Monthly Archives: March 2006

Roll Plymouth Rock

Oh dear. I just realized that I could actually relate to a lot of lyrics by Morrissey and the Smiths. It’s the oddest thing. Morrissey is on Logo, the gay cable channel, and I had the thought if Bill was here he could perhaps gain some insight into some things that I feel. Then that was immediately followed by the thought of how many times in my life I heard a Smiths or a Morrissey song and related to it.

How Soon Is Now really hit my sensibilities back in the angst filled eighties. The lines, ‘there’s a club, would you like to go? You could meet somebody who really loves you. So you go and you stand on your own and you leave all alone and you go home and cry and want to die.’ Yeah that was me a lot back then. I did go to the clubs but I guess I might’ve been putting out a disaffected vibe. But then again, I didn’t look like everyone else or act like everyone else.

Which is also very Smiths like. I saw them a long time ago at the Beacon Theatre with Hiroaki Kimura. We both found them boring and didn’t stay for an encore. Our seats, being at the Beacon and not in the orchestra, sucked. I saw Morrissey after the Smiths broke up and liked him very much. Where I was embarrassed when fans would rush the stage, both males and females running up to kiss and hug him during the Smiths, at the first Madison Square Garden show it was really funny. Gladiola covering the stage.

A year or so later I saw him at the Theatre at MSG, formerly the Felt Forum. The fans were really troublesome and it was no longer funny. Some of the fans near me were extremely agitated and kept stepping on Susan Sher who was naturally indignant. She was mostly un-naturally indignant, and this time gave her just cause.

We fled, probably back to McSwells, licking our wounds and chemically altering our consciousness.

I love the Sigur Ros song that Juan burned for me. A really cool song, HoppiPolla. Speaking of Song, he and Ray flew back to Australia. According to Song they had a really bad drive to JFK. Or at least the driver was bad. I wished them a safe trip and told Song I hope the pilot is better than the driver. I hope they come back sometime soon.

Now I’m sort of waiting for Julio. Told him I had an Almodovar DVD and invited him up to watch it. He was in a ball busting mood and also a bit ill with a head cold. I have Live Flesh and All About My Mother. I knew we hadn’t seen Live Flesh, but he laughably offended when I suggested he watch All About My Mother, a second time. Julio does not understand the concept of seeing a film more than once.

He thinks that because I might watch a movie over and over again that it’s a waste of my time. He should see Bill. Bill can watch stand up comedy DVD’s dozens of times. Sometimes on successive nights. I’ve been known to get sucked into Lord of the Rings on cable.

No think, me damage.

So I don’t know if he’s coming up to watch it tonight or what.
Not that it’s a big deal.
I can watch All About My Mother.

Too late. He’s at the door.

We watched Almodovar’s Live Flesh. Almodovar’s attempt at a Hitchcockian thriller. It was ok. Not his best. The wonderful Javier Bardem was in it. Liberto Ramal, who played Victor, the protagonist was way easy on the eyes. The movie is worth watching just to look at those two.

Then we watched Bil Maher who was merely ok with a so so panel of Seth Green (who I usually like but was obnoxious) and Erica Jong (who seemed quite ditzy) and a republican representative from California (who provided the right wing’s point of view). All rather tepid.

Julio was on a Beach Boys/Brian Wilson vibe which I indulged by playing the instrumental track to God Only Knows from the Pet Sounds Sessions. We actually sang along to it.

Ping Pong Affair

B Complex. Is it all that? I keep forgetting to take it. No visible results. But my sister recommended it, and I trust her more than I trust the Surgeon General whoever that might be. If the Surgeon General was appointed by the idiot in the White House, I definitely do not trust him, or her. I really cannot stand that buffoon.

Will and Grace. It’s time has come and gone. I enjoyed it for a few minutes a while ago but I don’t make an effort to see it anymore. It’s on right now, because I’m waiting for My Name is Earl. Briny Spears is the guest star. None too fond of her either. God it is such crap. Every stereotype about gay men is trotted out.

Earl is great, as is the Office, as is Scrubs. All three shows don’t have laugh tracks, which is great. It was odd the other day. They have been showing an hour of Scrubs and they had it again followed by a crap show called Teachers. After the humor of Scrubs without a laugh track, to watch a show like Teachers was really horrible. Bad script, stupid unbelievable characters, it’ll be a smash.

Then there is the horror show American Idol. Some friends watch it and I just don’t understand why. I am grateful that most of the winners burn out rather quickly and are rarely heard from again. Ruben Stoddard? Justin Whatshisface? I suppose that Kelly girl has some lasting power, but you imagine her in 10 years?

The Office is great. Steve Carrell is great. It is such an edgy show. It is unbearably close to home, or rather close to work. Specifically when I worked with my former supervisor, Bobby Aye. Not that Bobby was as bad as Steve Carrell, but he was almost as anal retentive.

Tonight on my walk to the Path train, smoking my cigar, I was playing the Slits, CUT. They say they could barely play their instruments but I love it and it sounds great. Dave Bell turned me onto them. I also have a specific memory of driving back from New Hampshire with Annemarie and I was playing Typical Girls. She must have wondered what a strange halfling her brother is. I think it was in Massachusetts, that what I recall.

The persistence of memory.

Just got off the phone with Julio. Been also chatting with Juan and Rand. Sending Juan tracks from Brian Eno and David Byrne’s My Life in the Bush of Ghosts. Very influential for me and a lot of other people like the guys from Public Enemy and a whole lot of other heavyweights. Like me!

Juan wants Gang of Four tracks. Sending Gang of Four tracks.

It was funny because I’ve also been chatting with Rand about Eno & Byrne. 26 years after it’s original release it is reissued with extra tracks. It’s an amazing record with all the effects coming from tapes and live musicians, all pre-sampling. I’ve been debating whether or not to get it, and I’m pretty much sure I will tomorrow. Which means some one who might get the original cd might be reading this. Any takers? No Qu’Ran though.