Wednesday, January 6, 2021

Country Rock "Stiffened Marmoset Pelts" - Claim

I'm slipping this in quick (those were the days, eh?) between pressing social engagements today. I have to cut the ribbon at the Al's All-Nite Beanery© opening, and inspect the new showers at St. Velda's School For Wayward Girls (of which I am patron), and a bunch of other stuff.

If you don't know these albums, brother - are you ever in for a treat! Country Rock at its subtly spectacular finest. Take a swell bunch of songs, add the best musicians in the world, sing 'em with the voice of an angel - how come more people didn't do this? How hard can it be? (Those were the days, eh?) I prefer the first, but you don't give a good goddamn what I prefer, and nor should you. Hotcha!

33 comments:

  1. To qualify for this profligate largesse, please write a poem (minimum two lines, no blank verse, your own work, must rhyme ... uh ... them's th' rules).

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    1. Link here, even if not DNA-validated: January 7, 2021 at 3:46 AM

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  2. When recall fades
    and the mind plays tricks
    and the old man craves
    them country licks
    and the days are cold
    and the times are dark
    there aint no blogspot
    funny as Farq

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  3. at the end of time
    when mankind plays it's last tune
    spent the last dime
    they'll be footprints on the moon

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  4. Ya mean JD Souther, who went on to record such memorable albums as If the World Was You, and Natural History?
    There once was a lady from Nantucket,
    Who crossed the sea in a bucket.....

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  5. There was a young lady named Helen
    Who fell in love with a felon
    They married in haste -
    She was anything but chaste
    And he’d bedded Ian McKellen

    or

    There was a young Frenchman named Hussein
    Who drowned himself in a drain
    Paris police said ‘It’s sad,
    But he really was quite mad’,
    Because he’d been found in Seine.

    and
    as we have not yet been blessed with a link and so there is no way of knowing if they're included in Farq's offerings, I offer, whether need or not, some demos from the expanded versions of each and JD's contributions to the Souther Hillman Furay LPs
    https://workupload.com/file/qH5zzHyqBXc

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    1. Hey yo, thanks Sam, and welcome back, buddy.

      Exhibit a for J.D. Souther's casual mysogynism is included in your very nice album: "Mexico", where his girlfriend is off to Mexico, "spending all your daddy's dough" while poor J.D. is stuck at home and "got so lonely I had to let somebody know" AKA he got so horny that he had to fuck a lot of other women while she was away. But he is the victim in all of this! He didn't have a choice! And why did she go on holidays without him, anyway?! J.D. Souther, victim of evil women's ways, everyone.

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  6. John David Souther
    (lucky, lucky lad)
    was once the paramour
    of Linda M Ronstadt.

    His '79 album "You're Only Lonely" is a bit smoother than these two but no less wonderful.

    You did the Longbranch Pennywhistle stuff earlier last year.

    He gave away some stuff on NoiseTrade a while ago which is here: https://www.pastemagazine.com/noisetrade/music/jdsouther/noisetrade-sampler

    He's the sort of musician I admire - was never saddled with the downsides of fame but presumably made a very good living from co-writes whilst maintaining his own fanbase. And went out with Linda Ronstadt.

    Cheers, Peanuts Molloy.

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    1. "went out with Linda Ronstadt" - ha, he fucked ALL the ladies in Laurel Canyon and adjacent areas, including Judee Sill (who wrote "Jesus Was A Crossmaker" in response) and Joni Mitchell (who, in turn also slept with ALL the dudes in Laurel Canyon and adjacent areas, so - Kismet!). The apocryphal story goes that Linda and Joni met on J.D.'s doorstep, one coming, one leaving.

      In his songs J.D. was of course always the poor victim of some evil woman's ways. At least he wasn't discriminating, he always was a miserable prick to every one around him. Funny how with some musicians, no one has a bad word to say about them. Souther is the exact opposite, I don't think anyone has a single nice thing to say about him.

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    2. Uh-huh. Just add his name to the list of men who didn't behave as well as we would under the circumstances. Miles Davis, Buddy Rich, Charles Mingus, Frank Sinatra ... bad behavior is bad. Good music is good.

      When you go to the tree to pick fruit, don't come back with the rotten apples.

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    3. Oh, you know, I still listen to my Souther, even if his "poor me" stuff makes you wince a bit. (But then again, so does any of the roughly 20.000 songs that came from the 70's named "Evil Woman" or some such...)

      I just found it interesting that Souther is such a dick, that NO ONE, even random folks in the street like him. Don't remember where I read it, but a dude in, like an L.A. restaurant or what noit talked about experiences with celebrities, acknowledged that quite a number of them are good people, then proceeded to single out Souther for being an absolute dick.

      It doesn't diminish the music and I couldn't much care. Hey, As you know I love Warren Zevon's music and Zevon was...a difficult character to say the least. But hey, dozens of colleagues and friends will go to bat for him, despite him being a major dick when he wanted to...

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    4. Well, my contribution to this thread was lighthearted and I really do admire him as a musician. As a man? I've never met him so I will have to accept the word of "a dude in, like an L.A. restaurant or what not" that he's an unpleasant fellow.

      So, what to think? Let's swap a couple of words around to see how it affects my opinion: JD "slept with" ALL the ladies in Laurel Canyon and adjacent areas ... and Joni Mitchell "fucked" ALL the dudes in Laurel Canyon and adjacent areas, etc.

      Crikey. I am aghast and as a man of strong moral principles I now see the error of my ways and will never again listen to the music of either of these darn hippies.

      I now have several LPs for sale if anyone's interested.

      Cheerio, Peanuts Molloy.

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    5. The Isle o' Foam© celebrates the art. That's as it should be. We can all behave badly, to some degree, but there are few who can create music (and draw together the necessary support and collaboration) as fine and beautiful as this. A great record is a great record, and will still be spun on Victrola Radiograms as long as there are ears to hear, and toes to tap. Long after the artist's failings are forgotten.

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    6. That's mighty big of ya, Fearless Loss Leader, especially in this age of the Cancel Culture.

      Does this mean I need to reclaim my Cosby LPs from the Church Charity shop? (more like burn pile...)

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    7. It's your choice, and shouldn't be made for you.

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    8. Peanuts, you seem to be somehow offended by what I said (not sure, it's hard to tell with the whole sarcasm thing going on here), and I don't know why.

      My observations were equally lighthearted (or meant to be) as I guess we can all agree that who fucked who nearly fifty years ago in California probably has little bearing on our lives or music appreciation.

      Adding a word about Souther's romantic history (and for that matter, Joni's - she was outraged when her sleeping around won her Rolling Stone's "old lady of the year" award, back when Rolling Stone could and would allow itself to be snarky) just seemed appropriate, considering he did much more than just date Ronstadt. The fact that he swiped away girls and girlfriends left and right probably did help him to get the terrible reputation he got. That, and being a miserable bastard to even his supposedly close colleagues, his feud with Richie Furay in The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band was one of the major issues for the quality rate and sudden demise of that outfit.

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  7. Since I've not been around for a while (oh that reminds me, happy new year to the 4 or 5 guys - and Farq of course) here's a second bonus, a show at The Boarding House 7.7.76
    https://workupload.com/file/E4aas2Cy4xh
    and something that was inspired (sniggers from all sides) by something I read one time, though what it was I have no recollection, (though probably better)

    TWILIGHT

    Twilight shadows falling across the lawn
    Drowsily rocking whilst sipping a beer
    A man sits content in security
    Of home, family of many a year.

    He loves the aroma from the fragrant stocks
    He luxuriates in the scented breeze
    As his deepest fantasies coalesce,
    Become flesh in the air between the trees.

    A rustle of leaves, a stirring of stems
    In diaphanous dress, moon shining through,
    A woman exquisite, dreamlike, but real
    Beckons with smile unreservedly true.

    Uneasy he rises, she turns and fades
    Back into the night. Branded on his mind
    Her image guides him unscathed
    Through thorn-barbed thickets that render him blind.

    So at length, gently rippling at his feet,
    A lake. Breast-deep alluringly she stands,
    Arms outstretched her eyes draw him step by step
    Closer until her fingers clasp his hands.

    She leads him on, turns and kisses his mouth.
    His senses enveloped, touching her core
    The sweetness that follows, joy that fulfils
    Released from her arms he sleeps evermore.


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  8. Below Deck

    Curse the gulls like buzzards circling
    curse the grey, unmoving skies
    let plague and pestilence pass above our head
    above deck.

    The captain, stern from head to heel
    knows how his crew will feel, and yet he'll
    keep the men in check
    below deck.

    The days pass by, through the cracks 'tween musty old planks
    the only thing we see is glimpses of sky
    waiting to get our life back
    below deck.

    The gulls have gone westwards, to god knows where
    from the bird's nest a cry “land ahoy! land over there!”
    finally, finally, a promise for the crew of this wreck
    hanging on below deck.

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  9. 'Tween cutting the ribbon at Al's All-Night Beanery©
    and ogeling the girls at St. Velda's quite lustily
    Farq slipped it in quick
    ("it" being his dick)
    And said, "How goddamn hard can it be?"

    Then glancing down mused,
    a little confused,
    "Things just ain't been right since I was twenty"

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    1. should have been "Things just ain't been right since my twenties"

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  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  11. There once were two lads in a beanery
    Inspired to write "Mountain Greenery"
    Said Rodgers to Hart
    "Did you cut a fart?"
    Hart said "No, but the smell fits the scenery!"

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  12. Best I could do, it's not easy this poetry lark
    --------

    Oh Farq, oh Farq
    I have such a lark
    when I visit you there on The Island

    With unspoilt beaches
    and fabulous creatures
    the 5 guys relaxed by the headland

    We love a good song
    Pmac wearing his thong
    dj'ing rock and country hits

    but best of all
    I do adore
    Kreemés fabulous personality

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    1. "Kreemes fabulous personality".....so that's what the kids are calling them these days.

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  13. an excerpt from a much longer attempt
    -------------

    Oh Cody, oh Cody, how I miss you
    I really don't know what to do

    But just right now
    I'm thinking how
    I have rather urgent issues

    A tear in my eye
    don't ask me why
    but pass me the box of tissues

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  14. fee fi fo fum
    this inserection is like twitter
    all boast, no bother

    climb in through a broken window if you must

    for tomorrow we'll have you in chains.



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  15. for america tonight,

    never forget that the ones
    who claim to be near god
    who are the furthest away
    they are so often alone
    and desperately unload
    for losing their way

    p.s. i'm not a writer, even more in english.

    franck

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    Replies
    1. Bien dit, mon ami. C'est tristement vrai, tout ça. Si seulement ils voyaient qu'ils se sont égarées du bon chemin...mais ils continuent, tout droit, sur la route de l'enfer.

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  16. For What it's Worthless, maybe the Lovely Linda's hit take on the wonderful Warren Zevon's "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" was all smoke & mirrors.

    Who could these (little white?) lines be about? Governor Brown???:

    "Well I met a man out in Hollywood
    Now, I ain't naming names
    Well he really worked me over good
    Just like Jesse James
    Yes he really worked me over good
    He was a credit to his gender
    Put me through some changes, Lord
    Sort of like a Waring blender"


    Poor Poor Pitiful Me lyrics © Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., Zevon Music, Darkroom Music, Songs Of Universal Inc.

    To add fool to the fire, my good pal Bob who is retired hereabouts, and will remain semi-anonymous also dated Ms. R. And he came out of the Bosstown folk scene, circa early '60s.

    He's fighting the good fight as we speech, with the Big C. Hang in there Bob!

    And to end on an "up" note.... Wackipedia sez:

    "In keeping with Warren Zevon's sardonic lyrical style, the song's verses deal with a suicide attempt, domestic abuse, and a brush with sadomasochism."

    © ™ and ® anyone who wants to send it up the flagpole & see if anyone salutes it.


    Crikey. That'll put some Laurel in yer Canyon.

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    1. Than again, Linda just changed all the "she"s from the original to "he"s, so I'm not sure as to how authentic her experiences are/were, compared to Zevon.

      That Waring Blender line is pretty genius, isn't it. If you don't have a good, common rhyming word, swing for the fences. Warren Zevon was a master at that.

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