bad.
"Shady Streets" is the last track. It's got some nice mandolin, another instrument I'd love to learn. It's a nice song, nothing remarkable.
In general, I didn't hate this record, but I don't see ever listening to it or recommending it to anyone unless they say "Man, I wish someone had put out an old country-sounding album with nasally female vocals in 1996." If you're looking for that...let's talk.
EC Top 500 Power Ranking
1. The Best of Cannonball Adderly - Cannonball Adderly
2. Abba Gold - ABBA
3. The Maudlin Years- Amy Allison
4. S/T - David Ackles
5. Subway to the Country - David Ackles
Friday, September 27, 2019
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Elvis and Tubbs #4 - The Best of Cannonball Adderly
Starting with full disclosure here. Spotify doesn't have this actual album available..but I'm nothing if not dilligent, so I dug up the track list and cobbled it together in my queue.
I don't listen to a lot of intstrumental stuff and I don't listen to a lot of jazz, so this will be two new experiences for me. I'm thinking of this bit from one of my favorite commedians, Mr. Paul F. Tompkins.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKSMbPbuGYE
I will say, I am digging this a lot. I'm tapping my toes and bopping my head. Maybe I need to explore more jazz!
An interesting thing about instrumental music....I totally tuned out for a whole song, but when I checked in with myself, I was loving it. Holy shit...do I like jazz?!
We're on to Mercy, Mercy, Mercy and the track I'm listening to is live. I'm loving hearing the audience react to everything...although I'm not sure what exactly they're reacting too, which is mentioned in the standup bit above. Like, I'm just hearing the song and someone is like "Woah, alright now!" and I'm like "Why? It's a good song, but I don't see what's made that chunk so impressive..."
Wikipedia tells me this is his big single and it does sound familiar.
Dat Dere has started and I'm not sure if it's just that it's hitting me in the right place for my current mood, but I think this album is moving it's way to the number one spot. Before you say anything, I know I forgot to include my power ranking on the last two posts. I'll remember on this one, get off my back.
Why? (Am I Treated So Bad) is again a live track. It makes me want to go see some jazz...WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING!!?!
The last track, Them Dirty Blues. I spaced out again, but I almost think that might be good when you're listening to instrumental stuff. It's good to space out to.
That was a really, really great album. I think I'm going to put it at #1
EC Top 500 Power Ranking
1. The Best of Cannonball Adderly - Cannonball Adderly
2. Abba Gold - ABBA
3. S/T - David Ackles
4. Subway to the Country - David Ackles
I don't listen to a lot of intstrumental stuff and I don't listen to a lot of jazz, so this will be two new experiences for me. I'm thinking of this bit from one of my favorite commedians, Mr. Paul F. Tompkins.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKSMbPbuGYE
I will say, I am digging this a lot. I'm tapping my toes and bopping my head. Maybe I need to explore more jazz!
An interesting thing about instrumental music....I totally tuned out for a whole song, but when I checked in with myself, I was loving it. Holy shit...do I like jazz?!
We're on to Mercy, Mercy, Mercy and the track I'm listening to is live. I'm loving hearing the audience react to everything...although I'm not sure what exactly they're reacting too, which is mentioned in the standup bit above. Like, I'm just hearing the song and someone is like "Woah, alright now!" and I'm like "Why? It's a good song, but I don't see what's made that chunk so impressive..."
Wikipedia tells me this is his big single and it does sound familiar.
Dat Dere has started and I'm not sure if it's just that it's hitting me in the right place for my current mood, but I think this album is moving it's way to the number one spot. Before you say anything, I know I forgot to include my power ranking on the last two posts. I'll remember on this one, get off my back.
Why? (Am I Treated So Bad) is again a live track. It makes me want to go see some jazz...WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING!!?!
The last track, Them Dirty Blues. I spaced out again, but I almost think that might be good when you're listening to instrumental stuff. It's good to space out to.
That was a really, really great album. I think I'm going to put it at #1
EC Top 500 Power Ranking
1. The Best of Cannonball Adderly - Cannonball Adderly
2. Abba Gold - ABBA
3. S/T - David Ackles
4. Subway to the Country - David Ackles
Monday, September 9, 2019
Dear Max - Month 49
Dear Max,
Hey buddy! Two letters in a row, quite a streak eh?
I think these letters could potentially get a little shorter. As time goes on, your development slows a little. Maybe that's not true but there are fewer firsts I guess.
So let's see. The most notable thing I can think of when it comes to speech is that in the last few days I've heard a few "dammit"'s out of you. I've always been careful to correct you to say "darn it" instead and you always apologize. Now to be fair, at the age you're reading these, I'm sure you've learned much more colorful and wonderful words than dammit. Probably from me! Language is a beautiful and masterful tool and swearing is an essential part of it. I hope that I've taught you to use swearing with effectiveness and purpose. When I was a younger kid, I would swear just to swear and it got boring real fast. But you'll learn as you grow older that a well placed F-bomb can really help you to communicate your point. It's one of the many lessons I look forward to sharing with older Max.
Eating...well, I've decided to accept the phase you're in and try my best. You're getting sneaky though. The other day I made really good cheeseburgers for us and decided it was a day I was willing to battle your stubbornness and make sure you ate a bite of your burger. You ate the whole bun...all the mac and cheese...and all the cheese off the burger and thought you were going to get a treat for that. But I insisted on one bite of the burger. Then I learned that sometimes you reap what you sow. You chewed that burger, spit chewed burger into your hand, put it back, chewed it more and tried to pretend you swallowed it for a good 15 minutes. It reminded me of the time that I kept a piece of meat in my mouth for 3+ hours instead of swallowing it just so I could get up from the table. Eventually, you snuck to the kitchen and spit it in the sink like I couldn't see you through the big proscenium of the kitchen island. In the end, a half treat was awarded for trying.
Your food stuff hits a button for me because I've been a picky eater all my life and it's a habit I'm trying to break at 36...which is way harder. But, I don't want to drive bad habits into you around your attitude towards food, so I'm trying to strike a good balance there.
You continue to be a really affectionate and compassionate kid. You love to hug the people you feel safe hugging and it's so wonderful to see you have so much love to give. You remind me of myself in that way. It's a wonderful quality, never let it go and just continue learning how to tell who is safe to give that love to. I promise that life will reward you.
You're getting a little more adventurous in life. We've spent a lot of this summer in pools and lakes and rivers and boy do you love the water. You're just like your dad in that once you're in a pool, it takes an act of Congress to get you out. Miss Katie and I took you to little city festival for the city of Warren and even though you were really scared to go in the funhouse because it had a creepy clown (which Miss Katie was kind enough to stand in front of so you could eventually get past it), you ran right up to the Scrambler and asked to go on it. I was in high school before I had the nerve to ride that thing. I tried to take you on it, but I was a little too big for the restraint so Miss Katie took you. As I watched, it looked like you were crying...but when the ride stopped I learned you were laughing the whole time. I'm glad to see you live with less fear. It's good to be cautious of things that seem really dangerous, but a life lived in fear is a life that's devoid of experiences. There are so many things I think I missed out on in my life because I was afraid. We'll discuss this concept more after we watch Defending Your Life when you're a little older.
You continue to enjoy music and I've been pleasantly surprised that more and more of the stuff I enjoy is working its way into your palate. When you were born, I started a playlist on Spotify called "Songs for Max" and it grows and grows all the time. Usually, when we're driving around, I'll put it on shuffle and then let you say "No" until we hit a song you like. Sometimes you surprise me. But your favorites lately have been "C is for Cookie" by Cookie Monster, "Changes" by David Bowie, "Blitzkrieg Bop" by the Ramones, "Sunflowers" by Post Malone, and "Shut Up and Dance" by Walk the Moon. You also love to sing the Beatles which is a lot of fun!
The family dynamic continues to grow and change for the better. This month Miss Katie and I had a game night with your mom and Bubba. We've found that, as we kind of knew we would, we all get along really well and have fun together. It was really cute and heartbreaking at the same time that you had such trouble falling asleep that night. I came into your room and asked why you weren't asleep and you just pointed through your door to mom's kitchen table where we all were sitting. I said "Do you want to be out there having fun with us?" and you just sadly nodded. Sadly, boundaries are important, so you had to go to sleep. We all feel really lucky that it's working out so well on that front.
To that point, this piece of news should be reported. Your mom and Bubba are getting married! It was a very surprising piece of news to hear and I know I was filled with a flood of different feelings about the whole thing. Mainly just shocked and surprised as it was not the news I was expecting to hear when I dropped you off at mom's for a random Sunday with Nana and Grandpa and mom and Bubba. The main emotion that bubbled up for me was a fear that I was being replaced in your life. It's a fear I've dealt with from the beginning of all of this. But, I've gotten to know Bubba and he's a stand-up guy. He's not someone I worry about trying to replace me as your dad. He knows he's got his own special role in your life. I've always trusted your mom to maintain the vision we have for our family dynamic and this is no different. After I processed that feeling, all I could feel is sincere happiness for your mom that she met someone who works so well with the dynamic we try to create and someone that treats you both well and cares so much about you. I'm very lucky to have the same in Miss Katie. I'm really grateful for how well that works and I'm so hopeful and optimistic for it's continued success. I hope you're enjoying and valuing having so many different people who have your back and are looking out for you all the time.
Our president suggested nuking a hurricane the other day....so that tells you the state of things in the world. I'll be looking forward to what you learn in your American History classes 10 years from now. It should be interesting.
That does it for now. Continue being exactly who you are, that's all any of us ever want from you, period. I love you so much and your mom, Bubba, and Miss Katie do too. We've all got your back! Can't wait to see what September holds!
Love,
Dad
Hey buddy! Two letters in a row, quite a streak eh?
I think these letters could potentially get a little shorter. As time goes on, your development slows a little. Maybe that's not true but there are fewer firsts I guess.
So let's see. The most notable thing I can think of when it comes to speech is that in the last few days I've heard a few "dammit"'s out of you. I've always been careful to correct you to say "darn it" instead and you always apologize. Now to be fair, at the age you're reading these, I'm sure you've learned much more colorful and wonderful words than dammit. Probably from me! Language is a beautiful and masterful tool and swearing is an essential part of it. I hope that I've taught you to use swearing with effectiveness and purpose. When I was a younger kid, I would swear just to swear and it got boring real fast. But you'll learn as you grow older that a well placed F-bomb can really help you to communicate your point. It's one of the many lessons I look forward to sharing with older Max.
Eating...well, I've decided to accept the phase you're in and try my best. You're getting sneaky though. The other day I made really good cheeseburgers for us and decided it was a day I was willing to battle your stubbornness and make sure you ate a bite of your burger. You ate the whole bun...all the mac and cheese...and all the cheese off the burger and thought you were going to get a treat for that. But I insisted on one bite of the burger. Then I learned that sometimes you reap what you sow. You chewed that burger, spit chewed burger into your hand, put it back, chewed it more and tried to pretend you swallowed it for a good 15 minutes. It reminded me of the time that I kept a piece of meat in my mouth for 3+ hours instead of swallowing it just so I could get up from the table. Eventually, you snuck to the kitchen and spit it in the sink like I couldn't see you through the big proscenium of the kitchen island. In the end, a half treat was awarded for trying.
Your food stuff hits a button for me because I've been a picky eater all my life and it's a habit I'm trying to break at 36...which is way harder. But, I don't want to drive bad habits into you around your attitude towards food, so I'm trying to strike a good balance there.
You continue to be a really affectionate and compassionate kid. You love to hug the people you feel safe hugging and it's so wonderful to see you have so much love to give. You remind me of myself in that way. It's a wonderful quality, never let it go and just continue learning how to tell who is safe to give that love to. I promise that life will reward you.
You're getting a little more adventurous in life. We've spent a lot of this summer in pools and lakes and rivers and boy do you love the water. You're just like your dad in that once you're in a pool, it takes an act of Congress to get you out. Miss Katie and I took you to little city festival for the city of Warren and even though you were really scared to go in the funhouse because it had a creepy clown (which Miss Katie was kind enough to stand in front of so you could eventually get past it), you ran right up to the Scrambler and asked to go on it. I was in high school before I had the nerve to ride that thing. I tried to take you on it, but I was a little too big for the restraint so Miss Katie took you. As I watched, it looked like you were crying...but when the ride stopped I learned you were laughing the whole time. I'm glad to see you live with less fear. It's good to be cautious of things that seem really dangerous, but a life lived in fear is a life that's devoid of experiences. There are so many things I think I missed out on in my life because I was afraid. We'll discuss this concept more after we watch Defending Your Life when you're a little older.
You continue to enjoy music and I've been pleasantly surprised that more and more of the stuff I enjoy is working its way into your palate. When you were born, I started a playlist on Spotify called "Songs for Max" and it grows and grows all the time. Usually, when we're driving around, I'll put it on shuffle and then let you say "No" until we hit a song you like. Sometimes you surprise me. But your favorites lately have been "C is for Cookie" by Cookie Monster, "Changes" by David Bowie, "Blitzkrieg Bop" by the Ramones, "Sunflowers" by Post Malone, and "Shut Up and Dance" by Walk the Moon. You also love to sing the Beatles which is a lot of fun!
The family dynamic continues to grow and change for the better. This month Miss Katie and I had a game night with your mom and Bubba. We've found that, as we kind of knew we would, we all get along really well and have fun together. It was really cute and heartbreaking at the same time that you had such trouble falling asleep that night. I came into your room and asked why you weren't asleep and you just pointed through your door to mom's kitchen table where we all were sitting. I said "Do you want to be out there having fun with us?" and you just sadly nodded. Sadly, boundaries are important, so you had to go to sleep. We all feel really lucky that it's working out so well on that front.
To that point, this piece of news should be reported. Your mom and Bubba are getting married! It was a very surprising piece of news to hear and I know I was filled with a flood of different feelings about the whole thing. Mainly just shocked and surprised as it was not the news I was expecting to hear when I dropped you off at mom's for a random Sunday with Nana and Grandpa and mom and Bubba. The main emotion that bubbled up for me was a fear that I was being replaced in your life. It's a fear I've dealt with from the beginning of all of this. But, I've gotten to know Bubba and he's a stand-up guy. He's not someone I worry about trying to replace me as your dad. He knows he's got his own special role in your life. I've always trusted your mom to maintain the vision we have for our family dynamic and this is no different. After I processed that feeling, all I could feel is sincere happiness for your mom that she met someone who works so well with the dynamic we try to create and someone that treats you both well and cares so much about you. I'm very lucky to have the same in Miss Katie. I'm really grateful for how well that works and I'm so hopeful and optimistic for it's continued success. I hope you're enjoying and valuing having so many different people who have your back and are looking out for you all the time.
Our president suggested nuking a hurricane the other day....so that tells you the state of things in the world. I'll be looking forward to what you learn in your American History classes 10 years from now. It should be interesting.
That does it for now. Continue being exactly who you are, that's all any of us ever want from you, period. I love you so much and your mom, Bubba, and Miss Katie do too. We've all got your back! Can't wait to see what September holds!
Love,
Dad
Friday, September 6, 2019
Elvis & Tubbs #3 - Subway to the Country - David Ackles
Oh boy, another album by this sadsack...
Well, at least this one is starting out a little upbeat with Main Line Saloon. It's funny, my friend Ang told me she loves these posts and she was going to check out the last album I wrote about. She said she made it 5 songs and that it just made her too sad. That's a challenge with a project like this. I'm not really in a David Ackles mood right now, but I have to do a post this week because I said I would. This song is really strange and I just don't know what to say about it. I like the musicianship as I did with the last one.
There's No Reason to Cry is next, which if the last album is an indication, is probably just going to be a list of horrible things that will make someone cry. Seems like a song about a guy trying to tell his ex to keep her chin up as they part ways. Just let her feel her feels bro!
This is the second David Ackles album because the list I'm working off of is arranged alphabetically by album. I wonder if I should do one album by each artist and then go back...That seems like a lot to keep track of though.
Now we're on to Candy Man. Starting with a harpsichord, an instrument I've always wished I knew how to play. So this song is about a one-armed candy salesman apparently. It sounds so scary...OH MY GOD THEY DON'T KNOW HIS PLAN...THAT'S EVEN SCARIER! Oh no...I think he's giving kids porn with their candy. What the hell!? There are still 5 songs left.
It's so hard, I really like the music. I really do. It's moody and dark and haunting. But the songs are all so lyrically bleak...I just want someone to throw a pie.
I haven't really been paying too much attention to this song (Out on the Road) but I really dug how it picked up at the end. Sounded like it would be a good song for Ron Burgandy to sing, but the passion in the guy's voice is undeniable and the guitar and brass section is really good. This is the song of the album so far!
Cabin on the Mountain just sounds like a good old fashioned country song. I don't really have much more to say about it. I dig the fiddle, another instrument I wish I could play.
Woman River starts off sounding like the suspense score of a horror movie and moves quickly into sounding like the theme of a 70's Crime Romance Thriller.
So I'm on to Inmates of the Institution and I'm starting to think David Ackles is basically what the Doors would be if they were more straight-laced and square and had never co-opted the blues.
As I'm listening to Subway to the Country, the last song on this record, I'm thinking back on this blog and the last one and thinking that I'm trying really hard to be kind to the albums and maybe I don't need to. I don't know that I'll ever revisit David Ackles again.
Well, at least this one is starting out a little upbeat with Main Line Saloon. It's funny, my friend Ang told me she loves these posts and she was going to check out the last album I wrote about. She said she made it 5 songs and that it just made her too sad. That's a challenge with a project like this. I'm not really in a David Ackles mood right now, but I have to do a post this week because I said I would. This song is really strange and I just don't know what to say about it. I like the musicianship as I did with the last one.
There's No Reason to Cry is next, which if the last album is an indication, is probably just going to be a list of horrible things that will make someone cry. Seems like a song about a guy trying to tell his ex to keep her chin up as they part ways. Just let her feel her feels bro!
This is the second David Ackles album because the list I'm working off of is arranged alphabetically by album. I wonder if I should do one album by each artist and then go back...That seems like a lot to keep track of though.
Now we're on to Candy Man. Starting with a harpsichord, an instrument I've always wished I knew how to play. So this song is about a one-armed candy salesman apparently. It sounds so scary...OH MY GOD THEY DON'T KNOW HIS PLAN...THAT'S EVEN SCARIER! Oh no...I think he's giving kids porn with their candy. What the hell!? There are still 5 songs left.
It's so hard, I really like the music. I really do. It's moody and dark and haunting. But the songs are all so lyrically bleak...I just want someone to throw a pie.
I haven't really been paying too much attention to this song (Out on the Road) but I really dug how it picked up at the end. Sounded like it would be a good song for Ron Burgandy to sing, but the passion in the guy's voice is undeniable and the guitar and brass section is really good. This is the song of the album so far!
Cabin on the Mountain just sounds like a good old fashioned country song. I don't really have much more to say about it. I dig the fiddle, another instrument I wish I could play.
Woman River starts off sounding like the suspense score of a horror movie and moves quickly into sounding like the theme of a 70's Crime Romance Thriller.
So I'm on to Inmates of the Institution and I'm starting to think David Ackles is basically what the Doors would be if they were more straight-laced and square and had never co-opted the blues.
As I'm listening to Subway to the Country, the last song on this record, I'm thinking back on this blog and the last one and thinking that I'm trying really hard to be kind to the albums and maybe I don't need to. I don't know that I'll ever revisit David Ackles again.
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