a coherent collection of random statements regarding God, words and tunes

A toast to the lot of you….

       I just gotta review this thing. It’s already made me smile and broken my heart too many times to not give it its due. And yeah, I’m still playing it.

       Thank eMusic again for the freebie that opened the door here. And to think I almost deleted it. Out came this crabbed voice that sounded like Dave Bazan trying to sound like Jonathan Richman. Which is also to say, my first and understandable reaction was, “Is this guy even trying to sing?”

       But I let it live a bit longer. Then about a minute in, the awkwardness began giving way to atmosphere, suddenly rapturing you up into the chorus as you realize “He sure as heck is singing. And why the heck am I tearing up, anyway???”

And thus was my intro to “Iris,” the song that opened the gates to all things Scattered Pages, and in this particular case, their 2006 album Lazy Are the Skeletons. And as previously mentioned: Move over Yo La Tengo and Kamikaze Hearts, that “Belated Best Album of 2006” title’s a triumvirate now.

Incidentally, the singer/songwriter on “Iris,” bassist Kurt Coburn, isn’t the regular lead (although he does regularly appear on a couple other songs per album). That honor belongs to Brandon Hancock, who often writes and sounds (especially on this album) like some Tex-Mex version of Morrissey. Yeah, feel free to read that again. Needless to say, the melancholy here is generally couched in a lot more fun. Or that the considerable fun here gets regularly couched in melancholy. Either works. (And also to say that this is probably the only place west of Manchester where the words “pestilence” and “decadence” are regularly cited, if not flat-out rhymed.)

       Rounding out the lineup is Andy McWilliams, for whom I’ll just quote liberally from their site: “andy mcwilliams is the workhorse of the scattered pages. his load includes, but is not limited to, sound engineering, drumming, mixing, guitar and strings, carpentry, equipment repair, painting and studio upkeep.” (And incidentally, it’s worth visiting their site just to READ said writeups. http://www.scatteredpages.com. Duh.)

       So, on to the cause of my bittersweet glee….

       There’s a fellow ex-Jerseyan/ex-garage band guy who I often share an exercise room with here at work (and, needless to say, have a lot in common with. ) Every time I play this CD (which, by the way, is performed at a perfect workout pace) and he hears the opener, “Alice to Wonderland,” he asks an unusual but appropriate question: “Is this Roy Wood?” Understandable, given Coburn’s heavy fuzz bass here and elsewhere. (For those too young to remember all things Move/Wizzard, think Robert Sledge’s great work all over Ben Folds Five’s Whatever and Even Amen.) It’s fun and eery, more than a little music-hallish while growing into a Coburn-led bass stomp, and in short lets you know you’re gonna be in for one heck of a ride, “And on, and on, and on and on and down and down we go / like Alice to Wonderland, oh no, oh no, oh no….”

       “Deadpan Dirge” might be the former but definitely isn’t the latter. Actually, it’s the first of several songs that tell you that these guys must be a hoot live. After the strummed opening lines, “This where you were born, my dear / And you’ll die here / It’s a criiiiiime….” everyone cuts loose like T-Bone Burnett with a death wish.

        The fun gets upped a notch with the simultaneously winking and stomping country-western/gospel carnival tune “Eternity Waits”:

       Look ye there at the stones
       Gather round ye the bones
       Of a great many kings
       And a great many queens
       Who did oft a daisy pluck
       See now how well they push them up…
      
       And any day may be your last
       Honey baby, you can bet yr ass
       So don’t linger at the gates
       My darlings, eternity waits.
      
       Siiiiiiiiis-ters aaand bru-HUH-thers…
       Praaaaaaaay fooooooooooor eeeeach uh-HUH-ther….
      
       Seldom has death sounded this fun.

       Which comes in handy, because “The Baptist” – which, to re-introduce the Smiths analogy, sounds like a more relentlessly minor-keyed “Panic” -- turns things a bit darker, and for that matter opens with a image even somewhat more grisly than hanging one’s DJ: “Finish it, she said / And cut off his head / For he’s the reason why / I can’t sleep at night….”

       Then comes the aforementioned “Iris.” Again, picture if you will Jonathan Richman, fresh off that classic first Modern Lovers album and mere days before the breakdown that would hurdle him into permanent second childhood. That’s a lot what this sounds like. Beautiful, fragile, yet determined to try one last time. The pathos of, “She meant a lifetime before I could think twice / And we met a lifetime ago… Now Iris won’t stay at home / And I can’t be left on my own….” gets me every time.

       “I Was Never Someone in Love” brightens things up considerably – musically, anyway:

       You’re wrong
       If you think I ever loved someone
       But go on thinking that if you want
       Everybody knows
       I’m some kind of gigolo…
       I was never someone
       Someone in love
       I never called her name
       I never cried out in pain
       When she tore my heart
       And had so many laughs about it….
      
       Back to those C&W stomps that they need to come to Northern Colorado and play live someday. “Annie Get Yer Gun” is a bouncy little two-step with a big howling ending courtesy of Mr. Hancock, while “We Could Have the Lot” picks up the C&W baton and turns it decidedly campier, “I’ve heard of a such a debauch / Kings couldn’t afford to watch…. Say friend, say friend, what’s it gonna be? / Must we always sit back quietly / While others dance to violins? / We could, we could, we could have the lot / From the whiskey to the decadent / And just as well, a mademoiselle….” And yeah, the Coburn fuzz bass adds even further to the fun here. And McWilliams is having a hoot of a time on guitar here. 

       Anyway, “Countryclub and Love” is the second of the three Coburn tunes, and the most upbeat of the three. Once it gets past a slow woodwind-y intro, it kicks into an arrangement not entirely unlike what might occur if Doug Sahm had kicked Jimmy Destri the heck off his keyboard and wrested the rest of the musical helm of Blondie away from Chris Stein. (Yes, I do have quite the fun with these cross-genre-ational analogies – why do you ask?) And yes, more fun stomping bass to be had by all. I’m a sucker for that too, obviously.

       “I’m Ashamed” is about as cry-in-yr-beer as this album gets – “I’m ashamed / for having said these foolish things…” – but even this one does some more serious winking in the once-again-but-this-time-slowly-stomping chorus, “So talk -- to me / With your – body…” 

       “You From ’32,” the last Coburn tune, is by far the most fragile and Bazan-like of the bunch (except that Kurt knows what a falsetto is). And while not quite as touching as “Iris,” one sure can’t fault the lyrics for trying:

       Until my father passed away
       I’d spent all my years for naught
       And I’d never taken chances on a girl….
       Until my father passed away
       I couldn’t find the words to say
       Or share a single act of kindness
       Please God, forgive me for my blindness
       Oh, to think of my mistakes.
      
       And onto the big ending we go, and it’s BIG, even if it technically comes a song early. “The Empire Complete” starts like every great ‘70s ballad that sounds like a ‘50s ballad you’ve ever heard (and trust me, you’ve heard a lot more than you think you have). A quiet acoustic intro, punctuated only by some slightly off-beat McWilliams percussion, gives way to a string-laden bridge that explodes into a epic chorus that would’ve fit VERY comfortably on an early Bowie album (or at the very least, Steve Harley): “The walls fall around us / The empire complete / The buildings tall, the cars, the street / They’re crashing around you and me.” And some more great Hancock howling at the end. I still don’t know what the heck this song’s about -- heck, it might just be about some building that got knocked down, and Hancock thought it’d make a nice analogy for the “decadence” liberally seeded elsewhere throughout this album -- but listen to it and just try not to be affected.

       But in the spirit of “we take ourselves seriously – just not too seriously” that’s all over this album, our heroes instead choose to end with a Tex-Mex stomp that doesn’t even take two minutes to complete, but which is probably worth reprinting at length... well, just because....

       I didn’t get this dressed up
       Just to stand around the club
       I didn’t wear these shoes out
       Just to hold the carpet down….
      
       I may be wrong and impolite
       But you looked like you weren't having a good time
       Forgive me if I lead you astray, hey-hey-hey
       It’s just that you were depressing me
       I can’t go for that, you see
       I have faith in you
       In you
       In yooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooou…
       (BUM-BUM-BUM!)
      
       Buy this. Fund their trip to northern Colorado. Houston's a whole lot closer than Albany, you know (sorry, K-Hearts, just being practical). Make the dream real here, people.    

Posted by: burninglight at 20:40 | link | comments (47)

Comments:

#1  17 February 2008 - 03:29

 

Geez Carl, calm down!

Its only rhythms and lyrics at the end of the day; just rhythms and lyrics, OK? ;)

That said, I was just going to give a similar rant about my latest Moody Blues acquisition "To Our Children's Children's Children", which is a concept album about outer space, that coincided with the landing of the first man on the moon, when it came out.

I was going to rave about unsung gems like "Eternity's Road" and "Through the Eyes of a Child" and all of the space jams like "Beyond" and "Higher and Higher". Not to mention the very dreamy "Flaoting" that really makes you feel like you're floating thorugh space. NOt one bad track on the whole thing, theyare actually all very very good.

Remember, these cats had an umbelieveable number of isntruments at their disposal and made use of every one of them.

It was admittedly their most self-indulgent album; but in a very good sort of way, not something like Yes' "Tales of Toprographic Oceans". (Maybe that was a good one but I could never stay awake to find out).

But anyhow, I can't decribe a CD with the prose that you can, so let's just say that you stole my thunder.































But I'm not bitter. 8-)

Jim

Anonymous

#2  17 February 2008 - 16:00

 

"Its only rhythms and lyrics at the end of the day; just rhythms and lyrics, OK? ;)"

True, but that doesn't mean it can't help you GET to the end of the day. And/or give me a decent excuse to blow off some steam writing. :)

And likewise, it ain't like this blog gets significantly more hits than "Rome Is Home". So bloviate re: the Blues to yr heart's content. :)

Anonymous

#3  18 February 2008 - 01:54

 

Then there's the latest Joe Jackson "Rain" CD.

At least 3 new classics. The remaining songs seem to represent the pointless babblings of a crude and shallow old man whose church is a bar, and who is just trying to impress an inner clique of like-minded dementos whose lives center around vices and perversion.

BTW, that exact same analysis can be made about his previous attempt 5 years earlier (Joe Jackson Band Volume 4).


"Invisible Man", "Citizen Sane", and "Uptown Train" are all JJ in his full glory, with his original band intact. The latter being along the lines of "Down To London" and with some very fine ivory-tickling.

So, as usual with JJ, its a mixed bag. Some great stuff for the ages, some potentially great stuff wasted on bad lyrics. Maybe one day we'll get another "Body and Soul", but that was a loooong time back.

Jim

Anonymous

#4  18 February 2008 - 03:00

 

Alright, alright, after a calmed down, more objective listen to the "Rain" CD, only tracks 7 and 9 are repulsive. The other ones while not having objectionable lyrics are in the "OK to good" song ranges.

Anyhow, make sure you check out those three tunes at least when you get a chance.

I'll check for Skeletons on ebay.

Jim

Anonymous

#5  18 February 2008 - 03:04

 

Hey, I'm the curent high bidder at 1.59 for the SP LATS cd.

I'll know in a few days if I won or not.

Jim

Anonymous

#6  18 February 2008 - 14:22

 

Pretty much what I suspected re: JJ. The samples I heard on his myspace site were OK, but not inspiring me to buy. And while I'm more a Beat Crazy guy (because of the anger/rawness therein), Body & Soul would be a respectable second.

Actually, next big purchase is the new Ray Davies (out tomorrow), Working Man's Cafe. By all accounts, it sounds like he's shaken off the rust that was still apparent on Other People's Lives.

And good luck on yr bid. Hope you like it if you win. May or may not be yr style, but listen for the spirit of the thing, 'cause it's got that in spades.

Although $1.59 doesn't even get them a decent cup of coffee for my imaginary road trip from Austin to Loveland/Fort Collins (even if they were to receive it). :P

burninglight

#7  18 February 2008 - 19:58

 

Ray and The Kinks, and folks like JJ, are inspiring me to start using iTunes. Because I'm burnt out of buying entire CDs, and having to remember which songs to skip with the kids in the car.

But then I think of what a pain it would be to download, burn, download, burn, and then I'm always a sucker for liner notes, so I would miss those.

But it would be great to say "I'll take one Think Visual Working at The Factory, with a side of that cool 'shiver me timbres' tune, hold the Sleazy Town and Video Shop, please."

I'm always very late at breaking into new technologies. Like wireless connections, I've been too lazy to get set up with that; but I really oughtta.

And some people even have the audacity to think I should upgrade my recording equipment for when I submit a song to a project. Can you believe that? :-)

Jim

Anonymous

#8  18 February 2008 - 20:09

 

Bringing us full-circle: I use eMusic, personally. Not that it's gotta to be either/or -- I just like the selection of artists more (WAY more heavy on the indie side, although they do have a pretty good selection of Kinks stuff, FWIW -- mostly the RCA/Arista years of the '70s/early '80s, though).

Dunno if iTunes give away freebies, but eMusic does on occasion -- which again, brings us full-circle to this review.... :) I'm pretty sure the per-song rate is cheaper, too, but again don't expect to find a lot of more popular stuff there....

burninglight

#9  18 February 2008 - 20:19

 

"they do have a pretty good selection of Kinks stuff, FWIW -- mostly the RCA/Arista years of the '70s/early '80s, though)."

I thought Buffalo Springfield was the 60s, though. ba-doom-kshhhh!!!

Anyhow, I'll take your advice under advisement if I ever get around to the downloading thing.

Jim

Anonymous

#10  20 February 2008 - 15:10

 

I finally got the Buffalo Springfield ref. "For What It's Worth." Duh.

And the download-then-burn thing isn't as time-consuming as you think. Certainly less time than driving to the ever-dimininishing CD shop in town.

But yeah, losing liner notes, et al., is a bit of a bummer. Which is why I'll still make the drive/order the physical CD for certain artists. But not as much of a dealbreaker as you'd think.

But one HAS to own John Mendelsohn's liner notes for The Kink Kronikles. Best -- notes -- EVER. They're capable of making you fall in love with the album before you've even heard it.

(I suspect Tim favors Lou's notes to Metal Machine Music -- which admittedly are better than the contents therein -- but that's what makes a horse race. :))

burninglight

#11  21 February 2008 - 18:44

 

Hey, I won the CD today on ebay. I'll let you know what I think of it when I get it, and give it a spin or two.

Yeah, regarding liner notes, I think they are important. When you know the context it was made, and the intent of the artist, it sheds a whole new light on the music.

My favorite liner notes? Ah, let me think about it. I do get a lot out of the interview liner notes in Moodies CDs I've been enjoying.

Jim

Anonymous

#12  21 February 2008 - 19:50

 

I really like the Pages. I'm listening to a couple of earlier releases right now, and while not as good as Skeletons, the general character's already there.... and let's just say it's REALLY easy to champion a band that doesn't get the recognition they deserve. :)

And for reference's sake:
http://kinks.it.rit.edu/discography/showrelease.php?release=613

burninglight

#13  24 February 2008 - 16:38

 

What animal was born to run the slowest and be the most depressed?


Buffalo Springsteen. ba-doom-kshhh!!!!!

Anonymous

#14  25 February 2008 - 02:40

 

I postd on my Rome is Home blog what I did this weekend. How was your weekend?

Jim

Anonymous

#15  28 February 2008 - 17:29

 

A'ight. Just got back from the National Pastors Conference in San Diego. If I write anything about it it'll probably processing some more. Suffice to say, seeing Shane Claiborne and Chuck Colson in the same session was a bit surreal. :D

burninglight

#16  28 February 2008 - 18:09

 

Wow! have not heard of the former, but have great respect for the latter. Sounds like a great time.

Any profound points to pass on, share them here.

BTW, I was emailed that the Sacrfice CD was sent the other day. I'll proably give it a spin on the way in to work some morning next week, and I'll let you know what I think of it.

Jim

Anonymous

#17  28 February 2008 - 18:39

 

Shane Claiborne is a "new monastic" who lives with the poor in Philly. Rasta hair and an outfit not entirely unlike sackcloth. Decidedly "green" in outlook (and I'm pretty sure in political party, for that matter).

Like I said, him & Colson in the same session (albeit different times) was.... um, different. ;D

They both made some good points about the correlation between faith and works, though, Colson focusing on the former and Claiborne on the latter. Kinda taking me full-circle to all my discipleship and/or getting off one's butt and living out one's faith stuff.

The Greg Ogden pre-conference stuff was very good too. Ogden's definitely what one could call a "discipleship guru" and has done a ton of work in that area. And thankfully, it's good practical stuff.

The Willow Creek small-group people were VERY disappointing. Pretty much went out of their way to downplay what their own study REVEAL... um, revealed... and to quote Colson, who didn't need a study to tell him this, "[American] Christianity is 3,000 miles wide and an inch deep."

burninglight

#18  29 February 2008 - 05:03

 

Well, the main thing about those weekends is that you glean at least a few good points to carry with you for the rest of the journey.

Well, please ecuse me for switching gears, but you said I could post about the Moodies, so since it didn't go over big on TBs blog, here ya go...



The Moody Blues are better than any other secular rock band, that I have ever enjoyed.

They give the dots, and we connect them.

They don't think their badder or better than anyone else. Yet they have
the most endearing collection of inspiring beautifully written and produced songs.

I purchased "The Best of The Moody Blues" a few months back, for one song and one song only ("The Voice").

But I could not believe how good all of the other songs were. I now have about 7 or 8 of their CDs,
and I plan on owning them all.

Their core 7 albums were made between about 1967 and 1972. I'm only missing one of them, but it is on its way in the mail.

1. Days of Future Passed
2. In Search of the Lost Chord
3. On the Threshold of a Dream
4. To OUr children's Children
5. A Question of Balance
6. Every Good Boy Deserves Favor (the one I have not heard yet)
7. The Seventh Sojourn

They are all very deep concept albums. It is interesting that none of the songs on 3 and 4 are radio staples; yet they
contain their most amazing work.

From what I have soaked in so far, they are all albums worth having; however I ma particularly fond of 2, 3 and 4. I heard that 6 continues in that vein, so I am really looking forward to hearing that one soon.

On two, my favorite section is Justin Hayward's three songs "Voices in the Sky", "Visions of Paradise" and "The Actor" are just incredible; and "Ride My
See-saw" was always one of John Lodge's finest. "Legend of a Mind" is pretty tripped out with its "Timothy Leary 's dead" lyric.


On three the album closes with "Are You Sitting Comfortably", then a cool monologue piece that segues into a Mike Pinder trilogy ("Have You Heard?", "The Voyage" (a commanding instrumental piece), and then "Have You Heard Part II". You just really gotta soak it in. Plus tunes like "Lovely to See You" and "Send Me No Wine" are just vintage Moody Blues. I believe that 3 is their best-selling album. It was very huge when it was out, even though no hits.

On 4, the whole album is a total trip. The band was at its peak, indulging in every instrument. Its an album about space that coincided with he first man landing on the moon. Too many wonderful songs to mention. Can't pick a favorite on it because they are all amazing, but if I had to pick one, I'd say "Eternity's Road" blows me away the most.

There is not one song on their albums so far, that I have to skip when my kids are around. Besides Chritisan bands, there are no other bands that I have ever enjoyed over the years that I can say that about.

Anyhow, thanks for letting me rant about my new favorite band. Oddly there are no other people I know who would even remotely care to talk about the music I like, so if you want to humor me and talk Moody Blues with me, more power to ya.

And if you ever decide to do the great favor to yourself of checking in on 3 and 4, and sharing the joy with me, even more power to ya.

Jim

Anonymous

#19  29 February 2008 - 16:25

 

I'll probably download In Search of the Lost Chord & see if it stirs me any differently. Again, they've only ever been good for one song an album to me, but I'll try.

burninglight

#20  29 February 2008 - 18:08

 

Cool, share your notes with me. That's the "rock meets Eastern" project. JH plays a pretty mean sitar on that one.

Jim

Anonymous

#21  02 March 2008 - 18:26

 

BTW -- and so to keep comments re: my blog here and tim's on tim's -- Modest Mouse is interesting (although 1) I wouldn't recommend their latest -- but would HIGHLY recommend Good News for People Who Love Bad News, reviewed here some time back) and 2) I don't think this guy knows you as well as he thinks he does, but it was a nice gesture anyway. :))

Anonymous

#22  03 March 2008 - 02:36

 

Alright, so are you saying there is some bad lyrics on the MM cd? I'll proceed with cuation then, if I play it at all. But SP is slated to be played on the way to work tomorrow morning. I'll try to share my thoughts by the end of the day.

How was the weekend? Do anything special?

Jim

Anonymous

#23  03 March 2008 - 14:18

 

Let's see: Stared at alpacas, went to the park where my daughter will be getting married in June, reserved our vacation for July (& yes, you could say there's a correlation between the last two :)), tried reading the new Colson book they gave away at NPC and was very disappointed (nothing in it that wasn't covered much more thoroughly in The Body or How Now Should We Live?, IMHO).

And I'm not familiar with that particular MM album (I'm gonna guess it's a pretty early one) but yeah, you'll probably want to watch out for lyrics.

Good luck with the Pages -- besides the aforementioned "bet yr ass," nothing to be concerned with there, I'm pretty sure. The samples in the review above are pretty representative.

burninglight

#24  03 March 2008 - 14:49

 

"Annie's Gun", "We Can Have the Lot", and "Alice in Wonderland" were the ones that got a second whirl from me. The "Eternity" one is pretty good too, at least it tries to bring humor to a touchy subject.

Great bass work on AIW; but at the same time, I was thinking that some of those arrangements would have been cool sans bass and drums.

A lot of energy, need to make the lyrics less abstract if they want to go anywhere though. Then again, Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" disproves that notion. Nevermind (to shamelessly make an exteremley lame quip).

Jim

Anonymous

#25  03 March 2008 - 15:03

 

Hey, God bless you that your daughter is getting married. Hopefully he's a decent chap?

Jim

Anonymous

#26  03 March 2008 - 15:06

 

"...cool sans bass and drums".

I guess I should have used your phrase "tex mex" for bass and drums, as you so aptly coined the phrase earlier.

Jim

Anonymous

#27  03 March 2008 - 15:15

 

Respectively:
1) Thanks for the review. Let it grow on you some more. I'm pretty sure it will. But the point about the sometime abstractness of the lyrics is well taken.
2) A decent chap, yes. But one in need of discipling. Prayers are welcomed in that department.
3) Don't blame me for "Tex-Mex." I think that dates all the way back to Buddy Holly, or at least Doug Sahm/Sir Douglas Quintet. But it's appropriate here.

burninglight

#28  04 March 2008 - 02:22

 

Yeah, trust me, I know that CDs often take several listens before they can be fully appreciated.

It took people 30 years to realize that Pet Sounds was a masterpiece.

Jim

Anonymous

#29  04 March 2008 - 20:07

 

"..... in need of discipling."?

Please elaborate. You can't be suggesting that the man is OK but not religous enough?

Or can you?
tb

timbyrnes

#30  04 March 2008 - 20:20

 

I've seen WAY too much pain in this area for you to want to go here with me, tim. Save yr anti-wewigious wabbit gun for jim, a'ight?

burninglight

#31  04 March 2008 - 21:02

 

Does he go to church, Carl?

Jim

Anonymous

#32  04 March 2008 - 21:08

 

Hey Tim, you're unchurched, and you had 3 failed marriages.

I hope you of all people can see where Carl would want a religious person for his daughter.

I mean, with all respect, Jesus Christ is a much stronger foundation for a marriage than a shared respect of the first Pink Floyd album, or whatever other kind of Crazy Glue you were using for your three marriages.

I realize I sound like a jerk, and I apologize, but I'm a fat guy. I'm not going to tell someone "Hey buddy if you wanna lose weight you really oughtta do this or that." Until I lose some lard, nobody should take my advice on that.

Likewise, if I were you, I'd feel a little awkward telling Carl about what kind of guy his daughter should marry.

Jim

Anonymous

#33  04 March 2008 - 21:42

 

I just can't keep this sector of mo'time squabble-free, can I? :D

Anyway, to answer the question I didn't really intend to ask: It's probably best to describe him as a "seeker" at this stage, who mentally believes but hopefully everyone here understands the oxymoron of "mentally believes." Having been there when I was his age, I sure as heck do.

He's come with us to church on occasion, and my daughter insists they're going to be looking for a church, but.... And BTW, I'll be doing the ceremony. So yeah, I'm that much MORE invested in what happens here. As if I already weren't.

Anyway, I think the first Pink Floyd album is exceptionally groovy and would say Marion tolerates it. So you boys take yr mutual lovefest back over to the southeastern-Colorado section of mo'time and keep the northern end here civil, kappish? :P

burninglight

#34  05 March 2008 - 01:34

 

Tell your daughter to cancel the wedding until the guy fully commits.

This missionary dating crap always backfires. Always!

She'll want to go on a mission, and he'll want to stay back to go hunting with his buddies.

Tell her to hold him to high standards, since she'll only get married once. Tell her to tell him if he doesn't go to church every week, then forget the whole thing.

Mariage is a triangle with God at the top. If he does not have that in crystal clear perspective, then he is not ready to marry your daughter.

If I were you, I would put up a fuss. Let her hate you for three or four months, but then in the long run they will appreciate it.

How are they going to raise the kids? Is he going to be able to blast his heavy metal records around the kids, or should he throw them in the trash right now? How much of a man is this guy?

Did he ever get a college degree? What does he stand for?

Jim

Anonymous

#35  05 March 2008 - 01:40

 

Is your daughter ready to do all of the Bible teaching to her kids, while he's out picking out a motorcycle?

Give him these questions I'm asking. Tell him there's a guy on your blog who really wants to know how important God is to him.

Tell your daughter that there is still plenty of time to back out, and that God will honor it if she makes sure all of the bases are covered before commiting to the guy.

Jim

Anonymous

#36  05 March 2008 - 01:41

 

PS Isn't it great to be talking with me again?!?!?! ;-)

Jim

Anonymous

#37  05 March 2008 - 04:05

 

Dude, besides the inaccurate stereotypes above (and the fact that I'm sure he could care less what some guy on a blog thinks), all this has been broken down for him (and her) already. The hate is already in play. They both know where we're at, and supposedly have had said discussions with one another as well. But the train keeps a'rollin' anyway.

burninglight

#38  05 March 2008 - 16:03

 

"The hate is already in play. They both know where we're at, and supposedly have had said discussions with one another as well. But the train keeps a'rollin' anyway."

I'll keep the situation in my prayers.
I guess I'm "looking forward" to the days when I get to deal with issue with my own daughters. ;-)

Well, I'm sure in the long run they will apprecaite your counsel.

Jim

Anonymous

#39  05 March 2008 - 16:15

 

I appreciate the prayers. It's a tough situation. You can see what's up ahead and give the warning cry, but they're "adults." They have the Constitutional (if not God-given, then at least God-permitted) right to ignore you. :P

And at the end of the day, I'm a father before I'm an ideologue. I just need to take advantage of those opportunities to speak into it. And we'll be taking LOTS of hikes to Rocky Mountain National Park (since he doesn't ride a motorcycle but does dig the outdoors, as do I). Where sometimes twooooo go in, but only oooonnnnne comes back.... (KIDding.... and chances are I'm the one who'd get lost, being HE's the native Coloradoan....)

burninglight

#40  05 March 2008 - 19:52

 

I'm sure that you, Smith, and Wesson you can help him to see the light.

Then again, the results of me holding people to gunpoint have not always turned out the greatest, as I believe your blog introductory statement attests to. :-b

Jim

Anonymous

#41  05 March 2008 - 19:53

 

Your original introduction, that is.

Jim

Anonymous

#42  05 March 2008 - 19:56

 

Subject change. Knopfler's "Golden Heart" CD. Any thoughts on it. EVer ehar it? I finally obtained it after all these years. I love the Celtic feel of some of the tunes, and "Rudiger" and "Don't You Get It?" are pretty awesome.

Jim

Anonymous

#43  05 March 2008 - 19:59

 

Actually, that's my least favorite Knopfler solo. Prefer Sailing to Philadelphia myself. His latest, Kill to Get Crimson, is actually pretty good too. Has a few old-country folkie moments there, too (make mine a double Richard Thompson, please....)

burninglight

#44  05 March 2008 - 20:29

 

I have GH, had and enjoyed "Local Hero" soundtrack very much way back when, and I've also been enjoying one called "One Take Sessions" which covers a good portion of the "Shagri La" CD.

Have trouble motivating myself for the others; still haven't heard his album with EH either.

My next acquisition would probably be KTGC, due to what you said about folky songs being on there.

Jim

Anonymous

#45  07 March 2008 - 02:58

 

Hey, I have a prayer request, please.

My good buddy Carl Simmons is going to have a really tough time accepting how much better the Tigers are going to do than the Rockies this year. I think he's deluded that becuase the Rockies were so lucky at the end of last year, that they're actually going to be good this year. So just keep him in your prayers that he'll be able to accept all the oncoming heartbreak with grace in the coming months.

Jim

Anonymous

#46  24 June 2008 - 19:23

 

hey burninglight... just read your "skeletons" review. just wanted you to know that i'm the guy who wrote the poem inside the album sleeve for the pages- anyway- the lead, brandon, saw your review and called me about it. he was really touched. i just thought i'd tell you that i enjoyed your review as well. thanks for noticing an awesome band.

and right on! with the morrissey tex-mex. morrissey told brandon at a concert recently during "disappointed" that, "young boy, i wanna help you, yes YOU!!!" seems moz loves brandon more than brandon loves moz! : )

thanks for the wonderful blog

xo
todd gresley

Anonymous

#47  24 June 2008 - 21:24

 

Hey Todd:

I'm guessing that y'r also the guy who gave Kurt the recent heads-up. Thanks for that. I'd talked to Kurt and Brandon awhile back before writing this review, but it's been awhile.

Is yr poem on their site, too? I only have the downloaded eMusic version of the album (actually, two -- I gave my buddy tim [mentioned elsewhere here] my 1st copy, he liked it so much :)).

And yes, they ARE awesome. I REALLY would like to see them visit northern Colorado (and the rest of the country, for that matter) sometime soon.

And y'r welcome. :)

And speaking of Morrissey, have you heard the new Sparks album, and the Moz reference therein? If so, I'll be talking about it soon. :)

burninglight

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