Tuesday Tunes

Are Tuesdays supposed to be worse than Mondays? I am feeling groggy this morning. Really feeling like I am having a hard time getting things going.

Lightning's Hand - Kansas

American prog rock at its best and a band that has a far bigger discography then you would think if you only listened to their radio hits. Give them a look. 

My brain seems to be pretty blank today. I just finished watching a surfing film about three girls from Australia called First Love. I think that if I had kids and for daughters I would want them to watch this film. I watched it on Netflix streaming but there several other options and the website details them all. It is well worth a look. First Love

Brown Eyed Woman - Grateful Dead (Europe 72)

This is a great song from an overall great live performance. The Dead are a far better band then you thought they were. Look beyond the hippies and the drugs and really listen to the music. I think you will not be disappointed.  

I miss riding my skateboard. In high school from about 10th grade to the end of my senior year I rode my board to school everyday. I wasn't any kind of good as far as I am concerned but I always had fun and I always enjoyed the act of just cruising along. It was, for me, more about the act of riding along and going up hills and down them and carving around sometimes sliding along curbs. I only ever ollied once.

It wasn't something that I could ever pull off. The first board I had was a Powell Steve Steadham.

I loved it. It is kind of funny to look at now because that board is so much bigger than the boards of today and I used it totally for street skating and today it would be more like a ramp board. But I was very happy with it. That was a simpler time and I have some good memories of rides with friends after school. This was long before Salem had any skate park of any sort and now both Salem and Keizer have decent ones.

Piano Man - Billy Joel

This is probably the most well known of his hits. I think that some people are probably tired of it. I always enjoy it when it pops up. I once did a horrible karaoke version of this. I wish I could find the people in the bar and apologize to them for that.

It is a short post today folks. If I write anything else it is just going to be me trying to create something artificial to write about and that is something that I am trying not to do. So keep it real out there. Live in the moment, hug your friends and family and keep on dancing. 

Thursday Thoughts....

The subconscious is an interesting thing. I always dream but I do not always remember my dreams. Some are for sure more vivid then others and last night was one of those dreams.

You Can Make Me Free - Billy Joel

I was with a friend that I have known for several years and we were hanging out at some sort of coffee shop but it wasn't one I was familiar with. It honestly felt like we were in Sweden but I am not sure why it felt that way. She was studying and I was just kind of hanging out. At one point I got up to go look into another part of the coffeeshop because a friend of ours was supposed to be over there. They were not and when I came back there was this kind of odd old man that was kind of bothering her.

I'm All Right - Kenny Loggins (Caddyshack Version)

So I sat back down but this time my chair had moved close to hers. There was kind of a time leap and our chairs were even closer and then a leap again and I was sitting sideways and she was leaning against my shoulder and we were still in our chairs. It filled me with a sense of peace and calmness. There was nothing romantic or sexual about this. It was just nice. We were just resting together in this public place but with a level of connection that was greater than usual. Everything felt good and right.

Reasons For Waiting - Jethro Tull

The comfortableness became almost a tiredness to the point of I felt the need to put my head on her shoulder and I did so with ease and that was nice as well as she rested her head against mine. Then time and space shifted again and we were walking through Silver Creek Falls. I knew that for a fact. We strolled and chatted about many different things. It didn't seem to matter what the subject was at all. It was just us strolling and talking with apparent ease on many different subjects.

One More Time - Hammerfall

After a while her father appeared and we walked with him for awhile. He told us a story about a young boy who had died in a car accident. The boy had been seven and her father was very upset by this. The boy was not related to anyone as far as I could tell and I remember thinking that while it was sad I didn't understand why her father was upset to the point of tears about it. It also appeared that her father was running the retreat center of the campground and soon he and his wife had to leave to go pay their taxes in California. Then time shifted again and her husband was there walking with us and her father was gone.

One And Only - Adele

The three of us walked for awhile and I remember us walking through a parking lot and I could see my van sitting their. Again walking together it was totally comfortable and there was no awkwardness of any kind. Things just felt right and natural and normal with no stress of any kind. In fact the only stress was that I saw their red truck in the distance and I knew that the conversation was going to have to end and I wanted to prolong it and I woke up. I woke up refreshed and rested and the memory of the dream still vividly in my head.

Self Inflicted - Katy Perry

That is the story of my dream. I share that because I found it interesting and I do enjoy thinking about what my dreams mean. Though in this case I can't imagine it meaning anything but good things. It did not leave me with any feeling other then good and comfortableness. It was a nice to have a nice dream and too remember that dream as well. If anything it has left me feeling very inspired to have a good day. So that is something to look forward too. I am also super happy with how the playlist turned out today. All random from my music machine and I have to tell you that I think they all work so well together. I love it when that kind of thing seems to happen.

The Cave - Mumford and Sons

I love you guys and I hope that you guys can have a great day. Take a deep breath. Text a friend. Call a friend. Hug a friend. Keep on dancing and keep up loving each other. You won't regret it.

Monday Music Mix

Morning folks. Why don't you hop on board the music train with me and we will get this week started.

It's Still Rock n Roll To Me- Billy Joel

This is a nice toe tapper to get things going this morning. I think the song is probably pretty dated but overall I do enjoy it.

Step Into My Office, Baby - Belle and Sebastian

Oh my Glob. I love this song. It reminds me of Mad Men which is a show that I love. But that isn't the only thing. It is a just a great song. So far I am feeling pretty good about the musical mix and how it is starting the day off. Good stuff.

I did my Hindu squats and my deep breathing this morning and it is actually kind of amazing to me how quickly I feel a benefit from doing that. I can feel a fundamental difference in my physical well being. I do not know if it is just me being aware of my breathing and breathing deep and slow and getting all that oxygen into my body while I do my movements but it works. At least for me.

Stranger In Town - TOTO

Classic mid 80's song. Honestly how can you not like Toto? I suppose that you can but I think you might be a musical snob if you do. It is okay to be a musical snob. I used to be one and I still am in some ways. But if you are just own it. Don't deny it. Throw it in the haters face and force them to deal with it. Back to the song. I also find the lyrics pretty interesting and it has a catchy chorus.

Work, work, work. I would love to find a way to have some sort of gainful employment. At this point depending on what happens with week with the feds and unemployment I may need to see if I can find a job flipping burgers or cleaning toilets at the local burger emporium. Lord spare me. We shall see what happens.

There She Goes Again - R. E. M.

This is a cover of a Velvet Underground song and I like what R.E.M. has done with it. When a band does something clever with a cover it is usually something that is very nice to listen too. I think that is the case here. Good stuff.

Lonely Boy - The Black Keys

This is one of my favorite songs of 2011 and one of my favorite bands. Solid rockers and they put out a nice volume and depth of noise for a duo. This song has a nice beat and is easy to dance to.

Hey You - Pink Floyd

This is nice. Slowing it down as we wrap things up for the day. As far as I am concerned, Pink Floyd is always welcome at the musical party.

Keep it real and stay warm out there today folks. Be honest with and love each other.

More Music (Billy Joel)

So as we move further into the B's we come across another famous piano man. The artist known as Billy Joel. He was born in 1949 and joined his first band The Echoes in 1963. But he did not achieve real success until he signed a solo recording contract in 1971 and put out his first album "Cold Spring Harbor". As of 2011 he has put out 13 studio albums with the last one coming in 2001 called "Fantasies and Delusions". He has released 4 live albums with the last one coming out in 2011 called "Live at Shea Stadium: The Concert". But that isn't all there have also been 12 compilation albums released. I think that even if you do not care for him. That is a pretty impressive amount of releases. When I was younger I owned "An Innocent Man" on vinyl but now the only thing I own is "The Complete Hits Collection 1973-1997" which is a three disc compilation. I think I am going to highlight 2 songs from each of the discs. That is if Youtube allows me to. So cross your fingers folks and lets get started.

Here is a live version of "Captain Jack" from 1972. This has fast become one of my favorite early Billy Joel songs.



This is a live version of "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)". It gets bonus points because of the sweet live sax. Play it Sax man. Play it groovy!!



Okay the next two are going to be from the second disc and that disc tends to concentrate more on his stuff from the 80's. I think "Innocent Man" was his best selling album but I could be wrong so no quoting.

I do love that I can find live versions of these songs. This is a live version of "Allentown". It really is a good song and says a lot about how the recession in the 80's affected the steel industry in Pennsylvania.



This won't be a live version. But "Tell Her About It" came out in 1983 and I can remember listening to this over and over again as I tried to pump myself up to ask a girl I liked out. Well...it didn't work and I locked up and mumbled. But the video is pretty fun and really from an era when videos were king.



Okay so on to the third disc and this era of Billy Joel is not one that I am all that familiar with but there are some good songs on it.

Here is a live version from 2006 of "We didn't start the fire". This was a pretty big song for him.



This next song is "The Downeaster Alexa" which was just put to great use in the film The Hangover II. It is really one of my favorite of his songs. I could find no good live versions of this one so you get the original video from 1989. It is just a great, great song.



Thanks for reading and listening folks and I hope you have a good weekend. I will see you on Monday as we continue to work our way through the B's.