The Waning Days of 2011

It's been more than a year since I showed up here and wrote about shit. In that time, I had a challenging year during which I turned FORTY. Yup, I'm fucking 40.

So, what do I have to say for myself?

I have missed this blog terribly--the way one misses a close friend and confidant who has been incommunicado for one reason or another. The way one misses a therapist she can no longer afford because the one therapist she's really liked over the years does NOT take her insurance. Shit.

I love to write. I write for a living and have done so in various ways since I was 24 years old. I am lucky I enjoy my work. But, damn, it cuts into my personal time way too much. Who came up with the 40-hour workweek anyway? Sure, it'd be great if I could survive on 4 hours of sleep a night without killing anyone. But as it stands, I get about 6 hours of personal time each day. That's an hour in the morning to shower, drink coffee, chill with hubby, tend to cats and get dressed, then 35-40 minutes to commute to work. After work, I get about 5 hours: an hour at the gym (3 times a week), shopping, errands, occasionally seeing friends or catching a movie. Then, a 40-minute commute home, followed by shower, dinner, relaxing and reading. Another day GONE.

Oops... I didn't make time to write. Shit.

So, as part of my "doing more shit for myself in 2011" campaign, I'm going to attempt to set aside time to write at least once or twice a week, the way I once did. I may rant about politics, as I did so often throughout the last days of Dubya's first term and about half of his second. I may spew stream-of-consciousness stuff about music, as I often have in the nearly 10 years of this blog. I may ask questions, just to see if anyone's reading.

Who knows? Guess you'll have to stay tuned to find out.

Hey John, What's on Your iPod?

John Lennon would have turned 70 this past weekend and while that's hard enough to wrap one's brain around, there's the bigger question looming: "What would John have created these past 30 years had he not been killed so tragically at age 40?"

Would he have recorded more songs with Yoko? Might he have branched out into other musical styles, genres, techniques? It's hard to imagine John attempting a reggae song or album, but who knows... perhaps Bob Marley's death would have inspired him to try reggae? Would he have been at Farm Aid? Live Aid? Lolapalooza? Would he have collaborated with his musically-inclined sons? Would he have won an MTV Video Award at some point? Would John have let Michael Jackson buy the whole stinkin' Beatles catalog?

How would John have adapted to the advent of digital music, online downloads, etc.? What would be on John Lennon's iPod? What would he listen to as he jogged in Central Park or flew across the Atlantic?

Questions, questions, questions...

One concept that has always fascinated me is what artists of years, decades, even centuries past would think of the artists, music, etc., that came much later. What would John Lennon have thought of Madonna, Radiohead, U2, Bjork, Jay Z? What would he have thought of Julian Lennon's beautiful "Valotte?" Or Sean Lennon's excellent "Into the Sun?" Who would he have wanted to collaborate with?

What would John Lennon have said about the death of Kurt Cobain? Or Elliott Smith? Or Jeff Buckley?

In this vein, I often wonder what Beethoven would have thought of Pink Floyd or what Bach would have made of Sigur Ros or whether Mozart would have appreciated Stevie Wonder. How would these titans of artistry feel about how their "golden age" of classical music is used in contemporary music? How would they perceive their influence being used? What would they think of today's movie scores--John Williams, James Horner, Carter Burwell, et al? What would Strauss think of "2001: A Space Odyssey?" What would they think of orchestrations in rock music?

Seriously... I imagine Mozart, Beethoven, et al being fucking FLOORED by a listen to "Comfortably Numb" or "A Day in the Life" or "Staralfur" or even the brooding synth-pop of Depeche Mode or New Order.

It's almost a shame that brilliant artists--in any genre or subject--can't live to see how they influence the works of artists many, many years after them. It's a concept I find endlessly fascinating, so much so that I often, while lost in the beauty of a song on my iPod, fantasize about throwing some headphones on old Wolfgang or Ludwig and watching their faces change as they hear "The Long and Winding Road" or "All You Need Is Love" for the first time.

Then, just for shits and giggles, let's see how they like "The Real Slim Shady."

Finally, More on BUCOW*

* "Bands Unfairly Categorized as One-hit Wonders" (see previous post for explanation).

Crowded House - "Don't Dream it's Over"

Last month, I had the privilege of seeing Crowded House perform live at Bowery Ballroom, possibly my favorite NYC venue. I had seen them 5 or 6 times before, in different incarnations, but Bowery was the most intimate of venues. Seriously, on their 2007 tour, I saw them at a beautiful, but huge, theater in Oakland, CA. This was infinitely better.

CH shows are typically packed with loyal fans who sing along with every tune, not just their big hit, "Don't Dream it's Over" (which, I've been surprised to notice at their shows, is the second-biggest sing-along of the night, after "Weather With You.") Neil Finn and Co. engage in witty banter among themselves and have a fantastic rapport with their audience--better than nearly any live act I've seen.

I'd been a fan of Split Enz since 1981, when my brother and I got this awesome compilation LP called "The Beat (New Wave Hits)" or something like that. I seem to remember us getting it for free, as some kind of promo. Anyway, it included the Split Enz gem, "I Got You." And we played the effing CRAP out of that record. Seriously, the sleeve was so worn out it looked like we'd run it through the dishwasher. Along with Split Enz, the track listing included Billy Idol - "Hot Child in the City," Kim Wilde - "Kids in America," OMD, Duran Duran, Flock of Seagulls and others. KROQ sometimes played "Six Months in a Leaky Boat," too, so I was familiar with Split Enz.

Then, in 1986, Crowded House came along and "Don't Dream it's Over" was ALL OVER the radio and I loved it and I bought the album and I loved all the tracks and was so excited when KROQ started playing the second single, "Something So Strong." MTV aired the video a bit, too, and I'm thinking, "Cool--everyone seems to like these guys!"

But when their sophomore album, "Temple of Low Men," was released in 1988, it got a trickle of airplay for the lovely "Better Be Home Soon" and then kind of fizzled. Same with their 1991 album, "Woodface," which I absolutely adore and which holds major sentimental value for me, as I purchased it immediately following a life-changing event. I've purchased every one of their albums since, including Neil's solo stuff and the albums Neil and Tim recorded as Finn Brothers.

Nowadays, no piece written about CH fails to mention "Don't Dream it's Over" as their one hit. But, folks, that's only in the U.S.! They've had far greater success in their native New Zealand, in Australia, in the UK and all over Europe. A bunch of their singles that barely cracked the airwaves here were huge sellers everywhere else!

So, with that, I hereby contest Crowded House's standing as a one-hit wonder. Just ask the 300+ screaming fans at the Bowery Ballroom last month (and at their sold-out shows around the world this year). Sure, most are in their 40s or older and not what one might call "hip," but fuck if they (and I) didn't have a fabulous time grooving to CH for a full TWO & A HALF HOURS. Who plays that long anymore?! Neil Finn is one of the world's greatest, unsung (pun intended) songwriters and if he only has one "hit" to show for it in the U.S., so be it. He's laughing all the way to the bank.

P.S. I bought their new album, "Intriguer," last week and I challenge anyone to name more than a handful of artists still writing and playing beautiful, thoughtful, relevant music 30 YEARS into their careers. One-hit wonder, my ass!

Guess Who's Still Alive?

Yup, that'd be me. I have ideas scribbled in notebooks, on Post-its, in my email Drafts folder (technically not scribbled, I know), in random places in crossword-puzzle books. And yet I never seem to get around to formulating them into something readable. Erf.

I have genuinely missed writing about music and have been crafting rants, raves, blog posts and other musicabilianess here and there.

One idea that has floated round my brain for years is a series I'll call SIFA, or Songs I'd Forgotten About (but have recently rediscovered and still love). A few gems:

1. "Sara" and "Hold Me" - Fleetwood Mac

Easily tied for my favorite Mac songs. I hadn't heard either in years till one recent day, "Sara" came on the radio and I fell in love all over again. Anyone who knows me knows I'm an unabashed, lifelong lover of radio. When I was a child, my family and I flew between New York and L.A. almost every year. As soon as I was strapped into my seat, I'd hungrily rip the plastic off those (free!) plastic headphones, plug 'em into my armrest and spend the entire flight surfing the radio channels. Certain songs never fail to remind me of those flights: "Sara" is absolutely one of them, others include Prince's "I Wanna Be Your Lover," the Eagles' "I Can't Tell You Why" and Diana Ross's "Theme from Mahogany."

But back to Fleetwood Mac. I could listen to "Hold Me" ten times in a row without tiring of it--it's one of those truly masterful pop songs. It easily transports me back to the summer of 1982, when I was 10: Mirage was one of my first LP purchases and "Hold Me" was in heavy rotation on MTV, feeding my Lindsey Buckingham crush.

2. "Tusk" - Fleetwood Mac

I rediscovered this--plus a few other Fleetwood Mac goodies--when I went to download "Sara." Fleetwood Mac certainly doesn't rank in my top 10 or even top 20 favorite bands (they might make the top 25 if I forgive them for "Oh Well"), but I've always admired their songwriting, harmonizing and musicianship. They're solid. Plus, since watching a VH-1 "Behind the Music" special on Stevie Nicks about a decade ago, I can't forget the sheer volume of songs that have poured out of this woman. We're talking HUNDREDS. Look up "prolific" in the dictionary and there's a photo of her, in all her billowing glory.

3. "I've Been Losing You" - a-Ha

I almost hate to get off the Fleetwood Mac track, but I've been listening to this song quite a bit lately and I appreciate it far more than I did when I first heard a-Ha in the 80s. Like every other giddy teen, I adored "Take on Me," bought the 45 and sat glued to the TV whenever the video aired. Then, they released "The Sun Always Shines on TV," which I liked even MORE than "Take on Me" and which pushed me to buy their first album. Upon listening, I discovered another gem, the hauntingly beautiful title song, "Hunting High and Low."

A couple years later, when a-Ha released their second album, Scoundrel Days, our local New Wave station, KROQ, started playing the singles "I've Been Losing You" and "Cry Wolf" regularly. I liked both songs and was pleasantly surprised that a-Ha hadn't disappeared after their first wave of success.

(Which brings me to another list I'd like to explore eventually: BUCOW, or Bands Unfairly Categorized as One-hit Wonders. Tune in for that later.)

A-ha certainly fits into that category. Most people only recall "Take on Me" for the catchy pop gem it was, but these guys were actually quite a good band with a handful of well-crafted pop tunes. To my teenage self, it helped that they were cute and photogenic and stylish. But when that fades, what you have left is a pop group as good as Duran Duran or Erasure but who are, sadly, mostly remembered as a one-hit wonder.

More to come in my SIFA series at a later date. Whenever I spend considerable time away from this blog, I eventually come to the overpowering realization that I need it. I just do.

Working My Way Back...

So, the website transition is still underway--I'm in the process of setting up a new WordPress blog and transferring all my archives over has proven to be a bigger undertaking than I'd expected. But, I will prevail!

I gotta say, though, while enmeshed in website updates and new projects (see below), I do miss the simple art of writing. Even my journal has sat unopened these past few months. But I'm working my way back!

A few things I've wanted to share:

One thing I love about my 30-minute morning and evening subway commute is looking around to see what everyone's reading. I've picked up many a book after becoming interested in it upon seeing it in someone's hands on the subway. A few weeks ago, I saw a young professional guy reading a book that interested me, so I made a mental note to add it to my ever-growing "Books to Read" list.

Of course, with my nearly middle-aged brain, I'd forgotten the title by the time I could make a note of it. Oh well.

A day or two later, BEHOLD! Same guy, getting on at the same stop (downtown Brooklyn), reading the SAME book! It was kismet. This time I wrote down the title and author and later that week, Jason picked it up at the library for me.

(It was Speaking Freely, about First Amendment cases being tried in NYC and the U.S. Supreme Court. Sadly, it didn't hold my interest long enough to do more than skim a few chapters, but still, I gleaned some tidbits from it.)

What else?

Finally, the long-awaited opening of Dutch Boy Burger, a joint across the street from our apartment, run by the people at Franklin Park round the corner. It's been packed since opening last week, but we look forward to trying it.

Lastly, I've been working closely with a few neighborhood friends and colleagues on a community organization designed to benefit our unique enclave of Brooklyn, straddling the Prospect Heights/Crown Heights border. We are called Franklin Avenue Creative Endeavors (FACES) and I look forward to sharing more with you as we get up and running.

For now, our website is taking shape at FranklinAve.org.

Doin' Some Housekeeping

I'm in the process of migrating this blog to a new web host and I may hit a few snags along the way. No need to panic--if I do this right, you won't feel a thing.

An Auspicious Start to 2010

It's a new month and my brain is firing on all cylinders, which, if I were to hazard a guess, would be more than four and possibly even more than eight.

First off, I'm taking an active role in an exciting new endeavor. For now, I can tell you: (a) it's a community-based project; (b) I'm inspired by the people involved and I'm so excited to work with them and (c) I'm hugely optimistic about the future of this group and where we'll go with it.

A large part of what we're attempting to do is covered here: LaunchPad. I invite you to read all about it! (I've also added some new friends to my "Local Links" roll.)

As a result of my collaboration with more people in my community, I've learned, quite surprisingly, that I have several new readers of this blog. Of course, that comes just when I'd been pondering whether or not to retire it, the main reason being that, as is the case with so many of my fellow blogging friends, the advent of Facebook means I spend less and less time writing here.

But I'd be lying like a rug if I said I didn't miss it.

I've been writing this blog since 2002. In fact, 2010 marks my 8th consecutive year of blogging here, with scattered gaps of only a month or two between posts. This blog has been my companion, my diary, my co-conspirator, my political soapbox and my personal punching bag for those days when I would strangle someone if I didn't have the outlet of venting here.

Discovering I have several new readers compelled me to look back over some older posts and I must say, I've enjoyed reading them. This blog has been a chronicle of my life as I made the difficult decision to leave New York for the quiet (if too quiet) haven of Arcata, then returned to city life (and school!) in San Francisco and, finally, came home to New York. It has chronicled the many potholes in my road to figuring out just who the hell I am, where I should be and how my life should be playing out. One important thing it's taught me is that there simply shouldn't be any "should." My life has played out the way I have steered and prompted it, with a little kismet thrown in for good measure.

So, now I'm settling in to a new year, with a new husband, a new business venture and a new community focus. I have no idea how things will turn out and I'm not sure I'd want to glimpse the future even if I could arrange it. But I'm sure as hell optimistic.

Welcome to the journey, new readers.