Tag Archives: The Eagles

My iPod Has Issues – The Griswold’s Go to D.C.

14 Jul

Tomorrow, my wife, my stepdaughter and I are traveling to Washington, D.C. to explore the halls of power and see a lot of cool stuff. We are doing it the old-fashioned way – by driving. Well, that is not as old-fashioned as the way Andrew Jackson went to Washington after his election, but it is old-fashioned in the terms that we are not flying.

I grew up going on road trips across the country. My wife grew up going to one place and hanging out for a while. This trip is a compromise. I get to drive, and she gets to stay in one spot for most of the time. We are also mixing in historic stuff with a foray to a beach after the D.C. adventures are finished.Griswold

Later, we will start packing the vehicle, and my mind will start focusing on getting us from here to there. For the next week, I will check-in and read blogs, but I will not be writing any. Upon our return, I am certain that there will be some good stories to share.

In the meantime, I leave you with a selection of songs from the old iPod.

“Young Americans” by David Bowie

“You Must Be Evil” by Chris Rea

“Honky Tonk Women” by The Rolling Stones

“Radar Love” by Golden Earring

“Wasted Time” by The Eagles

“Main Street” by Bob Seger

“Lay Lady Lay” by Bob Dylan

“That’s the Way of the World” by Earth, Wind and Fire

“Sandman” by America

“Let the Four Winds Blow” by Fats Domino

“Sittin’ Here Drinking” by Christine Kittrell

“Yesterday’s Wine” by Willie Nelson

“Boom Boom” by The Animals

“Wild Thing” by Jimi Hendrix

“Missing You” by John Waite

“Deadwood Mountain” by Big and Rich

“Just Pretend” by Elvis Presley

“The Lonely Man” by Tennessee Ernie Ford

“Rites” by Jan Garbarek

“The Searchers” by Sons of the Pioneers

I will catch you on the flip side.

My iPod Has Issues – 1812? Are You Sure?

2 Jul

Tonight, we are going to hear the Nashville Symphony play a rousing concert of patriotism. All kinds of American composers will be featured, but the finale will be Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. Unfortunately, that piece of music has nothing to do with American patriotism. A lot of people think it commemorates the War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain. Actually, it celebrates Russia’s defense against Napoleon in that year.Napoleon

Anyway, it has become a staple for symphonies around the Fourth of July.

Soon, I will have to start getting ready for our sojourn into the big city. With that in mind, I leave you with a set list from my crazy iPod. It may not be patriotic, but it will be rousing.

“It’s Been a Long Time” by New Birth

“Tender Years” by John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band

“Why Can’t He Be You” by Loretta Lynn

“Mandolin Wind” by Rod Stewart

“My Old School” by Steely Dan

“Maybe” by The Chantels

“You’re Gonna Break My Heart Again” by Whitesnake

“Fake Plastic Trees” by Radiohead

“Daddy Frank” by Merle Haggard

“The Monkey Song” by Stacey Mitchhart

“Fantastic Voyage” by Lakeside

“Lyin’ Eyes” by The Eagles

“Looking for a Rainbow” by Chris Rea

“Chains of Love” by Big Joe Turner

“Longhaired Redneck” by David Allan Coe

“Tush” by ZZ Top

“The Last Pale Light in the West” by Ben Nichols

“Pinball Machine” by Lonnie Irving

“Little Red Rooster” by Big Mama Thornton

“Runaway” by Del Shannon

Now, I am to prepare for the symphony and that long-haired music.

 

Hey, Nashville! Be a Real Music City and Build an Amphitheater

17 May

Last night, we went to a concert. That seems to be a theme for us since I am a concert addict. This one had three awesome act – The Devil Makes Three, Alison Krauss and Willie Nelson. Before the show, I had planned on a post about the show and the crowd. Instead, this post is about the venue.

It is called the Woods Amphitheater and has a semi-appropriate name. The woods part is accurate. Basically, they went into the middle of the woods and put up a stage. As far as I could see, that was the only major structure around.

While calling it an amphitheater is technically correct, it is a stretch of the definition. The reserved seats were folding chairs. There were a few concession stands. There were no permanent restroom facilities. My wife refused to drink anything in the fear that she might have to use the portable ones.

After spending too much time in a concession line, I said that I would not come back if Elvis rose from the dead for one last show. And, I am a huge Elvis fan.

In short, I was disappointed with the setup. A stage with folding chairs is advertised as a major concert venue. Look, the owners are not worried about what I think. The concert was sold out, and I am sure they are making plenty of money. However, the city of Nashville should be worried. It bills itself as Music City, but it does not have a real outdoor amphitheater where people can enjoy major acts in the outdoors. There is no excuse.

On top of that, we used to have a great once called Starwood.Starwood

Last night, I started thinking about Starwood and how cool it was. You could buy reserved seats under a cover. They were actually bolted to the floor. If you wanted to bring a blanket and sit on the grass hill behind the seats, then you could do that, too. The best place to sit depended on who was performing.

Starwood was the place where I got kicked out of a Metallica concert. Actually, my buddy got kicked out, and I had to go with him.

Starwood was the place where Robert and I walked into the middle of a knife fight at a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert.

Starwood was the place where I saw The Eagles on their first reunion tour. They opened up by playing the entire Hotel California album.

A lot of people have some great memories of what happened on the stage and in the crowd at Starwood.

As I sat in the wannabe amphitheater, I tried to think of the people I saw perform at the real amphitheater. This is not a complete list, but some of the concerts are hazy.

The aforementioned Metallica, Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Eagles in addition to:

KISS. Judas Priest. Hootie and the Blowfish. Edwin McCain. ZZ Top. Rod Stewart. Chicago. Elton John. Ted Nugent. Crosby, Stills and Nash. Motley Crue. John Fogerty. Rob Zombie. Velvet Revolver. Ozzie Osbourne. Alan Jackson. John Mellencamp. Jimmy Buffett. Def Leppard. Marshall Tucker Band. Meatloaf. Dave Matthews Band. Blues Traveler. Earth, Wind and Fire.

I have no idea how many more there are, but it is a bunch.

Starwood was not one of the all-time great concert locations, but it was better than what we have now. Nashville is a great place to listen to all kinds of live music. It has the Ryman Auditorium, which is legendary. It has an arena and a stadium for the huge shows. There are small places, like the Bluebird Cafe, scattered around town where great musicians perform every night. Heck, Dave Grohl did a surprise show there this week.

However, Nashville’s music scene will not be complete until it gets a real amphitheater.

 

That’s What I Call Eventful

18 Oct

Man, this has been an eventful week. On Sunday, Necole and I woke up in Tucson; made a connection in Denver; and, returned to Nashville. After all of this time, airplane travel still amazes me. I am amazed at how far and fast we can go, and I am amazed that they can get the things off the ground.

On Tuesday, my stepdaughter had her tonsils taken out. Necole and I were both lucky that we were kids during the time that they didn’t do that. My older brother had his removed, but, by the time I came through, doctors were saying that it was not necessary. Apparently, it is back in vogue.

One thing that is necessary is for everyone to get a yearly physical. I got one on Wednesday, and it is not very fun. A physical includes getting poked and prodded in all kinds of uncomfortable ways. It is definitely not the Olivia Newton John type of physical.Physical

On Wednesday night, Necole and I saw The Eagles in concert. We have both seen them before, but this was my favorite one. The main reason was that she was with me. The next reason was that they put on a great show that traced their history. In short, they sounded a little Country-ish before Joe Walsh and a little Rock-ish after Joe Walsh.

The events continue as I go to the NASCAR race at Talladega with my brother and my nephews. I am not a big racing fan, but I will get my redneck on to spend a fun weekend with them.

My iPod Has Issues – Part 8

10 Sep

My iPod is on the couch and ready to bare its soul. It wants to know why it drives people crazy. It wants to know why people think it’s weird. It wants to know if it truly has a split personality. The only way to do that is to let the psychiatrist delve into the deep recesses of its mind.Psychiatrist

It’s a surprisingly simple procedure – just hit shuffle and see what comes out.

“A Good-Hearted Woman” by Waylon Jennings

“California Dreamin'” by The Mamas and the Papas

“Old Friend” by Lyle Lovett

“A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke

“Baker Street” by Jerry Rafferty

“Ticket to Ride” by The Beatles

“Oh! Look at Me Now” by Frank Sinatra

“Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” by Sly and the Family Stone

“Pretty Maids All in a Row” by The Eagles

“Still of the Night” by Whitesnake

“Walk This Way” by Run-DMC

“Rocket 88” by Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats

“Deeper Water” by Paul Kelly

“Me and Mrs. Jones” by Billy Paul

“Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain” by Willie Nelson

“The Dirty Boogie” by The Brian Setzer Orchestra

“Gitarzan” by Ray Stevens

“Your Love is Amazing” by Robert Ward

“Jim Dandy” by LaVern Baker

“The Road” by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis

Did we learn anything?

Categorically

30 Jul

We just finished walking around the neighborhood. As we did, I noticed a man through a window. He was working at his desk, and I began to wonder what he was working on. Was he writing the next great novel? Was he writing a letter? Was he blogging? At the moment, I am sitting by a window, and people are probably looking in and wondering what I am doing.

I like to think that people like what they read here. It’s a hodgepodge of stuff, but it comes right out of my head. Sometimes, It’s travel. Sometimes, it’s music. Sometimes, its stories from the past. All the time, it’s something that is stuck in my mind and needs to get out.

I am not sure what needs to get out tonight, so I will just go down the list of categories on this blog and type this first thing that fits.Scattergories

Academics – School starts back soon. That means inservice.

Agriculture – The other day, I got gas at the Farmer’s Co-Op.

Art – There is a guy named Art who works at Beauty Boutique, Necole’s store.

Biography – The last one I read wasn’t very good, It was about Ward Bond, John Ford and John Wayne. It should have been good.

Books – I just finished The Eye of God by James Rollins. It is the further adventures of Grayson Pierce.

Childhood Memories – Tonight, I mentioned that my parents had a Weeping Willow in their front yard, and I used to play under it.

Comedy – Nothing is funny, at the moment.

Community – I was named to the local Planning Commission. This afternoon was my first meeting.

Crime – Tonight, I found out that a guy I once knew tried to kidnap his wife and lock her in a closet. Hopefully, he will get what’s coming to him.

Did You Know? – I forgot about this category. It needs to be revisited.

Dining – Tonight, we had a home cooked meal of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese and green peas.

Dreams – Lately, my dreams have been less than memorable.

Government – Necole went to the DMV this morning. There is no reason they should be that slow.

History – I am getting my lecture voice warmed up.

Movies – We watched Batman Begins, and I realized that the guy who plays Joffrey on Game of Thrones was in it.

Music – We have a couple of concerts coming up – Don Williams and The Eagles.

Nature – There’s a great article about sugar in the latest National Geographic. Everyone should read it.

Photography – In a few days, we are getting more wedding photos made.

Rambling Ruminations – I think that is what this post is all about.

Relationships – I’m married.

Religion – I would like to write about it more, but a few things are better left unsaid.

Sports – College football is about to start, and my team, the University of Tennessee, is in the Southeastern Conference. However, you’ll never hear me chant S-E-C. I cheer for one team and hope the other ones lose every week.

Stupid Stuff – It’s an accurate description of this post.

Television – I’m waiting for Justified to crank back up.

Therapy – I used to go. I don’t anymore.

Travel – We just returned from California and will be heading to Arizona soon.

Writing – Am I the only person who doesn’t mess with those writing prompts?

My iPod Has Issues – Part 5

14 Jun

Once again, it’s time to look into the psyche of my iPod. For those who don’t know, my iPod has split personalities. Sometimes it’s a punk rocker. Sometimes it’s a 50s crooner. Other times it sings the blues. Sometimes it plays songs that are known universally. Other times it plays songs so obscure that people wonder how they worked their way onto the list.

In short, it drives everyone crazy except me. In the past, I have shared some of the song titles to see if they drive you guys crazy, too. Here’s how this works. I put the iPod on random and list the first 20 songs that pop up. Afterwards, maybe you can play Sigmund Freud and help diagnose my iPod’s issues.Sigmund Freud

“Diga Diga Do” by The Mills Brothers

“Jackie Wilson Said” by Van Morrison

“The Wanderer” by Dion

“Rave On” by Buddy Holly and the Crickets

“It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry” by Bob Dylan

“Peaceful Easy Feeling” by The Eagles

“On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” by The Propellerheads

“Same Old Lang Syne” by Dan Fogelberg

“Look to Your Orb for the Warning” by Monster Magnet

“What Do You Want From Me?” by Pink Floyd

“Also Sprach Zarathustra” by Deodato

“Carefree Highway” by Gordon Lightfoot

“Honey” by Bobby Goldsboro

“Monty Got a Raw Deal” by R.E.M.

“Maybellene” by Chuck Berry

“Mama Feel Good” by Lyn Collins

“Lost Again” by Yello

“Du Hast” by Rammstein

“Spanish Key” by Miles Davis

“The Sunset” by Ennio Morricone

Six Degrees of Joe Walsh

7 May

I have been flipping through the television dial (yes, television used to have dials that you actually got out of the chair and turned) and hit upon Guitar Center Sessions on the Audience channel. Tonight’s episode features Joe Walsh, one of the all time greats. This guy isn’t just a great guitar player. He has lived one crazy life.Joe Walsh

Walsh has had a varied career as a solo artist and member of several bands, but he may be best known as one of The Eagles. That band was founded by Don Henley and Glenn Frey. When the band broke up, they both had successful solo careers. Frey even spent some time acting on Miami Vice.Glenn Frey

Miami Vice made Don Johnson famous for his white suits, pastel shirts and cool cars. He was the definition of the 1980s. Johnson tried to parlay his television fame to the movies, but, like many television stars, the transfer didn’t go so well. However, he just appeared as a plantation owner in Django Unchained, the controversial and Oscar-winning film by Quentin Tarantino.Quentin Tarantino

Quentin Tarantino came to the attention of most people when he made Pulp Fiction. Of course, that was a ground breaking film that revitalized the career of John Travolta. He danced. He killed. He got killed before showing back up at the end of the movie. It takes a heck of a writer to come up with something like that.

Welcome Back, Kotter introduced Travolta to television audiences as one of the Sweathogs. A vehicle for comedian Gabe Kaplan, the show ended up focusing on the misfits in an inner city high school. There was Vinnie Barbarino, Horshack, Boom Boom Washington, and Epstein. It stayed on for a couple of years and launched Travolta, unlike Don Johnson, to movie stardom. Kaplan went on to play poker and become a poker commentator.Gabe Kaplan

As a member of the professional poker community, Kaplan has played against many of the great players and won Amarillo Slim’s  Super Bowl of Poker in 1980. Slim was considered one of poker’s great players, but he was a better talker. After his win in the 1972 World Series of Poker, Slim appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.Amarillo Slim

Johnny Carson’s father was known as “Kit” Carson, whose nickname was derived from a famous figure in the history of the American West. He gained fame through many endeavors, including being a trapper in the Rocky Mountains.Kit Carson

One of Joe Walsh’s best songs is Rocky Mountain Way.

My iPod Has Issues – Part 4

3 Mar

Once again, it is time to explore the dark recesses of my iPod’s mind. Some people think it’s bipolar. Some people think it’s schizophrenic. Others think it belongs alongside Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over a Cuckoo’s Nest.

That's my iPod on the left.

That’s my iPod on the left.

No matter the diagnosis, almost everyone agrees that my iPod is all over the place.

Sometimes it’s 1950s Rock & Roll. Other times it’s 1970s Punk. In between, it could be everything from Roy Acuff to Warren Zevon. Whatever it is, it plays my kind of music. Like previous therapy sessions, I am putting it on Shuffle and seeing what pops out.

“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” by Ennio Morricone

“Superfly Meets Shaft” by Dickie Goodman

“You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth” by Meatloaf

“Mr. Tambourine Man” by The Byrds

“Tuff Enuff” by The Fabulous Thunderbirds

“I Started a Joke” by The Bee Gees

“Pretty Maids All in a Row” by The Eagles

“I Gotta Get Drunk” by Willie Nelson

“Right on Time” by Jimmy Church

“Strawberry Letter 23” by The Brothers Johnson

“TV Mama” by Big Joe Turner

“Passing Zone Blues” by Coleman Wilson

“Positively 4th Street” by Bob Dylan

“Skip’s Boogie” by Kid King’s Combo

“Buzzard Pie” by Rudy Green and His Orchestra

“Lady in the Street” by Stacy Mitchhart

“Viva Las Vegas” by Elvis Presley

“Sweet Jane” by The Velvet Underground

“One” by Three Dog Night

“Pearls Girl” by Underworld

That’s it. The therapy session is over. I hope my iPod came out of it with a high sense of self-esteem.

My iPod Has Issues – The Top 25

10 Dec

iPod’s have all kinds of lists, and one of them is the “Top 25 Most Played”. This could mean a few things. These are the ones that I like the best and tend to play over and over. Or, some of them are dialogue samples that are really short (which have been omitted and made the Top 25 more like the Top 19). Or, these entries have offered payola to the iPod shuffler to get more airtime.

If payola can get Alan Freed, then it can get anybody.

If payola can get Alan Freed, then it can get anybody.

Either way, here is the “Top 25 Most Played” on my iPod.

“Way Down Under” by Charles Bernstein

“Across 110th Street” by Bobby Womack

“For a Little While” by Bobby Goldsboro

“Father Ramirez” by Ennio Morricone

“Arriving in Deadwood” by Michael Brook

“Numb” by Linkin Park

“Alone Again” by Dokken

“A Whiter Shade of Pale” by Procol Harum

“Ballad of Gator McCluskey” by Jerry Reed

“Running Like the Wind” by The Marshall Tucker Band

“New Dawn Fades” by Moby

“Sons and Daughters” by The Neville Brothers

“Take You Back” by Valentine

“Anvil of Grom” by Basil Poledouris

“Wasted Time” by The Eagles

“Early Morning Rain” by Elvis Presley

“Still…You Turn Me On” by Emerson, Lake & Palmer

“Ecstasy of Gold” by Ennio Morricone

“In My Life” by Jose Feliciano