Intermission

Hoping this post finds any and all that may pass this way in good spirits. I know there hasn’t been a swell of posts here lately, but I think I have finally figured out why. It is time to recharge some batteries. Nothing major. Just a slight pause.

So with that in mind…Know that all will be up and running very soon. Until then…Enjoy the fall, be safe, and see you soon.

Be sure to enjoy Halloween & Turkey Day too!

Carry The Flag!

Autumn or fall (or whatever you may call it in your neck of the woods) is upon us. Old age has to be creeping in…because time has flown by in 2009. It is nearly Halloween, and to be honest, it seems like time is slipping away. Sometimes so much to do, but so little time to do it in.

One plus for me this time of year is the return of my favorite sport…hockey. I often find myself defending the game. It’s not as widely accepted in my corner of the globe as football, baseball, basketball, or even racing. I just don’t get it. To me…it is by far the most enjoyable sport to watch, but I know it’s only my opinion. I’ve come to terms with this sad fact, but it doesn’t make it any easier to accept.

Hockey requires the player to be agile on skates while maintaining a high level of hand/eye coordination. The play is swift and continuous, and yes…there are certainly times when it can become physical. I thought (and have been thinking about) the game for a while now, and I realized that I had never actually sat down and managed to put my thoughts down as to what it is that draws me to this game. So why not now?

I admit the game has a bad reputation in some ways. Most casual fans might point to all the fighting or the pushing and shoving. I say…who cares? Are there not people that watch racing waiting for a spinout or wreck? At least in hockey, if you drop the gloves…it is one on one (most of the time). In racing…you can wipe out all sorts of innocent bystanders…and who needs that?

I finally made it to my first game of the season here recently. Almost immediately I was again struck by how fun it is to sit in that rink. Even from “the cheap seats” you get a sense that everyone is having fun…rooting for the team…and watching the strategy unfold. There is something a bit magical about sitting in a chilly arena with 17, 000 other fans waiting to see that red light flash when the puck hits the net.

There is a bit of charm in seeing the older folk gathered inside Starbucks to grab a cup of coffee or hot chocolate to ease the chill. The young kid with a big hat pulled over his ears and a gigantic foam finger who is grinning ear to ear as his father moves him along the line. The family standing in the team store holding jerseys up to one another and checking on sizes, debating on which of their favorite team members to buy. It’s all so…fun.

Normally I am the guy who takes a newer fan to their first game or explains what each and every whistle is for. Not this time. Instead I got to sit back and relax…while at the same time perch myself on the edge of the seat. Each time a pass was missed or a shot was blocked…I would throw my arms up in disgust. And when that red light did come on…without thinking…I leapt out of my chair to cheer on my hometown team. Somehow…I think I might have been part of the entertainment.

I’m not an extreme sports fan. It does not rule my life, and I don’t change everything I do to fit the teams schedule. Instead I am a modest guy who enjoys the passion and the drive of a sport that is sometime overlooked for being silly, dull, or maybe even too violent to matter. I stand by my choice of hockey…don’t make me cross check you.

So when I turn and take that extra look outside my window at all of the shades of red, yellow, and orange…I pause for a second. I remember the good times as a kid during Halloween. I remember the first fall all those years ago when I sat down and watched a game of hockey on TV. I know too that the snow will soon begin to fly, and my travels might have to slow a bit. But I don’t really worry…I know deep down…somehow…someway…I will make it to the rink. And I will be sure to bring my friends along too.

The Mick Jones Incident

Sometimes there are so many different ways to attack a new album…that it can be a little difficult to know exactly where to start. Especially when the band in question is one you have known (or at the very least been a fan of) for close to thirty years. But that is precisely the task I mean to meet head on here today. Let us take a look at the new album “Can’t Slow Down” from Foreigner.

First off…I imagine there are a few of you that might not even know this band was still around, or better yet that they had a new album out. Well, they are, and they do. This time there is a slight twist to it all. The disc is currently only in physical form at Wal-Mart. This seems to be a trend for the dying art of classic rock and buying CD’s. This trend started a couple years back with the Eagles. AC/DC, Journey, and soon to be Kiss are all taking this last stab at the big time. For $12.00 however, you do manage to get the new album, a remix disc of old hits, and a live DVD. Let’s start with the album.

Foreigner has always been a good band, but a bit of a confusing one for me. The first two albums are bona fide rock staples, but it is hard to not come away with a few really good tracks from the slimmed down four piece band too. From the get go Foreigner had a knack for creating great hooks. It helped that leader Mick Jones and other veterans of the scene at the time (Ian McDonald and Dennis Elliot) brought experience to the table. Add in a power vocalist in one Lou Gramm, and you have the makings of a strong band.
Even as the band slimmed down and went more middle of the road, they still had that voice and Jones kept coming up with solid melodies.

There in lies the problem. It should never be just the two guys…when you are a “band”.

Foreigner parted ways with Gramm, and they picked up a new singer and tried to restart the powerhouse. No go. I can honestly say that outside of the one “single” from that album…I know little of “Unusual Heat” with Johnny Edwards singing lead. Gramm returned and left again, leaving the future in doubt. Jones soldiered on by recruiting Jason Bonham on drums, Jeff Pilson (of Dokken fame) on bass, and Kelly Hansen (from Hurricane) on vocals. You would think that should do the job.

You see…even though the band was really good at writing catchy songs, and fronting them with a great singer…you sometimes felt like the band didn’t have an identity. I doubt anybody has ever really said that Rick Wills (bass) or Dennis Elliot (drums) were influences. They were sort of faceless. It became wallpaper music. It was cool to look at and hear, but it wasn’t anything special. Don’t get me wrong. They all had talent, but not in a unique way.

On this new album we are treated to 13 new cuts. Dare I say…only 3 of them get my thumbs up. It’s not that they are bad, but it is just more wallpaper. That voice is gone, and the songwriting…well…I’ve heard this stuff before.

When you have 15 years between albums (yes…I said 15 years) you have to consider quite a few things. Tastes do change. However, it does speak something to your initial success that you still have the ability or desire to create something new. But after that long of an absence, it stands to reason that whatever might come next had better deliver. This just feels a little too safe or cut and paste in spots for my liking.

You have to wonder about bands that do the lead singer swap thing. Especially huge bands. Journey has stumbled along for years, but I am sorry…I think Steve Perry has that one locked down. Yes has tried…don’t even get me started on that car wreck. Some bands have managed to weather the storm…but most struggle. Van Halen took a wild left turn with Sammy Hagar, and in retrospect (as much as it pains me to say it) at least they didn’t go for a “could you sing it like the other guy did” clone. AC/DC still has fans that stop at the Bon Scott line. Not sure what to say on that one…but I think I make my point. There are more examples, but let us look at Kelly Hansen and how well he covers for the mighty Lou.

I knew Hansen’s work from back in the days of late 80’s hair metal. Hurricane was a decent enough band that had a rough time finding a niche in a world overwhelmed by bad pop metal. I know he has the pipes, but at times…it is almost like he is approaching these songs in a “how would Lou do this” kind of style. I couldn’t help but just want to hear him rip loose in his own style.

Not that Jason Bonham is superb, but I found it sad to note that he only appears on one cut here. And Jeff Pilson…nothing special here either. Wallpaper.

The album is decent enough, but I guess from a band that I’ve liked for those hooks and melodies…I came away feeling a bit hungry. The title cut, “In Pieces”, and “Angel Tonight” are highlights for me, but they are almost all of the upbeat songs. In spots I feel like instead of a remix disc or DVD, this should have come with a “Weren’t the 80’s great-power ballad” cigarette lighter. A little too much wishy wash. I wanted Mick to bust out some “Cold As Ice” solos. If that is what you are looking for…it is not here.

The glaring issues with the new album come to light when you pop in the bonus remix disc of hits. 10 songs go under the rearrange machine here. Now while I am always a bit nervous about people screwing around with the classics, I was pleasantly surprised in a couple spots. It was obvious that an effort was made to punch things up a bit, but a couple tracks sounded great. I don’t know if this will make my regular playlist, but in spots the remixing was well done. I enjoyed this more than the new stuff. That just seems wrong.

I haven’t bothered with the DVD yet. I’m sure it is well done, but…just not chomping at the bit for it.

I’m not sure what I was expecting for this release. No Foreigner album has ever blown the roof off for me really, but I certainly had higher hopes than this. Like I said…it is all professional and slick, but I don’t remember it when I’m done. It could grow on me, but no matter how you slice it…the guys went a little too heavy on the ballad sauce. When that voice is gone, the songwriting is a little less than it was…it seems like more of Mick Jones solo record…which isn’t all bad, but I don’t see this really doing much to reboot the legacy of this once great band. Too bad that it sort of “feels like the last time”.

Take a listen to the title track: "Can't Slow Down"...you decide!

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So Blue (226)

When I look back over the past five or six years, I begin to realize how much some things have changed. In a relatively short period of time, I have managed to experience so many things. I assume some have to do with getting older, but I think most people do take a moment or two at some point to ponder what it all means. Sometimes it can be a silly moment, while others can be more profound and insightful. What is the meaning of life?

I’ve come to the conclusion that I am a mixed bag of whether or not it is fate or if we have some control over our paths. Events in my life have given me pause to think it is a bit of both. Some things happen and always will regardless of what we do to stop them. We are born, we live, we age, and we die. Yet there are times when we do have a choice.

Over these past six years I have seen two very close (and young) friends die. I’ve experienced the pain of divorce and breaking up. I lost my beloved pet. I nearly cut my finger off. I lost a grandfather, and I also lost touch with some people that at one time I believed were my friends. Oh…and the time I screwed up my knee was no picnic either.

But in the same breath, I managed to find a job (that still can be draining and tiresome) that keeps me comfortable and allows me perspective. I gained new, honest, open and caring friends…and once again I have begun to know what it feels like to experience a bit of love.

I’ve never sat down at the keyboard in an open forum like this to speak about my personal life. I figure everyone has their own story to tell, and most people wouldn’t find my journey all that interesting. So I keep a lot of things inward, and only let one or two people in on how I truly feel. Most of the time, I am just the hockey guy, the music guy, or the movie guy with the weird taste in hockey and music. You get my point.

More than most of even my closest friends have ever realized…I was in emotional pain for many years. I hid the hurt as best I could. I’m sure I was to blame for some of it, but not all of it. No way. After years of this…I suppose I managed to get really good at not allowing people through my wall. I was more comfortable with keeping arms length. Because the few that did manage to break through managed to do quite a bit of damage. That lead to distrust, more introspection, and the cycle continued.

But as I write this…I have found a woman that isn’t quite like anything else I have ever known. She isn’t (and wasn’t) what I normally would find myself attracted to. I’m not talking about her looks or the way she dresses. It was/is her openness to just say hello. With a paper thin attachment to my past, she emerged from out of nowhere to strike up a conversation. She managed to get me to joke and say hello without too much effort. In fact I was shocked at myself a bit I suppose because I wasn’t looking or really in the mood for much joy.

Fast forward over countless hours plugged into the phone, emails, cards, text messages, blog comments, message board postings, and dinners…I have found a lady that just likes me because I like her. Nothing more. Nothing less. Neither one of us has anything to gain other than having a new friend. Road trips, shopping, laughing, sharing, having drinks…just being human. And she smiles. Wanting nothing more than to say hello and make me smile right back. For the first time in any public forum or place of any distinction (ever)…I’m going to say it.

I love her.

That’s all it is. That what it has to be when you start understanding those songs on the radio. That’s what it is when you see something on the shelf in the store, and it makes you think of her. When you hear a word…and she is on your mind. When nothing happens at all…and she is on your mind.

For the first time ever…I’m not going to pressure myself anymore than I have to about it. It happened. It found me. I never thought it would again. And I was okay with that. I have never said anything this open about anything this serious in all of my years on this planet. But something just moved me to do so now. Nothing about this has been normal…so why should this be any different?

If there is a lesson in all of this…I imagine it is this…never give up. Right now I have a beautiful woman who thinks great things about me…just because I was me. If it all ends tomorrow…I have a friend. One that I know that cares for me. It took a long time. Long time. Six years. Now that it is here…I don’t ever want to let go. I hope everyone can feel this happiness just once in their lives. The happiness that I have been able to be so lucky to RE-discover again.

What can I say? I love her.

MegaFish

Every once in a while I throw people a curve with my choices when it comes to the tunes. Some of my closest (and musically inclined) friends know that I have a vast interest…from Johnny Cash to oh…let’s say Megadeth. You don’t collect and breathe music for 30 years without having a little diversity.

There are moments that I really enjoy pumping my fist to some aggressive, angry, and ferocious metal. I have a couple friends that dive in much deeper than I, but I do have my fair share of crunch in the collection. I mean who doesn’t own a copy of some random Kiss, Van Halen, Sabbath, or Priest CD? I rest my case.

So today I shall let my metal freak flag fly with the opening instrumental track from the brand spanking new Megadeth CD “Endgame”. The track is entitled “Dialectic Chaos”. I like Dave Mustaine. I can’t say I agree with all he has done and said in his life, nor has all of his musical output been A-List. However, Mr. Mustaine scores huge points on the attitude factor. As he (and as we all do) continues to age, he continues to-for lack of a better term-rock. Not many guys in their late forties crank out this kind of music with pride. He hasn’t sold his soul to be the metal poster boy. He is true to his calling, and I admire that about him. Plus in these dying days of rock and roll…he continues to let his own freak flag unfurl.

On the initial pass through the disc, his voice is a bit ragged (more so than usual), but the guts are still intact. But hey…it’s DAVE! So if you happen to pass this way…I hope you enjoy some chaos…

Get this player.