Creamy Ulysses

Cream. They were that 3 piece British supergroup or power trio from the late 60s. All three of the musicians (Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Jack Bruce) were known for their improvisational musical ability, but they only lasted a few years as a band. If you’ve ever listened to much classic rock you’re probably familiar with their songs like “Sunshine of Your Love” and “White Room.” They also put their own spin on blues covers like Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads” (aka “Cross Road Blues”) and others.

I was turned on to another one of their songs years ago when I watched a documentary about 60s Rock or The British Invasion. “Tales of Brave Ulysses” featured bassist Jack Bruce on lead vocals.

The song’s lyrics were written by an Australian artist named Martin Sharp https://www.martinsharptrust.com/about-martin , and Eric Clapton came up with the music for it. Sharp also happened to design the Disraeli Gears album cover, which I’ve always liked. Psychedelic is the word generally used to describe the song, the album, and even its artwork. I’ve always liked the lyrics about “tiny purple fishes” and “the siren sweetly singing.” Apparently there are a couple of different paintings which depict the tale of Ulysses and the Sirens https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sirens_and_Ulysses .

I searched for some covers of this song, but the one which stands out in my mind is this acoustic one. The song is in the key of D and features a descending bass line. In this version, the guitar’s low E string is tuned down to D, which is commonly known as “Drop D” or “Dropped D” tuning.

Cream also used this type of descending arrangement in the more popular “Sunshine of Your Love” as well.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

Bizzaro in Buffalo

Vincent Gallo is a name you won’t forget if you ever get a chance to watch him in Buffalo ’66 — a film which he wrote, directed, and in which he also starred. The late 90s film is most definitely an offbeat one.

As the name implies, the film is set in Buffalo, New York. It opens with Billy Brown (Gallo) being released from prison, hopping the last bus into town, and then frantically searching for a bathroom when he arrives. Gallo then encounters a blonde tap dancer named Layla played by then 17-year-old Christina Ricci. At one point, Ricci does a scene with King Crimson’s “Moonchild” playing in the background.

The volatile Billy basically kidnaps Layla …so she can pose as his wife. Then the mind-bending drama unfolds as he unleashes his wrath on her and anyone else he encounters including his mother (played by Anjelica Huston).

The rest of the outstanding cast included Ben Gazzara, Kevin Corrigan, Mickey Rourke, and many more. If you can’t stand arguing, you won’t like this film because there is plenty of hostility in it. The Buffalo Bills are also a big part of the film’s look and color scheme. A few surreal scenes remind me of some of David Lynch’s films. It’s hard to categorize. You just have to experience it.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

Beatles: Now, Then, & Forever

Mixed feelings. That’s the only way I can describe how I feel about what’s being described as the final Beatles song “Now and Then.” I’m not one to go along with what’s the newest thing out there and my knee jerk reaction to hype is to push back against it. I have no doubt I would not be a Beatles fan if I was around when they were a new and touring band.

Apparently, this whole thing started when Queen Scapegoat Yoko Ono found the demo tape Lennon had recorded, but had not released. Back in the 90s, the technology wasn’t around to allow for separating Lennon’s vocal track when McCartney, Harrison, and Starr got together for a couple of other songs (more on that later). I hadn’t heard the demo version of “Now and Then” until now.

It’s a pretty mellow and melancholy song. The same could be said for their 1995 John Lennon-demo-turned single “Free as a Bird.”

I put these songs and “Real Love” into the same sort of postmark category. Of the three, “Real Love” is probably my favorite.

I think I prefer “Real Love” to the other two because of a few things. First, George Harrison’s slide guitar sounds fantastic. To my ears, it’s just a more upbeat song and is more percussive. In my humble opinion, it’s the most Beatle-ish of the three.

In some ways, I would compare these songs to a deleted film scene. They’re interesting to see/hear, but they don’t really change the overall big picture. Another comparison might be to the films in the Star Wars franchise. I’m an original first three guy. Those were from a certain time period and the others weren’t. The same could be said of The Beatles original albums vs. these three singles.

In any event, Lennon’s family and band mates all thought he would have wanted these songs to be finished so they have been. You be the judge.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

Billy, Rikki, and Weird Al

Don’t ask me why, but a Phil Collins song from the 1980s popped into my head this morning. The song I mentioned was released as “Don’t Lose My Number” most places, but as “(Billy) Don’t Lose My Number” in Australia.

Give the Aussies credit for getting the accurate song title. I wonder who was responsible for that? I watched part of the official video and it’s parody-centric. From what I read, Collins said he just improvised the lyrics so there may not be an actual Billy. When I was typing this blog entry, I accidentally typed “Lumber” instead of “Number”, which could make for a great Weird Al song.

Mr. Yankovic aside, this song made me think of “Rikki Don’t Lose that Number” by Steely Dan. I was never a big fan of theirs, but definitely heard them on classic rock radio.

From the little research I did, there might have been a real Rikki. Naturally, that’s debatable. I have a better appreciation for Steely Dan than I used to — I think that stems from their jazz influences. I think they were too mellow for me as a teenager. The catchy bass part was apparently from “Song for my Father” by Horace Silver.

Maybe my musical taste has changed a bit over the years or I’ve gotten a little more patient. I like the Horace song.

For the heck of it, I searched for “lose my number songs” and found another one. It’s called “Baby Don’t You Lose My Number” by Darren Jay and the Delta Souls.

This song has some Jerry Lee Lewis style piano and great guitar tone in it. Apparently, Darren Jay is based in Chicago.

Because of texting technology, I don’t know that losing someone’s number is much of an issue these days but losing your cell phone is cause for a complete meltdown.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

Keep on Chuckin’

Once upon a time in the mid to late 80s, I got my driver’s license. During one weekend outing with my buddies, we had enough dudes for two different cars. One friend was driving his 1967 Candy Apple Red Mustang while I drove my parents’ light blue import. The plan was simple enough. Our second stop would be at Chuck-A-Burger Drive In Restaurant, but the first stop would be a separate event at the home of Bigfoot (the monster truck).

If you missed out on this era of entertainment, you might need to find a VCR to play 1985’s “Battle of the Monster Trucks.”

I told my buddy with the Mustang that I had to follow him to Chuck-A-Burger because I didn’t know the way there. Naturally, he made a last minute hairpin turn and I lost him. One of my other friends knew the way so we chugged a long separately. We actually made it there and I turned into the only entrance into the burger joint’s parking lot…only to find myself driving the 80s model Mazda in the middle of a classic car cruise. Call it, “Right Place Wrong Time.”

As I cursed my heavy footed friend in the Mustang, people at the cruise started booing. I remedied the situation by honking the horn in protest back at them. (My friend in the back seat suggested it.) Fortunately, that was the end of that chapter.

Things have changed over the years. Bigfoot has migrated from suburban Hazelwood, Missouri to the country comforts of Pacific, MO. Chuck-A-Burger is still open at the same location. Perhaps I should petition them for a plaque?

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

The Wanker, The 50’s, & The Cold War

I’ve been messing around with a few different songs on bass guitar lately and one late 70s tune re-entered my mind.

The song I mention is off The Police’s debut album Outlandos d’Amor. “Roxanne” is by far the best known song on that album, but my favorite is one you might not have heard called “Born in the 50’s.” The first verse of the song mentions Sting’s mother crying when JFK was shot.

This song grabbed my attention the first time I heard it and could be my favorite song by this band. I like the way the spoken word bridge builds back into the chorus. (There’s also a mention of GCE’s in this part. Apparently it stands for General Certificate of Secondary Education…some sort of standardized testing in England.)

I think it’s an intelligent and upbeat song so I give Sting credit for writing it. Sting is generally thought of as a fantastic musician: killer tenor vocals, his bass playing, and songwriting. That said, I was never an enormous fan of The Police.

Maybe I just prefer the raw energy of this early track compared to their more popular stuff. As time went on, The Police became mega-successful thanks to MTV and the “Synchronicity” album. Then, Sting became this sort of musical “holier than thou” person — at least that’s my opinion.

If memory serves me correctly, Sting performed one of his solo songs “Brand New Day” on network TV one morning following the September 11th attacks. My reaction was like, “What the hell is this supposed to do? Is Sting going to save us with his messianic self and yoga expertise? I don’t think so.” It’s too bad millionaire-ponytail-wearing Don Henley couldn’t have shown up to put in his plug about saving Walden Woods on the same show. That would have definitely resulted in global thermonuclear war.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

Wild Bird Tale

I’ve been told that I love a good story. That could be one reason why I love watching shows about cryptids like Sasquatch, Mothman, Nessie, and the like. This is not a cryptid tale, but rather a “truth is strange than fiction” tale — and it’s a good one.

“American Animals” (2018) starts by introducing viewers to two college friends who live in Kentucky. They both attend different universities and have very different personalities. Spencer is an unassuming art student who plays by the rules, but dreams of doing something BIG. His pal Warren, on the other hand, is the exact opposite — loud, ballsy, and brave. While Spencer is touring his school library at the University of Transylvania in Lexington, he is introduced to a rare book — a first edition of “Birds of America” by John James Audubon. The two hatch a scheme to heist the multi-million dollar item and Warren starts talking to his shady connections. Then they end up road tripping to New York to make even shadier connections.

Ace Frehley’s “New York Groove” (written by Russ Ballard) was actually used during a montage in the film a long with Donovan’s “Hurdy Gurdy Man.”

Spencer and Warren recruit a couple of other friends to take part in the planning and execution of the book heist — one is an accounting major who wants to become an F.B.I. agent, and the other is a rich businessman jock type. I won’t spoil the rest of the story, but that’s definitely not all there is to it.

I think the film does a good job of conveying the feelings of isolation and insignificance felt by many of the main characters, as well as the roller coaster ride of risking everything on one big heist. One description of the film called it a “docudrama heist film” because the real college students involved in it (and their parents) appear in the film, too.

“American Animals” was directed by Bart Layton. Layton shares a writing credit with Jon Croker, Peter Straughan, Ed Wethered, and Joe Murtagh. The real incident took place in 2004. I had no idea there was a Transylvania University in Kentucky, but truth can definitely be stranger than fiction.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

Trash Bags – The Tribute

Yes, it’s true…trash bags are on my mind. My recent store-bought purchase has got me thinking about them.

First of all, does anyone really enjoy grocery shopping? I mean, you go to the store and they’re out of this and that. Then what do you do?? During my last outing, the cashier and the person behind me were both wearing surgical masks. Since it’s football season, you might say they were in a “COVID-prevent” defense. I was at one of the dollar-ish stores. Don’t ask which one because they seem to be dollar and a quarter-ish anyway. I was out of trash bags so I grabbed a box of them. Then I grabbed two more, which brings me to The Coasters.

When I got home, I realized my less than detailed purchase left me with 3 boxes of extremely thin, white plastic bags which seemed to be un-openable. I had to text a friend of mine and she had the wherewithal to tell me to moisten my fingers to open them. Success!

This got me thinking about all of the different styles and options….drawstring bags, scented bags, flexible bags, 13 gallon bags, white bags, some dark colored bags which are most likely green or black…it’s a bit overwhelming. It also reminded me of an episode of “The A-Team.” I was probably in 7th or 8th grade when this episode aired. One of my classmates asked me what I did the previous night. When I told him that I watched that show, he started imitating Howling Mad Murdock from the same program. Spoilers ahead.

This episode might seem a bit out of context, but it was hilarious. Just when I thought Trash Bags – The Tribute was over, I found a song inspired by the same episode:

https://murdockstrashbag.bandcamp.com/track/trash-bags

Naturally, you can also buy a Howling Mad Murdock action figure as well — something I completely support.

Parting thoughts:

Shouldn’t there be a White Trash brand of bags?
Should I have included the song “Trashy Women” by Confederate Railroad?
Why wasn’t Tom Bosley involved?

So what’s the moral of the story? Some people use trash bags to escape from prison, the rest of us are just schlubs in grocery stores.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

Freaky Film Characters

October is officially here. I’ve never been a big horror fan film, but that doesn’t mean characters in other genre films can’t freak you out. Here are some thoughts on characters from some films that have left a lasting impression on me one way or another. Some are mainstream, some aren’t.

Daniel Simpson Day or “D-Day” from 1978’s Animal House:

I think the mystery about this character appeals to me. “Daniel Simpson Day has no grade point average.” Not only that, but he’s a little scary…maybe it’s the facial hair or just his overall vibe. He’s kind of like a friend of your friend’s older brother that just scares the sh*t of you. I mean, where does this guy live…where did he grow up…what makes him like that? Naturally, he knows how to use a blow torch. Played by Bruce McGill.

2. Kid with Goggles from 1983’s “A Christmas Story”:

Another classic movie with some absolutely freaky characters in it, but none as freaky (or funny) as this kid. I’ve always loved this short scene because it’s not only so random, but I feel like it’s the kind of thing that only happens to me. His delivery is spot on creep-tastic. Played by David Svoboda.

3.Cockeye from 1983’s Once Upon a Time in America:

Besides the eye, I’m not sure there was anything overly freaky about this character from this epic Sergio Leone gangster saga. Maybe it was just actor William Forsythe’s own freaky vibe that went along with him. I honestly thought Forsythe had a cockeye and I freaked out when I realized it was an act years later. The character also had his own theme, which was pretty freaky. Thank you, Ennio Morricone.

By the way, Forsythe went to freak me out again with his portrayal of serial killer John Wayne Gacy years later. I might have to blog about that one in the future.

4. Mike McAllister from 2006’s Foot Fist Way:

I absolutely have to blog about this movie because it is insanely funny. Jody Hill plays this Tae Kwon Do practitioner who is just ever so slightly “off” in the funniest ways possible. The DVD extras are awesome. If you’ve ever tried a martial art, it’s a must see. Hill also directed this film with his hilarious co-stars Danny McBride and Ben Best.

5. Brian Shute from 1985’s Vision Quest:

There are antagonists and then there are ANTAGONISTS! I’ve previously blogged about this film. It’s about a high school wrestler on his own personal vision quest, but I don’t think I have given enough credit to actor Frank Jasper who played the stoic, but self-motivated nemesis to the main character. “You can’t hold your mud. You’re a bleeder and I like to see blood.” Shute’s memorable training scene was set up perfectly and left a lasting impression on me. I found a YouTube video about the actual log used in this scene.

By the way, how much munch could an Edvard Munch, if an Edvard could munch Munch?

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

Evel American Nostalgia

Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting the Evel Knievel Museum in Topeka, KS. I know very little about motorcycles, but as a kid in 1970s America, you can bet I knew about Evel Knievel. As a matter of fact, I even had one of those action figures with the wind up motorcycle.

Naturally, one of the bratty neighbor kids had the whole Knievel-Palooza mega toy pack with that times ten.

As for the museum, it was interesting to see his different successful and less than successful jumps and the years they took place. His injuries are pretty well documented, too. For me, seeing his red, white, and blue motorcycle and matching jumpsuit reminded me of 1976 and America’s Bicentennial. Good times.

In the American way, he achieved worldwide fame and even appeared on a Wheaties box. More on his collectibles later. Unfortunately, the films about him or including him didn’t fare as well so in celebration of E.K., I’m including this song by The Road Vikings.

This song sounds like a combo of Iron Maiden and Ronnie James Dio to my ears. It rocks — which seems to fit the man. Another cool thing about the museum was the inclusion of his 1974 red custom Cadillac Pickup Truck. It looks like a pimped out El Camino, which somehow seems appropriate. Other items I saw included things like a pinball machine, a matchbook with the word “EVEL” on it, a zillion motorcycle toys, a tire shaped radio, and so much more.

As a person, I don’t think Evel Knievel was any angel, but he’s definitely an American success story. Give the guy credit. Most of us, myself included, don’t want to risk breaking most of the bones in our bodies to achieve our goals, but he was.

In the bigger scheme of things, thinking about Evel makes me think about a question I’ve seen on news reports and polls. The short version is most Americans don’t feel the U.S. is headed in the right direction. My response to that is, “Where/when did things start to go the wrong way?” I have joked with friends of mine about it in terms of pop culture, but was 1976’s Bicentennial our peak as a nation? Is there one event which derailed things for the U.S. of A.?

As an example, Knievel successfully jumped seven Greyhound buses in 1976, but he crashed during a separate practice jump in 1977. Should he have stopped in 1976? While I don’t think the 1977 movie “Viva Knievel” did him any favors either, I still say: VIVA KNIEVEL!

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!