We only have so much bandwidth. Between my day job, music, my family, the house, cars, taking my kid to hockey, etc., I don’t have time to waste. 99% of my time is spent intentionally, and mostly, productive.
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I’ll admit it, I’m not the world’s biggest Foo Fighters fan. This isn’t to say I don’t respect the hell out of Dave and everyone who has ever been in the band, all the way to new drummer Josh Freese. Dave might be the most talented musician/writer of our generation. Most of it just doesn’t move me. There’s usually one song on each record I love, otherwise, I can do without.
Except, The Colour and the Shape. I love this record from first note to last and I have since it came out on May 20, 1997.
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There are one or two characteristics I can most certainly attribute to growing up in Columbus, not least of which is my love of, and my appreciation of, what I call “functional art.”
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All of this to say, work is good, but so is rest. Work hard people, but take care of yourselves too.
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There is definitely a connection to the past through things and places, but the greatest connection to the past is through the people who were there. Ken told me that he and Norman were closer than brothers and it showed through all the work Ken has done over the years to preserve Norman and Vi’s work and their history.
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Noodles is the typical “punk” these days. Pro-establishment. Pro-government. Pro-corporations.
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“I think that, a) you have an act, and that, b) not having an act is your act.” – Linda Powell (Singles)
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Dylan is one of a kind. He’s an icon, and as such, everyone wants to make him their own and he keeps refusing to belong to anyone but himself.
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It’s kind of hard to aim for what you think is the perfect career. You can’t control how many people respond to your music. You could be a nobody or you could be the Rolling Stones. You don’t get to decide.
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I’m not making any judgment calls about you, your kids, or whatever. What you decide to do is between you and your doctor. However, in our society, how many Bob Dylans, Picassos, Salingers, etc. are we stifling because they can’t sit still or focus very well? How many actually have a disorder and how many are creatives who are struggling to fit a system they’re not made to fit? I don’t know. I don’t have the answer, I just know it’s a question worth asking.
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At this point, I’m so far into this thing that it almost feels like another lifetime ago. While I have no problem admitting I’m an alcoholic, the reality is, I just don’t drink. I often write things because I need to hear them, and then I put them out into the world in case anyone else needs to hear them. However, I’m not writing this for me, I’m just writing this in case you need to hear it.
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In honor of my two years of sobriety, I thought, what better topic to write about than my favorite songs about booze?
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I have no issue with Oliver Anthony. Seems like an alright guy. It’s not his fault that all this is happening, he just performed his song and people ran with it. I hope he gets a good payday out of it, but he’s not Jason Aldean, he won’t be number one on Apple Music again this time next year. Again, I don’t blame him, I blame all of you for propping him up just to let him take the fall. Will you be downloading his next song? Will you buy a shirt? Go to a show? Or is he just the latest mascot?
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The thing that makes this record so incredible is the same thing that makes it hard for me to listen to now (with the exceptions of a few songs): it’s an album written by a young man. It perfectly incapsulates what it is to be a not-yet-fully-formed man in a confusing world, trying to figure out how to be the man you’re supposed to be, especially in the context of your place in a relationship with a woman.
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As a general rule, I don’t like to mix entertainment and politics. This is mostly because the only preaching I like to hear is on Sunday mornings. There’s a place for preaching, but it’s not in art. Art is supposed to bring awareness and ask questions. It can’t answer those questions for you. You shouldn’t give a crap what an entertainer thinks of politics, one way or another.
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Many songwriters talk about inspiration as if it is this mystical thing and we’re just conduits from some other sphere for the song. I think that’s a bit new age for me, but while I don’t think it’s mystical, it is a bit mysterious.
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I’ve been videoing the whole thing, so I’ll be putting the “before” video up soon and I’ll post short ones on the Four Lane Road YouTube channel as I go.
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But on a grander scale, while I understand that these terms are used to better describe the music to people with words, but it’s gotten kind of out-of-control. I’m not sure if this is a product of so many people being able to make music at home and the diversity of the offerings are just widening that much or if it’s a product of our culture’s desire to over-classify everything right now.
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I typically don’t like to give too much away when it comes to the meanings behind the lyrics of songs - I purposely try to make things as accessible to as many people as I can. I’m also used to people telling me, “I don’t get it.” And, that’s okay sometimes. However, in this case, Travis and I had a personal exchange and he stated that if anyone ask, I should just share what I texted back to him. Outside of myself, no one spends as much time with my music as Travis does, so I figured if he asked, it was worth sharing with everyone.
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People want music to be magical. That’s good, music is magical, but it’s not rocket science. Back when I sold wine and people were amazed at my blind tasting skills, I told them, it’s just time, a lot of wine and deductive reasoning. Music is no different. At least recording is no different. I’m just working with my ears more and my mouth less. Most people who know me probably think this is a good thing.
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