Go Dennis!

"WAKE UP AMERICA"

SHP Heavy Rotation, Week of 8/10/08

1. Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
2. Girl Talk - Night Ripper
3. Spank Rock - Yoyoyoyoyo
4. Sly & The Family Stone - "Dance to the Medley:"
5. Isaac Hayes - "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalmistic"
6. The Broken West - I Can't Go On, I'll Go On
7. XTC - "No Language in Our Lungs"
8. The Rolling Stones - Some Girls
9. The Gossip - "Standing in the Way of Control"
10. Stevie Wonder - "All Day Sucker"

And Now For Something Completely Different...

Since my last two posts were on the negative tip, here's Sly tearing it up and rousing the stoned masses at Woodstock:

We Get the Leadership That We Deserve

John McCain's campaign, seemingly in shambles and headed over a cliff just a short while ago, seems to have found its mudslinging groove through racist and apocalyptic ads (Britney and Paris, "The One") and rolling out the usual bald-faced lies (claiming Barack Obama didn't visit wounded troops in Germany because he couldn't bring cameras). Team McCain is now ridiculing Obama for correctly pointing out that keeping one's car tires properly inflated and getting regular tune-ups can increase fuel efficiency and thus save oil and money (how outrageous of Obama!), something that Republican governors and NASCAR have also urged. Republican shills have received the memo and are relentlessly repeating the message that Obama's entire energy policy consists of urging us to keep our tires inflated. McCain's campaign is so proud of their new line of attack that they are handing out tire pressure gauges to reporters and donors so that they can all share a self-satisfied chuckle. The Republicans seem to think they've found the equivalent of Jimmy Carter's cardigan and his suggestion to turn our thermostats down to use as a cudgel against Obama down the stretch.

This is the substantive and respectful campaign McCain promised? It's not surprising that Republicans would resort to red herrings and juvenile taunts; it's what they do. The amazing thing, to me, is that these tactics are so successful with a majority of the American electorate. McCain has already closed Obama's lead considerably since he ramped up the hateful and petulant rhetoric after Obama‘s tour of the Middle East and Europe.

Republicans and Independents: please explain why you support John McCain. I want to understand the mentality of those who are swayed by McCain's dishonest ads and smears against Obama. How do you think a McCain presidency would help you and your family, or add to the public good in any way? Though Obama is not the answer to all of our problems and is certainly a flawed candidate, how is McCain a better choice? Why do you feel that, in the midst of a serious Constitutional crisis, you have the luxury of being willfully ignorant and lazy when it comes to thinking critically about the issues we face as a nation?

Follow-up question: if any of you found it funny when delegates at the 2004 Republican Convention wore purple band-aids on their faces to mock John Kerry's Purple Heart medals earned in Vietnam, do you feel any remorse for slandering a decorated war hero, since you and your party constantly claim that you “support the troops“? Or maybe you look back fondly at the band-aid gag, and this year you look forward to snickering knowingly when your party’s delegates proudly brandish anti-Obama tire pressure gauges at your convention this summer?

It's commonplace for Democratic politicians to assert "We Deserve Better" after the 8 years of hell wrought by Bush, Cheney, Addington, Rove and the rest. But do we really deserve better? We elected George W. Bush as President of the United States, not once, but twice. After comparing George W. Bush to Al Gore and John Kerry, with full access to all the facts and information concerning their respective platforms and thus able to compare and contrast their differing visions for the country, we chose George W. Bush both times; we "felt more comfortable" with Bush and would have preferred to have a beer with him over Gore and Kerry because we were told that they exaggerated, flip-flopped, and were too educated, French, and effete for our tastes. McCain, who has changed positions repeatedly on every major position, who wants to wage perpetual war and continue Bush economic policies, and who has serious anger issues, is almost tied with Obama in the polls with only three months left until Election Day.

I would say that we Americans get exactly the leadership that we deserve. If John McCain wins in November, we have no one to blame but ourselves.

I'm Mad as Hell (Bring on The Smile-Manner Squadron)

As a regular Seattle Metro bus commuter, mainly on the dodgy 358 Express route, I read with great interest this bit of news from Japan.

While it is possible that, as I get older, I am becoming the stereotypical grumpy older dude, incredulous at the younger whippersnappers' lack of respect and values, there is no doubt that etiquette and decency are steadily being eroded in our society, even in supposedly polite Seattle . Riding the bus each day and working downtown provides a first-hand view of what social conservatives call the "coarsening of the culture", one of the few points on which this left-wing blogger and the right-wing culture warriors are in agreement.

Waiting for the bus at the notorious 3rd and Pine corner, one is confronted by all the symptoms of the MySpace generation's F.U. attitude: spitting, littering, cursing, young thug-wannabees blocking the entire sidewalk, aggressive panhandling, and worse after dark (Seattle is pathetically lacking beat cops, but that's a whole other post).

Some of this antisocial behavior, of course, makes its way onto the buses, especially the 358. In addition to the activities outlined above, on any given day one can encounter people taking up two seats (even if the bus is standing-room only!), eating and drinking disgusting fast food and other crap (I have had a Slurpee-like drink spilled on me by a homeless man who was allowed on the bus with a lid-less container, in flagrant violation of the posted rules), loud cursing and altercations, and the aforementioned thuggery and posturing, usually in the back of the bus.

If all that weren't enough, there is the amazing lack of self-consciousness of so many bus riders. People loudly yak on their cell phones, shamelessly discussing all manner of personal topics. Women feel that the bus is an appropriate place to apply make-up during the morning commute, in full view of the other passengers. Teenagers chomp on greasy burgers or munch bags of neon-orange cheese doodles, oblivious or disdainful of others.

When did so many Americans come to feel that a public place is no different than their living rooms, an appropriate environment to let it all hang out? What happened to the social compact of living in a major urban area, putting on a public face out of respect for one's fellow citizens (and bus commuters)? Have the concepts of privacy, decency, and a modicum of modesty become quaint relics of a pre-Facebook generation when each private moment wasn't captured on YouTube or a reality television show?

It's heartening to know that in Yokohama, Japan, at least, someone is saying enough is enough and has mustered the wherewithal to start fighting back. Seattle (and undoubtedly many other American cities) desperately needs a program like this. Public shaming is a vastly underrated, and underused, public policy-tool. If ever a society needed to have a mirror held up to itself and be forced to acknowledge its excesses, exhibitionism, and rudeness, it is the United States in 2008; bring on the elderly manner police (with younger bodyguards to back them up).

Or at the very least, bring on Howard Beale to help rouse us from our collective stupor.

I'm not suggesting that we impose a quasi-fascist nanny state, à la Singapore, here in the U.S. I'm just urging that we decide what type of city, and country, we want to live in and take the steps necessary to realize that vision. Do we want to continue along a solipsistic and vulgar path towards instant gratification? Or perhaps we could strive to achieve the goals outlined in the following, an exercise recited by students at Adams School in Ballard, Seattle, in 1927:

I am a citizen of Seattle, of Washington, and of the United States. It is my right and my duty to make an honest living and to be comfortable and happy. It is my privilege and my duty to help others to secure these benefits. I will work hard and play fair. I will be kind to all, especially to little children, to old people, to the unfortunate, and to animals. I will help make Seattle a clean, beautiful and law abiding city. These are the best services I can render to my city, my state and my country.

Maybe after we elect Barack Obama as the next president, we will be in a good collective mindset for change in this country. We need it now more than ever, from the 358 Express to The White House.

Mix-Tape Review Series: Compilation

Photo courtesy of CyclesWithinLayers
COMPILATION (1990)
Memorex dBS 90 minute tape

Side A:
Pink Floyd - "Wish You Were Here"
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - "1983...(A Merman I Should Turn To Be)"
Led Zeppelin - "In My Time of Dying"
The Beatles - "Getting Better"
The Beatles - "Something"
Donovan - "Hurdy Gurdy Man"
Grateful Dead - Rosemary"
Simon and Garfunkel - "Sound of Silence"

Side B:
The Beatles - "I'm Looking Through You"
XTC - "Making Plans For Nigel"
Blondie - "Accidents Will Happen"
Echo and The Bunnymen - "Rescue"
Modern English - "I Melt With You"
The Cure - "Close To Me"
Game Theory - "Erica's Word"
Jane's Addiction - "Summertime"
The Replacements - "Answering Machine"
Husker Du - "Whatever"
R.E.M. - "We Walk"
Bad Brains - "I Against I"

This post kicks off a series of mix-tape reviews. I will subject a series of long-lost cultural artifacts to some long-overdue critical scrutiny and reassessment, rightfully restoring their place in the pantheon of cutting-edge artistry and, in the process, providing a template for aspiring selectors and DJs worldwide.

In 1990, the Pacific Northwest, specifically Bellingham, WA, was at the crossroads of several musical trends, though these forces were not mutually exclusive. A Sixties revival was underway, propelled by nostalgic baby boomers at Rolling Stone and other still-influential rags who were itching to revive vintage Dylan and Stones. The fertile Eighties American underground had assumed its position as a cultural vanguard via college radio, DIY touring circuits and indie labels such as Touch and Go, SST, and Sub Pop. In addition, the compiler of the first mix-tape in this series, appropriately entitled Compilation, was in the midst of his own wave of nostalgia. In addition to dreaming of Woodstock and Haight-Ashbury, he longed for the British synth-pop, mopey post-punk and other New Wave period pieces of his childhood.

These three cultural threads converge in the kitchen-sink, eclectic flow on Compilation. Side A opens with Pink Floyd's slowly building, lengthy tribute to former band mate Syd Barrett, "Wish You Were Here", not exactly a standard opener to grab the listener's attention. If there was any doubt that this would be no ordinary mix, the next track ups the ante with Jimi Hendrix's sprawling acid-trip re-creation, "1983...". The compiler clearly decided that his tape would be a deeply personal one, refusing to pander to listeners' preconceived notions of reasonable song length or structure. Instead, he would cater to that segment of the population who feel groovy and deep while sitting their dorm-rooms at institutions such as The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA at 11pm, digging on Jimi by candlelight and feeling vaguely radical. Continuing the increasing-song-length motif, track # 3 is Led Zeppelin's 11-minute electric blues slide-guitar workout "In My Time of Dying" from that most epic of epic '70s rock double-albums, Physical Graffiti. Clearly the compiler was a trailblazer in jettisoning bourgeoisie notions of the pop song, much like Dylan when he shattered the 3-minute-ceiling for songs on the radio when "Like a Rolling Stone" clocked in at over 5 minutes.

Next up are two songs from late-period Beatles, "Getting Better" and "Somewhere". The two tracks were obviously chosen to follow an 11-minute blast of Led Zeppelin because The Beatles, like Zeppelin, were a) from England and b) got their start the 1960s. After the heavy subject matter and intensity of the opening three opuses, what a relief it is to hear a ditty about always looking on the bright side of life from Paul and a gorgeous, languid love song from George - just what the doctor ordered.

In keeping with the Sixties British artist theme, "Something" is followed by Donovan's "Hurdy Gurdy Man". Perhaps the compiler chose this hippy-dippy anthem in an attempt to point out the classic rock/American underground link, since the Butthole Surfers (sadly not represented on this particular collection) did a mocking cover version of the song the same year Compilation was released. After peaking with Hendrix earlier, Donovan's psychedelic-lite is a soothing balm. Speaking of psychedelia, the Grateful Dead captured the compiler's heart during the summer of '90, via his Deadhead girlfriend. "Rosemary" is a trippy little ditty with appropriately groovy distorted vocals from Jerry, presaging Gibby Haynes' "Gibbytronix" vocal treatments with Butthole Surfers 15 years later. To close out Side 1, we have a cut that is something of a '60's anthem, by an iconic '60's duo: Simon and Garfunkel's "Sound of Silence". Even without yet having seen The Graduate , the creator instinctively knew the song spoke to that generation of which he, at the time, dearly wished he were a part.

Side 2 opens with yet another Beatles tune, "I'm Looking Through You." Though this Rubber Soul track is undoubtedly a gem, it feels like an afterthought with regards to the rest of the second side. The remainder of the compilation is comprised of the other two aforementioned threads: '80s New Wave and the American undergound. XTC's "Making Plans For Nigel" sounds as fresh today as it did to Compilation's creator in 1990 and undoubtedly did upon the song's initial release in 1979. To someone who associated Blondie with their crossover smash hits during his childhood ("Heart of Glass", "Rapture"), the compiler was thrilled to discover the band's more straight-ahead New Wave pop on the Parallel Lines and Eat To The Beat LPs, as exemplified by "Accidents Never Happen". Next up is the anthemic "Rescue" by Echo and The Bunnymen, who the compiler considered one of the coolest British bands of the '80s (their Songs To Learn and Sing collection, a tape of which was purchased at the Bellevue Square Cellophane Square branch, was seminal in the development of his music taste). Next up is THE '80s anthem for all time, Modern English's "I Melt With You", which made the creator swoon before he'd even seen Valley Girl and before the evil Burger King ad campaign desecrated the song for a period of time. The Cure's breakthrough hit, the bouncy, hand-clapping "Close to Me", closes out a potent triple-shot of classic post-punk singalongs

At this point the mix shifts to American college radio staples. Game Theory were an obscure and literate power-pop band from Northern California that were critical darlings and commercial zeroes. "Erica's Word" is a timeless and insanely catchy, slightly melancholy track that somehow fits after The Cure. Jane's Addiction's "Summertime Rolls", on the other hand, is a dubious follow-up track. The compiler must have fallen under the widespread notion during the late '80/early '90s that Jane's Addiction were deeper, more important, and more classic than, in retrospect, we now know (the undeniable staying power of "Jane Says" notwithstanding). It's possible that he wanted to get back to the heavy atmospherics and druggy vibe from Side 1 provided by Hendrix, the Dead, et al. Next up is another triple-shot, this time from three of the most important American guitar bands of the 1980s. The Replacement's gut-wrenching "Answering Machine" and Husker Du's even more harrowing "Whatever" were blasts of Minneapolis angst that translated well to awkward, lonely, thinking teenage music fans everywhere. R.E.M.'s "We Walk" is a welcome relief, with its soothing Byrdsian 12-string jangle, though not without that hint of sadness that pervades the majority of this compilation. Closing the album in jarring fashion is Washington D.C. hardcore punks Bad Brains' "I Against I", which, while no doubt an exciting and impossibly hip proposition to the compiler at age 18, is now a somewhat generic punk song that doesn't hold up too well at age 36 (If it's too loud, you're too old?).

Overall, Compilation, while betraying a touching measure of naivety and earnestness on the part of the compiler, is nevertheless an eclectic collection of songs from the dawn of the grunge era.