BLC WITH “STEPHANIE” FROM “SIDEWAYS”…

ONE OF THE PERKS OF LAST WEEKEND WAS THE FACT THAT I GOT TO SPEAK TO SANDRA OH AND TELL HER HOW MUCH I HAD ADMIRED “SIDEWAYS”…REALLY, HONESTLY, IN MY “FILM BUFF OPINION” ONE OF THE BEST AMERICAN MOVIES EVER MADE. I WAS ABLE TO TELL HER FACE TO FACE HOW I’VE ACTUALLY WATCHED IT ABOUT 8 OR 9 TIMES. I DON’T DO THAT A LOT WITH FILMS. NOT MANY FILMS ARE MAGICAL OR CAPTIVATING ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU WANT TO VIEW THEM OVER AND OVER, THE WAY ONE MIGHT LISTEN REPEATEDLY TO THE WHITE BEATLES ALBUM OR THE SOFT PARADE OR ANY MUSIC ALBUM BY ANY ARTIST FROM ANY ERA…I WAS ABLE TO QUOTE A COUPLE OF HER LINES TO HER AND IT MADE HER LAUGH. AND IT FELT AS THOUGH SHE WAS EQUALLY GLAD TO MEET AND TALK TO ME…I GUESS SINCE SHE GREW UP IN ONTARIO AND SHE’S ONLY FORTY, I’VE SORT OF “BEEN ON THE RADIO HER WHOLE LIFE”… JUST WANTED TO SHOW YOU ANOTHER FLEETING MOMENT FROM A PRETTY BUZZED-OUT WEEK…
THANKS AGAIN TO ALL FOR OUTPOURINGS REGARDING TOAST.
(Post Script) I was just smirking to myself that I’m going to enjoy very much getting back into Blue Moon around Halloween time and start to do final mixes on “Live At Massey Hall”…as Lorne often says, yes you can fix everything these days with computers…many new albums now are so perfect they’re not so human anymore…what the computers can’t do yet is create “vibe”…the emotion and energy in that room that night was palpable, not only to me, i think, but to most of the crowd…
nice evening…nice weekend…

A BREATH OF AIR…

AFTER ALL THAT TRAVELING AND ALL THOSE SHOWS, IT’S RATHER REFRESHING TONIGHT JUST TO HAVE AN HOUR OR TWO TO SIT AND THINK…AND TYPE…NO DEADLINES TOMORROW MORNING. IT’S A GRIND, I GOTTA TELL YOU…TOURING…ROBBIE ROBERTSON CALLED IT “A GODDAMNED IMPOSSIBLE WAY OF LIFE”…YOU NEED ROAD CHOPS. HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SLEEP IN A MOVING BUS. UNLES YOU’RE JETTING…IN WHICH CASE, YOU’RE NEVER TRAVELING FOR TOO LONG AT A TIME…MAYBE AN ALBUM OR TWO ON THE I POD…IT’S STILL SUITCASES OR TRUNKS, THOUGH…NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE ON THE MARQUEE TOTEM POLE…EVEN RINGO STARR WAS LIVING OUT OF TRUNKS…BIG TRUNKS…NICE TRUNKS…IT’S “LIVE PORTABLE, OR DIE”, BASICALLY. NOW THAT YOUR ROOM NUMBER IS NO LONGER ON YOUR HOTEL KEY, IT’S HARDER AND HARDER TO GO BACK TO THE RIGHT ROOM ONCE YOU’VE BEEN IN FIVE CITIES OR SO A WEEK…I’M GUESSING HALF THE TIME…MANY, MANY TIMES I’VE SWIPED THE PLASTIC NUMBERLESS CARD INTO “YESTERDAY’S” ROOM NUMBER ONLY TO SEE THE DREADED LITTLE RED LIGHT APPEAR, SIGNALING THAT YOU’RE NOT GETTIN’ INTO THAT PARTICULAR ROOM NO HOW…OH BROTHER.
TRIED SOME OF THE NEW “PUNCH” THAT’S AVAILABLE NOW IN CALIFORNIA. WOW…TO SAY THE LEAST. THIS STUFF COULD PUT A SERIOUS DENT INTO THE LIQUOR INDUSTRY. AND NO FIGHTS WOULD BREAK OUT. NOT LIKELY, ANYHOW. NOW YOU CAN GET KUSH KOLA, TROPICAL PUNCH, GRAPE, ORANGE, AND ABOUT SEVEN OTHER FLAVOURS OR VARIETIES. THIS IS A BRAVE NEW WORLD TO ME AND I’M AN OLD HIPPIE…WELL, PERHAPS THAT’S PART OF THE STRANGENESS OF IT ALL TO ME. MY GOOD FRIEND WOODY DID SIX MONTHS BACK IN THE DARK AGES, SHOWERING AND EATING AND SLEEPING WITH MURDERERS, ARSONISTS, AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE FOR A PIECE OF MRS. BLACK THAT YOU’D BARELY MISS NOWADAYS IF YOU DROPPED IT. BARBARIC. I HEARD THE OTHER NIGHT THAT ADULTERY GETS THE WOMAN LIFE OVER IN SOME OF THE MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRIES. WE HERE IN NORTH AMERICA TEND TO FORGET HOW INCREDIBLY “FREE” WE REALLY ARE, TO AN EXTENT. WE GRIPE ABOUT BEING “WATCHED”…NEWS FLASH, SWEETHEART…WE’VE BEEN “WATCHED”, ALL OF US, FOR DECADES ALREADY, IT’S JUST THAT WE DIDN’T HAVE “LITTLE BROTHER” WATCHING BACK AND CONFUSING THINGS EVEN MORESO THAN EVER. AT LEAST HERE IN LOS ANGELES, IF I WERE TO STEAL FOOD, CHANCES ARE THEY WOULDN’T CHOP MY RIGHT HAND OFF…HEAD-SHAKE TIME…FOR REAL.
MY FIRST EXTENDED “STAY” IN LOS ANGELES WAS IN JANUARY OF 1970. IT WAS FREEZING IN WINNIPEG AND I WANTED TO BE IN WARMTH IN JANUARY SO OFF I WENT. PHONED BACK TO OSBORNE VILLAGE ALMOST EVERY NIGHT TO EXPRESS MY “WONDER” AT BEING ABLE TO SHOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT IN HUGE SUPERMARKETS. THIS WAS LONG, LONG, BEFORE 7-ELEVEN, AND BACK IN WINNIPEG, THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WAS JUST THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. I USED TO GO TO THE TOLUCA MART ON PICO, IT’S LONG GONE NOW, BUT I WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH HOW ONE COULD LIVE THE NIGHT HOURS AND FUNCTION AS THOUGH IT WERE NOON. AND THE TELEVISION WENT ON ALL NIGHT. BACK IN WINNIPEG, IT STILL WENT OFF AT 1:30…GEEZ, I AM GETTIN’ ON, BEIN’ ABLE TO REMEMBER THAT.
THE ADVENT OF ALL THESE PRODUCTS IS AMAZING TO ME, WHO, AT 63 CAN STILL REMEMBER THE ABSOLUTE TERROR WE HARBORED OF GETTING CAUGHT. RECENTLY, HERE IN CALIFORNIA, TWO OR THREE BLOCKS OF A MAJOR STREET WERE SHUT DOWN FOR A “HEMP CON”, AND THOUSANDS OF PEACEFUL LOONS SHOWED UP WITH THEIR BONGS AND JUICY JAYS AND VAPORIZERS AND THEIR “DOCUMENTS” MAKING IT ALL OKAY…WE’RE SEEING THE EXACT EQUIVALENT OF THE BEGINNINGS OF THE END OF PROHIBITION IN THE TWENTIES…THIS IS HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF. REMARKABLE CHANGE IN THE WIND.ONE “BELIEF” OR “OPINION” IS THAT AN ALL OUT BAN WAS INITIALLY PUT ON HEMP PURELY FOR FINANCIAL REASONS. PERHAPS SOMETHING VAGUELY CONNECTED TO WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST’S NEWSPAPER EMPIRE BEING THREATENED BY HEMP…WHO KNOWS…BUT AS I’VE SAID PREVIOUSLY, I THINK WE ALL SEE THAT THE GENIE IS OUT OF THE BOTTLE. THIS ISN’T GOING BACK AGAIN…THERE ARE NUMEROUS “ESTABLISHMENTS” THAT DEAL WITH GOVERNMENT BARCODED MRS. GREEN…ALL LEGAL, ALL COMPLETELY OVERT. THE BUSINESS OF IT ALL, THE INCREDIBLE AMOUNTS OF $$$$$$$$ ARE SHOWING THAT IT WILL NEVER GO BACK THE OTHER WAY.
SOME OF US, IF WE’RE PAST A CERTAIN AGE, WATCH ALL THIS WITH A SMIRK, AND STILL A HINT OF DISBELIEF. I GUESS THE LONGER ONE LASTS IN THIS DAY AND AGE, THE QUICKER AND MORE EXTREME THE CHANGES BECOME.
I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO CATCH ABOUT HALF OF “MAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMEN” THE OTHER NIGHT ON ONE OF THE HBO STATIONS. MY OH MY…ANOTHER WORLD. ANOTHER TIME. ANOTHER GALAXY. GREAT BAND. I ENDED UP WORKING WITH BOTH THOSE DRUMMERS, JIM GORDON AND JIM KELTNER ON MANY OF MY RECORDS, AND ACTUALLY HAD JIM GORDON ON THE ROAD WITH ME FOR OVER A YEAR. SO AS I CAUGHT PART OF THIS MOVIE THE OTHER NIGHT, I THOUGHT OF MYSELF AS “FROM THE SAME ERA” BECAUSE JOE HAD OPENED FOR US ON THE REAL REUNION IN 2001, AND I’D WORKED WITH BOTH DRUMMERS…AND THEN I SAW THE WAY OF LIFE…THE ROAD AT THAT TIME IN HISTORY…WOW…
IT’S ABOUT TIME FOR “AMERICAN DAD” AND IT’S ONE I HAVEN’T SEEN SO I’M STOPPING THIS FOR NOW…NOT SAYIN’ A DAMNED THING ANYWAY…
LATER…
BLC

AND HE CONTINUED JUST A LITTLE FURTHER AFTER A LAPSE AND A REST…AMERICAN DAD IS ALMOST MY FAVOURITE OVER FAMILY GUY SOMETIMES. ROGER THE ALIEN IS THE BEST…HE’S ALWAYS IN A BAD DISGUISE, BUT HE’S ALWAYS ROGER. IT’S LIKE ELVIS IMPERSONATORS…THEY ALL LOOK LIKE EACH OTHER, BUT NONE OF THEM LOOKS LIKE ELVIS…
WE WERE PLAYING SOME ARENA IN LAS VEGAS THE SAME TIME AS ELVIS PLAYED THE HILTON IN AROUND 1972…WE STAYED IN THE HILTON AND IT WAS LITERALLY WALLPAPERED WITH ELVIS…THE NAME, THE FACE, EVERY WALL AND PILLAR PLASTERED WITH ELVIS. UNCANNY. I’D QUITE FRANKLY NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. DURING THAT STAY I PLAYED ROULETTE WITH COLONEL TOM PARKER ONCE FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES. TOM SAT BEHIND THE ROPE, WHERE ONLY DEALERS AND PIT BOSSES GO…TOM WAS SPECIAL. THERE ARE 36 NUMBERS AND TWO DOUBLE ZEROES ON A NORTH AMERICAN ROULETTE WHEEL. I’VE PLAYED A LOT OF ROULETTE, I KNOW THE WHEEL WELL…TOM WAS BETTING AN INORDINATE NUMBER OF NUMBERS STRAIGHT UP EVERY SPIN. COVERING AT LEAST HALF THE BOARD, SOMETIMES CONSIDERABLY MORE. I DON’T THINK I EVER SAW HIM WIN. HE WENT THROUGH A FORTUNE JUST IN THE TIME I WAS PLAYING AT THE SAME TABLE. I SPOKE TO HIM. I SAID “WELL, TOM, HOW’S THE WHEEL TREATING YOU TODAY…?”
NO RESPONSE WHATSOEVER. OH WELL. AT LEAST I HAD SPOKEN DIRECTLY TO ELVIS’ MANAGER. HAVING PLAYED ROULETTE FOR HUNDREDS OF HOURS THROUGH THE YEARS, I DON’T THINK I’VE EVER SEEN A MORE EXTENDED STREAK OF HORRID LUCK ANYWHERE…EVER…HE’D JUST PUT HIS ARM UPRIGHT, LEANING ON ITS ELBOW WITH HIS INDEX FINGER POINTING UPWARD, AND THEY’D IMMEDIATELY PUT A HUGE NEW STACK OF CHIPS IN FRONT OF HIM. OH YEAH…ELVIS WAS PLAYIN’ THERE…THE MANAGER GOT WHAT HE WANTED…
I THOUGHT THAT SINCE WE WERE ALL ON RCA IT WAS A SLAM DUNK THAT WE’D GET TO MEET ELVIS. NOW THAT I KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON AT THAT TIME, I SEE FULL WELL WHY WE NEVER GOT CLOSE TO HIM. BY THAT POINT, I WASN’T REALLY CRAZY ABOUT WHAT HE WAS DOING ANYHOW…WHEN YOU’VE GOT THAT MANY GREAT HIT RECORDS, YOU SHOULDN’T BE SINGING “SNOWBIRD” AND “EARLY MORNING RAIN” AND “CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN” AND “BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER”…IT ALL GOT DIFFERENT WHEN HE CAME BACK FROM THE ARMY. THAT FIRST SINGLE WAS DYNAMITE, “STUCK ON YOU”…STILL ROCKED GREAT AND HAD A STRONG DRUM BEAT…BUT IT GOT SOFT…HE ALWAYS SAID ONE OF HIS IDOLS WAS MARIO LANZA AND HE DID SOME OF THAT STUFF. IT’S NOW OR NEVER IS “O SOLE MIO”…AND THOUGH HE’S HAILED AS THE KING OF ROCK AND ROLL, HIS BIGGEST SINGLE OF ALL WAS “ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT”…PUH-LEAZE…
I DON’T KNOW. WHAT A STRANGE STORY. THE TRUCK DRIVER FROM MEMPHIS. UNBELIEVABLE. WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE THE RECORDS, ESPECIALLY ALL THE STUFF FROM BEFORE HE WENT INTO THE ARMY. THE ALBUM “FOR LP FANS ONLY” SHOWCASES WHY HE WAS ELVIS PRESLEY. LAWDY MISS CLAWDY IS THE COOLEST. SHAKE RATTLE AND ROLL IS PURE KING OF ROCK AND ROLL. AND “I WAS THE ONE”…WELL THE VOCAL IS REMARKABLE TO SAY THE LEAST, AND THEN YOU FACTOR IN THAT HE WAS 19 WHEN HE SANG THAT…EXCUSE ME, THAT’S A VERY MATURE, HIP VOCAL…THAT ALBUM WAS ONE OF THE FIRST VINYL ALBUMS I PLAYED OVER AND OVER TILL IT WAS GREY…WORE OUT THE VINYL.
HAD A FEW LIKE THAT…FIFTH AVENUE BAND, THEIR ONE ALBUM ON REPRISE…TRAFFIC, THE ONE WITH NO NAME, NO FACE, NO NUMBER…MISS THE BIG COVERS. BUT LOVE THE CD’S.
TIRED. NO BUS TOMORROW. NO SHOW TOMORROW. NO WAKE UP CALL. TIRED. SLEEP TIME NOW…
BE WELL, ALL HERE…
BLC